State Line Power Plant Water Efficiency Initiative
Liberty is undertaking a project at its State Line Power Plant in Joplin, Missouri, to help reduce the amount of treated water purchased for plant operations and decrease reliance on deep groundwater wells. It is intended to improve long-term operational plant efficiency, support the responsible management of local water resources, and may help mitigate costs over time.
Background
Since its establishment in 1995, Liberty’s State Line Power Plant has used water that originates from Shoal Creek to support generation operations.
This water is purchased through the local water utility provider, which withdraws and treats the water before delivering it to the plant.
This strategic infrastructure project would allow Liberty to use that same water source directly rather than paying to treat the water, which is unnecessary for industrial plant operations.
Environmental reviews
Before moving forward with this project, Liberty’s plan underwent environmental and regulatory reviews.
Those studies showed that there are no anticipated negative impacts on Shoal Creek.
- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issued a “Not Likely to Adversely Affect” conclusion in terms of threatened and endangered species.
- A cultural resources study was completed with no issues identified.
- A wetland and stream delineation study was also completed.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers consulted with the appropriate governmental agencies and issued the appropriate permits for the project.
Liberty remains committed to protecting local natural resources while making responsible infrastructure investments that help keep customer costs as low as possible.
At a Glance
- The project at Liberty’s State Line Power Plant in Joplin is about helping to mitigate operational costs and responsibly managing our water resources.
- The source of water is not changing. The facility currently uses water that originates from Shoal Creek through its water utility provider.
- The project reduces the need to purchase treated drinking water – water treatment is unnecessary for industrial plant operations.
- Reducing treated water purchases and lowering reliance on deep wells may help mitigate future cost pressures for customers.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. The source of water remains the same. The State Line facility currently uses water that originates from Shoal Creek through its water utility provider. This project changes how the water is delivered for industrial plant operations by reducing the need to purchase treated water.
The project will help to mitigate the cost of treated water purchases, lessen dependence on deep wells, improve operational efficiency, and may help reduce future cost pressures for customers.
Reviews related to wetlands, streams, cultural resources, and threatened and endangered species were completed including reviews by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issued the appropriate permitting after consulting with the appropriate governmental agencies.
This initiative is not related to a specific data center. This initiative is in response to grid reliability challenges experienced during severe Winter Storms Uri (2021) and Elliott (2022) and is intended to strengthen the Midwest electric grid to support reliability.