Cyclone729's Fotothing

Duke Energy Peak Generating Plant
west of Nachusa Illinois...

This is a "simple cycle" gas turbine plant; there are 8 GE gas turbines giving the plant a total rating of 649 megawatts (MW). The white louvered structures are the air intake filter houses, connected by ductwork to each turbine. Below each filter house is the generator. Each turbine is to the left of the generator, partially behind the exhaust stack. This plant is known as a "peaker" because the units can be started up and shut down quickly to respond to changing electrical loads. Duke Energy sells the power to Commonwealth Edison (the local utility) or to other utilities elsewhere on the grid; thus this type of plant is known as a "merchant power plant." The plant has about 50% of its capacity contracted to Commonwealth Edison