Efficiency of plant operation was very low during this period of time and in 1926, it was decided to convert the plant to diesel operation.

 In 1927, the first of two McIntosh & Seymour 4-cycle air injection engines, 17X25, 600 HP, 200 RPM engine, driving a 410 kW, 2300 volt, 60 cycle AC generator, was installed. The second unit was started up in July of 1928. Beloit's power plant was now converted to all diesel. Old audit reports had shown that for the period, Sept. 1926 to Aug. 1927, the cost of fuel was $29,850.00, and the same period, 1928-29 was $5,043.00 on full diesel. This represented a great saving to the citizens of the community.

Beloit Power Plant produces some of the electricity used by the city.
  The first power plant in Beloit, KS was erected in 1888, when a private corporation was granted a twenty-year franchise for its operation. At the expiration of the franchise in 1908, the plant was purchased by the city, and since that time has been operated as a municipal utility. The equipment of this plant consisted of a Hamilton-Corliss steam engine, belted to a 100 kW DC Westinghouse generator, along with two 125 HP fire tube boilers, fired with coal.

 At that time, the city added to and modified this equipment so that it consisted of three larger steam boilers, two direct connected Corliss engines of 125 kW and 175 kW, and a 300 kW geared turbine. Records had shown that a yearly peak of 225 kW was reached in 1925.

 In 1930, a third McIntosh-Seymour (4-cycle, air injected, 17X25, 675 HP, 225 RPM) engine, driving a 460 kW, 2300 volt, 60 cycle AC generator, was installed. Total cost of the first three diesel units was $94,000.00 plus $8,924.00 for switchgear and improvements to the distribution system. The cost of these improvements was paid off in 1932 from electric revenues, due to the increased efficiency of diesel over steam. At the same time the customers were given a reduction in rates of 13% on the first 300 kWh, and 12% for all kWh's over 300. For a period in the 1930's, Beloit had no city tax levy, with revenue from the power plant paying for all services.

 A forth diesel engine was added to the plant in 1941. It was an American Locomotive (4-cycle, 720 HP, 600 RPM, solid injection) engine, which was later turbo charged to produce 1050 HP, driving a 700 kW, 2400 volt, 60 cycle AC generator, at a total cost of $49,750.00.

In 1942, the City of Beloit contracted to furnish energy for the Jewell-Mitchell R.E.A., resulting in a new peak demand of 1040 kW. This was greater than the peak demand of 860 kW in 1941. A fifth unit was added to the plant capacity in 1946. It was like unit #4, with a slightly higher rating of 1080 HP, driving a 750 kW generator.

The citizens of Beloit, in 1946, voted in a $400,000.00 bond issue to build a new light and water plant away from the threat of the Solomon River flooding. Unit #5 was installed at the location of the new plant and was operated in conjunction with the old plant for a time. The total cost of unit #5 was $50,725.00.

With the building of the new plant, two Fairbanks-Morse 31AD18, dual fuel, 2-cycle (18X27, 2100 HP, 277 RPM) engines were purchased and installed in 1950. They each drove a 1500 kW, 2400-volt generator. The #5 unit was converted to dual fuel at the same time for a cost of $15,000.00. The plant now had a new nameplate rating of 3750 kW. The cost of the Fairbanks-Morse engines and related equipment was $196,000.00.

The new water plant was put on line in 1950, and on July 12, 1951 the new electric generation plant was put into service as flood waters from the Solomon River were four feet deep on the operations floor of the old plant. Units #1 through #4 at the old plant were removed and disposed of after the floodwater had subsided.

R.E.A. terminated their contract with the city in 1952, with a drop in peak demand of 150 kW. By 1959 the peak demand had risen to 3050 kW, and a forth unit was purchased and installed at the new plant. Unit #3 was a Cooper-Bessemer 4-cycle, turbo charged, tri-fuel, LSV-12 (3200 HP, 327 RPM) engine. It drove a 2000 kW, 2400-volt AC generator. The cost of this unit was $245,000.00. At the same time of the installation of unit #3, the jacket water cooling system was converted from a spray tower, to a closed system, using four radiator units at a capacity of 15,400,000 Btu/hr., at a cost to the city of $32,000.00.

By 1964, peak demand had raised to 4950 kW, and another unit was purchased and installed at a cost of $468,126.00. The new unit #4 was a Cooper-Bessemer 4-cycle, turbo charged, tri-fuel, LSV-16 engine rated at 4910 HP, 360 RPM, driving a 3500 kW, 2400-volt generator. In 1967 the jacket water system was enlarged to 30,800,000 Btu/hr, at a cost of $40,000.00, to accommodate better and more efficient cooling.

The 6450 kW peak demand of 1969 showed the need to purchase unit #6. It is a Cooper-Bessemer 4-cycle, turbo charged, dual fuel, LSV-16 engine, rated at 5744 HP, 400 RPM, driving a 4100 kW, 12,470 volt AC generator. The cost of this project was $588,000.00. At this same time, low voltage in outlying parts of the city, during heavy load periods, required the building of five miles of 12,470 volt distribution lines around the perimeter of the city to better service those customers. Two 2400 kW substations were constructed, one at the plant and one in the north part of town, just south of the large water tower. The substations were set up with remote switching at the power plant. The cost of the substations and structures was $80,885.00.

As of 1971, Beloit had 1980 metered customers, 23 miles of three phase, 2400 volt lines, two miles of single phase, 2400 volt lines, five miles of 12,470 volt, three phase lines (with 1.5 miles to build). The city had $1,360,000.00 in electric revenue bonds outstanding and a property and equipment, after depreciation, valuation of $2,148,594.13, for plant and distribution systems.

All of Beloit's generating and electric distribution systems equipment has been paid out of the plant revenue since 1926.

 

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