| Profile: J.R. Short Milling |
The J.R. Short Milling Company was approached in early 1995 by Masco & Associates, an energy consultant located in Arlington Heights, Illinois, and Heartland Energy Group, a third party finance company in Madison, Wisconsin. With a turnkey proposal from LaSalle Associates, the team was able to promise substantial savings at no project cost to the customer. The customer and the finance company share the anticipated savings at an approximate 50-50 split.
In December, 1995, LaSalle completed preliminary engineering which included Edison required drawings, building/equipment site plan and a foundation plan. As a result of early completion of this phase of the engineering, the interconnect fee from Edison was determined prior to construction. In an attempt to ward off another cogeneration installation, Edison offered JRSM a reduced electric rate, but it was not enough to compete with the no cost savings they are anticipating with self generation.
Contracts between all parties were finalized in January, 1996. Five Caterpillar 800 kw 3516 natural gas engines will run during on-peak hours without heat recovery. All equipment will be housed in a new 3,000 square foot unattached building. Ground breaking is planned for early March with a completion date around October. LaSalle Associates, Glen Ellen, Illinois, is the design build contractor.