Richmond Power & Light’s line department will soon have a new mini-excavator and trailer.
RP&L’s board, comprised of all Richmond Common Council members, approved the purchases during its July 1 meeting.
RP&L will buy the mini-excavator from New Holland of Richmond for $70,965, the lowest of three bids received. RP&L General Manager Tony Foster expects to receive the machine in four weeks.
Midway Trailer Sales of Dayton, Ohio, was the only bidder for a trailer to transport the mini-excavator. It bid $16,200.
Foster also received board approval to seek bids for a self-loading reel trailer for the line department.
During the hottest days of June, the Indiana Municipal Power Agency ran the Whitewater Valley Generating Station on U.S. 27 for a week to generate power for IMPA’s system. Foster said there were no issues with the generating station’s performance.
Foster also spoke to board members about the American Public Power Association. He and four board members attended APPA’s national conference.
IMPA pays RP&L’s dues for APPA, which provides RP&L access to APPA programs, training and services. Speakers at the national conference provided information about the general election’s impacts on energy, challenges and opportunities for energy companies regarding artificial intelligence, and how economic indicators and global events impact energy.
A version of this article appeared in the July 10 2024 print edition of the Western Wayne News.