Richmond Power & Light will purchase a new mobile power unit for almost $12,500 less than its budget.
During its April 7 meeting, the RP&L board, which is comprised of Richmond Common Council members, unanimously accepted the $87,583 bid from Altec Fenex of Sandoval, Illinois, to provide the new unit. The purchase had been budgeted at $100,000.
The new unit, which replaces a 1985 model, includes better pumps, an air blower, a sump pump, an LED arrow board, a generator, dry air for tools and a winch for work on infrastructure in the utility’s 118 maintenance holes and 25 vaults.
General Manager Tony Foster opened bids on two other vehicles: a pickup truck for the engineering department and a 55-foot bucket truck for the line department. The utility has a 2013 Ford transit van with 107,019 miles to trade for the pickup and a 2015 Freightliner bucket truck with 50,000 miles and 10,000 hours to trade for the bucket truck.
Wetzel Ford provided two bids for the pickup, offering $1,250 for the trade-in with both bids. Wetzel bid $35,733 after trade for a 2024 Ford Ranger that’s on its lot and $36,829 after trade-in for a 2025 Ford Ranger with delivery in 12 to 30 weeks.
Altec bid $305,677 for the bucket truck, offering $10,000 for the trade subtracted from the new truck’s $315,677 price. Terex Utilities bid $359,628 with no trade credit.
All of the bids were taken under advisement for Foster to return with a recommendation.
Foster received permission to solicit bids for a Class 3, extended-cab, 4×4 truck with a utility body for the line department.
Foster also provided the board some updates on U.S. Environmental Protection Agency deregulatory actions that could impact the Whitewater Valley Station. The Indiana Municipal Power Agency operates the coal-powered WWVS on peak days. During 2024, that included 47 days, following 30 days in 2023 and 62 days in 2022, providing 4.85% of the kilowatt-hours RP&L sold during those three years.
IMPA plans to keep the WWVS functional, making changes required by deregulation, Foster said. IMPA also received some concessions for the WWVS because it’s a low-utilization plant.
The EPA announced prioritizing actions on coal ash. Since new regulations on coal combustion residuals were implemented in 2015, RP&L has prepared to take action on coal ash piled from the 1950s to the 1970s on its site. It awaits Indiana Department of Environmental Management approval on its plan to consolidate, cover and cap the impoundments.
A version of this article appeared in the April 16 2025 print edition of the Western Wayne News.