Supervisor suspended for three days

A City Water, Light and Power supervisor was suspended for three days last month for his role in the failure of a generator last November that has resulted in a repair bill estimated at $6 million.

Files obtained by Illinois Times under the state Freedom of Information Act show that Robert Archer, CWLP supervisor of generation, was punished for failing to recognize falling voltage levels that signaled a failure in battery-charging equipment. The voltage level at Unit 33, the generator where fire broke out, was supposed to average 131, according to city files. Over the course of two hours on Nov. 8, the voltage level fell by 9 and was recorded in a log, according to city files, but Archer, who worked a 12-hour overnight shift that ended on Nov. 9, didn’t “recognize” the issue, according to CWLP files. He also failed to recognize an issue on Nov. 10 and Nov. 11 when voltage levels fell even further, to 116, according to utility files.

On Nov. 12, Unit 33 tripped, or shut down. CWLP files obtained by Illinois Times don’t state the cause of the shutdown. Low voltage levels prevented systems that should have provided lubrication from kicking in, according to CWLP files, and so the turbine’s bearings ran dry as oiling equipment didn’t turn on, as designed, while the generator’s turbine was winding down to a stop. The result was a fire and “catastrophic damage,” according to files. A fact sheet supplied to aldermen in February shows that repair costs will total $6 million, with the city paying a $1 million deductible and insurers paying the balance.

Archer, whose 2019 salary was $109,802, did not protest his punishment, according to city files. Other CWLP employees also are facing discipline, according to city officials, including Mayor Jim Langfelder, who has said that termination is a possibility.

CWLP has bought all of its power from the grid since Feb. 22, according to documents obtained via a FOIA request. Last month, the council approved $124,000 in repairs to a motor that had shorted out, reducing generating capacity by 70 megawatts at Unit Four, the newest generator that has a capacity of 230 megawatts. During a Tuesday committee-of-the-whole meeting of the city council, CWLP chief utility engineer Doug Brown said the price of electricity is so low that the city can’t generate power cheaper than can be bought from the grid.

“We definitely would much rather see it if power prices were a little higher so we could get (Unit) Four on line, at least,” Brown told aldermen.

Have employees who run the power generation plant been laid off while the city has been buying power elsewhere, asked Ward 7 Ald. Joe McMenamin.

“No, there are no layoffs at this point that we plan on doing right now,” Brown answered. “Our staffing has changed no differently than for the rest of the facility, where we have many of our employees stationed, basically at home, or on call, because we don’t want them to be in common (areas together). That way, they’re available if we need them.”

Brown also told aldermen that the repair schedule for the generator where fire broke out in November has been delayed. The generator likely won’t be operational until mid-June, he said.

CWLP plans to retire its two oldest generators by year’s end, but no precise shutdown date has been set for the turbine that caught fire and is undergoing repairs. The city is working on improving transmission facilities to increase the amount of electricity that can be purchased from the grid so that less locally-generate power will be needed during peak usage months, Brown told aldermen.

Contact Bruce Rushton at [email protected].