In May of 2001, the Grand Island City Council authorized a $50 million project to add an additional 80 megawatts of electric power generation.  

The two natural gas or oil fired combustion turbine-generators are located at the Burdick Station power generating facility, located at Bischeld and Cherry streets in Grand Island.  

The new turbine generators will complement Grand Island Utilities Department's existing power generation capacity of 107.5 megawatts at the Burdick Station facility and 100 megawatts at the coal fired Platte Generating Station. 

Construction of the new General Electric combustion turbines began in spring of 2002.  Preparation of the construction site began in fall of 2001.  

In 2003, total Grand Island Utilities Department generation capacity will be 287.5 megawatts. 

Shown above are Grand Island Utilities Department's two General Electric Frame 6B combustion turbine-generators.   Each unit is capable of generating 40 megawatts of electric power each,  using either natural gas or distillate fuel oil.  Photo:  Sargent & Lundy

Construction on the turbine generator project involves excavating years of fill that was deposited into a one time pond on the Burdick Station plant site.  After all of the pond silt and fill is removed, the forty foot deep hole is filled with sand and compacted.  Date: 10-29-01