When asked to imagine a power plant, most people's mental images don't include families dangling fishing poles into cooling ponds or kids moving among educational displays that explain alternative forms of energy generation. But that's exactly the scene that's unfolding at Faribault Energy Park, the newly opened combined-cycle plant in southern Minnesota (Figure 1).
1. Picture perfect. Aesthetic appeal was an important consideration in the design of Faribault Energy Park that resulted in including oversized tinted windows, stone facing, and attractive landscaping. Courtesy: Avant Energy
The result of such features has been a decidedly welcoming attitude from city officials, the citizenry, and the media in Faribault, Minn., a town of 22,000 less than an hour from the Twin Cities of Minneapolis/St. Paul, which influence the town's attitudes and media.
The warm reception wasn't unexpected. As project developers, we took very specific steps to ensure that we secured community buy-in throughout the process. Although our business objectives were to generate efficient, affordable power, we strongly felt that we could do so while generating support from the host community.
At Faribault Energy Park, we were able to avoid the controversy that is often associated with power plant siting, construction, and operations. Our experience could help you build on time and on budget.
Not in my back yard
The familiar NIMBY (Not in My Back Yard) factor is an everyday irritant in the plant siting business and frequently stops projects in their tracks. Everyone in the power industry knows how opponents, contrarians, or activists from within (or beyond) the community can affect a project either through the courts or by tipping public opinion against a project. Even a mild delay will decimate a project schedule, increase construction costs, and even cause a regulatory body to hesitate before granting an approval. In the extreme, project delays have been known to cause investors and owners to cancel a project.
Opponents can make life extremely uncomfortable for facility developers. One opponent to a plant in Ohio described the proposed facility in memorable terms as “a toxic millstone around the neck of the community.” A critic of a Massachusetts plant was quoted as saying, “By its very nature, the plant would bring harm to the city.” Opponents know how to strike a blow, don't they? These criticisms were aimed at well-designed, technologically advanced plants, but hyperbole that's not held to a standard of truth has caused considerable delays to and cancellations of many projects. The NIMBY scenario has played out in every region of the country and around the world.
Then why, in Minnesota, was our plant's grand opening attended by approximately 5,000 people from throughout the region? Why were families willing to spend part of a sunny fall Saturday at a power plant? Why did city officials cheerfully and proudly participate in the ribbon-cutting at a community celebration?
First and foremost, it's because we developed a facility with an appealing package of environmental and community benefits. But beyond that, it's because we implemented a campaign designed to communicate to people in Faribault and throughout the Twin Cities area that the facility would be a long-term asset to the community and an environmentally responsible good neighbor.
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