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Underground pipeline corrosion found after Plant 1 outage raises repair and reliability concerns
Summary
Commissioners were told an underground gas pipe installed in 2018 is severely pitted after a Plant 1 shutdown; staff has placed a temporary repair, begun soil and coating tests and warned full replacement and coordination with transmission/substation work may be time-sensitive.
Operations staff reported that Plant 1 was taken offline for cooler-tower repairs and that inspection discovered an underground pipeline section installed about eight years ago with severe external pitting and corrosion.
"We found that the pipe that buried underground that was installed 8 years ago is extremely pitted," an operations speaker said, noting one pit had created the leak and a temporary patch was in place. Staff said they have taken soil samples to check for road-salt or other corrosive influences, contacted the original engineering firm (HDR) and the testing company Brown Enertech, and measured coating thickness at exposed sections.
Commissioners were told the repair is time-sensitive because multiple generating units and planned substation work overlap. Staff said Unit 1 is out for repairs, the downtown units may be needed for grid support during transmission switching, and the corroded pipe may require excavation and section replacement rather than repeated patching.
"Long term, we're probably gonna have to figure out what to do with that pipe because it's corroding from the outside in," operations staff said. The team estimated the visible impacted run at roughly 200 feet but cautioned additional sections may be compromised and further excavation and testing will clarify scope.
Commissioners discussed coordination needs: if the substation work requires switching lines while the corroded pipe remains at risk, the utility could face heightened leakage risk during construction. Staff said they are pursuing samples and contractor responses and will keep the commission informed as they assess options and timing.
Next steps include completing laboratory testing on soil and coating samples, auditing the installed pipeline sections for extent of corrosion, contacting the original installer for response, and planning possible excavation and replacement work with an eye to minimizing simultaneous outages.
