ProEnergy Appoints Athanasia and Kingsley as New Executives

ProEnergy named Charlie Athanasia as its COO and Craig Kingsley as its v.p. of turbine services. Prior to joining ProEnergy, Athanasia served as v.p. of Alstom’s thermal services business in North America. Kingsley has over twenty years of experience in the heavy industrial turbine market, including positions at Dresser-Rand, Turbine Generator Maintenance, Leading Edge Turbine Technologies, Sulzer (Hickham Industries) and General Electric.

Apex CoVantage to Install Meters for AEP Ohio

AEP Ohio, a subsidiary of American Electric Power, named Apex CoVantage as its installation partner for the upcoming, system-wide AMR deployment. In this role, Apex will provide upgrades to electric meters throughout the utility's service territory. Leveraging ProField, Apex's proprietary ERP system for mobile workforce optimization, AEP Ohio will gain full control and visibility over operations. AMR meters are being introduced to the AEP Ohio service territory in an effort to increase reading percentages and enhance data security.

Emerson to Automate Two 1,050 MW Units at South Korea Power Plant

Emerson Process Management, a business of Emerson, will install its Ovation control system at two 1,050-MW coal-fired power generating units under construction at the Taean thermal power plant in South Korea. Ovation technology will be installed at five of South Korea’s six largest coal-fired power plants. The $11 million contract was awarded by Daelim Industrial Co. Ltd., one of South Korea’s largest construction firms and is expected to come online in 2016.

Alterra Completes Revised PPA for Jimmie Creek Hydro and Acquires 100% of Project

Alterra completed an amendment of its PPA for the 62-MW Jimmie Creek run-of-river hydroelectric project. Under the agreement, the Jimmie Creek project will sell 100% of its power to BC Hydro for 40 years commencing in August 2016. Alterra has also agreed to purchase the 49% project stake currently held by an affiliate of General Electric Energy Financial Services. Upon closing of this transaction, Alterra will own 100% of the Jimmie Creek project. All first nations agreements and environmental permits for Jimmie Creek are in place.

Allete Clean Energy to Purchase Wind Energy Facilities in Three US states

ALLETE Clean Energy signed an acquisition agreement to purchase wind farms in Minnesota, Iowa and Oregon from The AES Corporation in early 2014 and has also signed an option agreement to acquire a fourth wind energy facility in Pennsylvania in mid-2015. Under the acquisition agreement, ALLETE Clean Energy would acquire AES’ position in operating wind energy projects in Lake Benton, Minn., Storm Lake, Ia., and Condon, Ore. with a total output of 231 MW for $27 million. All three wind farms to be acquired have PPAs in place for their entire electric output.

Landis+Gyr Completes Agreement with CPS Energy for 700,000 Advanced Meters

Landis+Gyr established an agreement with CPS Energy to supply advanced residential electric meters for the utility's grid modernization effort. Landis+Gyr will provide 700,000 E-350 FOCUS advanced meters with shipments beginning early in 2014. The meter upgrade project is anticipated to take four years. In addition to metering technology, Landis+Gyr is operating a direct load control program at CPS Energy. The utility is using virtual peak plant software and load control devices from Landis+Gyr to verify and measure energy savings from conservation events.

Cycling Duty

Will cheap natural gas forever change the way generators configure their fleets? NRG’s COO explains the company’s all-of-the-above strategy.
Will cheap natural gas forever change the way generators configure their fleets? NRG’s COO explains the company’s all-of-the-above strategy.

Transmission Maintenance Excellence for Electric Utilities

The Transmission Maintenance Excellence for Electric Utilities Conference will focus on the importance of heightened transmission maintenance to ensure the integrity of current infrastructure. This event will deliver strategies to enhance workforce management while investing in capital upgrades and guaranteeing safe operations.

Fortnightly's Power Profit

Managing long-term assets in a real-time world.

::NEW ONLINE PUBLICATION:: Rapid changes in electric power markets are posing real-time challenges for operators of generating facilities across the country. Green energy mandates are driving expansion of variable generation. Shale gas reserves have pushed fuel and electricity prices to historic lows, just as new environmental rules are putting pressure on fossil-fired plants. Baseload facilities, designed to operate virtually 24/7, now are cycling to accommodate market fluctuations. And distributed generation, storage, and demand-side management are changing the way electricity is sold and distributed. Fortnightly’s Power Profit brings together leading experts in asset optimization, resource planning, and risk management to help power generators run their long-term assets in a real-time world — and to cope with new pressures on the balance sheet.

Southern Power and Partner Turner Renewable Energy to Acquire California Solar Plant

Southern Company subsidiary Southern Power acquired the company's second solar PV installation in California – the 20-MW Adobe Solar Facility – in partnership with Turner Renewable Energy. The Southern Power-Turner Renewable Energy partnership's sixth solar project acquisition is expected to close upon the successful completion of construction, which is anticipated in spring 2014. The Adobe Solar Facility will be built, operated and maintained by SunEdison.