Wisconsin Energy breaks ground
Wisconsin Energy Corp. has begun construction on the Port Washington Generating Station. The $640 million project will have two 500 MW units, with the first unit to be ready for service in 2005.
Framatome to supply heads
Framatome ANP has signed a contract with Florida Power & Light Co. to supply replacement reactor vessel closure heads for its four nuclear power generating units.
Avista, SiGEN sign agreement
Avista Labs and SiGEN have entered into a collaborative agreement for the development of fuel cell systems and product sales, making Avista Labs fuel cells available to the UK market.
EPRI to develop interconnection
The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) is working on an interconnection device for two-way power flow that would allow distributed resources to hook to the grid. Know as GridGateway, the concept builds upon a platform originally introduced by Pepco Technologies. EPRI is now seeking funding to complete the development of GridGateway.
Duke, Fluor kill partnership
Duke Energy Corp. and Fluor Corp. will end their 14-year-old Duke/Fluor Daniel power contracting partnership because of decline in demand for power plant construction. The plan will dissolve the business over the next two years. Fluor chairman and CEO Alan Boeckmann said the move was necessary to “eliminate the unnecessary costs of a stand-alone organization.”
Hamon Research-Cottrell awarded contract
Hamon Research-Cottrell has been awarded a contract for the engineering, procurement and construction of an electrostatic precipitator for Sandia National Laboratories to clean the exhaust gases from the combustion test facilities. The scheduled release to supply material is January 2004.
GE inherits wind
GE Wind Energy and Irish renewable energy company Airtricity plan to develop a 25 MW wind farm in the Irish Sea. The project will feature seven of GE Wind Energy’s new 3.6 MW wind turbines. Commercial service is anticipated by the end of this year.
Lovers of the Conn. mercury law unite
Environmental groups Clean Water Action, the Connecticut Coalition for Clean Air and the Clean Air Task Force, along with PSEG Power, have released a statement congratulating the Connecticut General Assembly for enacting stringent new mercury emissions for the state’s coal-fired power plants. The legislation (Public Act 03-72) requires coal-fired plants in the state to achieve either an emissions standard of 0.6 lbs. of mercury per trillion Btu or a 90 percent efficiency in technology installed to control mercury effective July, 2008.
Dominion Energy puts plant into operation
Dominion Energy placed a 550 MW, combined-cycle unit into commercial operation this July at its Possum Point Power Station in Northern Virginia. Dominion began construction of the $370 million project in April 2000.
Power Maintenance wins contract
Power Maintenance Resources has been selected by Vogt Power Inc. to provide major field services at Portland General Electric’s Beaver Generating Station in Oregon. Financials on the contract were not disclosed.
Taking on mercury emissions
CH2M HILL and ADA Technologies Inc. have formed Amended Silicates LLC to commercialize an advanced sorbent technology to control mercury emissions from coal-burning plants. CH2M HILL has agreed to a $2 million initial commitment.
Black Hills announces sale
Black Hills Corp. has entered into an agreement to sell its ownership interests in seven hydroelectric power plants in upstate New York to affiliates of Boralex Inc. for approximately $186 million. The aggregate cash purchase price will be used to pay debt of approximately $82 million associated with the projects.
Avista, Mirant cut ribbon on new plant
Avista Corp. and Mirant announced the commercial operation of the 280 MW, combined-cycle combustion Coyote Springs 2 power plant, developed jointly by the two companies. Avista and Mirant will share the plant’s output equally. Construction on the plant began in January 2001.
Peerless announces order
Peerless Manufacturing Co. has received a multi-million dollar order to supply selective catalytic reduction systems at a natural gas-fired peaking power station in Pasadena, California. Shipment and installation of these systems will be coordinated with the City Municipal Water and Power Department’s scheduled maintenance shutdowns during February 2004.
BTU licenses software
Power Costs Inc., a provider of asset optimization software, has licensed PCI GenTrader to Bryan Texas Utilities (BTU).
Black & Veatch gets LADWP contract
Black & Veatch’s Global Renewable Energy Group has been awarded a three-year contract by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) to support the expansion of its renewable energy resources. The company is already involved in LADWP’s Pine Tree Wind Project, which is scheduled to begin commercial operation in 2005.
