FirstEnergy Corp. plans to retire six older coal-fired power plants located in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Maryland by Sept. 1, 2012. The decision to close the plants is based on the Environmental Protection Agency's Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS), which were recently finalized, and other environmental regulations, the company said Jan. 26. FirstEnergy said it is finalizing MATS compliance plans for its remaining coal-fired units.

The total capacity of the six plants is 2,689 megawatts. Recently, these plants served mostly as peaking or intermediate facilities, generating, on average, approximately 10% of the electricity produced by the company over the past three years, FirstEnergy said. Four of the plants are in Ohio, with one each in Maryland and Pennsylvania. The plant retirements are subject to review for reliability impacts, if any, by PJM, FirstEnergy said.

"This decision is not in any way a reflection of the fine work done by the employees at the affected plants, but is related to the impact of new environmental rules," said James H. Lash, president, FirstEnergy Generation and chief nuclear officer. "We recently completed a comprehensive review of our coal-fired generating plants and determined that additional investments to implement MATS and other environmental rules would make these older plants even less likely to be dispatched under market rules. As a result, it was necessary to retire the plants rather than continue operations."

When the six coal-fired plants are removed from FirstEnergy's competitive generating fleet, more than 96% of the power provided will come from resources that are non- or low-emitting, including nuclear, hydro, pumped-storage hydro, natural gas and scrubbed coal units, the utility said. Since the Clean Air Act became law in 1970, FirstEnergy and its predecessor companies have invested more than $10 billion in environmental protection efforts, the company said.

 

American Municipal Power’s AMP Fremont Energy Center has begun commercial operation and is now providing power to public power utilities in seven states. The 707-MW (fired) natural gas combined-cycle facility will help meet the intermediate power supply needs of 86 AMP members, the joint action agency said.

The facility will supply participating AMP members with intermediate power (Monday–Friday during the 16 highest demand hours). As an intermediate power source, the plant has a capacity of 544 MW; duct-firing allows an additional 163 MW of generation to be available during peak demand periods.

AMP purchased the facility from FirstEnergy Generation Corp. in July 2011 and oversaw completion of construction along with start-up and commissioning activities.

"This facility will fill a void in our current power supply portfolio," AMP President and CEO Marc Gerken said. "AMP members are currently on the market for approximately 96% of their intermediate power needs, and this will mitigate that market exposure. Operationally, we are in good shape with natural gas contracts lined up for 2012 and we are currently working on subsequent years. This project will substantially benefit our participating members."

 

Safety Manual updates for 2012 will be reviewed at this year's E&O conference in Cleveland.

The 15th Edition of the APPA Safety Manual will be released in 2012. Updates include revised personal protective equipment guidelines, a new section on substations, a revised section on wireless electronic devices, and an improved CPR/first aid/AED section.  These and other changes for 2012 will be reviewed at the Engineering and Operations Technical Conference in Cleveland, Ohio, April 15-18.
 
Other safety-related sessions at the conference will include:
• Teaching Supervisors To Be Safety Culture Ambassadors;
• Periodic Requirements in OSHA Standards; and
• Effective Management of Electric Field Employees.
 
To view the agenda or to register, go to PublicPower.org/EandO. If you have any questions, call or email Khadija Pounsel at 202/467-2994 or KPounsel@PublicPower.org.

 

Entries for APPA's 2011 Safety Awards are due on Jan. 31. APPA issues the Safety Awards of Excellence each year to emphasize the importance of safe working habits, to recognize utilities whose employees achieve particularly safe operations and to collect statistical information about safety issues. 
 
An online entry form, along with the rules for the Safety Awards, is available at www.PublicPower.org/Safety. 

Award winners will be announced at the 2012 Engineering & Operations Technical Conference, to be held at the Renaissance Cleveland Hotel in Cleveland, Ohio, April 15-18.
 
For more information, contact Laura Cornwell at 202/467-2989 or by email at LCornwell@PublicPower.org.

 

Webinar – Electric Utility 101: Generation Jan. 31 Webinar – Rating Agency Outlook for Public Power Feb. 7 DEED/DSTAR Webinar – How New Load Types and Technology Impact Distribution Power Quality and Conservation Voltage Reduction Feb. 16 Webinar – Duties, Responsibilities and Legal Obligations of Public Power Governing Boards Feb. 21

Webinar – What Is an Outage Management System and How Can It Help Me? Feb. 23 Webinar – Electric Utility 101: Substations Feb. 27 Webinar – Time of Use Pricing– Power Supply March 6 2012 Legislative Rally March 12-14 DEED/DSTAR Webinar – Discussion of PV Generation Impact on Distribution Systems and an Introduction to an Innovative New Lighting Design Tool March 22 DEED/DSTAR Webinar – Discussion of Smart Grid Impact on Distribution Reliability and Overview of Future DSTAR Projects May 24

For a full APPA Events Calendar, visit Publicpower.org.

 

Contractor—New Energy Economy, a nonprofit located in the city of Santa Fe, is interested in entering into a contract with a contractor who has considerable expertise in analyzing economic considerations associated with a county or municipality establishing an electric utility. All proposals submitted shall be valid for ninety (90) days subject to action by reviewers selected by New Energy Economy.  New Energy Economy reserves the right to reject any and all proposals in part or in whole. A completed proposal must be received by 10:00 AM (Mountain Standard Time) on Monday, Feb. 6, 2012, via email: newenergyeconomy@gmail.com.  By submitting a proposal to perform the requested services the contractor certifies that his/her proposal complies with regulations and requirements stated within the request for proposal.

Manager, transmission and distribution—This position will direct and manage all activities related to the electrical transmission and distribution system including engineering, T&D, metering and power quality, and technical services.
The successful candidate will have a BSEE with 7-10 years experience in utility transmission and distribution, preferably with a public power entity, and 5 or more years of management experience. 
For more information, please check our website at www.mpw.org/careers.aspx.
Muscatine Power and Water
Attention: Human Resources
3205 Cedar Street
Muscatine, Iowa 52761
recruiter@mpw.org

General manager/executive vice president—Benton Rural Electric Association, through its executive search consultant, seeks an experienced leader to succeed its retiring general manager/executive vice president.
Benton Rural Electric Association is headquartered in Prosser, WA. Prosser with a population of about 5,500 is a beautiful small town with a big country feel. Prosser is located in the lush Yakima Valley and celebrates its rich agricultural heritage with many world-class wineries and vineyards. With almost 300 sunny days annually, Prosser offers a variety of outdoor activities including hunting, fishing, camping, hiking, boating and golf. Prosser with over 30 local wineries has also been dubbed the "Birthplace of the Washington Wine Industry." As the seat of Benton County, Prosser also offers a local hospital, and good school system for all grades.
Prosser is a short drive to the Tri-Cities area (Pasco, Richland, and Kennewick). The Tri-Cities has a population of 248,400. There are colleges in the Tri-Cities area where an individual can pursue a degree. Columbia Basin College has a full array of Associate degree and Vocational/Technical career programs. Washington State University branch campus provides the opportunity to acquire undergraduate and master degrees in a variety of programs.
The Benton Rural Electric Association serves approximately 22% of the land area of Benton and Yakima Counties, or about 1,300 square miles. Service is provided to residential, commercial, industrial, and agriculture/irrigation members. The cooperative has a total utility plant value of over $100 million which includes 62 miles of transmission line, 2,099 miles of distribution line, and 24 substations. The Association serves approximately 14,892 consumers and has 78 full time employees, of which about half are represented by a collective bargaining unit. The cooperative was energized in 1938 and has two branch offices which are located in Toppenish, Washington and in West Richland, Washington. The cooperative purchases wholesale power from the Bonneville Power Administration and Powerex a wholly owned subsidiary of B.C. Hydro in Canada.
Benton REA also serves as an internet service provider, under the name of PowerNET, which was established in 1997 and offers a variety of internet access and technology services to thousands of people and businesses. These services include broadband wireless and dial-up Internet access services, technology consulting for businesses and individuals, basic PC repair for businesses and individuals, personal email service, dial-up accelerator service, business web page hosting and other commercial services.
The successful candidate should have a minimum of ten years of proven senior management experience in the electric utility industry, preferably in the rural electric cooperative program. It is required that the successful candidate hold a bachelor’s degree from a four year accredited college, or equivalent combination of education and experience related to the challenges of the general manager/executive vice president position. The ideal candidate will have political expertise and experience dealing with energy & regulatory issues on a state or national level. The position reports to a 9 member elected board of trustees.
Candidates should have proven senior management experience in the areas of finance and accounting, member relations, personnel and electric operations. It is mandatory that the GM have strong interpersonal skills, strong oral and written communication skills, maintain a positive attitude, have strong leadership skills, be a team builder and work well with the employees, and have the ability to develop positive long term relationships with the consumer/members, community organizations, state and federal legislators, associated regional and national organizations, the employees and the board. Union negotiating experience is a plus.
With a full benefit package and relocation expense provided, annual compensation will be commensurate with experience and qualifications. The new general manager/executive vice president should begin work sometime in May, 2012 for some overlap with the current GM who retires June 1, 2012.
Application packages need a cover letter, resume, recent salary history, along with 6 business and 3 personal references by email only, no later than January 31, 2012 to:
LANGLEY & ASSOCIATES EXECUTIVE SEARCH, INC.
Attn: Carol M. Langley, President
Phone: 303-694-2228
Cell: 303-888-4012
Email: cmlangley@earthlink.net
All information kept strictly confidential – an EOE.

General manager—Upshur Rural Electric Cooperative Corporation, through its executive search consultant, seeks an experienced leader to succeed its retiring general manager.
Upshur’s headquarters are located in Gilmer, Texas. Gilmer is in the piney woods of northeast Texas. Lake Gilmer, Lake Bob Sandlin, Lake O’ the Pines, and Caddo Lake are a few of the fishing holes close to Gilmer. Gilmer is approximately 1 hour north of Tyler and approximately 2 hours east of Dallas in the beautiful green rolling hills of east Texas. The area has abundant hunting, fishing, hiking, biking, golfing and outdoor recreation. The community is family oriented with a strong cultural diversity and a mild climate. The Cooperative serves a rural/urban, agricultural, farming and ranching community. Its service territory covers 10 counties and serves approximately 44,281 meters – 89% residential, 9% small commercial and 3% large commercial. The cooperative owns and operates facilities at 138kV, 69kV, and distribution facilities at 7.2/12.47 kV. The system has 32 substations with approximately 6,313 miles of distribution line, including 290 miles of transmission line and 247 miles of underground line. Upshur has $78M in annual revenues and 88 employees.
The successful candidate should have a minimum of ten years of proven senior management experience in the electric utility industry, preferably in the rural electric cooperative program. It is preferred that the successful candidate hold a Bachelor’s degree in a field related to the challenges of the GM position, but the board will consider senior level management experience in the electric utility industry and strong leadership skills, in lieu of a degree. The GM reports to a 9 member elected board of directors.
Candidates should have proven senior management experience in the areas of finance and accounting, member relations, personnel and electric operations. It is mandatory that the GM have strong interpersonal skills, strong oral and written communication skills, maintain a positive attitude, have strong leadership skills, be a team builder and work well with the employees, and have the ability to develop positive long term relationships with the consumer members, community organizations, legislators, TEC, the G&T wholesale power suppliers, the employees and the board.
Upshur has an attractive benefit program including a retirement plan and various health insurance plans. Annual compensation will be commensurate with experience and qualifications. The GM should begin work by late spring of 2012. The current GM retires on May 31, 2012.
Application packages need a cover letter, resume, recent salary history, along with 6 business and 3 personal references by email, no later than January 31, 2012 to:
LANGLEY & ASSOCIATES EXECUTIVE SEARCH, INC.
Attn: Carol M. Langley, President
Phone (303)694-2228, or Fax (303) 694-2216
Email: cmlangley@earthlink.net
All information kept strictly confidential – an EOE.

Check out APPA's career services on the Web

Visit the Career Center at PublicPower.org. Our career center allows job seekers to upload resumes—and recruiters to obtain resumes from job seekers. Ads in Public Power Daily and Public Power Weekly cost 70 cents per word for APPA members and 80 cents per word for nonmembers, for a one-week run. Job posting subscriptions are available in packages of five or 10, or unlimited for a full year. The weekly deadline for placing a classified ad is every Thursday at 12 p.m. (Eastern time). If you have questions about classified ads, write or call Caitlin McDonnell, cmcdonnell@PublicPower.org or 202/467-2958.

 

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