This news is classified in: Traditional Energy Oil and Gas
Dec 10, 2019
Competitive Power Ventures (CPV) and its partner Osaka Gas today announced that the $1 billion, 1,050-megawatt (MW) CPV Fairview Energy Center (CPV Fairview) in Jackson Township near Johnstown, Pennsylvania has achieved full commercial operation. The project, developed and managed by CPV, uses GE equipment and was constructed utilizing union labor through local and national contractors Kiewit, Charles J. Merlo, Laurel Management and Cenergy. The plant is now supplying natural gas and ethane-fueled combined-cycle electric power to more than one million Pennsylvania homes and businesses.
"Thanks to the outstanding team effort with our partner Osaka Gas USA and Kiewit our construction contractor, with General Electric as major equipment supplier, the CPV Fairview Energy Center is now fully operational on budget and significantly ahead of schedule," said CPV CEO Gary Lambert. "CPV continues to make strides toward modernizing the country's electric generation supply and improving reliability while addressing sustainability concerns by lowering systemwide emissions, including carbon, by deploying the most efficient technology with the cleanest fuel available – natural gas."
"Reducing our environmental impact while ensuring grid reliability is a monumental achievement," said Osaka Gas USA Chairman Eiichi Inamura. "Osaka Gas is proud to have partnered with CPV in bringing CPV Fairview to operational status."
"The investment in and completion of the Fairview Energy Center is a testament to the commitment of CPV and Osaka Gas to the local community, ensuring residents have access to safe, reliable and cost-effective power," said Dave Flickinger, executive vice president, Kiewit Energy. "We are very proud to have served as the engineering, construction and procurement contractor on this project and achieving an on-budget, ahead-of-schedule completion."
CPV Fairview has provided numerous local and regional benefits, including hundreds of millions of dollars in private infrastructure investment, revenue for the state in sales tax made during construction, and significant revenues for local governments and businesses.
"Jackson and the surrounding communities' economy is growing. The County and Central Cambria School District will see significant annual revenues. CPV Fairview will ensure that this positive direction continues," said Jackson Township Supervisor Bruce Baker. "The more than 600 workers who built the plant have said what a great place it has been to work. I want to thank CPV for their financial generosity and investment in our community."
"We are excited to see our energy sector transform for the betterment of our community," said Greater Johnstown Regional Partnership President Mark Pasquerilla. "I want to thank CPV, and especially their Vice President Mike Resca, for being excellent partners with our Johnstown community and investing so heavily in local philanthropic efforts. CPV Fairview's $1 billion investment is a game changer for Johnstown, and we are especially grateful for their generous contributions to our local firefighters and police, as well as their investment in STEM education. We are proud to have worked alongside CPV in this important work."
CPV Fairview utilizes GE's 7HA.02 gas turbines, a steam turbine, generators and additional controls equipment. GE's HA technology offers industry-leading flexibility, capable of delivering full power to the grid in 60 minutes or less. HA technology also provides cleaner, more reliable and more sustainable power to customers. Through these innovations, CPV Fairview has become singularly unique among similar power plants: it is fueled by a mix of natural gas and ethane.
"CPV's state-of-the-art Fairview Energy Center is a testament to what is possible when great partners come together to execute a critically important project," said Scott Strazik, CEO of GE's Gas Power business. "We are proud that GE's world-class HA gas turbine technology is the heart of this project, providing highly efficient, reliable, and flexible electricity at a level equivalent to the electricity needs of more than one million Pennsylvania homes."
Located on an 86-acre former brownfield site, remediated and cleaned up by Neumeyer Environmental Services, CPV Fairview uses clean-burning, regionally sourced natural gas and ethane. It utilizes industrial raw water from the Cambria Somerset Authority (CSA) for non-contact cooling purposes, which will be returned to CSA as reclaimed water for further potential industrial use as part of CPV's commitment to conserving natural resources.
By deploying technologies that are more than twice as efficient as those in place decades ago, CPV and its partners are helping generate significantly more power using a fraction of the fuel and significantly reducing emissions. CPV Fairview provides increased electric reliability for Pennsylvania and complements wind and solar energy, which are dependent upon the variability of winds and weather.
"When companies are willing to invest over $1 billion in our communities, it demonstrates that Pennsylvania is open for business," said Senator Wayne Langerholc, Jr., R-35. "CPV has been an excellent partner for our state and the local community. Having low cost, reliable power will help attract even more economic development to the area."
"For too long, our region has been left behind, while larger cities reap the benefits of economic development," said state Rep. Frank Burns, D-Cambria. "This project is a key example of why Cambria County is a good place for business, and I remain committed to fighting for jobs and economic growth in the region."
