Summit Power Group

Summit Power Group describes itself as having lead "the development of large electricity generation projects with nearly 4,500 megawatts ("MW") of electric power plants in operation. Summit also has several thousand MW of additional generation currently in development or under construction."

The chairman of Summit, Donald P. Hodel, served as Secretary of Energy and Secretary of the Interior under President Ronald Reagan. The Arizona-based Center for the Study of Carbon Dioxide and Global Change, a global-warming denier group funded by ExxonMobil, lists Hodel as a science adviser.

Projects

On its website Summit provides a "list of selected generating projects" from "over the past few years that have been completed or are currently under development". Those listed on the company website are:

Combined Cycle Projects

• Bridgeport Energy Project - Connecticut: "340 MW simple cycle using Siemens V84.3a combustion turbine generator; commercial operation in 6/98. Subsequently developed into 520 MW 2X1 combined cycle with Siemens V84.3a combustion turbine generator and Siemens triple pressure steam turbine generator; commercial operation in 6/June 1999. Dual fuel capability using oil added in 2001. Project was combined with modifications to existing 80 MW and 170 MW oil fired plants."

• St. Francis No. 1 - Missouri: "260 MW combined cycle single shaft 1X1 using Siemens V84.3a combustion turbine generator and Siemens triple pressure steam turbine generator; commercial operation in 12/99."

• Choteau Project - Oklahoma: "520 MW 2X1 combined cycle with duct firing using Siemens V84.3a combustion turbine generators and Siemens triple pressure steam turbine generator with duct firing; commercial operation in 6/00."

• St. Francis No. 2 - Missouri: "260 MW combined cycle single shaft 1X1 using Siemens V84.3a combustion turbine generator and Siemens triple pressure steam turbine generator; commercial operation in 4/01."

• Griffith Energy - Arizona: "600 MW 2X1 combined cycle with heavy duct firing using GE7241FA combustion turbine generators with significant duct firing coupled to a GE triple pressure steam turbine generator; commercial operation 1/02."

• Chattahoochee — Georgia: "520 MW 2X1 combined cycle with duct firing using Siemens V84.3a combustion turbine generators and Siemens triple pressure steam turbine generator; commercial operation 3/03."

• Blythe Energy I - California: "520 MW 2X1 combined cycle with duct firing and inlet chillers using Siemens V84.3a combustion turbine generators and Siemens triple pressure steam turbine generator; commercial operation 1/04. A sister 520 MW plant is in the final stages of permitting."

• Lake Side - Utah: "543 MW 2X1 combined cycle with duct firing using Siemens 501FD combustion turbine generators and Siemens triple pressure steam turbine generator; stage of final release for construction; commercial operation schedule warranted for Spring 2007."

• Cliffs - Washington: "300 MW 1X1 combined cycle including duct firing using Siemens V84.3a combustion turbine generator and Siemens triple pressure steam turbine generator; permitted and capable of achieving commercial operation in less than two years."

• Lower Columbia - Oregon: "536 MW 2X1 combined cycle with duct firing using Siemens V84.3a combustion turbine generator and Siemens triple pressure steam turbine generator; permitted and capable of achieving commercial operation in less than two years."

Simple Cycle

• SMARR - Georgia: "230 MW simple cycle using two Siemens Westinghouse V84.2 combustion turbines; commercial operation 7/99."
• Sewell Creek - Georgia: "530 MW simple cycle using two Siemens Westinghouse V84.2 combustion turbine generators (230 MW) and two Siemens Westinghouse V84.3 combustion turbine generators (300 MW); commercial operation 6/00."
• Pleasant Valley Station - Minnesota: 340 MW simple cycle using two Siemens Westinghouse V84.3a combustion turbine generators with capability to convert to combined cycle; commercial operation 4/01."
• Holden - Missouri: "345 MW simple cycle using three Siemens Westinghouse V84.2 combustion turbine generators, dual fuel capable; commercial operation 2/01."

Coal

• Several IGCC projects in process of negotiation using Siemens Westinghouse 501FD combined cycle equipment.

Wind

• White Creek Project-Washington: "200 MW two phase project using Siemens Westinghouse (Bonus) 2.3 MW turbines; commercial operation 12/07 (Phase I) and 12/08 (Phase II)."

Texas Clean Energy Project

The Summit Power Group is currently developing a carbon capture and storage (CCS) facility in Texas called the Texas Clean Energy Project (TCEP). TCEP is called a “NowGen” carbon capture facility that will incorporate CCS technology in what the company calls a "first-of-its kind commercial power plant." TCEP hopes to capture ninety percent of its carbon dioxide emissions. If accomplished, this would be more than any other power plant of commercial scale operating anywhere in the world. As a result, the company contends that TCEP’s carbon emissions will be far lower than those of any existing fossil-fueled power plant.

Summit Power Group, a Colorado-based company, announced plans in April 2008 to construct TCEP, a 600 megawatt Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle coal-fired power plant in West Texas. TCEP intends to use the same carbon capture and sequestration technology as the cancelled FutureGen coal plant in Mattoon, Illinois. A site for the plant has not been determined, but officials say the Permian Basin is a contender because captured carbon dioxide could be sold to local oil and gas companies for oil field injection. Coal would likely come from the Powder River Basin.

On December 4, 2009, Secretary Stephen Chu of the United States Department of Energy announced that TCEP will receive $350 million to help develop the facility. The company notes that the government's investment will help reduce TCEP’s costs. It was the largest award given up to that date by the Department of Energy's Clean Coal Power Initiative, which was enacted and funded by Congress.

TCEP is scheduled to achieve financial closing and commence construction in December 2010. Commercial operation is scheduled for mid-2014. The project will begin sequestering carbon during startup and testing in the year 2013.

In September 2011 it was announced that the United States Department of Energy boosted its funding from $350 to $450 million. However, the funds given by the DOE will not meet the costs of the plant, which are to be around $2.2 billion.

Powder River Basin coal deal for Texas Clean Energy Project

In August 2011 it was reported that Summit Power Group is "within a month" of closing on Powder River Basin coal supplies for its $2.7 billion Texas Clean Energy Project. The plant is to be a 400-MW integrated gasification combined cycle power plant. The company contends that it is set to become operational in the fourth quarter. The plant will require 2 million st/year of Powder River Basin output.

Personnel

• Donald P. Hodel
• Rand Thurgood
• Earl Gjelde
• Brett Wilcox
• Eric Gjelde
• Karl Mattes
• Thomas Cameron
• Barry Cunningham
• Heather Redman
• Laura Miller
• Eric Redman

Contact Details

Summit Power Group, Inc.
PO Box 2717
Poulsbo, Washington 98370
Phone: 360.598.3100
Email: info AT summitpower.com
Website: http://www.summitpower.com/index.htm

Articles and resources

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