Public Power - January/February 2008 - (Page 18) The Midwest Powers Up Join ESRI and Transform Your Future Career Opportunities with the World Leader in GIS Are you looking for a career where you can apply your utility industry expertise with an innovative, growing company?JoinESRI,theworldleaderin geographic information system (GIS) software development. We are looking for talented sales, marketing, consulting, and project management professionals to share their industry knowledge, experience, and unique perspectives. Join ESRI and share our commitment to making a difference in the future of the utility industry. Opportunities include Utilities Account Executives (multiple regional offices) Electric and Gas Industry Solutions Manager Utility Technical Marketing Analyst Consultant/Project Manager—Energy Consultant/Project Manager—Water/ Wastewater Earl. IMEA re-joined the project in June. A month later, in July, American Municipal Power-Ohio gave the project a thumbs up. The final partner—Southern Illinois Power Cooperative, the other G&T in Illinois—joined in September. “We decided that owning a portion of the Prairie State project was more advantageous than power purchase,” said Scott Ramsey, president and general manager of Southern Illinois Power Cooperative. And, he added, weighed with other generation options, Prairie State was the most cost-effective resource addition to the G&T’s generation assets. “Without the late-comers, including the joint action agencies or cooperatives. Under the terms of their agreement, each of the eight, plus Peabody, had a seat on the management committee that would oversee all plant activity. “It took a tremendous leap of faith to turn over power supply planning and procurement to a centralized organization,” said IMEA’s Earl. But IMEA, and the other agencies, made that leap. “Now, we see ourselves as a Midwest entity, poised to take advantage of the things that have made us unique.” The concept of a so-called super joint action agency had been talked about for years. But until the Prairie State project came together, no one could point to a The project participants also will keep a lid on costs because they negotiated a fuel supply contract with Peabody. IMEA, we wouldn’t have a project,” said IMEA’s Earl. “The push by Illinois and Ohio turned the project into reality.” He pointed out that AMP-Ohio has contracted for 368 megawatts, while IMEA’s share is 240 MW. Southern Illinois Power Cooperative will take 125 MW. In the end, the six joint action agencies and two cooperatives held roughly 95 percent of the project. Peabody Energy, through Lively Grove Energy Partners, held approximately 5 percent. The location of the Prairie State project enhanced its appeal. Extensive coal reserves in the area made it an ideal site for a mine-mouth plant. And it’s within the “footprints” of two regional transmission organizations—MISO and PJM Interconnection—which meant that project participants would pay one transmission rate to deliver electricity to all their customers. These factors added up to low-cost power. Nonetheless, the decision to join the project—which meant sharing the cost of building, owning and operating the plant—was not taken lightly by any of power source that was almost completely owned and operated by not-for-profit utilities. It is, as Kentucky Municipal Power Agency’s Clark said, a “novel undertaking.” The Prairie State Energy Campus will be operated by and for consumers throughout the Midwest, said Earl. “This is as close as we can come to a super joint action agency.” The buck stops with the board of directors. “We’re the ones in the driver’s seat,” said Kentucky’s Clark “We have to make sure we give the project proper oversight, so we don’t have cost overruns or change orders. We have to keep it on track.” The Prairie State board of directors has rolled up its sleeves, setting up committees to tackle specific project areas. An administrative committee acts as the board’s operating arm, dealing with daily issues. Several working groups, which will be converted to committees, have been formed to focus on such areas as finance and accounting, human resources, and operations and maintenance. PUBLIC POWER Learn more about ESRI and apply online at www.esri.com/power. Copyright © 2007 ESRI. All rights reserved. The ESRI globe logo, ESRI, and www.esri.com are trademarks, registered trademarks, or service marks of ESRI in the United States, the European Community, or certain other jurisdictions. ESRI is an equal opportunity employer. 18 JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2008 http://www.esri.com/power
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