POWER April 2015 - 1

Established 1882 * Vol. 159 * No. 4
April 2015
ON THE COVER
Wind turbines may be the most visible component of wind power projects, but appropriate
maintenance of balance-of-plant systems-such as transformers, substations, and collection
cables-is essential for reliable operation. Courtesy: Shermco Industries
COVER STORY: OPERATIONS & MAINTENANCE
24 Doing More with Less: New Solutions Help Address Power Plant O&M Staffing
Difficulties
The time generating companies have been dreading has arrived: A wave of retirements
is challenging them to ensure reliable plant operations with smaller, less-experienced
staffs. Contractors, long-term service agreements, monitoring, and other
technologies can help address the problem-but only if all are used intelligently.
36 Wind Power Projects Must Be Managed as Electrical Generation Plants
Some engineers involved in the traditional thermal generation sector dismiss renewable
generation as " simple " -insufficiently complicated or interesting to merit
their attention. That assumption can be one factor in inappropriate approaches to
wind facility O&M. In some respects, the scale of utility-scale variable renewable
generation makes O&M more complicated than for central stations, especially when
it comes to balance-of-plant maintenance.
44 Keeping Pollution Control Devices Online with Good Operating Practices
When emissions from coal-fired power plants were first regulated, the number of
pollutants was small and the equipment used for compliance was relatively simple.
As regulated pollutants have been added, levels are ratcheted down, and device
retrofits proliferate, O&M complexity has increased as well.
SPECIAL REPORT: SAFETY
50 Balancing Risk, Reliability, and Safety at Plants Slated for Retirement
The wave of retirement announcements for old U.S. thermal plants is an understandable
source of anxiety for those working in those plants. Ensuring that workers'
concerns about their future do not jeopardize their personal safety while on the
job is just as important as finding ways to keep these plants in optimal shape until
their last day. Two major coal fleet operators share lessons learned.
FEATURES
GENERATION TRANSITIONS
56 NextEra Energy: A Tale of Two, and Maybe Three, Companies
Our profiles of generating companies in transition continue with East Coast-based
NextEra, which has set its sights for expansion as far west as Hawaii.
REGULATORY COMPLIANCE
64 The State of U.S. Mercury Control in Response to MATS
This exclusive summary of a report from the Institute of Clean Air Companies shows
you what types of power plants have adopted which approaches to compliance with
the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards. You'll also learn about the circumstances that
should prompt a reevaluation of a plant's technology choices.
68 Proposed Ozone Rule May Be the Most Costly Regulation Ever
Regardless of the promised health benefits to be derived from a proposed lower
limit for ground-level ozone, meeting new limits could pose an insurmountable challenge,
especially for new fossil generation. Our editors report on the arguments
from those supporting and challenging the proposed revised standard.
April 2015 | POWER
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POWER April 2015

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