In 2008, a one mile wide tornado travelled 35 miles, leaving massive destruction across Northern Colorado. Western Area Power Administration’s infrastructure and resources were impacted by the disaster and WAPA was involved in the recovery that followed. This presentation will begin with a 15 minute briefing on integration into the national/regional/local emergency response system and incident command. Things to know before sending utility workers into a disaster area will be discussed as well as lessons learned throughout this incident. Presented by: : Bill Marsh, Regional Safety/Security Manager, Western Area Power Administration and William Schnyer, Foreman III Lineman, Western Area Power Administration

Plant operations personnel use various methods to evaluate plant performance. Budget constraints and efficiency incentives are placing a greater emphasis on operating plant in the most efficient manner possible while maintaining costs and availability. This presentation provides and overview of methods power plant data can be used to evaluate equipment and overall plant performance. It includes: A brief overview of plant control systems, data collection, historical data retention, and various computer interfaces used control and evaluate power plants, a variety of case studies on using plant design information and operating data in conjunction with proprietary software and common interfaces such Microsoft Excel to evaluate power plant equipment performance and overall plant efficiency at varying operating modes and ambient conditions, the benefits of estimating and tracking more detailed equipment and plant performance parameters.  Presented by: Brian Schuster, Professional Associate, HDR, Inc.

Adding a supercritical coal fired unit at a facility with two existing sub critical coal fired units presented many challenges and concerns. Preparing for the future and balancing existing plant needs was just the beginning of a long journey. We will describe our path into unfamiliar territory with the construction and start-up of our first large coal unit since 1981. It begins with determining staffing for a facility we know little about and touches on union negotiations, training, safety, communication, transitioning from supporting the project to ownership and the external company support needed be successful and ready to operate.  Presented by: Ruben Roman, Operations Manager, Comanche Station, Xcel Energy and Ron Lungu, Construction Superintendent, Comanche Station, Xcel Energy

Safety is an expectation that employees, customers, and communities have with every aspect of the utility industry’s operations. The presentation will review the Cherokee Station journey on creating a significantly improved safety culture.  Presented by: George Hess, Plant Director, Cherokee Station, Xcel Energy

The collapse of the power market pricing during the past year has created significant pressure for utilities who relied on the margins from sales. Is it a temporary blip or a paradigm change? This discussion will look at some of the underlying issues associated with the pricing decline and whether they could be considered a fundamental change or an aberration that will eventually lead to a return to higher pricing.  Presented by: Kiah Harris, Principal, Burns & McDonnell

The focus of the presentation will be an update of GHG legislation at the federal level and the presentation will also include information on the status of state and regional GHG initiatives affecting RMEL members. Some discussion of other state and regional GHG programs will be included as examples or indicators of the direction legislation may take. The presentation will also touch on strategies for reducing GHG emissions and the costs that may be incurred.  Presented by: Bill Stark, Sr. Consultant, R.W. Beck, Inc.

Power plant managers and operators are facing increasingly complex regulatory requirements and public pressures to demonstrate that plant operations are protective of public health and the environment. New air, water and waste rules are being promulgated by federal and state regulators that will make compliance substantially more expensive, and could affect the long-term viability of certain plants. Climate change advocates and environmentalists have an arsenal of weapons to challenge not only the development of new coal and gas generation, but the ongoing operation of the existing fleet. This presentation will discuss the many environmental issues affecting fossil generation and actions that power plant managers can take to help manage environmental uncertainties and liabilities.  Presented by: Grant Smedley, Sr. Environmental Engineer, SRP

The NERC Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) cyber security standards require utilities to identify and protect the critical cyber assets that support the bulk electric system. These standards have forced utilities to implement network and physical security systems in many power plants, substations, and control centers. In the future, even more plants will be required to deploy systems to protect their critical assets from cyber threats that exist both locally and on the other side of the world.  The NERC CIP standards and the application of these standards in a power plant environment will be discussed. The unique challenges of securing power plant control systems (both new and legacy control systems) will be reviewed, along with issues that plant managers will need to address when their facilities become critical assets.  Presented by: Ryan Elbert, Control/Electrical Engineering Section Head, Power Generation Services, Black & Veatch Corp.

This presentation will include an overview of Tri-State’s Craig Station Generation facility’s 34 year old dust collection system with a look at potential upgrades to the coal handling system. The presentation will include the following discussions: Craig Station Dust Collection System, “Mine to Mouth” vs. PRB Coal, Dust Generation Areas, Discussion of CDPHE’s (Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment) Acceptable BACT, Surfactants, Fogging and PECS and Proposed Changes to the Craig Station Coal Handling System. Presented by: Tom Gearhart, Sr. Engineer, Generation Engineering, Tri-State Generation & Transmission Association

Personal Protective Equipment is one of the best lines of defense against work-related injuries, but often times employees will find any excuse not to wear or use the gear properly or in some cases, at all. This presentation will cover the most commonly used employee excuses for not using PPE and how you can discredit these excuses. It will also include strategies for changing these unsafe behaviors, testimonials from employees, pictures, photos and video clips, as well as input from other Safety Roundtable attendees.  Presented by: Cathy Benecke, Sr. Safety Engineer, Colorado Springs Utilities