Five Cat G16CM34 natural-gas engines will help the town of Geneva, Ill. control its energy destiny.
The town of Geneva, Ill., will soon experience cost savings during peak power periods with the help of five Caterpillar® G16CM34 engines/generator sets. Leaders in the town approximately 40 miles west of Chicago, have selected the Cat natural-gas-fired reciprocating engines to power their community during times of peak power usage.
“The decision to build a generation plant was a solid, soundly based economic plan to help us mitigate future power costs,” explains Jim Greever, electric superintendent for the Geneva project.
TEAMWORK FUELS SUCCESS
Geneva’s desire to improve its power position was fulfilled by Cat dealer Altorfer Power Systems, East Peoria, Ill., in conjunction with general contractor HWS Energy Partners, an Illinois-based power plant developer.
- Fall/Winter 2003, Electric Power News, Caterpillar
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Users Want More Control Over Reliability and Cost of Power
With a population of 22,000 people, Geneva, Ill., is a typical Midwestern suburb. But inside city hall, officials are clamoring for more power–the electrical kind–and they have succeeded. Geneva is building a 29-Mw, natural-gas-fired plant that planners hope will bring energy independence to residents and businesses.
Users hit hard by today’s erratic cost of transmitted energy are showing noticeable interest in meeting peak power needs with distributed generation (ENR 4/9/01 p. 44). But economics is not the only reason. Despite the high up-front investment, these pocket powerplants sited near the demand may gain even more popularity as users evaluate the need for reliable, local power during mass outages, such as the grid meltdown the Northeast experienced on Aug. 14.
The U.S. derives 10% of its current electrical capacity from distributed generation, totaling about 60 Gw, according to John Kelly, director of Gas Technology Institute’s Distributed Energy Technology Center, Des Plaines, Ill. Kelly estimates the market has a 100 Gw potential by 2012, the bulk of which is likely to be be in and near urban areas.
Geneva fits the bill, located about 40 miles directly west of Chicago. "I think DG has more people looking into it," says Joseph Summers, vice president of HWS Energy Partners and president of Industrial Technology Group. Geneva hired the Champaign, Ill.-based firms for construction management and electrical engineering services, respectively, for its $17-million facility, which Summers says is 75% completed. The 10,000-sq-ft powerplant will house five 5.9-Mw generators powered by natural-gas-fired reciprocating engines. Costing $11 million, the 8,000-hp Caterpillar engines are 40 ft long, 15 ft tall and 10 ft wide. The city estimates the plant will help save $177 million in peak energy costs over 40 years.
- Tudor Hampton, 8/25/2003, Engineering News-Record, The McGraw-Hill Companies
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Caterpillar Helps Geneva, Illinois Move Towards Energy Independence
PEORIA, IL. – Five Cat® G16CM34 engines will be providing power to a new 29 MW, gas fired, electrical power plant in Geneva, Illinois. The sale of the natural gas engines will be the first installation of the G16CM34 engine in the United States. The city of Geneva will own and operate the natural gas powered plant to generate electricity during peak electric demand periods. Using natural gas as the fuel of choice will allow the plant to offer clean, efficient, reliable power at a reasonable cost to the city. The G16CM34 engine provides 5.9 MW of electricity per engine and a greater than 45% world-class efficiency, enabling the city to control their electricity costs, and maintain some of the lowest electric rates in the state of Illinois.
HWS Energy Partners LLC of Champaign, Illinois developed the project with the city of Geneva. Industrial Technology Group Inc., also of Champaign, will manage the project and provide design engineering. The plant is scheduled to open in January 2004.
- 3/21/2003, Caterpillar
The town of Geneva, Ill., will soon experience cost savings during peak power periods with the help of five Caterpillar® G16CM34 engines/generator sets. Leaders in the town approximately 40 miles west of Chicago, have selected the Cat natural-gas-fired reciprocating engines to power their community during times of peak power usage.
“The decision to build a generation plant was a solid, soundly based economic plan to help us mitigate future power costs,” explains Jim Greever, electric superintendent for the Geneva project.
TEAMWORK FUELS SUCCESS
Geneva’s desire to improve its power position was fulfilled by Cat dealer Altorfer Power Systems, East Peoria, Ill., in conjunction with general contractor HWS Energy Partners, an Illinois-based power plant developer.
- Fall/Winter 2003, Electric Power News, Caterpillar
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Users Want More Control Over Reliability and Cost of Power
With a population of 22,000 people, Geneva, Ill., is a typical Midwestern suburb. But inside city hall, officials are clamoring for more power–the electrical kind–and they have succeeded. Geneva is building a 29-Mw, natural-gas-fired plant that planners hope will bring energy independence to residents and businesses.
Users hit hard by today’s erratic cost of transmitted energy are showing noticeable interest in meeting peak power needs with distributed generation (ENR 4/9/01 p. 44). But economics is not the only reason. Despite the high up-front investment, these pocket powerplants sited near the demand may gain even more popularity as users evaluate the need for reliable, local power during mass outages, such as the grid meltdown the Northeast experienced on Aug. 14.
The U.S. derives 10% of its current electrical capacity from distributed generation, totaling about 60 Gw, according to John Kelly, director of Gas Technology Institute’s Distributed Energy Technology Center, Des Plaines, Ill. Kelly estimates the market has a 100 Gw potential by 2012, the bulk of which is likely to be be in and near urban areas.
Geneva fits the bill, located about 40 miles directly west of Chicago. "I think DG has more people looking into it," says Joseph Summers, vice president of HWS Energy Partners and president of Industrial Technology Group. Geneva hired the Champaign, Ill.-based firms for construction management and electrical engineering services, respectively, for its $17-million facility, which Summers says is 75% completed. The 10,000-sq-ft powerplant will house five 5.9-Mw generators powered by natural-gas-fired reciprocating engines. Costing $11 million, the 8,000-hp Caterpillar engines are 40 ft long, 15 ft tall and 10 ft wide. The city estimates the plant will help save $177 million in peak energy costs over 40 years.
- Tudor Hampton, 8/25/2003, Engineering News-Record, The McGraw-Hill Companies
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Caterpillar Helps Geneva, Illinois Move Towards Energy Independence
PEORIA, IL. – Five Cat® G16CM34 engines will be providing power to a new 29 MW, gas fired, electrical power plant in Geneva, Illinois. The sale of the natural gas engines will be the first installation of the G16CM34 engine in the United States. The city of Geneva will own and operate the natural gas powered plant to generate electricity during peak electric demand periods. Using natural gas as the fuel of choice will allow the plant to offer clean, efficient, reliable power at a reasonable cost to the city. The G16CM34 engine provides 5.9 MW of electricity per engine and a greater than 45% world-class efficiency, enabling the city to control their electricity costs, and maintain some of the lowest electric rates in the state of Illinois.
HWS Energy Partners LLC of Champaign, Illinois developed the project with the city of Geneva. Industrial Technology Group Inc., also of Champaign, will manage the project and provide design engineering. The plant is scheduled to open in January 2004.
- 3/21/2003, Caterpillar