The Essex Partnership managed internal and external communications for NUs Green Team during the development of the Northern Solutions initiative and the concept for a high voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission project with Hydro-Quebec. The proposal to bring 1,200 megawatts of low-carbon, renewable power into New England was unanimously approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on May 21, 2009 and news media around the world reported on the landmark decision. Concurrently, we are also breaking new ground with NUs efforts to bring electric vehicles (EVs) to New England, leveraging the Obama administrations new energy, environmental and economic policy goals. The EV projects collaborative approach involves local, state and regional policy leaders, as well as automakers and environmental groups.

As the Owners Engineer and fiduciary agent, Essex oversaw the engineering, procurement and construction to repower the 80 MW combined cycle project. The project consisted of replacing the existing combustion turbine and generator, refurbishing the heat recovery steam generator, refurbishing the steam turbine and generator and upgrading the control system. This was a multi-faceted effort that included an A/E firm, specialty consultants, numerous equipment vendors, multiple contractors and establishing an operating company. In addition to overall oversight of the work, Essex had fiduciary responsibility for payment of all invoices, cashflows and draw requests from the capital fund. The project was placed in commercial operation in December 2008.

The 1,080 MW project has been in continuous operation since 1973 and most of the rotating components are original equipment. The project Owner retained Essex to assess the condition of the existing structures and equipment; and to evaluate the feasibility of installing more efficient replacement pump turbines. In addition to the condition assessment Essex evaluated the capacity of civil features, electrical equipment and mechanical components to develop engineered solutions to potential constraints. Essex also developed the proforma inputs for the financial analysis and is assisting the Owner with procurement to implement the efficiency improvements.

In 2008 Essex performed a reconnaissance level condition assessment on several of GMPs existing facilities along with a screening study of various generation alternatives. The screening study included preparing general arrangement drawings using site specific vendor data, an initial assessment of fuels and electrical interconnection, a preliminary assessment of the permitting effort that would be required, developing budgetary estimates of CapEx and OpEx, and performing preliminary financial analyses. Results of the screening study identified several preferred alternatives and Essex is assisting Green Mountain with the detailed studies.

Essex is assisting GenPower, LLC with strategic engineering and regulatory support related to potential hydropower development at two existing U.S. Army Corps of engineers lock and dams on the Ohio River. Activities include technical oversight of the A/E and procurement process, facilitating agency discussions, coordination with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers regarding project design and permitting, and license compliance planning.

The Essex Partnership is working with a private non-utility developer to manage and coordinate all aspects of the licensing, construction and commissioning of a small hydroelectric development on the Quinebaug River in northeastern Connecticut. The owner is pursuing the repowering of the abandoned facility as part of a more comprehensive mill re-development effort. The Essex Partnership is directing re-development of hydropower at the site and is facilitating negotiations with federal and state regulators with respect to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). We are also designing and conducting engineering and environmental studies, and preparing engineering design plans and specifications for the project. Essex was integral in helping our client secure renewable energy development grant funding to offset a portion of the initial licensing and study costs.

As part of a broader investigation of the feasibility of increasing generation capacity at existing facilities, the Essex Partnership was asked to evaluate several locations in Vermont. Using a combination of desktop analysis and field visits we identified site specific environmental opportunities and constraints. Working closely with our client we applied information from the preliminary environmental assessment to develop alternatives and further evaluate the economics and relative risk of environmentally feasible options for adding capacity at the study sites.