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Category: Articles

Articles | 03.18.24

CPV Three Rivers Energy Center (TREC) is a 1,250-megawatt natural gas-fueled combined-cycle electric generation facility located in Goose Lake Township, Grundy County, Illinois. The facility began operations in 2023 and is capable of powering more than 1.25 million homes. TREC consists of two combustion turbines, two heat recovery steam generators, and two steam turbines to maximize efficiency. This new single-shaft design allows for efficient electric generation from each specific unit, independent of maintenance or outage work on the other sister unit. The plant is owned by Competitive Power Ventures and operated by CAMS.

Carbon Footprint

TREC is using combined-cycle technology and the latest “H” class gas turbine, approximately 30- 40 percent more efficient than older baseload electric generation technologies. This state-of-the-art technology combined with clean-burning natural gas replaces less efficient generating units, with offsetting carbon dioxide emissions equivalent to removing 300,000 cars off the road each year. Additionally, the facility uses advanced emissions control technology, including ammonia injection and dry low emission burners, to reduce total nitrogen oxide emissions.

Water Use

TRECs’ air-cooled condenser design reduces water use by 90 percent compared to a wet cooled facility, helping conserve valuable natural resources. The relatively small amount of water needed for process makeup comes from onsite wells. By utilizing air-cooled condensers, the facility is also able to implement a zero-liquid discharge system. Zero liquid discharge is a strategic wastewater management system that ensures that there will be no discharge of industrial wastewater into the environment. This benefits the environment through recycling and recovery for subsequent reuse for industrial purposes. This wastewater would otherwise be discharged into the Illinois, Kankakee, and Des Plaines River basin areas.

Articles | 01.02.24

Utilities and other developers of solar power installations know the importance of optimizing operations to reduce costs and improve efficiency. There are several tools available to support operational goals, including the use of data analytics to support predictive maintenance.

Learn more about the tools and read the full article in POWER Magazine, where Ryan Bullock, senior asset manager for CAMS, provides important insights.

Read full article

Articles | 12.08.23

Sustainability Statement

At CAMS, our founding principle is to add value through superior management and operation of our clients’ energy infrastructure assets. We do not take this responsibility lightly: we treat the assets with which we are entrusted as our own. That’s why we encourage and empower our employees to pursue creative and sustainable business practices in all aspects of our work. We’ve seen first-hand the benefits sustainable practices can have on operational excellence, financial performance, safety, community relations, and the environment.

Environmental, Health& Safety and Regulatory Excellence

CAMS is committed to fostering a safe and health-conscious work environment for all our employees, whether they operate in the field or within office settings. Our commitment is reflected through the regular publication of quarterly EHS&R newsletters, which serve as a vital communication channel to keep our community well-informed about both previous and ongoing initiatives. These newsletters provide comprehensive updates on safety-related news, regulatory developments, and upcoming changes across various plants, facilities, and departments. Through transparent and proactive communication, we aim to ensure that every member of our organization is equipped with the knowledge and awareness necessary to prioritize safety in their daily activities.

Find our quarterly EHS&R newsletters below.

2021

  • Q1 2021 EHS&R Newsletter: Q1 2021
  • Q2 2021 EHS&R Newsletter: Q2 2021
  • Q3 2021 EHS&R Newsletter: Q3 2021
  • Q4 2021 EHS&R Newsletter: Q4 2021

2022

2023

2024

  • Q1 2024 EHS&R Newsletter: Q1 2024

To learn more about EHS&R initiatives at CAMS, visit our sustainability page or connect with one of our experts.

Articles | 10.23.23

2022 ESG Report

We know what it takes to run a sustainable business.

CAMS integrates sustainable practices in everything we do, with our approach extending beyond mere compliance.

Since 2013, CAMS has been consistently recognized for its operational commitment to best-in-class safety practices and performance by earning 79 Combined Cycle Journal (CCJ) Best Practices Award. Since 2021, the documenting and reporting of our company’s ESG practices has led to national recognition of CAMS’ achievements and has further encouraged our employees to pursue creative and sustainable business practices.

This report, covering our 2022 activities, highlights initiatives in environmental, social, and corporate governance, represents CAMS’ first full Annual ESG Report, and marks a key step in the evolution of our ESG program.

Download our 2022 ESG Report: 2022 ANNUAL ESG REPORT

To learn more about other ESG initiatives at CAMS, visit our sustainability page.

 

Articles | 09.20.23

For fifteen years, CAMS has managed and operated energy assets that provide reliable fuel, transportation, and power throughout the US and Europe.

We have always focused on providing sustainable, value-added services to our clients. In fact, Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) practices are embedded in our culture. In 2021, we took an important step by formalizing our approach to communicating CAMS’ many ESG achievements through ESG reporting.

Find our quarterly and annual ESG reports below.

To learn more about other ESG initiatives at CAMS, visit our sustainability page or connect with one of our experts.

Articles | 07.27.23

Middletown Power Facility

Middletown Power is situated on the western bank of the Connecticut River, in Middletown, Connecticut. The 953 MW facility includes three steam electric generating boilers, five combustion turbines, an auxiliary boiler, and two glycol boilers. The facility is owned by Generation Bridge, LLC, managed by Eastern Generation, and operated by CAMS.

Community Outreach

Middletown employees demonstrate their commitment to community outreach and service through numerous volunteer activities. One example is their long-term affiliation with the For Inspiration and Recognition of Science Technology (FIRST) program through their relationship with the Xavier High School FullMetal Robotics team, the FullMetal Merlins. The team is comprised of more than 40 students who design, build, program, and test robots to compete in FIRST tournaments. Under the leadership of Nick Mainetti, Maintenance Manager at Middletown, the students not only hone their robotics skills, but also learn project management, communication, organizational, and technical skills.

Shaping the Future

This year, under Mainetti’s guidance, the FullMetal Merlins, garnered numerous accolades, becoming finalists at four events, semifinalists at the state championship, and winners of two other events. They also secured the Motivate Award, which is given to the team that incites the most people to engage in robotics, and the prestigious Raytheon Technologies Innovate Award, which celebrates the team with the most innovative robot. Mainetti’s effective mentorship is shaping the future of these aspiring engineers and technologists while exemplifying the CAMS value to enrich the communities in which we live and work.

Articles | 12.19.22

Consolidated Asset management Services (CAMS) serves as the asset manager for Carolina Power Partners (CPP) and actively engages in community service that aligns with the ESG goals of both companies. CPP owns Kings Mountain Energy Center (KMEC), a 475-megawatt combined cycle facility located in Kings Mountain, N.C., that provides reliable, environmentally-friendly power to the Carolinas. Currently, the CPP-CAMS team was involved in two initiatives to help CPP customers in Winterville, N.C.

For the first initiative, CAMS developed an educational campaign to inform CPP customers of the causes of rising electricity costs. The flyer provides useful tips to conserve energy and save money. This information was available through a “Guide to Your Winter Electricity Bill” publication that was posted to the Town of Winterville website. The guide also provides an overview of the KMEC, which produces most of the power CPP supplies to local towns, cites and universities in North and South Carolina.

For the second initiative, CAMS organized a partnership with the Town of Winterville, Greene Lamp (a local Community Action Agency), and CPP to provide lower income families financial assistance to reduce their monthly electricity bills throughout  a 12-month period. Funds donated by CPP are expected to support approximately 265 families in the Town of Winterville.

Articles | 09.08.22

HOUSTON – Consolidated Asset Management Services (CAMS) corporate office in Houston and the Vandolah Power Plant, a CAMS-operated facility located in Wauchula, Florida, recently supported back-to-school supply drives in their local areas. Enriching the communities in which we live and work is a core value for CAMS.

Throughout August, corporate employees donated supplies such as paper, notebooks, binders, scissors, glue, pens, pencils, and rulers to the 2022 YMCA Greater Houston Operation Backpack drive. This initiative benefits over 20,000 children living within Houston.

Vandolah employees also packed approximately 300 backpacks with school supplies for students from kindergarten through high school. The backpacks were distributed at the community’s annual Wildcat Tailgate event sponsored by Main Street Wauchula.

“CAMS’ participation in these events helps ensure local students have what they need for a great start to the school year,” said Mona Johnson, CAMS Senior Vice President of Environmental, Health, Safety, and Regulatory. “CAMS employees are actively involved in their communities and continuously pursue opportunities like these to make a positive impact.”

CAMS manages and operates energy assets that provide reliable fuel, transportation, and power throughout the U.S. and Europe. Vandolah Power Plant, owned by Northern Star Generation and operated by CAMS, is a 680-megawatt, dual fuel, peeking plant.

In addition to employee participation in local volunteer activities, CAMS increases the impact of these efforts through financial support and its charitable matching gift program.

 

Articles | 08.22.22

New Covert designed an upgrade of its turbines and emission control systems to improve operational efficiencyThe New Covert Generating Facility (New Covert) is a natural gas fired, combined-cycle plant, consisting of three individually dispatchable combined-cycle units and state of the art emission controls. The plant, located in Covert, Van Buren County, Michigan, has operated since 2003. CAMS has operated the facility since 2015 and the facility is owned by Segreto Power Holdings, LLC, a subsidiary of Eastern Generation Holdings, LLC. The New Covert plant can provide electricity to over one million homes.

In 2018, the facility designed an upgrade of all three Mitsubishi 501G combustion turbines to improve the facility performance to a gross nominal output of 1,230 megawatts (MW). The gross nominal output of the combustion turbines increased from 245 MW each pre-project to 260 MW each post -project, and the heat recovery steam generators increased from 125 MW each pre-project to 150 MW each post-project.

The upgrade involved replacing several rows of turbine blades and vanes on each turbine and resulted in the need for less cooling air and a corresponding increase in fuel consumption, exhaust flow rate and temperature, turbine efficiency, and electricity production. In parallel, the plant upgraded its emission control systems for both NOx and CO. Upgrades to the NOx control system involved the ammonia injection grid and the aqueous ammonia system to ensure an emission concentration of 2 ppmvd at 15% O2 could be achieved.

As part of these upgrades, over the last three years New Covert developed and implemented a new ammonia distribution system for NOx control. The improved system includes new pumps, control systems, distribution headers and nozzles, and a reformulated Selective Catalytic Reduction catalyst. As a result of these investments, New Covert reduced ammonia consumption by 7.5%.  The relative cost for ammonia was $240,000 less in 2021 than in 2018, while increasing electricity output and producing lower concentrations of NOx. Overall, the project was beneficial to the environment while improving operational efficiency.

Learn more about our sustainability efforts, operations and maintenance services and more.

Articles | 11.01.21

HOUSTON – Consolidated Asset Management Services (CAMS), an industry leading asset management and operations and maintenance (O&M) services provider, recently announced the Laredo Energy Center (LEC), which is operated by CAMS, recently celebrated 15 years without a lost time accident or recordable injury.

LEC is a two-unit, simple-cycle natural gas fired power plant located in Laredo, Texas, and owned by Talen Energy. The plant consists of nine full-time employees who, to date, have safely operated 5,502 days incident free. As a token of appreciation to the employees, they were awarded a celebratory lunch and provided backpacks with gloves, safety glasses, ear plugs, and other safety related items to utilize both at home and work.

Congratulations to the Laredo Energy Center team on its huge achievement and continue the wonderful work!

About CAMS

CAMS is a privately held company providing a full range of services in the energy sector. These services include lifecycle management of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) issues for all facility and industry types. Our founding principle is to add value through superior management and operation of our clients’ energy infrastructure assets. To this end, we empower our employees to pursue creative and sustainable business practices in the field and at our corporate office that contribute to operational excellence, financial performance, a safe workplace, and a better community and environment.  We do not take this responsibility lightly: We treat the assets with which we are entrusted as our own. For additional information, visit www.camstex.com.

About Talen Energy

Talen Energy is one of the largest competitive power generation and infrastructure companies in North America. TES owns and/or controls approximately 13,000 megawatts of generating capacity in wholesale U.S. power markets, principally in the Mid-Atlantic, Texas and Montana.

Through its subsidiary, Cumulus Growth, Talen is developing a large-scale portfolio of renewable energy, battery storage, and digital infrastructure assets across its expansive footprint. For more information, visit www.talenenergy.com/esg-focused-future.