2019 Plant Retirement: Comprehensive Project Execution, Lessons Learned

Comprehensive Project Execution, Lessons Learned

February 12-13, 2019 | Lexington, KY

Environmental regulations have been a major force in changing the landscape of coal powered generation. Besides regulations, the economic influences of less demand and natural gas prices have further caused non-critical and aging plants to become no longer economically viable.

This annual conference will provide owners with the next step in the plant closure process by sharing vital information and lessons that have been acquired by the generation owners in this program. A separate preconference workshop will look at one option for a future use of closed sites in discussing Solar Development on Coal Ash Brownfields, while the conference will wrap up with a tour of East Kentucky Power Cooperative’s Dale Power Station followed by a separate post-conference workshop on the comprehensive planning and process that goes into closing a facility.

Learning Outcomes

Review the regulations affecting the cleanup of the facilities and sites
Discuss the progress made in Duke Energy’s demolition program
Engage in a panel discussion on the continued challenges facing closure projects
Review the decommissioning and demolition process for the EKPC’s Dale Station
Be engaged during a walking tour of EKPC’s Dale Station under demolition
Explore Consumer Energy’s challenges with closing seven of their facilities
List the lessons learned during a complicated site cleanup
Describe successful contracting strategies for closure projects

Credits

EUCI has been accredited as an Authorized Provider by the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET). In obtaining this accreditation, EUCI has demonstrated that it complies with the ANSI/IACET Standard which is recognized internationally as a standard of good practice. As a result of their Authorized Provider status, EUCI is authorized to offer IACET CEUs for its programs that qualify under the ANSI/IACET Standard.

EUCI is authorized by IACET to offer CEUs for 1.0 this conference and 0.3 CEUs for the workshop.

Requirements for Successful Completion of Program

Participants must sign in/out each day and be in attendance for the entirety of the conference to be eligible for continuing education credit.

Instructional Methods

Case studies, PowerPoint presentations, and group discussion will be used in this event.

Agenda

Tuesday, February 12, 2019

8:00 – 8:30 a.m. :: Registration and Continental Breakfast

8:30 – 8:35 a.m. :: Introductions

8:35 – 8:50 a.m. :: Welcome Remarks

Mary Jane Warner, Director of Production Engineering & Construction, East Kentucky Power Coop

8:50 – 9:40 a.m. :: Regulations Affecting the Closure and Clean-up of Electric Generating Facilities

Earlier regulations set in motion the forecasting of plant closures while economic forces have resulted in many of those closures. This presentation will be a comprehensive review of those regulations and any changes to them as well as the regulations affecting the cleanup of the facilities and sites.

Daniel J. Deeb, Partner, Schiff Hardin LLP

9:40 – 10:30 a.m. :: Duke Energy Demolition Program Update and Lessons Learned

This presentation will review the progress made in Duke Energy’s demolition program with a special focus on the Carolina’s and Florida work and share those case studies.

Tim Hill, Regional General Manager CCP Operations and Maintenance & Plant Demolition, Western Carolina / Florida, Duke Energy

10:30 – 11:00 a.m. :: Networking Break

11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. :: Panel Discussion: Facing the Challenges of Plant Closure

This moderated answer and question session will dive into the various unknowns and challenges facing generation owners after closing a plant and options for what to do with the asset after it has ceased operations. Attendees should feel free to ask their questions of these expert panelists.

Daniel J. Deeb, Partner, Schiff Hardin LLP

Craig Johnson, Senior VP of Power Production, East Kentucky Power Coop

Tim Hill, Regional General Manager CCP Operations and Maintenance & Plant Demolition, Western Carolina / Florida, Duke Energy

Paul Conway, Estimating & Marketing Manager, GSD Companies

Jeff Battaglia, Decommissioning Manager, Consumers Energy

Joe Vendetti, VP Decommissioning & Demolition, Remedial Construction Services, LP

12:30 – 1:30 p.m. :: Group Luncheon

1:30 – 2:15 p.m. :: East Kentucky Power Coop Dale Station Decommissioning and Demolition Case Study

This presentation will walk through the decommissioning and demolition process for the EKPC Dale Station. It will cover:

Why the decision was made to decommission Dale Station
• What upfront decommissioning work was performed by EKPC
• EKPC risk register analysis and community outreach process
• What upfront Owners Engineer assistance was needed
• How the demolition process has been managed and progress to date

David Meade, PE, Power Production Engineering, East Kentucky Power Coop

Chris Dowdell, D&D Project Manager, Burns and McDonnell Engineering

2:15 – 2:45 p.m. :: Networking Break and Board Bus for Tour

2:45 p.m. :: Bus Departs for Tour

2:45 – 5:15 p.m. :: Tour of East Kentucky Power Cooperative’s Dale Power Station

2:45 p.m. :: Bus Leaves Conference Hotel

3:30 p.m. :: Tour arrival, PPE distribution

3:30 -4:30 p.m. :: Tour

4:30 – 5:15 p.m. :: Return to hotel

During this walking tour of the site, we will review demolition and site progress covering what steps were taken prior to and what will occur on site through to completion. Participants are requested to wear comfortable, closed-toe shoes and long pants. Other required PPE will be provided by the host.

Although there is no cost associated with the tour, we ask that you register so that we can plan accordingly for transportation.

5:15 – 6:15 p.m. :: Networking Reception

Wednesday, February 13, 2019

8:00 – 8:30 a.m. :: Continental Breakfast

8:30 – 9:15 a.m. :: Lessons Learned in Decommissioning

Consumers Energy shares their experiences over the past 7+ years planning for decommissioning, executing cold & dark activities, and managing the demolition of 3 coal-fired power plant sites in Michigan.

Amy Jenrow, Lead Decommissioning Engineer, Consumers Energy

Jeff Battaglia, Decommissioning Manager, Consumers Energy

9:15 – 10:15 a.m. :: Plant Abatement and Demolition – Lessons Learned from an Owner’s Engineer

This presentation will discuss the challenges faced in a full closure of a site and the lessons learned along the way. These valuable lessons will be shared in detail by the utility and their owner’s engineer giving you both perspectives.

Keith Kotimko, Decommissioning and Demolition Specialist, Wood

David Braungardt, Senior Associate – Environment & Infrastructure Solutions, Wood

10:15 – 10:45 a.m. :: Networking Break

10:45 – 11:45 a.m. :: Begin with the End in Mind

This presentation will discuss successful contracting strategies from a contractor’s perspective highlighting case studies of demolition projects and including EKPC’s Dale Station.

Curtis Schopp, Vice President, National Salvage & Service Corporation

11:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. :: Conference Wrap-Up

12:00 p.m. :: Conference Adjourns

Workshop

Post-Conference Workshop

Wednesday, February 13, 2019

Planning and Implementation of Power Plant Retirements

12:30 – 1:00 p.m. :: Registration

1:00 – 4:30 p.m. :: Workshop

Overview

New, cheaper natural gas generation and increasing use of renewable energy sources have continued to precipitate the retirement of fossil-fuel power plants around the United States. This acceleration of retirements has forced utilities to determine the fate of these plants will be following shutdown. As the announcement are made, utilities must begin planning for decommissioning and either retirement-in-place or full demolition of these plants. The planning and implementation process present a unique challenge to utilities and plant operators. Successfully navigating the overall process to safely and cost effectively conduct the retirement activities requires a step by step approach.

Planning and implementation of the retirement process requires stepwise approach to: decide on the approach for retirement; determine the end use of the property; the development of a conceptual scope of work; coordination with utilities’ operations, environmental, security, safety, management and other stakeholders to finalize scope; and to conduct a bid process to hire a contractor to successfully complete the project.

This workshop is focused on presenting the steps in the process necessary to plan and implement the retirement process starting from the announcement of retirement to completion of the project.

Learning Outcomes

- - Review the steps in pre-planning for a closure project
  - List what is involved in the scope development
  - Dive deeper into what is involved in project implementation

Agenda

- - Pre-Planning
    - Different approaches
    - End use determination
    - Financial considerations
  - Scope Development
    - Regulatory and environmental factors
    - Environmental assessments
    - Asbestos and hazardous materials
    - Coordination with utility operations
    - Stakeholders finalizing scope
  - Project Implementation
    - Bid process to hire a contractor
    - Coordination with utility operations
    - Security
    - Safety
    - Monitoring project progress
    - Project closure