GE Vernova provides peaking power amidst Colorado's coal phase-out

GE Vernova’s Gas Power business has announced an order from US-based developer Kindle Energy for six LM2500XPRESS power packages.

The six units will be installed at the Mountain Peak Power (MPP) plant, in Keenesburg, Weld County, Colorado, and will provide fast power to Colorado’s United Power electric cooperative when needed.

United Power is a member-owned distribution electric cooperative serving 2,330km2 along the north-central Front Range in Colorado.

The plant is expected to begin operating in 2025, at which point it will deliver up to 162MW with reduced emissions.

According to GE Vernova, the power packages will be able to start in as little as five minutes from cold iron and can perform multiple daily starts and stops. Each LM2500XPRESS comprises an LM2500 aeroderivative gas turbine, a distributed control system and a dry low emissions combustion system.

In addition to the power generation equipment, GE Vernova’s Financial Services business provided funding to speed up development and construction to meet United Power’s capacity needs.

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Lee Davis, CEO of Kindle Energy commented in a statement: “In a region with an increasing power demand due to planned coal-fired plants retirements and increased renewable energy generation, a mix of flexible and efficient energy sources will be necessary to achieve the carbon emissions goals of Colorado, while ensuring the reliability of power supply.”

Davis added that the Mountain Peak Power plant required additional support due to the growing intermittent power generation supply from nearby wind farms and solar fields in northeast Colorado.

According to the US Energy Information Administration, since 2010, Colorado's total renewable electricity net generation has more than quadrupled and accounted for 37% of the state's total generation in 2022. Wind power accounted for almost four-fifths of the state's renewable electricity in 2022.

Colorado's shift to greener energy

The western US state aims to move away from coal-powered electricity generation by 2031. Eight coal-fired power generating plants remained in Colorado in 2019. One closed in September 2019, and another converted to natural gas in 2021 before closing completely in 2022. The remaining six plants are officially scheduled to close or convert between 2023 and 2031.

Dave Ross, president and CEO for GE Vernova's Gas Power business in the Americas said: “This project...marks our second dispatchable peaking project in the state being built to support the increase in renewable energy sources, and load growth as the state continues to shift to lower carbon emitting energy sources, in line with the state’s Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) goals.”