Competitive Power Ventures (CPV) and Osaka Gas announced Tuesday that the CPV Fairview Energy Center (CPV Fairview) in Jackson Township near Johnstown, Pa., a 1,050-megawatt (MW) natural gas and ethane-fueled combined-cycle electric power plant, began full commercial operation.
CPV developed and managed the $1 billion project. It uses GE equipment and was constructed with union labor through local and national contractors Kiewit, Charles J. Merlo, Laurel Management and Cenergy. More than 600 workers were employed in the construction of the plant.
“Thanks to the outstanding team effort with our partner Osaka Gas USA and Kiewit our construction contractor, with General Electric as major equipment supplier, the CPV Fairview Energy Center is now fully operational on budget and significantly ahead of schedule,” CPV CEO Gary Lambert said. “CPV continues to make strides toward modernizing the country’s electric generation supply and improving reliability while addressing sustainability concerns by lowering systemwide emissions, including carbon, by deploying the most efficient technology with the cleanest fuel available – natural gas.”
CPV Fairview uses GE’s 7HA.02 gas turbines, a steam turbine, generators, and additional controls equipment. The plant, which is located on an 86-acre former brownfield site remediated and cleaned up by Neumeyer Environmental Services, uses industrial raw water from the Cambria Somerset Authority (CSA) for non-contact cooling purposes. The industrial raw water will be returned to CSA as reclaimed water for further potential industrial use.
“When companies are willing to invest over $1 billion in our communities, it demonstrates that Pennsylvania is open for business,” state Sen. Wayne Langerholc, Jr. (R-Bedford/Cambria/Clearfield) said. “CPV has been an excellent partner for our state and the local community. Having low cost, reliable power will help attract even more economic development to the area.”