Larry Small, director of engineering for Calpine Corp’s Engineering and Construction Dept, has been elected chairman of the Combined Cycle Users Group (CCUG) for a two-year term; Dr Robert Mayfield, plant manager of the 7FA-powered 3 x 1 Tenaska Virginia Generating Station, was elected vice chairman. He will advance to the top position following the organization’s 2013 meeting.
As reported in mid-November, the CCUG was re-launched last fall as an independent, user-directed group to better serve the industry. It is not affiliated with any other group of the same or similar name nor is it associated with any other industry event. The revitalized group’s first conference was held in San Antonio the first week of November 2011. Participants included users, consultants, equipment manufacturers, and services providers.
More than 200 colleagues already have registered to participate in the CCUG’s user-only email discussion forum hosted at http://ccug.users-groups.com. Sign up today at no cost and gain access to the formal presentations from last fall’s meeting.
The 2012 conference will be held in the Buena Vista Palace Hotel & Spa, Lake Buena Vista, Fla, October 16-18. It will feature two full days of presentation and discussion on topics of importance to cogeneration-plant and combined-cycle owner/operators that generally are not addressed by most other user groups serving gas-turbine users. The CCUG is dedicated to the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of the integrated plant. The program for the upcoming conference will be released in the spring. A website will be launched at that time to facilitate registration for the meeting.
There is no vendor fair at CCUG meetings. However, a limited number of sponsorships are available on a first-come/first-served basis. The group’s activities are being managed by Sheila Vashi, president, SV Event Management LLC. Contact her at SV.EventMgt@gmail.com with any questions.
Small and Mayfield are supported on the five-member steering committee by Mike Hoy, a manager of project development and engineering for TVA and a former chairman of the 7EA Users Group; Andy Donaldson, manager of projects (Eastern Operations) for WorleyParsons Group Inc; and Bob Schwieger, editor, Combined Cycle Journal. Donaldson was one of the founders of the Combined Cycle Users Group and its first chairman (2001). He has been on the organization’s steering committee since its founding.
