Hunterstown Generating Station
Owned by LS Power
Asset management by Competitive Power Ventures
Operated by NAES Corp
810 MW, 3 × 1 7F.04-powered combined cycle equipped with a GE D11 steam turbine, located in Gettysburg, Pa
Plant manager: Mark Kadon
Challenge. Anticipating industry-wide knowledge-gap challenges resulting from retirements and staff turnover, Hunterstown Generating Station saw the need to move early and proactively to ensure the continued excellence of its workforce.
Solution. In January 2023, Hunterstown began a series of ongoing process reviews and training programs. Management’s first action was to overhaul the plant’s operator qualification process, incorporating rigorous board reviews to ensure personnel have the requisite experience to fulfill their duties effectively.
Vendor partnerships were developed to upgrade staff capabilities. These included the following:
- Technical Training Professionals (TTP) was engaged in May 2023 to equip the plant’s most recent hires with foundational skills essential for plant operation. This comprehensive training program—covering topics such as heat transfer, fluid dynamics, and electricity—provides a robust foundation for understanding plant operations. Additionally, a detailed exploration of Hunterstown’s core equipment—including gas and steam turbines, ACC, and balance of plant—was initiated.
- Phil D’Angelo, an independent consultant, was brought in to provide specialized instruction on chemical processes relevant to plant operations.
- Foxguard Solutions was hired to bring personnel up to speed on critical cybersecurity topics and activities.
- ISPI Consultants Inc was hired to reinforce Hunterstown’s commitment to safety and compliance by implementing onsite its Qualified Electrical Worker program with individual job-performance measures. This training course stresses both adherence to 70e electrical safety requirements and improving staff proficiency in establishing safe electrical working conditions.
- GE Mark VIe operator training was implemented in April 2024, enabling staff to acquire the necessary CRO skills, including logic interpretation.
- EtaPRO was engaged to provide management the necessary tools to safeguard the plant’s ability to optimize performance. Program included advanced performance analysis and combined-cycle troubleshooting.
Results. The actions noted already have paid dividends by educating and empowering the plant’s young workforce and by significantly overcoming concerns about any potential knowledge gaps. In turn, this has served to reinforce management’s ongoing commitment to workforce development. Plans already underway include training on Emerson Ovation and an advanced program on Mark VIe controls, further solidifying staff capabilities to meet the industry’s dynamic demands.
Project participants:
Mark Kadon, plant manager
John Marino, operations manager
