The COMBINED CYCLE Journal and the steering committees of the industry’s leading users groups—including 7F, 501F, 501G, 7EA, HA, Western Turbine, CCUG, STUG, GUG, PPCUG, Frame 6B, Frame 5, 501D5-D5A, AOG, and V—collaborate to expand the sharing of best practices and lessons learned among owner/operators of large frame and aeroderivative gas turbines.
In a banner year for the program and the combined-cycle industry, more than 50 plants submitted nearly 100 entries to the 2025 Best Practices Awards. From this record field, industry experts selected eight plants for Best of the Best honors. Details of all submissions will be featured in upcoming CCJ issues and online.
CCJ launched the industry-wide Best Practices Awards program in late 2004 to recognize the valuable contributions plant and central-office personnel make to improve the safety and performance of gas-turbine-based generating facilities.
This year’s lineup of proven solutions reflects the industry’s sharp focus on safety, outage management, and performance improvement—including starting reliability, fast starts, thermal performance, emissions reduction, and forced-outage reduction—highlighting how owner/operators are raising the bar across the fleet.
2025 BEST OF THE BEST
Central Termoeléctrica Genelba
Owned and operated by Pampa Energía S.A.
- Towards operational excellence: Next-generation predictive monitoring in CCGT plants
- Transforming operational safety: The virtual reality revolution in electric power generation plants training
EcoEléctrica LP
Owned by Naturgy, Engie, and Mitsui
Operated by EcoEléctrica LP
- Science-driven resilience: 28 years of environmental stewardship at a CCGT LNG facility
Jackson Generation
Owned by J-Power USA
Operated by NAES
- Reducing outage duration with engineering and procedural strategies
- Duct burner reliability upgrades
- Evaporative cooling system electrical safety improvement
- LOTO box organization upgrade
- Consideration for traffic control & pedestrians
Osceola Generating Station
Owned and operated by Orlando Utilities Commission
- Extensive turbine, generator, and BOP refurbishment enables full recommissioning of three 7FA peakers
St. Charles Energy Center
Owned by Competitive Power Ventures
Operated by CAMS
- Virtual splitting enhances CCGT flexibility in ISO markets
- From break-fix to best-in-class: A new model for CEMS maintenance
- Transforming maintenance management and inventory control through Maximo optimization
- Transition to WebView for electronic rounds and logging
Three Rivers Energy Center
Owned by Competitive Power Ventures
Operated by CAMS
- New plant commissioning spare parts strategy
- Outdoor northern exposed plant winterization – instrumentation
- Outdoor northern exposed plant winterization – air operated valves
- Radium removal system (RRS) implementation
- ACC fan bridge vibration reduction
WattBridge Fleet
Owned and operated by PROENERGY
- Advanced monitoring and predictive analytics for peaking plant reliability
- Innovative fuel flowmeter certification for continuous compliance
- Fogging water reclamation improves water use and environmental performance
Woodland Generation Station, Unit 2
Owned and operated by Modesto Irrigation District (MID)
- Ammonia injection grid (AIG) retrofit for enhanced NOx control and efficiency
2025 BEST PRACTICES FACILITES
Amman East Power Plant
Owned by AES Corp, Mitsui, and Nebras Power
Operated by Nebras Power Jordan
Aurora Generation |
Owned by LS Power
Operated by IHI Power Services
Bhikki Halmore CCPP
Owned by Halmore Power Generation Company
Operated by GE Vernova O&M
Central Eléctrica Pesquería (CEP)
Owned and operated by Techgen
Cottage Grove Power
Owned by Panamint Capital
Operated by IHI Power Services
Dogwood Energy Facility
Owned by City of Independence, Evergy, Kansas City Board of Public Utilities, Kansas Municipal Energy Agency, Kansas Power Pool, and Missouri Electric Commission
Operated by NAES Corp
Edgewood Energy LLC
Owned by Milepost Power Holdings
Operated by NAES Corp
Energía del Valle de México II (EVM II)
Owned by EVM Energía del Valle de México Generador SAPI de CV
Operated by NAES Corp
Exira Station
Owned by Western Minnesota Municipal Power Agency
Operated by Missouri River Energy Services
Fairview Energy Center
Owned by Osaka Gas USA, DLE, and Competitive Power Ventures
Operated by NAES
Ferndale Generating Station
Owned by Puget Sound Energy
Operated by NAES Corporation
Hill Top Energy Center
Owned by Hill Top Energy Center LLC
Operated by NAES
Hunterstown Generating Station
Owned by LS Power
Operated by NAES Corp
HKW Freimann CHP Plant
Owned and operated by Stadtwerke München
Kleen Energy Systems
Owned by EIF Kleen LLC
Operated by NAES Corp
Levant Peaker Power Plant
Owned by AES Corp, Mitsui, and Nebras Power
Operated by Nebras Power Jordan
Long Ridge Energy Generation
Owned by Long Ridge Energy & Power
Operated by NAES Corp
Magnolia Power Project
Owned by Southern California Public Power Authority
Operated by Burbank Water and Power
Manchester Street Station
Owned by Lotus Infrastructure
Operated by IHI Power Services Corp
Mankato Energy Center
Owned and operated by Onward Energy
Mariposa Energy Project
Owned by Diamond Generating Corp
Operated by DGC Operations LLC
Marcus Hook Energy Center
Owned by JERA Americas and Electricity Generating Public Company Ltd
Operated by GE Vernova O&M
Milton B. Lee Peaking Plants
Owned and operated by CPS Energy
Nevada Cogeneration Associates 2
Owned by Panamint Capital
Operated by IHI Power Services
New Athens Generating Plant
Owned by Gate City Energy
Operated by NAES Corp
Ravenswood Generating Station
Owned by RISE
Operated by IHI Power Services
REO Cogeneration Plant
Owned and operated by Lansing Board of Water & Light
Rio Nogales Power Plant
Owned and operated by CPS Energy
River Road Generating Plant
Owned by Clark Public Utilities
Operated by GE Vernova O&M
Rockford Generation
Owned by LS Power
Operated by IHI Power Services
Salem Harbor Station
Owned by Castleton Commodities International
Operated by NAES Corp
Sand Hill Energy Center
Owned by City of Austin
Operated by Austin Energy
Sentinel Energy Center
Owned by Diamond Generating Corp
Operated by DGC Operations LLC
SUGEN Mega Power Project
Owned and operated by Torrent Power Ltd
Towantic Energy Center
Owned by Competitive Power Ventures
Operated by NAES Corp
University Park North and South
Owned by LS Power
Operated by IHI Power Services
Valley Energy Center
Owned by Competitive Power Ventures and Diamond Generating Corp
Operated by DGC Operations LLC
West Lorain
Operated by IHI Power Services
Wildflower Energy (Indigo and Larkspur)
Owned by Diamond Generating Corp
Operated by DGC Operations LLC
