Attendees benefit most from user group conferences involving robust participation by owner/operators, OEMs, and third-party services providers because it provides them perspective on various aspects of a particular issue. Inevitable disagreements among the parties are conducive to meaningful discussion, occasionally loud. This process contributes to issue resolution, often stimulating equipment modifications and upgrades and improvements in plant O&M practices. more 

Owner/operators of 7EAs with more than a year or two of close association with this frame likely are aware of clashing and other damage associated with S1 (first stage) stator vanes. GE engineers reported at the morning session of the CTOTF™ spring 2015 E- & EA-class Roundtable that progress has been made in identifying the root cause of clashing and work continues in this regard. more 

You're probably tired of hearing about the loss of experienced managers, engineers, and technicians to retirement and the knowledge gap this has created on the deck plates. You might even want to scream, "Enough already, the turbine shaft is still turning and we're making electricity." True enough, but look around, who will you turn to when questions arise? What if less senior employees-and management-expect you to have the answers? This may be the right time to invest in skills/knowledge development. It's the first step on the pathway to career advancement. more 

Coverage of the Frame 5 rightly belongs in CTOTF's™ GE Legacy Roundtable chaired by NRG Energy Inc's Ed Wong, PE. But that forum is held only at the user group's fall meetings and the hook-fit repair experience TVA's Nathan Holland, vice chair of the GE F-class Roundtable, had to share was timely. Plus, most attendees at the GE E- & EA-class Roundtable, where Holland presented, likely have one or more Frame 5s in their portfolios. more 

About the time last week's CCJ ONsite hit your screen, EPA and the US Army (Civil Works) finalized the Clean Water Rule discussed in the lead article. The Rule will become effective 60 days after publication in the Federal Register; no date was provided for that announcement. The press release issued by the sponsoring federal departments claimed, "The rule ensures that waters protected under the Clean Water Act (CWA) are more precisely defined and predictably determined, making permitting less costly, easier, and faster for businesses and industry." more 

In the last week, the editors have received calls from three organizations looking to fill open positions. Here's are the employers looking to fill positions:

NV Energy

Fort Myers Technical College

Creative Power Solutions    more