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Kelly Bairdwpeadmin2017-12-04T20:30:37+00:00

Kelly Baird, BSME

Mechanical Engineering

Company Info

155 E. Boardwalk Drive, Suite 400
Fort Collins, Colorado 80525

[email protected]
970.232.3080

Paul Trygstad

Fort Collins, Colorado

Paul Trygstad, Owner, President and Managing Member of West Peak Energy, LLC (“West Peak”), has 41 years of experience, 23 years of experience working in the Electric Power Industry and 15 years of experience as a consultant and three years working as a developer. His responsibilities include consulting and engineering along with the daily operation of West Peak. As a consultant since 2000, Paul has experience supporting Independent Engineering, Owner’s Engineering, Oil & Gas, Research & Development, Construction Management and Technical Advisory. Projects have included both foreign and domestic consulting. Recent work has included both thermal and renewable work for and in support of West Peak. Most of the recent work is directly for Electric Utilities in the U.S, Alaska, and Virgin Islands. However, previous consulting work experience is the Philippines, and Indonesia and support of other international clients. Work in 2020 and 2021 has included direct consulting for several clients associated with engineering, power systems and wastewater. Mr. Trygstad has been Director and Project Manager for several new power plant projects (completed and constructed), VP of Engineering for a power plant development company, consultant, and Independent Engineer. As Director for Black Hills Energy, he was assigned Project Manager for the proposed Department of Energy (DOE) Clean Coal Project with CO2 sequestration power plants. Several years with R.W. Beck Inc. in the Denver office doing domestic and foreign energy consulting associated with financing approvals and analysis. As a utility engineer and manager Mr. Trygstad has been involved in over 34 power plant outages during his career, 12 of which included major turbine repair outages with primary responsibilities. His role as a turbine engineer, utility engineer and management team member has included participation in well over 100 startups of fossil fired generating stations, most of which include large base loaded units. Prior to forming West Peak Energy, LLC in 2014, Mr. Trygstad was Director of Power Plant Solutions for Tetra Tech in Golden, CO, VP of Alpine Energy, LLC, Director for Black Hills Energy (subsidiary of Black Hills Corporation), design & senior mechanical engineer for Harris Group Inc. Denver Branch supporting the system group as detailed mechanical engineer in the design of numerous new LM-6000 gas turbine peaking power projects for Calpine during the California power crisis. Additionally, as a supervising engineer, Mr. Trygstad worked at Sunflower Electric Holcomb Station in Garden City Kansas and the Osage Power Plant, Black Hills Power and Light. He was also previously a licensed public water system operator in the State of Wyoming. Notable accomplishments include numerous technical papers, publications, and inventions. Excellent record on large steam turbine outages, ASME and EPRI presentations on turbine technical issues and feedwater heater repairs, EPRI turbine advisory committee and several new inventions introduced to the utility industry. Contact us for specific project experience.

William Bushnell

Boston, Massachusetts

William (Bill) Bushnell serves as executive director for West Peak Energy. Mr. Bushnell is experienced in domestic and international renewable and fossil power generation plants from conceptual design to operation. Mr. Bushnell has over a 33-year career in the electric power industry has been responsible for a wide range of technical advisory services from early-stage project development to due diligence reviews of various renewable generating facilities including solar PV, wind, ocean, and geothermal technologies as well as various fossil facilities including fuel cell, combustion turbine and reciprocating engine cogeneration facilities. Mr. Bushnell, as an independent engineer, has performed numerous technology reviews to support project financing including three major fuel cell technologies, ocean energy technologies and flow batteries. Mr. Bushnell has provided early-stage development services supporting numerous utility-scale PV project in the upper mid-west US market including production modeling, site layouts, capital cost estimates and permitting support. Mr. Bushnell has experience in diligencing, developing, and managing C&I and utility-scale PV and PV/BESS projects in the US, Latin America, UK, and Panama. Mr. Bushnell has performed technical reviews of numerous battery technologies including vanadium and zinc flow batteries and lithium-ion solid state batteries supporting the development of a solar PV carport and battery energy storage system for a behind-the-meter project on the big island of Hawaii. Mr. Bushnell has managed the local consultant’s development of permitting, technology selection, and interconnection designs. Mr. Bushnell has performed technical advisory services supporting the contract development and bid solicitation for 250 MW wind project in the southwest US. Mr. Bushnell has provided review of bids and assisted owner in contract negotiations. Mr. Bushnell developed a hydrogen fuel mixing system for blending with natural gas for a 830 MW combustion turbine combined cycle project in Utah. Project included system and material specifications to support CTG operation of up to 30 percent hydrogen by volume. Mr. Bushnell also performed numerous due diligence reviews of multi-unit geothermal plants located in Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Kenya and the US. Mr. Bushnell evaluated power generation at numerous landfills in the US including several in the Detroit, MI area. Bill has also developed capital and operating costs and a pro forma analysis for various plant configurations including simple- and combined-cycle combustion turbine plant options. Mr. Bushnell has provided lender’s due diligence review of numerous reciprocating internal combustion engines (RICE) firing various fuels including a fast-tracked 280 MW heavy fuel oil-fired diesel engine with a steam turbine cogeneration plant located in Chololma, Honduras. Project which consists of 14 MAN diesel engines and the associated ancillary equipment, a 17 MW steam turbine generator, and an upgraded fuel oil storage terminal located at the nearby port. Mr. Bushnell led construction monitoring services consisting of periodic reviews of projects during construction to confirm the project schedule and identify any potential issues including design, schedule, and financial concerns. Technologies supported include RICE, CTG, geothermal, fuel cell and wind turbine generators (WTGs) projects. Contact us for specific project experience.

Ivan Clark

Denver, Colorado

Ivan Clark serves as executive director for West Peak Energy. Mr. Clark’s background includes management of thermal and renewable generation projects and multidisciplinary teams through the entire project life cycle. He has led owner’s engineering, and independent engineering services for new and existing projects and is often involved in the earliest phases of projects to lay the groundwork for their successful development. Mr. Clark has broad experience in providing owner’s engineering and technical advisory services to public and private clients, primarily in the energy market. He applies his more than 40 years of experience to help clients plan and execute capital projects and operate assets with a focus on strategies that mitigate risks. Mr. Clark has supported the planning, analysis, design, and operation of generation and transmission assets for clients throughout the U.S. and in the U.S. territories of Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. Mr. Clark’s project development experience includes power supply planning studies, power project feasibility assessments, technology reviews, pollution control studies, licensing and permitting studies, site and route selection studies, procurement contracting for generation equipment and EPC construction contracts. This experience includes both renewable and conventional generation technologies. He has also contributed to the successful execution of numerous independent reviews for project finance, transmission planning studies, and design and construction of electric transmission and substation facilities. Recognized as an industry leader, he has appeared as an expert witness before state regulatory agencies on matters concerning the planning, construction, and licensing of power plants and transmission lines. Contact us for specific project experience.

Gary Kuhn

Anchorage, Alaska

Gary Kuhn currently serves as executive consultant at West Peak Energy. Mr. Kuhn specializes in electrical engineering, project management and construction management. Mr. Kuhn has extensive Arctic and Alaskan experience in the energy, utility, and private consulting sectors, with over 38 years of combined expertise in a wide variety of roles throughout the industry. This primarily includes oversight and development of integrated resource and master plans, power supply and transmission/distribution interconnection planning and routing studies, power plant feasibility assessments, renewable energy portfolio enhancements, construction project contract management and commissioning. He has also led and contributed to numerous designs, siting’s, and construction of electric generation, transmission, and substation facilities throughout Alaska. Mr. Kuhn is considered an expert in his field, and has appeared as a witness for regulatory agencies, served and led on commissions for electric utility technical committees, and directed the engineering division for an electric cooperative in Alaska. Contact us for specific project experience.

Dal McDonald

Dale McDonald

Denver, Colorado

Iowa State University - Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering - Class of 1970 AREAS OF EXPERTISE

Management and performance of Due Diligence and IE reporting
Power plant cycle design review and optimization
Multidiscipline design management for large generation projects
Construction observation and performance test witnessing
Combined cycle, geothermal, and other renewable plant design review

My professional career to date includes power plant engineering experience on utility and IPP projects, including coal, gas turbine, geothermal, wind, PV Solar, and diesel engine projects. I have extensive experience in due diligence, asset valuation and project review work for lenders and owners. My background includes engineering of new power facilities through testing/commissioning as well as third-party review of power plant project activities. I have served in positions from Lead Power (Mechanical) Engineer, Project Engineer, Project Manager, Business Unit Director, Senior Consultant, and Senior Engineering Manager on numerous power plant projects, including utility-scale combined cycle and geothermal plants. Contact us for specific project experience.

Aaron Trygstad

Fort Collins, Colorado

Aaron Trygstad serves as manager of operations for West Peak Energy. Mr. Trygstad’s career started at West Peak Energy after graduating from Colorado Mesa University in 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a concentration in land and energy management. Mr. Trygstad experience in the energy industry pertains to aiding in solar modeling projects and studies as well as aiding in the general maintenance of the business. Mr. Trygstad has demonstrated history of working in the oil & energy industry as a representative of the Colorado Mesa Universities Land and Energy Management Club to the West Slope Colorado Oil and Gas Association. Also, coordinating key speakers for the college on behalf of the club and attending conferences and networking events. Mr. Trygstad is skilled in Public Speaking, Management, Project Management, Strategic Planning, and Microsoft Office. Contact us for specific project experience.

David Hazzard

Farmington, New Mexico

TBD

Vince Cimino

Farmington, New Mexico

TBD

Joe Strempek

Rincon, Georgia

TBD

Boni Martin

Farmington, New Mexico

TBD

Candy Trygstad

Fort Collins, Colorado

Candy has been with West Peak Energy since its founding. She handles the oversight of all accounting functions. If you have questions about billing, payables, or receivables, she will help you. Her prior accounting experience had been in the construction field and property management. Her current projects for West Peak Energy involve implementing more automated processes.

David Andrus

Burlington, Vermont

TBD

Brent Gifford

Phoenix, Arizona

Brent Gifford has over thirty-six years of experience in the energy business. He has experience in the areas of civil/structural design engineer, project engineer, project manager, portfolio manager, project director for fossil and renewable capital projects and as a plant manager. Specific areas of proficiency include:

Leading people
Gathering teams and directing their efforts to define objectives and strategies
Setting project scope and schedules
Developing project budgets and successfully executing
Effective stakeholder communication
Identifying and mitigation project risks

Mr. Gifford specializes in large and complex capital improvement projects from planning through operations. He is experienced with all types of contracts and understands both the business and legal side of contracts. He has provided testimony to regulators and knows how to maneuver through a complex regulatory environment. Mr. Gifford has authored or co-authored several publications including:

Gifford, Brent, “Satisfying the Competing Objectives for Modernizing an Urban Power Plant,” Electric Energy Magazine, Issue 1, Rocky Mountain Electric League, May 2017.

Steiner, Von P., Gifford, J. B., Mashek, Joseph w., Jones, Jeromy K., “Innovations in Conversion of Electrostatic Precipitators to Fabric Filters”, Conference Proceedings, Power-Gen 2011, PennWell International, December 2011.

Jones, Jeromy K., Mashek, Joseph W., Gifford, J. B., “Multi-Pollutant Control Project at Cholla Unit 4,” Conference Proceedings, Power-Gen 2008, PennWell International, December 2008.

Gifford, J. B., “Microcomputers in Civil Engineering: Use and Misuse”, Journal of Computing in Civil Engineering, Vol. 1, No. 1, ASCE, New York, NY, January 1985.

Gifford, J. B., NAVGRAPH Command Language Parsing, M.S. Thesis, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, April 1986.

Robert Schafish

Denver, Colorado

TBD

Mary Anne Peece

Anchorage, Alaska

TBD

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