Project Development Services
WPE provides project development services in sup-port of client operations and business objectives. Our staff includes seasoned professionals with years of project experience who understand the fundamental issues that are critical to client success. Our projects have included public power, private equity, Owner self-build, participatory arrangements and hybrids. WPE has provided consulting services for power plant projects in Arizona, Connecticut, Montana, New Mexico, Colorado, Tex¬as, Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Pacific Islands and the Virgin Islands. Our project development services have included coal and natural gas electric generation projects as well as wind, solar, biomass, municipal waste and renewable projects.
We support project development with a variety of consulting services including:
- Owner’s Engineering
- Independent Engineering
- Conceptual Project Engineering
- Site Investigations and Layouts
- Fatal Flaw Analysis and Feasibility Studies
- Technology Review and Evaluations
- Supplier Assessments
- Environmental Compliance and Permitting Reviews
- Financing Support Advice
- Annual Operating Reviews
- PV Production Modelling
- Financial Model Review
WPE has also developed proprietary cost models for feasibility analyses associated with electric supply to oil & gas operations, mining and manufacturing plants. These cost models are updated frequently to reflect the rapidly changing distributed generation and micro-grid technologies.
Executive Consulting Services
WPE has experienced consultants with long-term success supporting the energy industry. This broad and in-depth project experience provides expertise and leadership to our clients’ project teams and assure success through development, construction and operation. WPE consultants provide project planning, definition of resource requirements (i.e. fuel, land, water and associated interconnections), project management and project cost estimates. We work side-by-side with clients to make difficult decisions with respect to project feasibility, execution and operations. We support these services with excellent oral communications and written reports. We are confident that our involvement will result in significant value, cost-savings and risk reduction. We work hard to achieve a level of professionalism that will trans-late to long-term value to our clients.
Independent Engineering
WPE supports owners, lenders, financial entities, utilities and joint-action agencies with Independent Engineering, including reviews of Technology and Vendor Selection, Project Scope and Site, Construction Requirements, Equipment Supply and Construction Contracts, Interconnection Requirements and Contracts, Environmental Compliance, Permitting Review, O&M Requirements and Costs, Project Schedules, Project Capital Costs, and Financial Proforma Model Inputs.
Our key staff’s IE experience includes review and evaluation of over 30 GW of new and existing coal fired generation, over 10 GW of gas fired genera-tion and over 3.5 GW of utility-scale, distributed generation, commercial and industrial PV projects.
Construction Management and Project Management & Oversight
WPE Construction Management and Oversight Services to Utilities and power operators supports new development and capital projects. WPE currently provides Construction Oversight Management to Ari-zona Public Service (“APS”) in Farmington, NM for the Four Corners Power Plant SCR Project, which is a $600 million project for modifications of two 800 MW coal units. This project began in 2016 and will extend into 2018 and reflects excellent performance by on-site WPE staff. This project demonstrates WPE’s resources and capabilities to support electric utility owners and their major projects. Our flexibility and low overhead costs have provided competitive technical manpower, including degreed construction management personnel, degreed and non-degreed engineering resources (mechanical, electrical, controls, and operation/maintenance). This project demonstrates WPE’s capabilities to form project teams in collaboration with the Owners to effectively manage and monitor a major construction project to successful completion.
Owner’s Engineering
As a WPE core competency, Owner’s Engineering is an area that we consider our staff as “best in class” in terms of experience and capabilities. We provide val¬ue directly to utilities and developers with low labor rates and low overheads for highly experienced staff. This allows us to complete tasks for reduced costs, saving Owners substantial dollars, as compared to large construction companies and design firms. We are able to bring together experienced project teams that include electric utility management, engineering, construction, operations, and maintenance as well consulting services, all of which are the ingredients for WPE to provide valued services to our Owner’s projects.
Staffing & Resource Management
WPE works with Owners to provide project staffing and resource solutions that are competitive with other alternatives. We can do this with low over-head and careful cost management. Our experience and contacts in the energy industry provide access to well qualified professionals that are often needed for multi-discipline project teams. We also understand that many electric utilities and Owners prefer to re-deploy retired personnel and other experts without the complexity and cost of consulting. WPE is able to easily satisfy this preference and bring together experienced and cost-effective teams to the benefit of projects.
Technical Advisory Services
WPE provides a wide range of technical advisory services ranging from routine studies and evaluations to complex investigations that pose significant challenges. WPE’s staff is made up of problem solvers that work closely with clients’ to ad-dress issues that are important to their near-term and long term objectives. Our success is measured by the clients’ recognition that the services we provided were “a job well done”, which is the driver for what we do. WPE enjoys a high level of trust from a network of clients and former col-leagues. We are responsive to the needs of our clients and will respond with timely, cost-effective and well-thought out solutions. We are old school and strive to be as responsive as possible. Many of us worked diligently in former years to “keep the lights on” and the companies running, so we understand the needs of our clients very well. Our background and areas of expertise are extensive allowing us to effectively address challenges in a broad range of state-of-the-art technical areas.
Oil & Gas, Mining Power Supply
WPE has been assisting production sites, mining sites and other industrial load sites with solutions to reduce the cost of electricity. We begin by looking at the current cost of electricity and evaluating the alternatives available. We evaluate these alter-natives using a proprietary WPE Micro-Grid calculator using actual costs for various sizes. WPE has contacts and expertise in the emerging small to medium sized liquid natural gas (“LNG”) market. We supply LNG and conventional natural gas analysis along with liquid fuel depending on client desires and needs.
Power Plant Engineering
The electric power industry has a history of being vertically integrated and self-reliant. We are humbled that we are part of the most reliable electric system in the world that rises far above any other country.
In recent years electric utilities have been forced to reduce staff and cut expenses. As a result these utilities often contract with design engineering companies that are staffed with inexperienced engineers. This situation requires experienced oversight by subject matter experts. WPE has the staff expertise and power plant engineering experience to provide efficient and effective services for these power plant needs.
Power Plant O&M
WPE has a strong background in providing O&M services for existing and new conventional generation and renewable generation projects. This experience includes understanding of required staffing for operations and maintenance activities, analysis of budget requirements and utilization of contract services to minimize costs. WPE’s experience in the O&M area ranges from the challenges of reduced O&M budgets for older coal fired power plants to definition of multi-task O&M staffing for natural gas and renewable projects.
Natural Gas Supply
WPE has been supporting electric utilities and gas suppliers with “go between” advisory services that improve understanding on both sides and provides clients with cost effective solutions. Our senior consultants provide technical and contractual guidance in support of project fuel supply that reflects appropriate risks and rewards for both parties while satisfying project proforma metrics.
Renewable & Storage Projects
WPE has the capability to support solar, wind and storage projects at all stages, from project feasibility through mature operations. From energy production estimates to construction monitoring and annual operating reviews. WPE can support utility scale projects, C&I portfolios, community and municipal projects and residential portfolios.
