Our Team
We work with other experts that specialize in different facets of modeling, construction management, and engineering, etc.
Paul Trygstad, President and Managing Member of West Peak Energy, has 35 years of experience working in the energy industry. B.S. Mechanical Engineer from South Dakota School of Mines and Technology in Rapid City South Dakota class of 1984 with over 30 years in the power industry. Paul Trygstad, President and Managing Member of West Peak Energy, has 35 years of experience working in the energy industry. Mr. Trygstad has 20 years of experience working in the Electric Utility Industry for power companies with positions ranging from plant engineer, supervisor, manager to executive. Since 2000, Paul has worked for engineering consulting firms as well as electric utilities.
Current role at West Peak includes member manager and support the company with consulting services. West Peak supports the energy industry with Construction Management, Executive Consulting, Owners Engineering, Independent Engineering, Technical Advisory Services, O&M engineering support, new power plant siting studies and construction for domestic and international clients.
Mr. Trygstad has supported both thermal energy and renewable energy projects (solar, wind and alternative energy). Consulting engineering has included trusted advisory skills for lenders, project sponsors, large and small scale studies, design analysis, technical review and Client support. Significant responsibilities in Project Management has included successful completion of peaking power projects under budget and ahead of schedule in New Mexico, Iowa and Colorado. Other Independent Engineering and Owners Engineering projects have included over 100 clients since 2000 in the U.S., Philippines and Indonesia.
Project experience includes project management, owners engineering and independent engineering. Director and Project Manager for several new power plant projects (completed and constructed). As a utility engineer and manager Mr. Trygstad has significant operations and maintenance experience, including involvement 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.
Experienced in domestic and international renewable and fossil power generation plants from conceptual design to operation. 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. As independent engineer has performed numerous technology reviews to support project financing including three major fuel cell technologies, ocean energy technologies and flow batteries.
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.
Experience in diligencing, developing, and managing C&I and utility-scale PV and PV/BESS projects in the US, Latin America and the UK including a 44 MW PV project in Panama.
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. Managed the local consultant’s development of permitting, technology selection, and interconnection designs.
Performed technical advisory services supporting the contract development and bid solicitation for 250 MW wind project in the southwest US. Provided review of bids and assisted owner in contract negotiations.
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.
Performed numerous due diligence reviews of multi-unit geothermal plants located in Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Kenya and the US.
Evaluated power generation at numerous landfills in the US including several in the Detroit, MI area. Developed capital and operating costs and a pro forma analysis for various plant configurations including simple- and combined-cycle combustion turbine plant options.
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.
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.
Mr. Clark’s background includes management of projects and multidisciplinary teams throughout the entire project life cycle. He leads owner’s engineering services for new project design and construction and is often involved in the earliest phases of projects to lay the groundwork for their successful development. His project development services include power supply planning studies, power plant feasibility studies, technology reviews, pollution control studies, licensing and permitting studies, site and route selection studies, EPC contracting and monitoring. Based on his 40 years of experience he often provides oversight and guidance to project teams during project execution. Mr. Clark has also contributed to the successful execution of numerous independent reviews for existing and new coal, oil and gas fired generation facilities, as well as renewable projects (solar, wind and biomass). This has included, not only the generation facilities, but also transmission and substation interconnection 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.
Mr. Kuhn currently serves as Executive Consultant at West Peak Energy. He specializes in electrical engineering, project management and constructability advisor at the company. He draws on 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.
My professional career to date includes power plant engineering experience on utility and IPP projects, including coal, gas turbine, geothermal, 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 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.
Manager of Operations with a demonstrated history of working in the oil & energy industry. Skilled in Public Speaking, Management, Project Management, Strategic Planning, and Microsoft Office. Strong operations professional with a Bachelor of Business Administration – BBA focused in Energy Management and Systems Technology from Colorado Mesa University.
We work with other experts that specialize in different facets of modeling, construction management, and engineering, etc.
