Power Project Experience

Healy Clean Coal Project

Since 1993, Steigers Corporation has overseen the preparation of all permits required to bring the 50-MW Healy Clean Coal Project to construction. Sited near Denali National Park and Preserve, a federal Class I air quality non-degradation area, the project required extensive consultation and coordination for air quality and visibility modeling, Best Available Control Technology (BACT) analysis, and documen-tation of impacts on Air Quality Related Values (AQRV). Steigers provided these services, prepared and coordinated the Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) air permit application, and expedited completion of agency permitting responsibilities. The PSD permit application was the first major PSD permit application the state agency deemed to be technically complete as originally submitted.

As part of our total environmental services for the Healy Clean Coal Project in Alaska, we also designed field studies including soils and vegetation mapping, evaluated wetlands, and developed plans for restoring native grasses and shrubs. Our investigation of potential sulfur dioxide injury to vegetation helped convince the U.S. National Park Service that this environmentally sensitive project would not adversely affect natural systems in nearby Denali National Park and Preserve. The Healy Clean Coal Project ultimately resulted in a negotiated settlement by the Secretaries of the U.S. Department of the Interior and the U.S. Department of Energy.

Knik Arm Power Plant Repowering Project

Steigers Corporation provided permit and environmental coordination services to Marlow Power & Steam, Inc. (MPS) for repowering the Knik Arm Power Plant (KAPP) in metropolitan Anchorage, Alaska, as a combined-cycle conservation facility. We provided air quality permitting services, including development of an air quality modeling analysis protocol and preparation of a construction permit application and supporting air quality modeling. Permitting services also included preparation of a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit for the discharge of once-through cooling water. Steigers Corporation also provided technical support and counsel to MPS in assessing the status of existing water rights for the KAPP and in helping to secure these water rights.

In the NPDES permitting for redevelopment of the KAPP, Steigers Corporation successfully negotiated an "existing source" designation even though the plant had not been in operation for nearly 15 years. This determination by the EPA precluded the need for National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review, thereby eliminating a potentially lengthy delay. As an existing source, the project also avoided the more onerous structural requirements and operating conditions that can be applied to new sources. Our efforts provided substantial savings of both time and money and reduced the potential for additional mitigation requirements.

National Energy Plant One Project

Steigers Corporation provided environmental management services for the fast-track permitting and development of a proposed new 85-MW (net) waste tire-to-energy power plant on undeveloped land in Colorado. The NEPO Project sought to put scrap tires to beneficial use, meanwhile decreasing the number of tires that end up in landfills or in scrap tire piles and thereby reducing related environmental concerns such as fire hazards and water contamination. The project's major permit requirements included obtaining a Prevention of Significant Deterioration air quality construction permit and an air quality operating permit, a state Certificate of Designation as a solid waste facility, and county special use approvals. Issues to receive close scrutiny included air emissions, traffic patterns during and after construction, visual impact of plant, and ash management. Steigers Corporation also served in a management advisory capacity for energy and capacity sales, equipment procurement, fuel supply contracting and logistics, and public involvement issues.

Resolution of Long-Term Power Supply Issues

The City of Unalaska owns and operates an isolated electric generation and distribution system serving primarily residential and light commercial loads on Unalaska Island, Alaska. Most of the region's heavy industrial loads, primarily seafood processing and shipping plants, are served by self-generation. Recently completed resource studies anticipate regional energy and capacity shortfalls, a situation that will present serious challenges to further industrial growth and development.

Steigers Corporation engaged in an effort to identify and develop business frameworks within which the assets and loads of the industrial self-generators may be integrated with the City's system. The project goal was to achieve economy of scale benefits for all parties, as well as to address anticipated regional capacity shortfalls. Assistance to the client included promoting the project among potential participants, assessing system integration scenarios, conducting negotiations leading to contractual commitments, and developing new base-load generation assets as necessary. Steigers Corporation's work in spearheading this effort produced a solution acceptable to each business and to the regulatory agencies.

Hydropower Licensing Projects

The Steigers Corporation licensing team provided concurrent, ongoing program management and comprehensive environmental and engineering services for Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) licensing of five hydroelectric projects in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The projects involved both initial licensing and relicensing and included multiple developments. We conducted environmental assessments, operational studies, mitigation planning, flood analyses, dam safety investigations, agency negotiations, and license application preparation. Based on its satisfaction with the licensing effort, Upper Peninsula Power Company engaged Steigers Corporation to provide post-filing environmental and licensing support for the projects.

Under an entirely different contract to prepare EISs and EAs for the FERC, Steigers Corporation staff performed National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) compliance activities for upward of 20 applications for initial licenses, new licenses, license amendments, and license surrenders. Acting as the FERC's contractor staff, we were involved in all aspects of license application evaluation including: initial adequacy review of applications; development of additional information requests; issue scoping; technical analysis; identification and comparison of operational and environmental alternatives; economic evaluation; resource balancing; interpretation and resolution of agency recommendations filed pursuant to Sections 10(a), 10(j), and 4(e) of the Federal Power Act; writing draft and final EAs and EISs; responding to agency comments; and drafting FERC license orders.

Additional Steigers Corporation staff power project experience: