GE Energy's Aeroderivative Division Receives $240 Million in Contracts to Provide Equipment That Will Help Meet Texas' Growing Energy Needs

GE Energy has received six contracts totaling nearly $240 million for 11 aeroderivative gas turbines. The projects position GE as a leader in helping to support Texas' rapidly growing energy demand. As Texas continues to be the fastest growing state in the nation, it is experiencing a dramatic increase in energy demands. According to the Energy Information Administration, Texas produces and consumes more electricity than any other state. Its per capita residential use is significantly higher than the national average and the Electricity Reliability Council of Texas forecasts that peak demand will increase by 2.3 percent annually through 2012. GE Energy is helping Texas meet its rising energy needs by providing: The world’s first 60 Hz LM2500+G4 to the University of Texas at Austin; The first two LMS100 units in Texas for Topaz Power Group’s Laredo Power Station; Four dual fuel LM6000PC SPRINT gas turbine generators to CPS Energy for the V.H. Braunig Power Plant in San Antonio; Two additional LM6000PC SPRINT gas turbine generators for the expansion of the City of Austin’s Sand Hill Energy Center; One LM6000PC SPRINT gas turbine generator to Bryan Texas Utilities for the Dansby expansion; One LM6000PD SPRINT gas turbine generator for Thermal Energy Corporation (TECO) to support operations in the Texas Medical Center located in Houston. "Based in Houston, GE Energy’s aeroderivative business is proud to support the ongoing infrastructure development necessary for the growing Texas population. These six contracts, with four different models of aeroderivative engines, underscore the importance of GE’s fleet in meeting the nation’s growing energy needs,” said Charles (Chip) Blankenship, general manager of GE Energy’s aeroderivative business. "Our aeroderivative gas turbines demonstrate high reliability, high efficiency and low maintenance costs that make them a perfect match for Texas. Additionally, we are proud that the first ever 60 Hz LM2500+G4 and the first LMS100s in Texas are part of the solution.” The first 60 Hz LM2500+G4 in the world will go to the University of Texas at Austin, allowing the university to maintain energy independence and to meet future load growth. The campus facilities department will be replacing older generation equipment with the combined heat and power of the 36 megawatt LM2500+G4 in order to improve the systems reliability and efficiency. The new unit will operate on natural gas as the primary fuel and use water injection to maintain 25ppm NOx emissions controls. Topaz Power Group is building a 200-megawatt LMS100 simple cycle plant adjacent to its Laredo Power Station in support of the Texas grid system near the Texas/Mexico border. The two units will have better fuel efficiency than the existing gas fired steam generators that currently serve the Laredo area. Both LMS100s will come online this summer to meet the area’s load growth and to serve the need for efficient natural gas fired generation. CPS Energy, San Antonio's municipally owned natural gas and electric company, will receive four LM6000PC engines to add capacity at its existing V.H. Braunig Power Plant. The four units represent a repeat purchase from CPS Energy, following their installation of four LM6000s at the Leon Creek Power Plant in 2003, and will help address the challenges of balancing its supply and the growing demands for electricity to serve the nation’s seventh largest city and CPS Energy’s service territory. Bryan Texas Utilities has procured an additional LM6000PC SPRINT® for the Dansby generation plant, north of Bryan. The new unit will enable BTU Energy to modernize its generation with a second LM6000 peaking unit that will serve its community and the Texas grid. The City of Austin’s expansion project will ensure flexible supply of peaking and mid-merit electric generation with fast start and load-following capability. The Sand Hill Energy Center currently has four LM6000PC SPRINT units, and a GE 7FA in combined cycle with a GE D11 condensing steam turbine. The two new LM6000PC SPRINT units will help meet Austin Energy’s generation needs after the closure of the Holly Street Plant. TECO provides chilled water and steam services to various institutions in the Texas Medical Center, a massive complex of health care facilities and teaching hospitals in Houston. As part of an effort to improve efficiency and expand plant capacity, TECO’s LM6000PD SPRINT combined heat and power plant will be a major component of a chilled water expansion supplying the Texas Medical system and the 18 institutions TECO serves. The facility is scheduled to go into operation in June 2010. GE Energy’s aeroderivative division is a leading supplier of aeroderivative gas turbines and packaged generator sets for industrial and marine applications. The company provides power-generating equipment to utilities, industries and marine fleets throughout the world. It is also the world’s largest and most experienced aeroderivative gas turbine service provider. About GE Energy GE Energy (www.ge.com/energy) is one of the world’s leading suppliers of power generation and energy delivery technologies, with 2007 revenue of $22 billion. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, GE Energy works in all areas of the energy industry including coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear energy; renewable resources such as water, wind, solar and biogas; and other alternative fuels. Numerous GE Energy products are certified under ecomagination, GE’s corporate-wide initiative to aggressively bring to market new technologies that will help customers meet pressing environmental challenges. About GE GE is Imagination at Work—diversified technology, media and financial services company focused on solving some of the world's toughest problems. With products and services ranging from aircraft engines, power generation, water processing and security technology to medical imaging, business and consumer financing and media content, GE serves customers in more than 100 countries and employs more than 300,000 people worldwide. For more information, visit the company's Web site at http://www.ge.com.