Conference: April 23-26, 2019
Exhibition: April 24-25, 2019

Mirage Events Center, Las Vegas, NV

PRB Coal Users’ Group Sessions

Tuesday, April 23

Purpose: is to provide attendees with information to maximize their value during the week.

Whether this is the first time you attended this conference or not, this orientation will be informative on what you need to know to get the most from so many activities and so little time.
An evening filled with amazement as you catch up with old friends, meet others, enjoy food and beverages, and congratulate the 2019 PRB Coal Users’ Group Plant of the Year recipients and student scholarship awardees.

Wednesday, April 24

  • Speakers
    • Andrew Dobrzanski, Production Manager, DTE Energy
    • Mark Boone, Sr., P.E., Manager, Corporate Risk Engineering, Dominion Resources
Jason arrives at the job site for a simple task of cleaning a dust collector however leaves in an ambulance clinging on for his life. What changed? Did it have to be this way?
  • Presenter
    • Mr. Bob Taylor, President, CoalSAFETY, Inc.
Learning Objective: To understand the principles and function of the power market as it influences generating units.
  • Speaker
    • Power Market Influence on Generating Plants
      Abstract
      JP Meitner, Dir, Market Operations, KCP&L and Westar, Evergy Companies
Learning Objective: To learn strategies that improve unit/plant operations that stretch the life of the unit/plant without jeopardizing safety & health.
  • Panelists
    • John Cooley, Plant Manager - Baldwin, Luminant
    • Getting to Know Your Unit’s Capabilities
      Abstract
      Chad Swope, Section Manager, Burns & McDonnell Engineering Company, Inc.
Learning Objective: To understand current environmental impacts that have a bearing on plant operations and the strategies managing those aspects.
  • Speaker
    • Considering Reconsideration
      Abstract
      Barry Marietta, Environmental Supervisor, DTE Energy
Learning Objective: To appreciate technologies in use in power generation and how they are of value to employees in their jobs.
  • Speaker
    • Johnny J. Howze, III, Plant Manager, Southern Company
Learning Objective: To motivate the attendee to return to the workplace and act on improvement(s) learned during this summit.
  • Speaker
    • Jeff Butler, Author/Millennial Expert, Jeffrey Butler
Learning Objective: To learn what coal mines and coal transporters plans are for the future.
  • Panelists
    • Christopher Walker, VP - Strategy and Global Energy Analytics, Peabody Energy
    • Betsy Monseu, Chief Executive Officer, American Coal Council

Thursday, April 25

Learning Objective: To understand operating at very low loads and faster ramp rates to make the units more flexible to respond to today’s market demands.
Due to the increased impact of renewable energy AECI developed a Unit Flexibility Program to improve low load operation and increased ramp rates. Unit Flexibility allows the coal fired units to respond to changing load demands quicker and to provide adequate turndown to keep the units online and ready to respond to full load conditions as the market changes.
  • Papers
    • Mark A. Treat, Senior Engineer, AECI - Associated Electric Cooperative, Inc.
    • Bruce Ogden, Unit Flexibility Testing and Implementation Manager, EAPC
Learning Objective: To understand current environmental aspects impacting water run-off from coal piles and from washing coal handling areas.
  • Speaker
    • Robert Eubanks, Scherer Environmental Manager, Southern Company
“What you are will show in what you do.” – Thomas A. Edison
Fire recovery is a daunting task! During this session we will go through our processes to recover multiple generating units safely – from emptying full coal bunkers with no station power available, to synchronizing the final recovered unit. We will be discussing new and improved procedures implemented to help prevent future catastrophic events.
Learning Objective: To learn contributing factors to a significant fire and its related losses and what actions have been implemented to prevent re occurrence.
  • Speaker
    • Ian Gavin, Operations Superintendent, Colorado Springs Utilities-Drake Generating Station
Learning Objective: To learn methods for controlling dust from an operator’s perspective. (Why do you need to control, what do you do) The front line worker uses his/her senses and knowledge to identify, control, and initial actions to manage safety & health hazards, environmental impacts, and lower operational risks. This presentation explores what he/she does and why it is important to do.
  • Speaker
    • Jim Wiseman, Board of Directors - Prb, Wiseman Consulting Services
Learning Objective: To appreciate one company’s approach to high hazard management.
  • Speakers
    • Tyre Greenwood, Reliability/HM/Mechanical Engr. Mgr., Luminant
    • Jeronimo Lopez-Terrazas, Consulting Engineer, Luminant
Learning Objective: To describe the coal characteristics impacting slag formation and applicable methods to control.
  • Speaker
    • Mr. Rod Hatt, CTO, Coal Combustion, Inc.
Learning Objective: To learn methods for building, storing, maintaining, and working both active and in-active (long term storage) coal pile(s).
Proper coal pile storage management is an important part of the power plant fuel supply chain. Many factors must be considered including, proper mobile equipment selection, storage geography, stockpile grooming, emission management, reclaiming methods/techniques and general pile maintenance, including dealing with spontaneous combustion. This presentation will allow participants to hear from two veterans from the coal and power industries with a combined 70+ years of front-line experience.
  • Speakers
    • Darren Provence, Operations Manager, Xcel/Savage Energy
    • Scott Timothy, Operations Manager, Xcel/Savage Energy
Learning Objective: To understand hazards (safety & health, fire, heat retention, etc.) associated with Fly Ash and practices for managing the hazards.
  • Paper
    • Jeffrey Mullins, Safety & Health Consultant, Lightstone Generation, LLC. - Gavin Power , LLC
Learning Objective: To know basic principles affecting pulverizer/mill performance.
  • Speaker
    • bill martin, engineer, Babcock & Wilcox
Redefine the way we work.
Cruise control, lane departure, Super Cruise, Auto Pilot….technologies in our cars today that is impacting the way we drive cars by improving safety, fatigue and efficiency. Learn how autonomy and automation is doing the same thing for heavy machines on work sites around the world. No longer does productivity have to suffer at the expense of safety, have them both and redefine the way you work.
  • Speaker
    • Alan Pumklin, Cat Digital Marketing Consultant, Caterpillar Inc
Learning Objective: To learn industry practices for preventing, detecting, and fire control of coal storage piles, high-walls, and mine fires.
Dealing with the spontaneous combustion of PRB coal is a challenge from the time it is exposed to air during the mining process, until it reaches the burners in power plants and steel mill furnaces. This challenge costs the mining and energy industries millions of dollars in resources, manpower, and lost production income to combat each year. This presentation will briefly explain the history of dealing with the challenge, as well as offer the latest advances in technology and tactics that are proven to save industry dollars, but also simultaneously help to improve the natural environment around the mines, and help to mitigate and EPA and MSHA interactions due to spon com or "steamers" as their known in the mines.
  • Speaker
    • Marley Perkins, Sr. Fire Protection Specialist, Southern Company
Please join us for a fun filled presentation on the use of drone inspections within power generation facilities. Major topics of discussion will be program cost justification, initiation, management, limitations, successes, lessons learned, and finally, a live demonstration of the technology in action! Over the course of the last year, Evergy has found that an active drone program for inspections within our generating fleet has been an invaluable asset. Through careful implementation and execution, thousands of dollars of savings have been realized. Whether by reducing inspection times, granting access to areas that are otherwise inaccessible, or increasing safety during inspection, this tool is a must have for all generating facilities. Learning Objective: To learn practices for remote inspections using drone technologies.
  • Speakers
    • Phil Shaffer, Director, Plant Engineering, KCP&L and Westar, Evergy Companies
    • Jake Dailey, Engineer, KCP&L and Westar, Evergy Companies
Learning Objective: To understand the components of a coal handling system and its fundamental function to safely transfer, store, convey, and manage the hazards.
  • Presenter
    • Andrew Stahura, General Manager, Stahura Industrial Solutions LLC
Learning Objective: To learn fundamental principles for fire prevention from Martin Drake Plant’s experiences and plans relating to coal bunkers, silos, hoppers and preparedness should one occur.
  • Speaker
    • Mike Spain, Operations Supervisor II, Colorado Springs Utilities
Learning Objective: To understand application of technologies for performing NDE inspections.
  • Speaker
    • Don Locke, President, Heillier NDT, Acuren Inspection Services
Learning Objective: To understand the components of a coal handling system and its fundamental function to safely transfer, store, convey, and manage the hazards.
  • Speakers
    • Edwin Martin, Mgr. Plant Operations, CPS Energy
    • Terry Swart, Operations Manager, Savage Services
Learning Objective: To learn how to prevent fires within dust collection systems and strategy for addressing a fire should one occur.
  • Speaker
    • Dan Atkeson, Generation EMS Coordinator, Westar Energy

Friday, April 26

"Conversations...amongst end users" This interactive forum is a closed session for those who use coal...generating companies, power plants, terminals employees. This year EEI Loss Control/Fire Protection Task Force members are also invited to provide additional perspective. Surveys from past users’ group meetings have shown that representatives value opportunities for candid discussions among themselves and open conversations with board members on issues raised during the first two days of the conference. This forum meets that request!. Let's converse about what's on your mind while you and your peers are together! After the forum, lunch will be served.