Michael Sutton, Senior Operations Manager, Justin St John, Water Resource Manager
&
Julie Pelletier, Stakeholder Relations Manager of Brookfield Renewable Energy
Will present a talk titled:
Managing the Raquette River
Abstract: Brookfield Renewable is the largest independent renewable energy generator across the North Country and has been the owner and operator in the region since 2004. In New York there is 711 MW of operating hydroelectric capacity, with average generation of approximately 3 billion kWh annually, along with 160 MW of operating wind capacity and 15MW of DG solar projects across 13 sites. This is equivalent to powering nearly half a million homes and avoiding emissions from 170,000 vehicles per year. In total, 44 of Brookfield Renewable’s 74 hydro facilities in New York are located in the North Country. The 146-mile Raquette River hosts 17 hydropower facilities owned and operated by Brookfield Renewable. In total, 187 MW, or 26% of Brookfield Renewable’s hydro capacity in New York, is located within a 20-mile radius of Clarkson University.
Hydropower is an essential renewable energy source playing a major role in clean energy for all. Brookfield Renewable representatives will discuss the operations of the hydropower assets located along the Raquette River. With a regional operations center located in Potsdam, NY, Brookfield relies on the expertise and experience of the local operators to run and maintain these facilities. Our panel will address the many challenges experienced daily from aging infrastructure to regulatory compliance to flood control. Hydropower operation entails intricate designs, mitigation planning and control optimization methods. This presentation will touch on all aspects of the technical operations and how these methods are balanced with established sustainable practices. The overall goal is to attain a better understanding of the complexity of hydro operations and its role for a carbon-free future.
Bio: Michael Sutton, Senior Operations Manager, graduated from Massachusetts Maritime Academy in 2003 with a Bachler of Science in Marine Engineering and a Third Assist Engineers License of Steam, Motor and Gas Turbine vessels of any horsepower. Prior to joining Brookfield Renewable, Mike gained valuable experience in the marine industry working on diverse purposed vessels such as taconite transport, oil rig supply, passenger vessels (cruise ships) and rocket transport, along with various shipyard and drydock maintenance periods. In 2010 Mike started his career at Brookfield Renewable in Operations field. In his current position, Mike is responsible for forty-three hydropower stations, on 7 river systems across the northern and eastern parts of New York State.
Julie Pelletier, Stakeholder Relations Manager, graduated from State University of New York at Oswego with a BA in Economics. From 2007 to 2016 Julie worked at the New York Independent System Operator in Customer/Market Relations. She specialized in the power supply industry focusing on customer settlements, market-related issues and capacity markets. This during time, she gained extensive knowledge in the wholesale power markets. Previous to NYISO Julie worked in the nonprofit sector. As Stakeholder Relations Manager, Julie builds relationships and establish partnerships in the local leaders and communities throughout New York State.
Justin St John, Water Resource Manager, Seven years of experience as a Shift Supervisor in a Regional Control Room, responsible for 25 Operators and the operation of 99 hydroelectric plants and 1 pumped storage facility in 8 states, and in four electric markets. Jason monitors the real-time operation of the generating assets to ensure they are operated in a manner that meets applicable local, state, and federal regulatory requirements. He created and implemented various operating procedures to assist in the operations of hydroelectric plants in strict compliance with FERC operating limits and public safety requirements. Eight years of experience as Water Resource Manager, he is responsible for the management of 24 river systems and the water management of 3 reservoirs. Jason creates generation schedules across all these river systems, considering public safety, compliance, license requirements as well as optimizing generating schedules to produce revenue for Brookfield.
Zoom Information:
Join Zoom Meeting
https://clarkson.zoom.us/j/92757530690?pwd=SVFiRHFTUE53RUlsQ2dmaERyL2kxQT09
Meeting ID: 927 5753 0690
Passcode: 394723
One tap mobile
+16468769923,,92757530690# US (New York)
+13017158592,,92757530690# US (Germantown)
November 6th, 2020
4pm
*Co-Sponsored by IEEE student branch and HKN
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Electrical and Computer Engineering ● CLARKSON UNIVERSITY ● Potsdam, New York 13699-5720
