New faces, new places

You may have noticed that Commonwealth is growing...

• Our Atlanta office has doubled;
• We've opened an office in California;
• Our Power Generation services have expanded; and
• We have hired additional top-notch talent to meet your projects' needs.

In an earlier post, we introduced you to Sam Barnes, our new VP of Power Generation.  Another new face we'd like you to meet, if you haven't already, is Everette Chartier, P.E.  


Chartier, an industry veteran primarily working with clients in the Western U.S., brings 40-plus years of experience with engineering, construction, project management, contract negotiations, planning, and operations related to substation, transmission, distribution, underground, communications, automatic controls, and power plant projects, including air quality control.  


Mr. Charter received his B.S. in Electrical Engineering from New Mexico State University and his M.B.A. in Management from Arizona State University.  He is a Professional Engineer registered in Arizona, New Mexico, Wyoming, Colorado, Nebraska, and Texas.  Everette can be reached at eechartier@cai-engr.com or by telephone at 303-378-2461.


With our continuing growth, we trust that you will find our commitment to quality work and outstanding service as strong as, if not stronger than, ever.  That's because Connect with Confidence is not just a slogan -- it's our unwavering promise to you.


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A Rockin' Place to Work

You might have heard that we recently were rated among the best and coolest places to work.  Now, you can read the feature article as it appeared in Jackson Magazine! Simply click HERE.

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WE'RE HIRING!

NEW! 

Power Generation & Energy Group Job Listings

Lead Mechanical Engineer

Department: Power Generation & Energy
Location: Jackson, MI
Reports to: Department Manager


Responsible for:
- Guiding junior-level engineers and designers in mechanical engineering design and engineering study efforts. 
- Working on challenging assignments that include investigating, trouble-shooting, and solving mechanical engineering issues involving boilers, balance of plant equipment, air pollution control equipment, steam turbines, gas turbines and water treatment systems. 
- Routine work, to include: developing integrated systems designs and performing supporting calculations; preparing technical specifications for mechanical engineering equipment; preparing engineering studies; performing independent reviews of work performed by others, including calculations and drawing preparation; coordinating and providing guidance to other engineers, project managers, client personnel, and suppliers to ensure a complete and timely design; performing reviews of existing facilities to propose upgrades and replacements and presenting findings and recommendations to clients and peers; and mentoring less-experienced engineers. 
- Potential project management of smaller projects. 

Requirements:
- 10 or more years of experience in the design of mechanical engineering systems for non-commercial heavy-industrial plants (power or chemical), with a focus on integrated, detailed system design for new plants, modifications, or replacements. Past experience should include selection of equipment, piping materials, and control philosophy, as well as preparation of performance sizing calculations and specifications. Sound working knowledge of heat balances or piping design is a plus. 
- Candidates must hold a BSME or MSME degree from an ABET-accredited university; be able to coordinate their work with others; have good leadership, communication, analytical and organizational skills; and have experience in serving as firm/client liaison in a support or lead engineering role. 


Construction, commissioning, and start-up experience is a plus.


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Instrumentation & Controls Engineer 
Department: Power Generation & Energy
Location: Jackson, MI
Reports to: Department Manager


This position offers you a great opportunity to be a part of an I&C engineering and design team engaged in design of distributed control systems, modifications to new and existing power generation facilities, and plant controls betterment projects. The ideal candidate will have experience with instrumentation and final control elements, distributed control systems, and programmable logic controllers as applied to power plant systems. Experience with logic diagrams, instrumentation installation details, piping and instrument diagrams, motor control schematics, specifications, studies, and cost estimating is desired. 


Requirements:
- 10+ years of applicable experience
- BS or MS degree in Engineering from an ABET-accredited university
- Registration as a professional engineer. 
- Must have good communication, analytical, organizational and computer skills and be able to coordinate your work with others. 


We are looking for a person who has leadership skills, pays attention to accuracy, is detail oriented, can be responsible for self-directed learning, consistently meets deadlines, is able to work on several projects at a time, and can deliver both large and small projects.

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Designing power delivery when and where you need it

Wenatchee, Washington

Douglas PUD plans new transmission line

By Christine Pratt
World staff writer

Friday, February 10, 2012

EAST WENATCHEE — The Douglas County PUD will begin work this summer on a new 230 kilovolt transmission line needed to more reliably keep the lights on as the city grows.

PUD spokeswoman Meaghan Vibbert said the $13 million line will stretch 13 miles from the utility’s Douglas Switchyard near Rocky Reach Dam up and across Badger Mountain and down to its Rapids Switchyard in Rock Island. Work should be finished in the summer of 2013.

The line will follow an established “transmission corridor” that already includes high-voltage lines owned by the Bonneville Power Administration, the Chelan County PUD and Puget Sound Energy.

Despite the new line’s origin near Rocky Reach Dam, the Douglas Substation connects to and carries electricity generated at the Douglas PUD’s Wells Dam, near Pateros on the Columbia River, Vibbert said.

The new line is necessary to bolster East Wenatchee’s existing delivery system, which studies have shown is vulnerable to overloads in some neighborhoods under certain conditions — a problem expected to worsen as the city grows.

The new line will bring the system up to federal energy reliability standards and reduce the likelihood of stress-caused outages or drops in voltage, known as “brown outs,” which cause lights to dim, according to information provided by Vibbert.

Commonwealth Associates Inc. of Mount Vernon is designing the project, which will be built on single, steel poles. A construction contract will be advertised and awarded in the coming weeks.

The new line is considered a large project for the PUD. Vibbert said that its estimated $13 million price tag is larger than the typical annual capital budget for the utility’s electric distribution system.

Christine Pratt: 665-1173

pratt@wenatcheeworld.com

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2012/feb/10/douglas-pud-plans-new-transmission-line/

Business Unit News - Power Generation & Energy Group

Barnes to lead veteran team as Commonwealth 

expands power generation services

JACKSON, MI – Commonwealth Associates, Inc. is pleased to announce that Samuel R. Barnes, P.E. has joined the company as Vice President of the Power Generation & Energy Group.  “With over 21 years’ experience in the design, installation, and project management of power generation projects, Sam is a tremendous asset to our team,” stated Commonwealth President, Dennis F. DeCosta, P.E. 

Barnes is a registered professional mechanical engineer in the state of Michigan and received his B.S. from the University of Michigan.  Prior to joining Commonwealth, he served as Vice President and Director of Engineering at HDR Engineering/Cummins & Barnard, Inc., in Ann Arbor.  DeCosta continued, “Sam brings the level of expertise in power generation that our clients have come to trust and expect from us in our other service areas, most notably our transmission and distribution work.  He was the obvious choice to lead our expansion in this area.”  “Commonwealth is an exceptional organization known in the industry for its technical excellence, strong client relationships, and professional integrity.  I am pleased to be able to serve in this new capacity and to build a best-in-class group for our clients,” commented Barnes.  Senior Consultant Steven P. Yambor, P.E., widely considered a veteran in the power generation industry, stated, “Personally, I saw the vision, knew the potential, and, having previously worked with Sam, knew this was where I wanted to be.”

Mr. Barnes can be reached at sam.barnes@cai-engr.com or by telephone at 517-817-1616.


Commonwealth offers a complete package of engineering and consulting services for clients and is proud to be listed among the 2011 Top 40 Design Firms by EC&M Magazine and the 2011 Top 500 Design Firms by ENR.com.  The company maintains principal offices in Mount Vernon, Washington; Atlanta, Georgia; and Jackson, Michigan, along with satellites in Columbus and Dayton, Ohio and Roanoke, Virginia.

For more information:, please visit: www.cai-engr.com.

On Facebook at: www.facebook.com/commonwealthassociates

On Twitter at: www.twitter.com/caiengr_dot_com

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Coal ash pond closing? What now? Find out in Baltimore!

ELECTRIC POWER 2012, which will be held this year from May 15-17, in Baltimore, Maryland, is the largest coal power conference in the U.S.  Commonwealth's own Sam Barnes,  Vice President of Power Generation & Energy, will be a featured speaker.  Don't miss it!  See details below....  EP12 Session 8B Water & Wastewater Issues Wednesday, May 16 8:00 - 9:30 AM Rm 328 This session explores current and anticipated solutions to environmental challenges associated with power plant wastewater, including case studies covering ash pond water and wet FGD blowdown treatment.   Session Sub-Topics: Wet FGD Blowdown Treatment Coal Ash Pond Water Treatment Wastewater Characterizations Chair: Dr. Jerry Pell, Environmental Scientist. Project Manager; Office of Electricity (OE), U.S. Department of Energy Co-Chair: Ira Brodsky, AQCS Specialist, URS Corporation Speaker(s): My Coal Ash Pond Will Be Closed - What Do I Do With the Wastewater? Sam Barnes, Vice President - Power Generation and Energy, Commonwealth Associates, Inc. Passive Treatment of Coal Ash Leachate Eric McCleary, Restoration Ecologist, Greenhorne & O'Mara Inc. The Current and Future Use of Deep Injection Well Technology in the Power Generation Industry Edward McCullers, GM Deep Well Operations, Layne Christensen Company Co-Author(s): David McNabb, CEO, McNabb Hydrogeologic Consulting, Inc. Mark McNeal, CEO, ASRus, LLC Chemistry Data Collection for Statistical Analysis Matthew Heermann, Sargent & Lundy LLC ----- Speaker Bio

Sam Barnes is Vice President - Power Generation and Energy, Commonwealth Associates, Inc. He has 21 years of experience in the power industry. As a mechanical engineer and a project manager Sam has been involved in design, consulting and development of coal and gas fired plants. He graduated from the University of Michigan with a BSME and is a trustee on the board of Jackson Community College. Best Practice Story:  Whether or not coal ash becomes classified as hazardous waste, coal plant owners may be looking at converting their ash systems from wet to dry for any number of reasons. But what does this do to the plant's water mass balance and where will the process wastewater go? There are some steps that should be followed so that all effects are taken into consideration. First, start by characterizing the plant's wastewater flows for both quantity and quality. Future considerations that could add or take away from wastewater generation must be documented. Once a clear picture of the amount and nature of wastewater is known, modifications can be reviewed that will minimize the amount of wastewater generated. Modifications may include both physical changes and operational changes. Once wastewater generation has been minimized, treatment before release to an outfall must be considered. The final step is evaluation of appropriate treatment options and choosing the one that balances compliance, project cost and operating and maintenance costs. This paper will also address upcoming regulatory issues that will likely decide the extent of treatment necessary. The most likely treatment scenarios will also be addressed. -----

The Groundhog Has Spoken

You might not be aware that groundhog hairs are used for tying trout flies, such as the 'Chuck Caddis, or that early American Indians once used sturdy woodchuck hides for the soles of moccasins, but I bet you're aware that Phil saw his shadow again and it's six more weeks of winter!  That's why, about this time, you might want to consider a terrific Commonwealth job in our Atlanta office.  To find out what's available, click here.


Once you've done that, you might want to discover the other interesting facts about groundhogs you might not know:  http://www.news.cornell.edu/Chronicle/96/2.1.96/facts.html

Stay warm!

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