Results from the field, across every side of the table: utility operator, OEM, equipment vendor, developer, EPC, and owner’s engineer.
Case studies
230 kV substation for a large data center
Challenge: a new 230 kV interconnection substation for a large data center needed to reach energization without design errors reaching the field.
What we did: on-site engineering and commissioning support as owner’s engineer, reviewing cables, cabinets, panels, and drawings, and issuing Bluebeam field markups to the crews.
Result: a lessons-learned log of about 170 items, including missing drawing sections, incorrect AC load calculations, missing grounding details, and station service wiring errors that could have damaged multiple pieces of equipment.
Power system study review for two military installation power plants
Challenge: third-party protection coordination, short circuit, and load-flow studies for two Army installation power plants in Alaska needed independent review before settings were loaded.
What we did: a page-by-page review of each study and its ETAP appendices.
Result: on one study, 12 findings, 4 of them high severity, including a generator relay element both removed and retained, missing load-flow cases, conflicting transformer data, and coordination margins under 0.2 seconds. We recommended holding the settings until each was resolved.
Owner’s representative for hybrid PV, storage, and diesel sites
Owner’s representative services for a utility client in Arizona on two sites combining solar, battery storage, and diesel generation.
Selected project experience
- Reciprocating engine plants: managed installation of a 6-unit plant at a military base; co-managed a 10-unit plant for a Caribbean island utility.
- Grid resiliency: winter weatherization inspections at power plants for clients in Texas.
- Wind: technical review of a 250 MW wind farm; owner reviews of two Texas repowers.
- Development: 300 MW pumped hydro siting and conceptual design; hydrogen concepts at two midstream sites.
Principal’s background
Principal James C. Gilmore has about 35 years in power and instrumentation. His experience as an employee of the firms named includes:
- bp: construction manager for three utility-scale solar projects in Texas totaling about 550 MW, recognized with a bp Gold “Significant Contribution” award.
- Fluence: technical lead on 24+ battery storage installations, 500 kW to 150 MW.
- GE Grid Solutions: a $30M 138 kV gas-insulated switchgear substation and upgrades at more than a dozen substations, including three live 500 kV stations.
- Lubbock Power & Light: head of electric power generation for 220 MW at 230 kV, with a $200M annual budget, plus oversight of 11 gas and steam turbine overhauls.
- U.S. Air Force: calibration technician and base standards technician.
B.S. Mechanical Engineering, Texas Tech University · Engineer in Training, Texas · PE license in progress
