MILWAUKEE, March 14, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Several WEC Energy
Group employees recently received Technology Transfer Awards from
the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) for their achievements
in research and development. The majority of the group was honored
for an innovative project to prevent bat fatalities at We Energies'
Blue Sky Green Field Wind Energy Center.
During the first-of-its-kind project, the team deployed smart
technology on several wind turbines. The technology included
acoustic devices that could detect bats in the area. The bat data,
along with weather information, were then entered into a predictive
model that continuously evaluated the risk of bat activity near the
turbines. Wind farm operators could use the data to decide when to
curtail operation.
The following employees were honored for their "smart
curtailment" work:
- Brent Blawat, IT applications
consultant
- Jeffrey Noah, IT support
specialist
- Steve Schueller, power
generation supervisor
- Susan Schumacher, principal
environmental consultant
- Yelena Sidorko, senior IT
applications consultant
EPRI also honored Kris McKinney,
manager – environmental strategy, for his work on the development
of a comprehensive analysis of the Clean Power Plan for the
State of Michigan. With McKinney's
leadership, EPRI and the Michigan
utility coalition published one of the first state-level analyses
of the Clean Power Plan. The results demonstrated how choosing
various alternatives to implement the plan could impact
Michigan customers.
WEC Energy Group employees received their awards at a ceremony
on March 13. Presented annually,
EPRI's Technology Transfer Awards recognize industry leaders who
help companies deliver safe, affordable, reliable and
environmentally responsible electricity through initiative,
collaboration and leadership that transform research into results
for the utility industry.
WEC Energy Group (NYSE: WEC), based in Milwaukee, is one of the nation's premier
energy companies, serving 4.4 million customers in Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan and Minnesota.
The company's principal utilities are We Energies, Wisconsin
Public Service, Peoples Gas, North Shore Gas, Michigan Gas
Utilities, Minnesota Energy Resources and Upper Michigan Energy
Resources. The company's other major subsidiary, We Power,
designs, builds and owns electric generating plants.
WEC Energy Group (wecenergygroup.com), a
component of the S&P 500, has more than $31 billion of assets, 8,000 employees and 50,000
stockholders of record.
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SOURCE WEC Energy Group