JAMES K. MERRITT, JR.
Mr. Merritt is an entrepreneurial, proactive energy executive with 25 years in the utility and IPP business, providing guidance for the board and intuitive decision making to best support the customer base and corporate returns. He advanced to lead multiple power generation and transmission divisions for Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, Construction, Origination, Project Management, Training, and Business Development. His participation as an executive furthered the successful start-up of three companies: Steag Power, Sithe Global, and CO2 Global. He has strong understanding of technical, contractual, legal and regulatory acumens necessary for operation of a power generation company. His reporting plant managers, engineers and teams success includes mixed generation of conventional and renewable power plants (7,000 MW Ops, 2,318 MW construction and commissioning, and >8,000 MW designed), LPG, Natural gas, and water distribution, and HVAC transmission assets (56,000 mi) with 4700 FTE and P&L responsibility.
He has lead reorganization and resurrection of failing project companies to achieve performance far superior than expectations for the portfolio. Action required the identification of problems and solutions, delegating to skilled internal parties, adjusting staff and wages, and recognizing when to contract outside services and specialists. The asset portfolio change-in-command came with catastrophic failures and exhausted budget which required creativity in processes to return to safe operations in record time to restore generation to the customers. His Operations oversight grew with each success to encompass project companies in the Caribbean, Americas, and Africa.
Project and Asset Management duties included parts sharing and JIT procurement strategies, combined with fleet dispatch and outage scheduling to reduce generation downtime, consolidate services, and emergency preparedness for response to storms and forced outages. He was project manager for the 260 mile, 500kV HVAC Navajo transmission line which is the most recent permitted T-line in the United States, and designed clean coal plants. The last three years, politics shifted his work load to utility scale renewable energy where he engineered a savings of 30% of CAPEX costs and carbon capture technologies using polygeneration for zero emissions. Mr. Merritt is an active guest participant in the Carbon Capture Leadership Forum and has participated in National Legislation for amendment of the Clean Air Act and landmark litigation with the EPA EAB for greenhouse gas emission controls.
His safety record for all managed assets includes no loss time accidents for 20 years by establishing a safety first and stop work policy. Mr. Merritt has worked internationally in union and non-union environments; and believes in training, succession plans, team building and being a visible manager. Employees under his management have a sense of pride of ownership in their company, accountability for actions and performance, and practice effective communications.
His external activities included brand awareness, support of local community functions, public relations and perception, President for Chamber of Commerce, Chairman of IBEW Local 125, Habitats for Humanity, Future Business Leaders of America, healthy living fundraisers and sports activities, and corporate gatherings and team building events. He has mentored interns and managers have moved into executive placement internally and at GE and Siemens.
EMPLOYMENT
CO2 Global, LLCHouston, TX
Chief Technology Officer2009 - Present
Mr. Merritt is Board member of CO2 Global, a start-up company that sought his assistance to develop and market a DOE proven pilot technology into commercial operations, relying on his engineering experience with new best technologies, professional network, and knowledge of commercial opportunities for zero emission cogeneration power plants. This technology integrates solar and solar thermal, and complements wind by correcting sine-wave power generation curves into instantaneous baseload with no emissions.
New Mexico Permitting Agencies have declared No Air Permit Required
Solar Thermal power cogeneration Advanced Energy Tax Credits
Baseload green energy status and market penetration with 92% capacity factor
Development experience in Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS) and Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR), connected to CO2, Pipeline, and O&G companies
Coordinating seven (7) orders for zero emissions scalable power plants in 50 MW net blocks with first COD in 2011
Off-taker negotiations for byproducts of pure water, cogeneration steam, nitrogen, carbon dioxide using any carbon based fuel
Converts oil refinery to near zero emissions with CHP application
Sithe Global Power Management, Inc Houston, Texas
Vice President Engineering and Development2003 to 2009
Steag Power, LLCAcquired by Sithe
Sr. Director Operations and Engineering2001 to 2003
U.S. counterpart to the Chief Operating Officer for Steag AG. Steag Power was a BOO development IPP that was sold to create the Sithe Global start-up. He successfully built industry, customer, government, agency, and investor relationships; coordinated NEPA permitting with legal, environmental, and engineering contractors; leading conceptual OE work; and land negotiations and unique design considerations. He troubleshot barriers and opposition issues to successfully permit ultrasupercritical pulverized coal plants and deep-water well fields in the Navajo Nation. Other work included development and design of gas and water pipelines, utility scale renewable power plants 25 to 1250 MW, CCGT plants, railroads within an ACEC and infrastructure, fuel and water agreements. Accepted and issued delegated activities as needed.
G&A budget management of $36 million, mega-project CAPEX of $1 to $6.7 billion
Annual and forecasted work plans, life cycle scheduling, and gating for spending
Major OEM, EPC/EPCM contract negotiations, design specs, and documentation
O&M, LTSA, Power Purchase (PPA), and Project Labor Agreements
Project proformas, G&A budgets, life cycle cost analysis, and project finance basis
Business Development, Project Manager for multiple contracts up to $300 million each
Staffing organization, modeling, hiring, and forecasting, benefits, and training programs
Support quarterly reports to Sithe Board, Blackstone, and Reservoir Capital Groups
Renewable project origination and development for corporate territory expansion
Tribal negotiations, public relations, union negotiations, lobbying support, town halls
Network to major Utilities, IPPs, EPC, EHS, & OEM executives, regional ISOs
National EPA EAB CO2 lawsuit litigation engineering briefs
Presentations to DOE, NETL, Los Alamos, Senators, and Governors offices
ENRON Houston, Texas
Global Asset Manager - Enron International,1999 to 2001
Plant Manager - Enron Engineering & Construction Co.
Responsible for P&L for O&M of the international power plant and gas company fleet; >56,000 miles of HVAC transmission; and new construction and commissioning of assets.
Directly managed 15 plant managers, 27 companies, and indirectly 4,700 FTE
Plant Manager for two years, managing new construction, repowering and O&M
Power sales and fuel purchase negotiations and in accordance with contract
International bank accounts, audits, wire transfers, and corporate signatory responsibility
PPA, O&M, LTSA, OEM purchase, and government negotiations
Punch-listing and commissioning, signatory for owners acceptance and construction
Field directed O&M, warranty work, major and forced outages
Initiated corrective O&M programs and reorganization with cultural change
Corrected failed plant commissioning in Nigeria as step-in PM; COD bonus $14 million
Audits, budgets, procurement rules revisions; Eliminated corruption
Established Human Resource benefits, training, communications, and EHS awareness
Sales team for $4.5 billion in CCGT assets
OEM warranty and insurance settlements >$200 million
Tripled capacity factors and availability; $167 and $204 million concurrent cash profits
PORTLAND GENERAL ELECTRICClatskanie, Oregon
Training Manager, 1994 to 1999
Equipment Operator 1991 to 1994
Developed a full power plant staff training program and all plant procedures using his operating and maintenance experience. Upgraded equipment and control systems.
Qualified outside operator through plant manager for CCGT, recip, and hydro
Worked in maintenance during outages, mothballs to baseload and upgrades
Oregon State HAZMAT Incident Commander.
Training programs and procedures were adopted by Enron International as SOP
Supported engineering, maintenance, and EHS
Volunteer, United Way, Rotary, SOLV, and employee committee representative
Chamber of Commerce President
IBEW Local 125 Chairman for PGE and Clatskanie PUD
US NAVY
Engineering Watch Supervisor1985 to 1993
Supervised operations and maintenance of S8G, S1W, and S5G nuclear plants, diesel reciprocating, and boiler plants.
Advanced training in mechanics, electrical, chemistry, and I&C disciplines.
Nuclear/Subsurface Quality Assurance Supervisor for Squadron 17 Subfleet
U.S. Naval Nuclear Power School in 1986 and prototype in 1987
Lead Machinery Division Petty officer, wrote and scheduled all primary and secondary plant maintenance for eight outages & two nuclear reactor refuelings
Nuclear Prototype and Machinery A School Instructor
Desert Storm veteran with Letters of Commendation; Clearance TS/SCI
PROJECT HISTORY
Desert Rock 1500MW USPC coalToquop 750MW USPC coal
Bison 680MW USPC coalRiverhill 330 MW CFB
Meadow Valley Railroad, 33 milesNavajo Trans Project 550kV, 436 miles
Sterne 500MW CCGT, GE 7FAEcoElectica, LNG CCGT, SG501F
Vitro 245MW Cogen GE 7FAPhilippines Geothermal, 600MW
GNP Philippines 600MW coalGoreway 880MW CCGT SG501F
SECLP 196MW GE 7FE CCGT/PB oilWalton Elect 264MW GE 7B, 7A
KimClark Biomass 126MWElectrobolt 360MW (8) LM6000
Cuiaba 460MW CCGT dieselMontorio 900MW CCGT
South Africa 2870MW USPC coalZimbabwe 900MW CCGT SG501G
Nigeria NEPA 270MW (7) GE 6BGuatemala PQPC 110 MW MAN diesel
Panama 10MW Suzlon windDesert Southwest 1250 MW solar
Beaver 560MW CCGT GE 7BBethel 110MW P-W FT4C
Industrial Gases Ltd, Jamaica San Juan Gas, ProCaribe, Progasco LPG
Nuclear S5G, S1W, and S5W reactorsKlickitat 8.4MW Waukesha Recip LFG
Hydro Amaila Falls, Congo, Confidential 800MW Wind acq. Texas
White Nile, and Portland General ElectricMeerwind 400MW investment advisor
Acquisition Due Diligence:
Progress EnergyPrisma EnergyTractabelKinder MorganPGE
MirantNRGCogentrix Duke DENASDG&E
El PasoReliantDynegy
EDUCATION AND TRAINING
Rice University - Executive Management
Thomas Edison State College - Nuclear Engineering/Electrical Engineering
U.S. Naval Nuclear Power School, Engineering, Diploma
Language abilities in Spanish, French, and German
Symposiums and Seminars for Emission Control Technology and CCS
Portland General Electric Gas Turbine Operator Training
Machinist Mate "A" School and Boiler Operator Training
Marine and Environmental Hazardous Waste Response
Naval Technical Schools and Trades
PUBLICATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS
IGCC vs. Ultra-Supercritical Boiler Designs (Sec of Fossil Energy DOE; EAB)
Why Not IGCC? (Feb 08 Sec of Energy, NM)
Potential for Carbon Capture and Sequestration (Feb 08 Los Alamos Natl Lab; Sec of Energy, NM; Sec of Energy; Senators Salazar, Domenici, Bingaman, Udall)
REFERENCES
www.desertrockenergyeis.com
http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/fo/ely_field_office/blm_programs/energy/toquop_energy.html
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