By Ally Lanasa, Staff Writer

PHOTO COURTESY TIM LAWRENCE
The Town of Berlin commissioned its new natural gas Caterpillar EPA certified generator at the power plant on William Street on Sept. 9.

(Sept. 24, 2020) Tim Lawrence, Berlin’s electric utility director, provided an update on the natural gas generator at the power plant on William Street to the Berlin Mayor and Council on Sept. 14.

“This project actually started in July 2019, and it was just basically completed last Wednesday,” Lawrence said.

Berlin held a private ribbon-cutting ceremony last Wednesday for the completion of the new CAT G3520 EPA certified generator set.

Carter Power Systems completed the turnkey installation of the 2,000 KW generator.

The 2020 Caterpillar engine will save the town between $190,000 and $200,00 in transmission congestion charges, Lawrence added.

PJM Interconnection defines transmission congestion as “a condition that arises on the transmission system when one or more restrictions prevents the economic dispatch of electric energy from serving loads.”

When all the engines are running at the plant, the town saves between $550,000 and $600,000, Lawrence said.

“The maintenance on this engine is about half the cost of what it is for diesel engine,” he added.

Town Administrator Jeff Fleetwood said the natural gas to fuel the engine is cheaper than diesel gas.

The new engine is fully insured, Fleetwood added.