El Paso to buy LMS100

To meet growing electricity demands in the western portion of its service area and to enhance overall power system reliability, El Paso Electric Company will expand its Rio Grande power plant in Sunland Park, N.M., with a simple cycle GE LM100PA. This 

aeroderivative gas turbine is rated 88 MW at site conditions and promising 43% efficiency.

GE also will supply a control building and emissions-control equipment that includes a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system for control of nitrogen oxides and a carbon monoxide reduction system. The new turbine will run on natural gas and, ultimately, will add operational flexibility to the less-efficient steam turbines now in use that are less energy-efficient and produce higher emissions. GE will ship the equipment to El Paso Electric in May 2012.

El Paso Electric is a regional electric utility providing generation, transmission and distribution service to approximately 371,000 retail and wholesale customers in a 10,000 square mile area of the Rio Grande valley in west Texas and southern New Mexico. El Paso Electric has a net dependable generating capability of 1,643 MW. El Paso Electric’s common stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol EE.