Golden Spread Electric Cooperative Selects GE FlexEfficiency* 60 Technology for Three New Projects in Texas

• Deal Continues Industry Momentum for GE’s New FlexEfficiency 60 Portfolio
• Gas-Fired Units to Meet Power Needs for Irrigation, Boost ERCOT Reserve Margins
• Well-Proven GE 7F 5-Series Gas Turbines Address Region’s Varying Power Needs

ORLANDO, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Golden Spread Electric Cooperative, Inc. of Amarillo, Texas, is the latest customer to select GE’s (NYSE: GE) FlexEfficiency 60 technology, which was introduced in September of this year. The cooperative is purchasing three GE 7F 5-series gas turbines for three new power plants that will enter operation between March 2015 and March 2017, GE announced today at POWER-GEN International 2012 in Orlando.

“Our members depend on us for reliable and efficient power, and we have selected GE’s new FlexEfficiency 60 technology to meet those needs”

The 7F 5-series gas turbine is a fully validated member of GE’s FlexEfficiency 60 Portfolio and provides significant fuel savings, lower emissions and operating flexibility. The Golden Spread projects follow more than $1.2 billion in orders GE previously announced for its FlexEfficiency 60 gas turbines, including five 7F 5-series gas turbines for three sites in the United States.

Golden Spread will install the 7F 5-series gas turbines at sites to be determined in the Texas Panhandle or West Texas, to provide power for its cooperative members who operate in the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) and Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) electric operating grids.

“Our members depend on us for reliable and efficient power, and we have selected GE’s new FlexEfficiency 60 technology to meet those needs,” said Mark Schwirtz, president and general manager of Golden Spread Electric Cooperative. “We believe that the 7F 5-series gas turbine will provide a good match for our diverse electricity requirements.”

As part of GE’s FlexEfficiency 60 Portfolio, the 7F 5-series gas turbine incorporates advanced combustion technology to deliver operating flexibility, including better turndown capability, while sustaining higher levels of efficiency compared to earlier gas turbine models. This can translate into increased revenue across a wide range of operating conditions.

“As the new order with Golden Spread Electric Cooperative demonstrates, we continue to see strong industry acceptance for our new FlexEfficiency products,” said Paul Browning, president and CEO, Thermal Products of GE Power & Water. “This technology offers an unprecedented combination of baseload efficiency and operating flexibility to address the complex needs of today’s energy grid. The 7F 5-series offers both the flexibility and the proven performance to meet Golden Spread’s wide range of power generation requirements.”

Golden Spread is an existing GE customer and already has a fleet of five GE gas turbines. GE’s Measurement & Control business has provided upgrades and GE Power Generation Services is providing an OpFlex* Peak Fire upgrade to 7F 3-series units in the fleet. OpFlex Peak Fire is an application available in the OpFlex Solutions Suite, a portfolio of advanced controls software applications developed to give customers increased flexibility to improve their power plant technology.

The 7F 5-series gas turbine has been validated at GE’s full speed, full load gas turbine validation test facility in Greenville, South Carolina, USA. This dual fuel, non-grid connected facility has the capability to test part loads, peak loads, variable frequency operation, and transient capability. The 7F 5-series gas turbine has met or exceeded GE’s validation requirements through extensive testing and operation.

With more than 800 7F gas turbines operating in the field providing over 29 million fired hours and 700 thousand fired starts, customers around the world have come to rely on the proven reliability and availability of GE’s 7F gas turbines.

For more information about GE’s FlexEfficiency 60 technology, visit www.ge-flexibility.com.

For more information and images, visit GE’s POWER-GEN International site.

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About GE Power & Water

GE Power & Water provides customers with a broad array of power generation, energy delivery and water process technologies to solve their challenges locally. Power & Water works in all areas of the energy industry including renewable resources such as wind and solar; biogas and alternative fuels; and coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear energy. The business also develops advanced technologies to help solve the world’s most complex challenges related to water availability and quality. Numerous products are qualified under ecomagination, GE’s commitment to providing innovative solutions that maximize resources, drive efficiencies and help make the world work better. Power & Water’s seven business units include Aeroderivative Gas Turbines; Gas Engines; Nuclear Energy; Power Generation Services; Renewable Energy; Thermal Products and Water & Process Technologies. Headquartered in Schenectady, N.Y., Power & Water is GE’s largest industrial business.

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* Trademark of General Electric Company