OREANDA-NEWS. As part of its continuing efforts to help drive much-needed flexibility for power producers around the globe, GE’s Power Services business (NYSE: GE) joined government officials, policymakers and leaders within the energy industry at this week’s kick-off meeting for the Clean Energy Ministerial’s (CEM) Advanced Power Plant Flexibility Campaign. With support from the International Energy Agency, the campaign focuses on better positioning the power industry to meet future challenges, which can be addressed most effectively through more flexible technology.

"GE Power is excited to help pave the way forward for the energy industry by redefining power plant flexibility," said Paul McElhinney, president and CEO of GE’s Power Services business. "The Advanced Power Plant Flexibility Campaign brings together some of the world’s brightest minds in the energy industry and global governments to create a better understanding around the need for power plant flexibility as renewable and distributed generation become more prevalent in the global power mix."

Led by the governments of China, Denmark and Germany, the Advanced Power Plant Flexibility Campaign represents a targeted approach to increase momentum and commitment from power producers and policymakers around the world to implement solutions that enable more flexibility in the global power plant fleet. It covers all forms of dispatchable power plants, particularly coal, gas, hydro and bioenergy. Members of the campaign include representatives from Brazil, Canada, India, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, United Arab Emirates and the European Commission, as well as companies such as Enel, Energinet.dk, GE, DONG Energy, COWI and the German think tank Agora Energiewende.

"Improving power plant flexibility will be essential as energy companies and utilities continue to integrate more wind and solar energy into their power mix, and the Advanced Power Plant Flexibility Campaign is well-positioned to help advance the industry in a way that will help ensure more reliable and flexible power to more people," said Dr. Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency. "Today, we took another step towards a more flexible power future."

The conversation at this week’s meeting centered around how to accelerate the global energy transition to a cleaner generation mix. It also included a discussion on how the right policy and regulatory measures can help make global energy systems more resilient and reliable-especially when also embracing more flexible power plant technologies. Two GE leaders shared their expertise: Markus Becker, GE’s European government affairs and policy leader shared his insights on energy policy trends and the investments needed; Kevin Spengler, Fleet360* product line for GE’s Gas Plants Portfolio, spoke about the important connection needed between the physics and the financials when it comes to flexibility in power plants.

As the initiative moves forward, participants of the Advanced Power Plant Flexibility Campaign will work together to create win-win solutions and scenarios that address the industry’s flexibility needs in a financially viable way. GE, for example, has focused its recent efforts on developing hardware (like its hybrid electric gas turbine) and digital solutions (such as its OpFlex package) to help power producers achieve the flexibility they seek. To learn more about the Advanced Power Plant Flexibility Campaign, click here.