The Lone Star State has a new reason to claim that “everything’s bigger in Texas.” In a more than half-a-billion-dollar order, Exelon, one of the largest competitive U.S. power generators, turned to GE (NYSE:GE) to purchase four 7HA gas turbines, two D600 steam turbines, six generators and a contractual service agreement for the Wolf Hollow and Colorado Bend gas combined-cycle projects. This represents the first U.S. order for GE’s highest efficiency HA turbine, adding to recent orders in Japan, France and Russia.

GE's 9HA Gas Turbine at the validation test stand. (Photo: Business Wire)

GE's 9HA Gas Turbine at the validation test stand. (Photo: Business Wire)

The four 7HA gas turbines GE is supplying to Exelon are the world’s largest and most-efficient 60-hertz gas turbines. Together with the steam turbines and generators, they will add a total of 2,000 megawatts (MW) of additional capacity for the projects. The combined-cycle gas turbine plants will be built at the existing Exelon sites of Wolf Hollow, which is near Dallas, and Colorado Bend, which is near Houston. The equipment is expected to ship in 2016, and the plants are due to be operational in 2017, helping Exelon provide additional capacity, competitively priced, to the expanding Texas energy grid.

“Exelon is pleased to continue our longstanding relationship with GE to provide additional natural gas generating capacity with industry-leading performance,” said Ken Cornew, president and CEO, Exelon Generation. “While we continue to evaluate our development plans, GE’s high-output and high-efficiency H-class technologies would enable us to provide our customers with reliable and low-cost energy.”

The 7HA.02 gas turbine offers output of 330 MW per unit, a net combined-cycle efficiency of more than 61 percent, leading the industry with cleaner, reliable and cost-efficient conversion of fuel to electricity. Fuel savings compared with F-class technology will result in over $8 million in annual fuel savings per gas turbine. The HA gas turbines also feature modular constructability for a shorter installation schedule, a real benefit in Texas given concerns about skilled manpower availability.

“We have invested more than $1 billion in our latest H-class technology to deliver the most cost-effective, dispatchable power to consumers”, said Victor Abate, president and CEO, power generation products at GE Power & Water. “We are excited to work with Exelon on H-class power generation projects, the fastest growing segment within the gas turbine industry.”

GE’s latest HA gas turbines build off the learnings of its operating fleet of more than 4,500 air-cooled heavy-duty gas turbines with accumulated operation of more than 180 million hours and a decade of steam-cooled H-class gas turbine operating experience. GE technology advancements are fueled through the long history of its Aviation business and innovations from its Global Research Center.

About GE

GE (NYSE:GE) works on things that matter. The best people and the best technologies taking on the toughest challenges. Finding solutions in energy, health and home, transportation and finance. Building, powering, moving and curing the world. Not just imagining. Doing. GE works. For more information, visit the company's website at www.ge.com.

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. Power & Water’s six business units include Distributed Power, Nuclear Energy, Power Generation Products, Power Generation Services, Renewable Energy and Water & Process Technologies. Headquartered in Schenectady, N.Y., Power & Water is GE’s largest industrial business.

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To track progress of the first HA Gas Turbine and get more information, please visit: http://efficiency.gepower.com/media.html or follow the turbine on Twitter @HArriet_GE.