Category: News

Lordstown schools get donation to pay food debts

August 6, 2020

Story from Tribune Chronicle

LORDSTOWN — Officials with the Lordstown Energy Center have provided a $10,008 donation to cover the school district’s student cafeteria debt and also will provide funds to cover personal protective equipment such as masks, cleaning wipes and hand sanitizers. 

Lordstown Superintendent Greg Bonamase said Wednesday that Drew Schneider of the energy center made the donation recently and also the offer to help with replenishing the PPE in upcoming months. 

“We have been talking about the cafeteria debt situation and keeping an eye on it more. We appreciate the Lordstown Energy Center for helping us. This will allow the students to be able to start the new school year with no money being owed,” Bonamase said. 

Bonamase said the board of education was planning to meet with the center about a grant program when they contacted the schools wanting to help. 

“This generous financial gift will benefit our district, students and community. The LEC’s generosity to Lordstown Local Schools has been of tremendous benefit to the district and we appreciate the company’s continued support,” he said. 

In other business at the July 30 special meeting, the board discussed reopening plans for the 2020-21 year. 

Bonamase said smaller school districts, like Mathews, Jackson Milton and Weathersfield, will offer in-person, five-day per week learning for grades K-12. 

“We are making the buildings as safe as possible. There are students and parents who have stress and anxiety,” he said, noting they have purchased a special Clorox disinfecting machine and hired additional custodial staff for day and evenings for cleaning buildings. 

Also, students and staff entering the buildings will have temperatures taken with new thermal cameras. 

Bonamase said the district’s building are very large with the high school able to hold 900 students and the elementary building being the former Gordon D. James Career Center. He said the district can spread students and staff around into different rooms and locations to handle social distancing. 

“We have a lot of room available in the two buildings,” he said noting students can be placed at spaced apart tables in the cafeteria. 

The school day also will end one half-hour earlier for students, with high school students attending 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and elementary students 8:15 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

Board member Niki Reid said all school districts will need to be flexible. 

Bonamase said families have an option for online learning if they want their child to stay at home. Parents must let officials know if they prefer this option. 

He said in the event schools are forced to be closed by the order of state or county health department, all online learning will be provided via Zoom and other programs. 

The board also: 

· Hired Aaron Smalley as the district’s part-time athletic director at $6,456. He replaces Bryce Neilbach who resigned to accept a position with the Youngstown City School District. 

· Discussed open enrollment will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis based on enrollment at each grade level and guidelines from the state. 

Lordstown Energy Center named a ‘Top Plant’

October 13, 2019

The Lordstown Energy Center (LEC) is honored to receive the Top Plant Award by POWER Magazine recognizing the plant’s innovative technology and equipment as well as the benefits the facility brings to Lordstown. LEC is a physical reminder of the collaboration – between the owners, operators, local labor and the broader community – that brought this important project to completion for the citizens of Ohio.

Full story below by the Tribune Chronicle.

LORDSTOWN — Lordstown Energy Center is among six natural gas-fired power plants in the U.S. and abroad named a top performer in the electric generating industry.

The “Top Plant” award is from industry magazine POWER Mag, which has been in circulation since 1882, the same year Thomas Edison opened the first central power station in lower Manhattan.

It was announced in the magazine’s October edition.

“To me, I think it’s a really important way to recognize people who are doing good at power plants wherever they may be,” said Aaron Larson, POWER Mag executive editor. “We recognize plants around the world. Some is due to the technology being used at the plant, some is due to the operation and maintenance staff and what they are doing that might be innovative and unique. Some of it could be what they are doing in the community. Sometimes they are doing a lot of things that are beneficial to the region and to the people of the local community.”

The 940-megawatt plant on Henn Parkway opened in October 2018. Costing about $900 million to build, it contains two gas turbines and one steam turbine powerful enough to supply power to 850,000 homes and businesses in the Midwest. 

Plant operator Clean Energy Future is a subsidiary of Macquarie Infrastructure Partners III and its partners, Siemens Financial Services, which manufactured the turbines, and Clean Energy Future LLC.

It took about two years to build and provided about 900 construction jobs through the process. It’s estimated the plant will generate about $13 billion in economic impact over the next 40 years.

“Lordstown is an interesting site because it has a good location. It’s got a lot of good technology; it’s proven technology that has been successful and is very efficient,” Larson said. “It’s a new plant that is utilizing digital advancements. It just has a lot of good things going for it.”

The plant has been a good community partner, too.

It donated $1 million for a new track and soccer facility at Lordstown High School and gave Lordstown Local Schools $1.5 million during the plant’s construction. In addition, it has an agreement to give the district millions over the next 15 years in exchange for it being given a 100 percent tax abatement.

In addition, it donated $15,000 in January to a local grassroots effort to save the idled General Motors plant in Lordstown.

The other “Top Plant” winners in the gas-fired category were Lackawanna Energy Center, Pennsylvania; Greensville County Power Station, Virginia; Alpine Power Plant, Michigan; Shenzhen Power Station, China; and WUN Pellets GmbH, a biogas fuel plant in Germany.

They were decided by POWER Mag editors based on nominations to the magazine, which has about 65,000 subscribers for print and digital platforms.

“Our readership is our people who are in the power industry who are working at plants. So they know what the lessons learned from a project are, what they can utilize perhaps at their facility, what unique equipment or new technology is being implemented at some of these facilities that maybe they could look into and incorporate into their own operations,” Larson said.

Lordstown Energy Center is Up and Running 24/7

October 9, 10, 12, 2018

Lordstown Energy Center has been running commercially since early October, with 21 full-time employees.

More information is available from the following news articles:

The Business Journal – LEC begins operation

The Business Journal – LEC is model for future power plants

The Tribune Chronicle – LEC begins commercial operation

WFMJ – LEC up and running

WFMJ – LEC shows off massive facility

WKBN – LEC up and running, costing nearly $1 billion

Lordstown Energy Center Begins Commercial Operation, Names Drew Schneider Plant Manager

LORDSTOWN, Ohio (October 9, 2018) – Lordstown Energy Center (LEC), a 940-megawatt, gas-fueled electricity generation plant, announced today that it has begun commercial operation. LEC uses locally sourced natural gas to generate safe, clean and efficient energy that serves approximately 850,000 households.

“We are excited to serve customers with this state-of-the-art, environmentally friendly facility,” said Robert Haley, LEC operations director. “Our team is well-equipped and highly trained, and I’m pleased that we have begun 24/7 operations.”

“We’re very grateful for the support we’ve received from our investors, employees, suppliers, local and state government leaders and the residents of our community, including hundreds of construction workers. Their cooperation and hard work were critical to our ability to achieve today’s milestone.”

James Dignan, president and CEO of Youngstown Warren Regional Chamber, added, “We are happy to have helped bring this nearly $1 billion investment to the Mahoning Valley. The Lordstown Energy Center has already proven itself to be a good corporate citizen. We look forward to having the company be a part of our community for decades to come.”

Drew Schneider Named Plant Manager

Drew Schneider brings nearly 40 years of energy experience to Lordstown Energy Center. A native of Factoryville, Pa. (near Scranton), he served on a U.S. Navy nuclear power submarine for 20 years with deployments to the Indian Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. After his military career, Schneider held positions of increased leadership at Ontelaunee Energy Center (Leesport, Pa.) and Bridgeport Energy (Bridgeport, Conn.), and most recently served as the plant manager for six years at Kleen Energy Systems in Middletown, Conn.

“I’m humbled to be the plant manager and for the opportunity to both lead this state-of-the-art power plant and to become part of the greater Mahoning Valley community,” said Schneider. “It’s an exciting time and I’m honored to lead our dedicated team.”

“Drew is a skilled leader who brings an impeccable safety record to Lordstown Energy Center,” noted Haley. “I’ve known Drew personally for 17 years. He’s very familiar with the technology here and has the operational experience to successfully lead the plant.”

Drew and his wife, Lisa, relocated from Connecticut to the Mahoning Valley last month. The couple has two grown children, two grandchildren and are expecting twin grandchildren soon. In his spare time, Drew enjoys spending time with his family and boating. He’s been an active supporter of the military, American Cancer Society and first responders in all the communities in which his family has lived.

Lordstown Energy Center is a 940-megawatt, combined-cycle natural gas-fueled electricity generation plant located in Lordstown, Ohio. The facility uses locally sourced natural gas to generate enough safe, clean, efficient and reliable power to supply approximately 850,000 homes and businesses. LEC employs 21 people and is expected to provide $13 billion in economic benefit to the local community over 40 years.

LEC Employees Welcome Lordstown Elementary Students

September 10, 2018

Employees from Lordstown Energy Center joined with the United Way of Trumbull County and other local businesses to welcome Lordstown Elementary students back to school on September 10. Pictured below from left to right are Bill Meadors, Joe Click, Drew Schneider and Matt Wymer, who greeted more than 250 kindergarten through sixth grade students.

Lordstown Energy Center Holds Groundbreaking

June 5, 2016

LEC and community leaders broke ground on Henn Parkway for the new enter, which will employ 450 individuals during the nearly two-year development and construction phase.

Full story below from the Tribune Chronicle and more information here by WFMJ.

LORDSTOWN – Speaking to community and project leaders at Monday’s groundbreaking for the $900 million Lordstown Energy Center facility, Bill Siderewicz, the president and minority owner of Clean Energy Future LLC, promoted the educational opportunities the plant offers to the Valley.

“When this plant is built … the hope is to integrate what is going on in (Lordstown) High School and what is happening right here, then bring Youngstown State University into the swing and create an educational forum for learning and creating that spark that causes someone to say, ‘I wanna go here,’” Siderewicz said.

Lordstown Schools Superintendent Terry Armstrong confirmed discussions with both Lordstown and Youngstown State University on potential educational opportunities for students at the advanced facility. Armstrong said Lordstown schools will have a dedicated science teacher collaborating directly with the plant.

As part of a tax donation agreement with Lordstown schools, the LLC will provide the district with annual money in exchange for 15-year, 100 percent tax abatement. The district will receive $500,000 over the next three years. Once the plant opens, the plant will provide an annual donation of $1 million for the first five years, $1.25 million for the next five years and $1.5 million for the final five years.

Armstrong said the district is using this revenue, in conjunction with successful cost-savings efforts, to hire a new science teacher qualified to teach college-level courses, create new curriculum such as a robotics programs and remodel their planetarium.

Lordstown Mayor Arno Hill said the plant will stabilize Lordstown schools, which has had to borrow money to meet payroll over the last four years.

Representatives from two major equity investors in the plant – Siemens Financial Services, which will manufacture the gas and steam turbines, and Macquarie Infrastructure Partners III – both said their employers are committed long term to the Valley and the plant.

The company said it estimates that the natural gas-fueled power plant will provide $13.8 billion to the area over 40 years.

John Gibson, the senior vice president of the North American Power & Gas Division of Siemens Energy Inc., said it will be one of six U.S. facilities utilizing “industry-leading” H-class Flex-Plant technology, which reduces start-up emissions by up to 95 percent, according to Siemens’ website.

“This will be a 940 megawatt power plant, but what does that really mean? That is enough power to generate 850,000 homes,” Gibson said.

The project will employ 450 workers during the two years of construction, as well as 20 full-time staff once the plant is completed in May 2018, he said. Gibson said the plant will be serviced by Siemens’ technicians from the Midwest.

Siderewicz said an analysis of 14 or 15 sites showed that it was the Lordstown area that offered the necessary water resources needed to power the plant.

“(An analysis from summer 2013 said) all those sites you picked weren’t very good except for Lordstown,” he said.

Warren Mayor Doug Franklin said Niles and Warren worked with Lordstown and the LLC to assure the project had the necessary resources, with Warren providing $2.5 million worth of water daily.

“A few years ago we lost our largest water customer,” Franklin said. “This project replaces and exceeds the $1.8 million in revenue we lost. It helps us keep the rates low.”

Before the ground was broken, U.S. Congressman Timothy J. Ryan, D-Howland, said with the development of this plant, the region will help lead the nation in clean energy technology.

“This is really a force multiplier. You get cleaner energy, less carbon into the atmosphere; you get local employment Everybody wins on this thing,” Ryan said. “We are working to make sure natural gas is really seen as the future, not only for the economy here but for the country and the world.”

Lordstown Schools Open New Stadium Built With LEC Support

December 11, 2017

A $1 million donation from the Lordstown Energy Center helped the Lordstown schools develop a new stadium to support several sports.

Full story below by WFMJ.