Plant employees at the Lincoln Generating Facility, in Manhattan, celebrated their 21st year of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Voluntary Protection Program Star status by earning recertification in the prestigious program. The Star designation is the highest level of recognition in the VPP program, reflecting the Earthrise Energy plant’s exemplary achievement in the prevention and control of occupational safety and health hazards.
The Lincoln Generating Facility is a natural gas peaker plant operated by Consolidated Asset Management Services (CAMS) employees on behalf of Earthrise Energy, an independent power producer. Located in Manhattan, the facility provides 656 MW of capacity, providing important grid reliability services during periods of peak electricity demand.
“In the workplace, safety is everyone’s responsibility. Yet, it’s easy for complacency to set in. That is why we are proud of the team at the Lincoln Generating Facility who work every day to foster a culture that emphasizes safety and excellence,” said Steve Vavrik, Earthrise Energy’s CEO. “This important recertification is a direct result of our employees’ continued commitment to operational excellence.”
In awarding the site VPP Star status, OSHA noted, “All elements of the site’s safety and health management programs met the high quality expected of VPP participants…Everyone leads by example and supports the implementation of continuous improvement.”
“Earthrise applauds the team of Lincoln Generating Facility for their longstanding dedication to occupational safety and health,” said Earthrise Energy Director of Asset Management Scott Halleran.
VPP recognizes employers and workers in the private industry and federal agencies who have implemented effective safety and health management systems and maintain injury and illness rates below national Bureau of Labor Statistics averages for their respective industries. VPP participants must submit an application to OSHA and undergo a rigorous onsite evaluation. OSHA approves qualified VPP sites to one of three programs: Star, Merit, or Demonstration.
Founded to accelerate the clean energy transition, Earthrise Energy owns and operates five natural gas peaker plants in Illinois, including the Lincoln Generating Facility and Crete Energy Venture in Crete, and is building more than 2 gigawatts of renewable energy in the region.