Sterling Energy
Sterling Energy is a company completely dedicated to the professional management of thermal, renewable power generation assets, power plant management services and power plant consultants.
Company details
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- Business Type:
- Service provider
- Industry Type:
- Renewable Energy
- Market Focus:
- Globally (various continents)
- Year Founded:
- 1989
This company also provides solutions for other industrial applications.
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About us
Larry Straight
Larry Straight is the President and founder of Sterling Energy, a management services firm dedicated to the application of world-class management practices to the energy industry. Since 1989, Larry has directed the steady growth of the company in support of a large number of owners and developers of power generating assets.
Larry possesses an unusual blend of business acumen, management skills and technical expertise. His experience covers the full range of engineering, construction, startup, operations and maintenance of a large number of power plants employing practically every fuel and technology in use in the industry. Larry’s management career includes responsibility for operation of a 2,200 MW coal-fired facility, successful management of an extensive business line within a large engineering-construction organization, and for directing successful grass roots development of more than 20 different organizations responsible for managing power generating assets.
Larry regularly applies his diverse experience and skills in a wide range of consulting activities in support of our clients. These activities encompass every step along the timeline of generating assets, beginning with the earliest stage of project development, design and construction, mobilization of the operating entity, through ongoing asset management.
Many clients have found his experience and insight especially valuable for strategic planning, when considering acquisition of existing generating assets and afterward, when the transition of ownership takes place.
Tim Bofman
Tim Bofman is a seasoned power plant professional with more than twenty-five years experience with biomass, combined cycle combustion turbine, coal, and cogeneration technologies. He has successfully operated, managed, and mobilized a wide range of plants and organizations.
Prior to joining Sterling Energy, Tim was General Manager at DTE’s Woodland Biomass Power facility, where he was brought in to reestablish unit capacity and improve plant profitability. Before that Tim was Plant Manager at DTE’s Lake Road Generating Company, a 792 MW combined cycle facility. Earlier power plant management roles include Operations Manager at Lake Road and Shift Supervisor for PG&E National Energy Group, and US Operating Services Company (PG&E). Tim began his power plant career at Public Service of New Mexico.
Tim manages Sterling’s Contract O&M Services and O&M Mobilization businesses.
Tom Burns
Tom Burns is a seasoned Project Director with over 30 years of experience in startup, operations and maintenance programs. He has extensive experience in organizing and managing startup and O&M mobilization programs on numerous projects, and successfully building world-class teams which consistently meet high standards of performance. He currently serves as Program Director for Sterling’s long-term equipment layup and storage programs.
Prior to joining Sterling Energy, Tom was the Manager of Startup, and later the Operations and Maintenance Department, for Ebasco Services Inc. (now Washington International) in the western U.S. His responsibilities included building Ebasco’s regional capabilities for responding to project commitments. This included developing the standards and generation of startup plans, testing records, training programs, turnover packages and operating procedures, as well as for having focal point responsibility for overall management of regional startup teams.
Since joining Sterling Energy in 1992, he has served as our Project Director for the on-site O&M mobilization programs for six projects in the U.S., Canada, Malaysia, and Jamaica.
In addition to mobilization program management oversight, he has spearheaded the implementation of Sterling Energy’s System Sponsor program and qualifications program on projects in California, New York, Maine, Massachusetts, Oklahoma, Alaska, Canada, Scotland and Malaysia.
Tom holds a BE degree in Marine Engineering (1971) from the State University of New York Maritime College.
Tom manages Sterling’s Generation Preservation and Layup Services business and supports our Commissioning Management and Startup, O&M Mobilization, and Asset Acquisition and Transition Support businesses.
Ron Fawcett
Ron Fawcett is a senior executive manager with succesful international experience in management, operations, project development, engineering and construction of power generating assets. He is a mechanical engineer with a master’s degree in that discipline and extensive executive business management education. He has been Chief Executive Officer of two different international power operations companies.
He has extensive international experience in wind, biomass, geothermal, hydro and thermal project development, engineering, construction and operations. He has profitably managed $600 million of operating assets and $25 million P&L responsibilities. Ron has further led the development of five international projects and formed a new service company generating more than $1 million in profits.
Ron has significant power plant experience as a utility engineer, engineer-construction manager, power equipment supplier manager and executive, operations company management and project development company executive.
Ron was President and CEO of SeaWest Power Systems. During his tenure in that office, he directed a major international expansion of that company’s business, including the successful development of the first independent cogeneration plant in Spain. Prior to his position with SeaWest he was President of Pyropower Operations Service Company. This company profitably managed and operated three coal fired power generation projects. Concurrently, he was also President of Pyropower’s Energy Service Company, a subsidiary performing specialized power plant engineering and construction services.
In earlier phases of his career, he has been a Vice President of Management Analysis Company and an Area Manager for Ebasco Services, Inc.
Ron manages Sterling’s Management and Technical Consulting practice and its Acquisition and Transition Support business.
Danny Long
Danny Long has over thirty years experience in mechanical maintenance, construction, commissioning and management. His experience includes combined and simple cycle combustion turbine power plants, coal-fired power plants, petrochemical facilities, offshore platforms, and marine propulsion plants. Our clients benefit from his well-rounded career encompassing military leadership, corporate office experience, and field assignments.
Prior to joining Sterling, Danny served as a Commissioning Manager for both Fluor and Duke/Fluor Daniel, gaining valuable commissioning and start-up experience on many large simple and combined cycle combustion turbine projects. His Commissioning Manager expertise was built upon earlier experience as Project Manager, Lead Mechanical Engineer, Proposal Manager, and Staff Engineer at GE/Stewart and Stevensen and at Baker Energy/Nepco.
He managed the construction phase of three power plants during his tenure at Baker Energy.
Danny began his power career in the U.S. Navy. He retired with 26 years of service. He earned a degree in Business Management in 1988 from National University in San Diego.
Danny co-manages Sterling’s Commissioning Management and Startup Services business and directs the business development effort for new projects.
Mike Madigan
Mike Madigan has over twenty-five years experience in the start-up and operations of fossil fuel, nuclear, cogeneration, and hydro power facilities. Ten of those years were spent in the direct management and supervision of power plant commissioning. Mike is a founder of our commissioning and startup business and is engaged in business development, consultation, and active field commissioning activities for a variety of power industry clients.
Prior to joining Sterling Energy, Mike was a Special Projects Director and Regional Director for Duke/Fluor Daniel, developing commissioning opportunities for D/FD, acting as the Project Manager on several of those projects. He was the Principal Startup Engineer for International Power Consultants, a Senior Startup Engineer for Ebasco Plant Services, and Senior Startup Engineer for Bechtel Power Corp.
Mike co-manages Sterling’s Commissioning Management and Startup Services business.
Dave Morgan
Dave Morgan is a Sterling Energy partner with broad experience in the management, operations, and development of power generation assets. He provides valuable O&M and asset management advice – commercial, technical, and operational – to a wide range of Sterling Energy clients.
Dave has held energy industry positions ranging from service engineer and then regional manager for a large engine manufacturer to production manager and then vice president and general manager of an investor-owned electric utility. He led product development efforts for a venture capital-funded energy technology company in the U.S. and served on two of the company’s boards of directors in the U.K.
As Kauai Electric’s Vice President and General Manager, Dave had both operational and P&L responsibilities for an island utility serving 30,000 customers. Dave’s power plant management experience includes five years as Kauai Electric’s Production Manager. He gained additional plant management experience during his eight years at Wärtsilä, which included significant O&M assignments in Latin America.
Dave earned his Marine Engineering degree at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. He has an MBA from Colorado State University and is a registered professional engineer.
Dave supports Sterling’s Management and Technical Consulting, Acquisition and Transition Support, and O&M Mobilization businesses.