Schenectady, N.Y. — Schenectady County officials today announced that PAL Turbine Services, LLC (PAL) will lease 60,000 square feet of space at the Glenville Business and Technology Park. The company will use the space to upgrade turbines and other power generation equipment with new technology. Two gas turbines originally built in Schenectady in 1971 will be the first units serviced at the Glenville facility.
The company will lease space in Building 202 at the business spark, which is located at Exit 26 of the NYS Thruway. The Galesi Group owns Building 202 and will lease the space to PAL Turbine Services. The company has been providing field engineering services for gas and steam turbines since 1999. The team at PAL has extensive experience in servicing power generation equipment. All of the company’s engineers are graduates of the Field Engineering Program (FEP) based at GE’s training facility on Balltown Road in Niskayuna.
The first turbines to be reconditioned by PAL Turbine Services are two gas turbine units originally built in Schenectady. The units were used by Kansas Power & Light Co. in Tecumseh, Kansas. Later, these peaking power plants were owned and operated by Westar. They will be returned to Schenectady where PAL engineers will retrofit the units. Other ancillary components for these turbines will be sent in from Saginaw, Michigan and stored at the Glenville location.
Company owner and General Manager David W. Lucier said, “All of our engineers have strong roots in Schenectady, as most of us came here for training after college. Many of us also worked at local facilities in various management positions in our GE days.”Mr. Lucier served as manager of the FEP in Niskayuna from 1980 to 1983. Four other engineers with the company were instructors at the Field Engineering Development Center (FEDC) also located in Niskayuna.
“PAL Turbine Services is well known in providing engineering services to the power generation industry and we welcome them to Schenectady County and the Glenville Business and Technology Park,” said Cathy Gatta, Schenectady County Legislator from Glenville and member of the Schenectady County IDA. “The addition of PAL to Schenectady County continues to build our reputation as a home for national and international energy related businesses.”
David M. Buicko, COO of the Galesi Group said, “This is an excellent use for the high-bay areas in Building 202 that are equipped with heavy cranes. This company is a great fit with Schenectady County’s leading role in building and servicing power plant equipment.”
PAL has its home offices in Clifton Park, NY. For more information see www.pondlucier.com.
Ray Gillen, Chair of the Schenectady County Metroplex Development Authority said, “It is great to see these GE units coming home to their “birthplace” in Schenectady. We welcome PAL Turbine Services and note that in the past month we have announced 240,000 square feet of new projects in Glenville including Old Dominion’s new distribution center, a new Richmor business jet hangar, a National Grid lease, the new mixed-use building at Socha Plaza and this new tenant in Building 202.”
The Glenville Business and Technology Park is home to more than 3.5 million square feet of space on 310 acres making it one of the largest business parks in the Capital Region. The Business Park is home to Adirondack Beverages, Dimension Fabricators, DHA Energy, Latham Plastics, Norampac, Codino’s, Specialty Quality Packaging, Thyssen Krupp Safeway, Capovani Brothers, Chick Packaging/NEFAB and others.