Jace Staponski, senior plant mechanical engineer, earned his mechanical engineering degree from Missouri University of Science and Technology. After working in New York and St. Louis, Staponski found his way to Platte River. Over the years, he took on larger projects, more responsibility and increasingly complex work, eventually advancing to senior plant mechanical engineer. When he started, he would spend most of his day walking around the plant, but change comes with the territory. Now, he spends a lot of it staring at a computer screen.
"I'm not used to sitting in front of a screen all day," he said. After 13 years at Platte River, Staponski is serving as project manager for the aeroderivative project, according to CEO/general manager, Jason Frisbie, “the most critical and the most important project in Platte River’s history.”
For someone who started as a plant mechanical engineer, it's a role he probably didn't envision when he arrived at Platte River more than a decade ago.
"It's not a simple undertaking," he said. "We're building this from the ground up. It's not a power purchase agreement like many of our other projects. We own these turbines."
These days, his role is less about turning wrenches and more about connecting the countless pieces required to move the project forward. Engineering, construction, procurement, permitting, site work and commissioning all have to come together at the right time and in the right way.
With a project this major, nearly every department at Platte River has a part to play.
"Trying to think of a department that hasn't been involved is difficult," he said. "There has been support from transmission, legal, contracts, purchasing, security, IT, communications, facilities, and more."
It's that shared commitment to getting the job done that stands out most to Staponski.
For him, the work is ultimately about seeing tangible results.
"It matters," he said. "Reliable electricity is needed for society to function."
It's the same mindset that has guided him throughout his career, from supporting day-to-day plant operations and improving Rawhide's bottom ash handling system to managing the aeroderivative project today.
While the project still has major milestones ahead, years of planning are finally becoming visible.
"One could say there have been a few speed bumps," he said. "But now there is dirt work taking place. It's actually coming to life."
Outside of work, Staponski spends time with his three children. He's an avid trail runner who enjoys half marathons, hiking, paddleboarding and lots of days spent at the lake.
His journey to becoming an engineer wasn't exactly a straight line.
Long before power plants and multimillion-dollar projects, he stocked milk, eggs and yogurt in Walmart's dairy department.
"I was the dairy lady at Walmart for a few years," he said.
Not many people go from the dairy aisle to leading a major energy generation project. Today, Staponski is helping bring Platte River's new generation resources to life. After years of planning, design and coordination, he's excited to see progress taking shape on site and watch the project move from concept to reality.