CHICAGO - GE’s FlexEfficiency Truck Tour, which is showcasing the power generation technology of tomorrow and is making stops in 25 North American cities over the next four months, rolled through Chicago on Thursday, Oct. 25.

A custom-built, 18-wheel tractor-trailer loaded with interactive, innovative exhibits and demonstrations of GE’s FlexEfficiency 60 Portfolio, was unveiled Sept. 26 during a global launch event in San Francisco.

“Our North American FlexEfficiency Truck Tour is demonstrating how the latest innovation in power generation will meet today’s energy challenges while driving economic growth,” said Paul Browning, president and CEO, Thermal Products for GE Power & Water. “GE is going on the road to further educate customers, industry influencers and others about our expanded portfolio of large block gas turbines that can provide highly efficient baseload power and pair natural gas with renewables.”

In addition to viewing the various displays, visitors to the GE Truck Tour will be able to meet with GE technical experts to discuss the key features and benefits of FlexEfficiency 60 technology.

“We believe that the FlexEfficiency 60 Portfolio represents the cornerstone of America’s energy future, and can help Chicago build a cleaner and sustainable energy infrastructure,” Browning said. “Chicago and the entire Midwest is committed to exploring renewable energy resources such as wind and solar as a way to bring new kinds of power to the city. But when the sun isn’t shining and the wind isn’t blowing, we need other sources of energy. As an abundant and cleaner fossil fuel, natural gas fits nicely into today’s energy equation. FlexEfficiency 60 technology is the most efficient, flexible natural gas technology available in the power industry today.”

Built for the United States and other 60-hertz countries, GE’s new FlexEfficiency 60 Portfolio of products addresses the emerging need for flexible, efficient technology capable of providing electricity with record-setting efficiency. This natural gas-fired technology can rapidly increase its power output in response to fluctuations in wind and solar power, which will enable more renewable resources to be integrated onto the power grid.

GE will build the FlexEfficiency 60 Portfolio of products in the United States for shipment around the globe.

“GE’s world-class employees are working hard to make the world work better by delivering cleaner, more efficient energy onto the grid and into millions of homes,” Browning added.

An ecomagination*-qualified product configured to take on some of the world’s toughest environmental challenges, a FlexEfficiency 60 Plant will avoid 2.6 million metric tons of carbon emissions per year when compared to an equal sized coal power plant¹. This emissions reduction is equivalent to a half million U.S. drivers trading in their cars for bicycles.

After its stopover in Chicago, the truck tour for GE FlexEfficiency Portfolio exhibits and demonstrations will visit 15 more cities across the United States. The Truck Tour winds up in Mexico City in January 2013.

Follow the Truck Tour blog from the road at www.ge-flexibility.com and @GE_CatieonTour.