POWERnews

Investments in renewable energy resources across the U.S. continue to grow, supported by increased federal funding, legislation that improves project economics, and growing demand for cleaner energy. Deloitte, which provides insights and solutions for several industries including the energy sector, on Dec. 5 released its industry outlook for 2024 for renewable energy in the U.S., […]

The U.S. and 21 other countries have said they want to triple the global generation capacity of nuclear power by mid-century. The pledge, announced Dec. 2 at the United Nations’ COP28 climate summit in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), comes as more of the world’s governments say increased use of nuclear power is […]

Colorado-based cooperative Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association will accelerate the closure of a coal-fired unit in the northwestern part of the state, and also announced a retirement date for an Arizona coal plant, as part of the utility’s latest electric resource plan (ERP). Tri-State on Dec. 1 also said it wants to acquire at least […]

The U.S. conventional hydropower fleet includes 2,252 hydropower plants with a total generating capacity of 80.58 GW, which produced 6.2% of the country’s electricity in 2022 and nearly 30% of all renewable generation. In addition, it has 43 pumped-storage hydro (PSH) plants, a combined capacity of 22 GW, and an estimated energy storage capacity of 553 […]

The use of distributed solar photovoltaic (PV) systems is growing as more homeowners and businesses take control of their energy needs and look for ways to make their electricity supply more reliable and cost-effective. These systems, typically sited on rooftops of residential and/or commercial and industrial buildings, parking garages, or other buildings, are benefiting from […]

Despite its ongoing war with Russia, Ukraine in early November gave state nuclear operator Energoatom the green light to operate Unit 1 of the South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant for 10 more years. The approval

There are a few great reasons that utilities and the energy industry, in general, are looking for the next big thing. Whether that’s in distributed energy generation or demand flexibility to free up existing resources, utilities are challenged more than ever to meet evolving customer needs. While this will prove costly in the short term, […]

A pioneering 3.5-MW enhanced geothermal system (EGS) in northern Nevada that demonstrated the ability to drill, complete, and operate horizontal wells is now operational. Project Red, co-developed by Fervo Energy and Google under a partnership forged in 2021 under the “world’s first corporate agreement to develop an enhanced geothermal power project,” is supplying power to […]

Concrete is the most widely used construction material in the world. One of the key ingredients in concrete is Portland cement. The American Concrete Institute explains that Portland cement is a product obtained by pulverizing material consisting of hydraulic calcium silicates to which some calcium sulfate has usually been provided as an interground addition. When […]

Mitsubishi Power has successfully demonstrated partial load and full load combustion of a fuel blend with 30% hydrogen (by volume) in a grid-connected J-series Air-Cooled (JAC) gas turbine. The achievement closely follows the completion of a combustion test on an ammonia single-fuel burner for coal firing by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), Mitsubishi Power’s parent company. […]

A Cambodian energy official said the country no longer plans to build a coal-fired power plant along the nation’s southwest coast, and will instead move forward with a natural gas-fired facility. Energy Minister Keo Rottanak told the Reuters news service an official announcement is expected Nov. 30. Rottanak said the proposed 700-ME coal-fired plant, which […]

With states like Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Hawaii beginning to execute their National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula program plans, utilities within these states are rapidly coordinating the electrical power requirements needed to support these public electric vehicle (EV) charging stations. The influence of utilities on power infrastructure, including grid modernization, capacity growth, and energy management, […]

Recent events in the wind power industry, all occurring on a single day, provide a snapshot of the sector’s challenges and opportunities heading into 2024. Ørsted, the world’s largest developer of offshore wind, on Oct. 31 announced the cancellation of Ocean Wind 1 and 2, two 1,000-MW-plus projects off the coast of New Jersey. In […]

Westinghouse’s first customer for its eVinci microreactor—a flagship 5-MWe/13-MWth “nuclear battery”—is poised to be the Saskatchewan Research Council (SRC), Canada’s second-largest research and technology organization. SRC—a Saskatchewan government Treasury Board Crown Corporation that serves as a commercial laboratory to provide research and development (R&D) for Saskatchewan industries—on Nov. 27 said it plans to pilot an […]

For many years, the National Hydropower Association has designated August 24 as National Hydropower Day in the U.S. In honor of the occasion, POWER is highlighting a variety of things many people may not know about hydropower. 1. The First Electricity Generated in the U.S. by Hydropower Was in 1880 People have been using water […]

NRG Energy has appointed the chair of its board of directors, Dr. Lawrence Coben, as its interim president and CEO and appointed four new independent directors to its board, signaling a major leadership reshuffle partly influenced by activist investor firm Elliott Investment Management. The Houston-headquartered energy giant on Nov. 20 said Mauricio Gutierrez, NRG’s long-time and […]

PROENERGY, a global peaking-power solutions provider based in Sedalia, Missouri, released a new 48-MW aeroderivative gas turbine designed to quickly respond to gaps in power supply and demand. The PE6000 model was unveiled as a finale to PROENERGY’s annual user conference, held in Houston, Texas, earlier this month. The company explained that each PE6000 begins […]

Idaho National Laboratory (INL) has fabricated roughly two dozen commercial-grade fuel pellets of high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) uranium dioxide (UO2), the Department of Energy (DOE) revealed on Nov. 20. The milestone demonstrates the national laboratory’s “unique ability” to provide customized nuclear fuel for industry and government partners, the DOE said. INL said researchers at the […]

Speaking at the 5th annual India Coal Conference in New Delhi, FutureCoal CEO Michelle Manook said, “Government and finance policies, which embrace a ‘cancel coal’ mantra, are short-sighted and undermine the very ambitions we seek to achieve as a global community.” Formerly known as the World Coal Association, FutureCoal: The Global Alliance for Sustainable Coal […]

The Department of Energy (DOE) has initiated a new “enabling” pathway to achieve and sustain a dramatic transformation of the nation’s evolving grid—through its power electronics fabric, with the realization of advanced semiconductor materials, devices, and power module technologies. The agency on Nov. 21 unveiled the agency’s first awards—$42 million for 15 projects across 11 […]

There is growing demand for cybersecurity professionals all around the world. According to the “2023 Official Cybersecurity Jobs Report,” sponsored by eSentire and released by Cybersecurity Ventures, there will be 3.5 million unfilled jobs in the cybersecurity industry through 2025. Furthermore, having these positions open can be costly. The researchers said damages resulting from cybercrime […]

The power industry must adapt. Reliable electric service is more important than ever, but the push for green energy and rising cost concerns complicate things. Thankfully, several new technologies offer potential solutions. Electric thermal storage is particularly promising. As renewables grow, buildings and utility grids will need a way to store excess energy from peak […]

The U.S. will help develop a nuclear power industry in the Philippines after both countries signed an agreement Nov. 17 during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in San Francisco, California. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, speaking Friday during the meeting, said, “The United States will be able to share equipment and material with […]

In October, the National Reactor Innovation Center (NRIC) kicked off a ceremony to repurpose the iconic Experimental Breeder Reactor-II (EBR-II) containment structure at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) as a new test bed for higher thermal power reactor projects. Department of Energy (DOE) Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy Dr. Kathryn Huff shed more light on NRIC’s Demonstration […]

In late 2024, a first-of-a-kind, fully functional project spearheaded by Duke Energy, GE Vernova, and Sargent and Lundy could begin demonstrating the commercial peaking capabilities of an integrated hydrogen power-to-power system at Duke Energy’s DeBary power plant in Florida. In an exclusive interview, project partners revealed details of the potentially trailblazing installation, which is slated […]

Amazon has announced two utility-scale renewable energy projects in Maryland, with the company saying it now has invested in nearly 80 new wind and solar power installations this year. Among the new projects is a solar farm being built at the site of coal mine that operated for more than a century. That 170-MW project, […]

The solar energy industry in the U.S. is at a critical juncture. With the ambitious target set by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) to have solar produce 30% of the country’s energy by 2030, a monumental effort is required. We must add 48 GW of solar capacity each year to meet this goal. Achieving […]

A France-based energy group said it has an agreement to buy three natural gas-fired power plants in Texas. The facilities, one near Dallas and two south of Houston, represent about 1.5 GW of generation capacity. TotalEnergies, a multinational company operating in several energy sectors and headquartered in Paris, France, announced the $635 million deal on […]

U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said the agency’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is developing 15 new renewable energy installations across the western U.S., including some that recently have begun commercial operation. Haaland provided an update on the projects Nov. 6 as she addressed the Western Governors Association Winter Meeting in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Haaland […]

Vestas will supply 33 of the company’s wind turbines for a major floating offshore wind project in South Korea. The Ulsan Gray Whale 3 installation, which was announced in March of this year with few details, is part of a 1.5-GW floating wind development being built in three phases in an area about 37 miles […]