Despite growing concern about cybersecurity both in and outside of Washington, the Senate’s cybersecurity bill died a second time on Nov. 13. The apparent inability of Congress to pass legislation designed to protect critical U.S. infrastructure could lead to President Barack Obama implementing some of the bill’s provisions via executive order. A day after the bill failed to gain 60 votes for passage, a recently declassified report was released that finds the U.S. power grid is vulnerable to attacks that could be more destructive than natural disasters such as Hurricane Sandy.

In a project funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Fossil Energy (OFE), researchers at The Ohio State University have developed what they call a groundbreaking new hybrid membrane that combines the separation performance of inorganic membranes with the cost-effectiveness of polymer membranes. The breakthrough technology has vast commercial potential for use at coal-fired power plants with carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS), a key element in national efforts to mitigate climate change.

On Monday, as First Wind announced its 69-MW Kawailoa Wind Project had gone into commercial operations on Oahu, other news underscored the difficulty the island state faces in trying to substitute renewables for expensive, imported fossil fuels.

This week’s issue of POWERnews is coming to you earlier than usual because of the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday. We want to take this opportunity to thank all of our readers, contributors, advertisers, and other business partners for their continued support. As our industry continues to face an increasing number of challenges, our goal is to remain your most trusted source for information.

A reconsidered proposal issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Friday sets out slightly weakened emission limits for mercury, particulate matter (PM), acid gases, and certain individual metals for future coal- and oil-fired power plants.

A decision by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to impose new pollution limits on three coal-fired power plants in Arizona on Friday drew criticism from state officials, who said that the costly measure, which overrides the state’s regional haze plan, is designed to protect visibility, not public health.

By Kennedy Maize Washington, D.C., 19 November 2012 – One of the more interesting back stories of the saga of Tropical Storm Sandy and its devastation of Long Island’s electric power system is a tale of Cuomo father and son.  Father is former New York Democratic Gov. Mario Cuomo and the son is current New […]

Subsidies for renewable energy projects, a mainstay of U.S. policy for 20 years, is coming to an end. What next?

With the election over, Congress has reconvened for a seven-week lame duck session. Among the energy measures expected to be tackled is legislation that would establish a framework for coal ash regulation. Meanwhile, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is expected to begin releasing pending rules again, and the wind industry continues pleading to extend the expiring production tax credit (PTC).

With the power industry already facing a completely new, government-mandated approach to cybersecurity, CIPS 5, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has launched another regulatory venture that will result in a new set of reliability standards—this one designed to protect the bulk power system from solar storms.

A $1.2 billion concentrated solar thermal project in Australia has been shelved after developers failed to secure a supply agreement and forfeited $500 million in federal and state funding.

An executive order signed by New York’s Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) on Monday establishes a commission to investigate the response, preparation, and management of New York’s power utility companies during recent major storms that have hit the state of the past two years, including Hurricanes Sandy and Irene, and Tropical Storm Lee. The mandate seeks to reform overlapping responsibilities of the state’s regulatory bodies, state agencies and authorities, and quasi-governmental bodies, which the governor’s office alleges have “contributed to a dysfunctional utility system.”

It’s time for the leaders in the power generation business to step up and provide some leadership on cybersecurity

Despite a last-minute lawsuit filed by California’s Chamber of Commerce, the state on Wednesday held its first auction of carbon emissions permits, kicking off the nation’s first state-implemented cap-and-trade program that limits the amount of greenhouse gases (GHGs) emitted by power plants, oil refineries, and other entities.

The first conquest of Mount Everest was not just a triumph of the human spirit but also a classic example of solid project management and good leadership. Hillary’s example offers sound lessons for today’s business leaders.

General Motors and Zurich-based ABB on Tuesday unveiled what they called “the next stage in battery reuse”: repackaging five used Chevrolet Volt batteries into a modular unit that has a power generation capacity of 25 kW for two hours. The companies said the unit could extend the life of electric vehicle (EV) batteries while being used as community energy storage.

All leaders want to be liked, but letting that desire set your course is a path to frustration and drama. Though it sometimes seems counter-intuitive, the ability to set good boundaries is the mark of a good leader.

A new report from the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) offers a state-by-state look at key developments that have shaped the renewable energy landscape, including information and planned capacity, markets, economic developments, resource potential, and policy.

Adaptive, creative, and flexible, the humble octopus has much to teach managers in the modern world.

Between 153 and 353 coal generation units in 31 states—a total capacity of between 16.4 GW and 59 GW—are less economical to operate than natural gas plants and may be "ripe for retirement," a study from the Union of Concerned Scientists (USC) suggests.

Long a tightly controlled near-monopoly, the market for enriched uranium is finally about to see some meaningful foreign competition.

A complex tangle of Clean Air Act rules is making life difficult for folks in the power industry, often seeming to go in different directions at the same time. It could get worse and here’s an attempt to make some sense of the confusion.

A “who’s doing what” addendum to "THE BIG PICTURE: Advanced Fission" in our November 2012 issue.

A “who’s doing what” addendum to "THE BIG PICTURE: Advanced Fission" in our November 2012 issue.

By Kennedy Maize Washington, D.C., 9 November 2012 – “Three-dimensional musical chairs” best describes what happens in Washington during the start of a second presidential term. The jockeying for position can get confusing and nasty as folks seek to move up, down, around and out as the administration rearranges its second-term priorities. Sharp elbows can […]

By Thomas W. Overton There’s an old adage, “If you’re going to take a shot at the king, you’d better kill him.” No doubt this theme is reverberating around coal country boardrooms this week. Big Coal was one of the most prolific industries supporting Mitt Romney and the GOP this season.  Though estimates vary and […]

Dominion Virginia Power on Friday asked the Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) to approve construction of a 1,358-MW combined cycle natural gas-fired power plant to replace power from aging coal plants that the company has deemed are not economically or environmentally sound to continue operating.

The International Trade Commission (ITC) on Wednesday unanimously determined that imports of crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells and modules from China materially injured the U.S. industry, clearing the way for the Commerce Department to issue antidumping and countervailing duties on billions of dollars of products from China for the next five years. However, the ITC’s determination finds no critical circumstances were present, which means duties on Chinese solar module imports won’t apply retroactively.