Even before the Stuxnet malware program made international headlines in 2010, cybersecurity was an important issue for utility companies. In the aftermath of one of the largest attacks on supervisory control

Harold E. “Ed” Patricoff and Ana Sarmento The global trend toward renewable energy is undeniable and commendable. In 2018, 10Power announced that it would work to create commercial-scale solar and energy

The equipment and facilities supporting today’s critical infrastructure are vital to modern society. This article provides testing and maintenance tips to ensure systems are kept in top condition. Power

Engineering empowers society in so many unprecedented ways, and with innovation at its core, the profession recognizes reaching its full potential requires the inclusivity of all segments of society. Two years

POWER features a different power-related equipment category in selected issues throughout the year. This month’s showcase includes a variety of items used in the power generation industry, from pumps and

Through programs such as Transformative Power Generation, High-Performance Materials, and Advanced Coal Processing, the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) is conducting research and development

Inspecting generators has always been a time-consuming and expensive job, yet one that needs to be done at regular intervals. An impressive new visual inspection robot can save owners many days of unnecessary

In the past, routine maintenance on the General Electric (GE) 7FA-class gas turbine coupling was time-consuming, costly, and presented unnecessary safety risks for service technicians and plant maintenance

Chezy and Manning developed equations that are used to determine the average volumetric flowrate in open channels. This article explains a laboratory method that was developed and tested to further identify

Pumps and pumping systems have multiple applications in power plants, and the valves and fittings involved with these pumps are key to their efficient and ongoing use. Pumps used in power generation facilities

For nearly a century, the grid has been one, solid, hulking, inflexible machine. Now, with the rise of technologies like microgrids, distributed renewables, battery storage, and vehicle-to-grid applications, we can reimagine the grids that enclose our communities to be like those fictional spaceships.

UK Expands Offshore Wind Targets, Sets 1 GW Target for Floating Wind. The UK on Oct. 6 raised its target for offshore wind power capacity by 2030 from 30 GW to 40 GW. To help the nation meet its commitments

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning have become major factors in nearly every industry, and have increasingly become more popular among utilities. Automated technology is being used to inspect

Control rooms are the nerve center of any power plant. Two recent control room upgrades at U.S. facilities highlight the logistical challenges and solutions to issues that come with improving an important

The tension between state and federal lawmakers is ages old, with a history marked by periods of outright assault or relative peace. On Dec. 19, 2019, the quiet in the energy sector was broken by an order from

Coal-fired See our August 2020 issue for stories covering these plants: Caofeidian, Tangshan, China Cenal TES, Karabiga, Turkey GHECO-One, Rayong, Thailand NTPC Khargone, Madhya Pradesh, India Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province, China Renewables See our September 2020 issue for stories covering these plants: Hydrostor Goderich A-CAES Facility, Goderich, Ontario, Canada Genale-Dawa III Hydropower Project, Ethiopia, Africa Kokomo […]

At a time when deal activity in the energy and natural resources sector has slowed dramatically—down 26.2% globally year-on-year—one development in particular may define the industry’s near-term future. In mid-May 2020, French oil major Total opted not to pursue a deal, announced in 2019, to purchase the African assets of Anadarko Petroleum, a U.S. producer […]

Heat exchangers are at the heart of many critical industrial systems. From power plants to industrial chemical plants and everything in between, the heat exchanger in all its forms is a critical aspect of heat management systems. Therefore, organizations must take heat exchanger maintenance extremely seriously. A heat exchanger failure can be a potentially deadly […]

Electric-power and gas companies are especially vulnerable to cyberattacks, but a structured approach that applies communication, organizational, and process frameworks can significantly reduce cyber-related risks. In our experience working with utility companies, we have observed three characteristics that make the sector especially vulnerable to contemporary cyberthreats. First is an increased number of threats and actors […]

Managing demand on the power grid, at best a never-ending balancing act between generation and load, has become an increasingly complex and challenging responsibility. Along with the urgent need to reduce

President Trump on May 1, 2020, issued Executive Order (EO) 13920, titled “Securing the United States Bulk-Power System.” Trump said that the unrestricted foreign supply of certain electric equipment

Many power projects have been disrupted due to COVID-19. However, managers at Larsen & Toubro Ltd. found a way to complete steam blow requirements in spite of the pandemic, using secure internet

Commercial and industrial businesses can get a boost from their electrical infrastructure by making their systems more dynamic, enabling new capabilities and control. What do you need your electrical

POWER’s Distributed Energy Conference (DEC) will have a new look—and a new name—this year. In light of the ongoing pandemic and out of concern for the safety and well-being of attendees, speakers, and

The International Energy Agency (IEA) reported that the world installed 5.5 GW of new nuclear capacity in 2019, with China and Russia leading the way. In April, the U.S. announced its intention to take bold

Distributed generation integrated with intermittent renewable generation responds to the growing need for highly flexible small-scale (less than 100 MW) power generation resources. The limiting factor facing plant designers is that the conventional heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) does not enable fast-acting power generation demanded by modern grid systems. John Cockerill Energy’s vertical once-through boilers […]

The U.S. Department of Energy has made the research and development (R&D) of long-duration energy storage at fossil fuel generating stations a priority to keep reliable and affordable supplies of

As more wind and solar generation is added to the power grid and large coal and nuclear plants are retired, a reduction in reactive power is becoming a concern. Underutilized gas and steam turbines can be

Vancouver International Airport is the largest facility in British Columbia and requires a lot of heating and cooling. Those needs will be increased by a $300 million expansion designed to add 300,000 square

COVID-19 has caused a dramatic shift in the consumption of electricity across the U.S. Stay-at-home mandates have forced millions of businesses to close or shutter their offices and storefronts, dramatically