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Legal & Regulatory
Fixed-Volume Hedges Help Bring Revenue Certainty
With a lack of attractive solar power purchase agreements (PPAs) available in the market, project owners have been seeking alternative arrangements to secure long-term revenue certainty. One alternative is a
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News
How COVID-19 Crisis Response Informs Next Steps for Climate Mitigation
When the pandemic hit New York state, Gov. Andrew Cuomo began holding daily media briefings to provide updates and reassurances—and most days, he would challenge New Yorkers to learn the lessons of this
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News
Equipment Showcase: Turbomachinery
Turbines—whether powered by steam, water, natural gas, or some other fluid—are vital to the generation of electricity. Many companies in the power industry are focused on designing, manufacturing, and
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Technology
Technology in Construction: Matching Solutions to Specific Challenges
This is the last of a three-part series on technology in construction. In the May issue, Part I focused on predicting and adapting to change. Part II—in the July issue—examined choosing and implementing
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O&M
The ELECTRIC POWER Conference and Exhibition Shifts to Virtual and Changes Its Name to Reflect Expanded Content and Experiences
POWER has announced the decision to hold the ELECTRIC POWER Conference and Exhibition virtually, September 28–October 1, 2020, to safely bring the power community together, expand the event, and transition to a new name. HOUSTON, Texas, August 26, 2020 – With the health and safety of all participants and stakeholders as the number one priority, […]
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Partner Content
Steam Turbine Rotor Straightening in Abu Dhabi
Steam turbine work on the international stage can have its challenges, but also its successes. Mechanical Dynamics & Analysis (MD&A) was contracted to inspect, analyze, and then straighten a Toshiba® steam turbine rotor in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. MD&A launched its team into action for a full analysis of the issues followed by a resolution of […]
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Connected Plant
4 Ways Southeast Power’s Fleet Team Has Leveled-Up Since COVID-19
“Things keep going,” Brent Tomamichel, fleet manager of Southeast Power (Figure 1), said when asked to describe the current state of the power industry. “Our industry is unique in that way; no matter what is happening in the world, everyone needs and wants their power on.” If you’re one of the more than 1.9 million people […]
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Technology
Mobile Devices to Support the Utility Industry
Field service workers often log long hours at remote job sites where no two days are the same. To support daily tasks, whether they be at a power plant, oil rig, or other hard to access environments, advanced technologies have become more commonplace to get the job done. With the rapidly evolving nature of technology […]
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News
Good Biomass: An Inside Look at Producing Sustainable Wood Pellets
As the world combats a health pandemic, it is simultaneously fighting a drawn-out battle with climate change. As the Paris agreement reaches its fifth year, the UK, Germany, Netherlands, Japan, and other
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News
Operational Ergonomics Key to Dominion Energy Control Room Upgrade
Dominion Energy, headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, is among the nation’s largest producers and transporters of energy. To help power its communities, Dominion Energy employs 16,200 people to operate its
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Legal & Regulatory
Supreme Court Revives Most Uses of NWP 12, Amid Uncertainty
In a one-paragraph, unsigned order issued July 6, the U.S. Supreme Court reinstated most uses of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Nationwide Permit 12 (NWP 12) for pipeline and utility trenching and
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Nuclear
License Renewals Could Modernize U.S. Nuclear; Supply Base Will Need to Keep Pace
Nuclear power plants approaching license expiration are faced with three options: obtain initial license renewal to continue operations (nine U.S. units have not yet received an extension of their initial
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Connected Plant
The Role of Virtual Power Plants in a Decentralized Power Grid
Virtual power plants are becoming a driving force in the power sector. This article explains how they enable utilities and aggregators to pool production from multiple plants and distributed sources, achieving
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Business
Unlocking Big Value for Utility Piping Systems
Up to 40% of a power plant’s piping is above-ground utility piping. Choosing the right joining method can help maximize efficiencies and have an outsized impact on overall project economics. The power
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Connected Plant
Equipment Showcase: Instrumentation and Control
The power generation industry is constantly evolving, with advanced technologies becoming more ubiquitous in power plants. Along with this evolution, instrumentation and control equipment continues to be key
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News
DOE Seeks Power Sector’s Input on Bulk-Power Foreign Adversary Rules
The Department of Energy (DOE) wants the electric power industry to help the DOE draft rules that will prohibit the U.S. bulk-power electric system from using equipment sourced from, or otherwise susceptible to, harmful influence by “foreign adversaries.” Asset owners, utility operators, equipment vendors, and other interested parties can voluntarily provide information to the DOE […]
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Renewables
Keeping the ‘Clean’ in Clean Energy
Authored by Bryan Sillaman and James Alford of Hughes Hubbard In the midst of the global COVID-19 crisis, another unprecedented event took place that was largely overshadowed by more urgent, and life-threatening, circumstances. On April 20, 2020, the price of U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude oil dropped below zero dollars per barrel (bbl), plunging past […]
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News
Advantages of Dual Linear Array Probes for Corrosion Inspection
The power generation industry is among those whose aging infrastructure contributes to increased safety concerns, and can lead to costly unscheduled maintenance and shutdowns. Facilities must be vigilant about
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Hydro
Rethinking Hydropower Eligibility for State Renewable Incentive Programs
In the absence of a comprehensive federal renewable energy policy, many states have established regulatory frameworks that incentivize or require utilities to purchase or develop a percentage of renewable
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Connected Plant
Using Data Analytics to Support Asset Management and Optimization
In the competitive power market that exists today, utilities must utilize data to optimize their assets. With proper analysis, individual units, as well as fleets of plants, can balance operating costs
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O&M
Using Planning and Partnerships to Avoid Downtime
The technology and materials within hydropower plants have advanced substantially over the last century. This has required plant owners and operators to take a more proactive approach to maintenance and
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Connected Plant
Digital Strategies for Power Plant Optimization
The power generation sector has been challenged by trends in digitalization, growth of intermittent renewables, equipment performance improvements, new generation, and storage technologies. Digitalization is a
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Business
Customer Demands Drive Change in Business Models
Power customers are demanding personalized energy solutions, forcing the industry to alter business models. The leading providers of the future will be digital, agile, efficient, and highly customer-centric
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Hydrogen
At the Dawn of the Hydrogen Economy
Interest in hydrogen is growing, with demand increasing rapidly. It is clear that the next significant transformation in the energy transition will be based on the hydrogen economy, transforming green
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Business
Technology in Construction: Choosing and Implementing Solutions
In Part I of this three-part series, which was published in the May 2020 issue of POWER and titled “Technology in Construction: Predicting and Adapting to Change,” recent trends in technology adoption
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Instrumentation & Controls
How to Optimize Your Facility While Using Variable Quality Fuel Gas
The composition and heating values of fuel gas can vary from one moment in time to another. Using a Coriolis flow meter to obtain a mass flow measurement, rather than relying on a standard volume flow
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Technology
Equipment Showcase: Tools and Operational Supplies
The proper tools and operational supplies are important for the efficient operation of power plants and other industrial facilities. Such facilities each have their own combination of operations that need to
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Commentary
Competitive Markets and Environmental Goals—Yes, They Can Coexist
While the nation is rightfully consumed with responding to the COVID-19 crisis, other battles are being fought that also will have decades-long consequences. One of those involves states seeking to override
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Commentary
An Open Letter to Utility Managers and Workers: Thank You
Dear utility managers and workers, We’ve met some of you over the years, and as our employees have been sheltering in place with lights, internet, televisions, and many other modern comforts, we wanted to say thank you. Too often, energy providers only receive attention when something goes wrong. Because utilities in the U.S. are 99% […]
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POWER Insights Video Series
POWER Insights Videos POWER is proud to bring you video interviews with key members of our industry. The Amazing DIII-D Fusion Project In this installment of POWER Insights, Richard Buttery, director of experimental science for the DIII-D National Fusion Facility, was interviewed by POWER Executive Editor Aaron Larson. The DIII-D facility, operated by General Atomics for […]