The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) on Tuesday conditionally offered a $90.6 million loan guarantee to support the construction of Cogentrix of Alamosa’s Alamosa Solar Generating Project. The 30-MW (net capacity) High Concentration Solar Photovoltaic (HCPV) generation project in south-central Colorado near the city of Alamosa will source over 80% of its components from the U.S, the DOE said.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) on Tuesday said it would supply two 350-MW steam turbines for installation at two large-scale coal-fired thermal plants in Morocco planned by Jorf Lasfar Energy Co., a power plant company owned by Abu Dhabi National Energy Co. (TAQA).

The 900-MW Hatfield power project, one of the UK’s first carbon capture and storage (CCS) coal-fired projects, was revived on Monday with the purchase of Powerfuel Power Ltd. by 2Co Energy, a new company backed by private equity fund firm TPG Capital. The project has now been renamed Don Valley Power Project, and it is set to begin operations between 2015 and 2016, capturing and storing up to 5 million metric tons of carbon dioxide per year under the seabed of the North Sea.

Dominion plans to shutter two of the four units at Salem Harbor Power Station by the end of this year, and it will close the entire plant in Salem, Mass., by June 2014 because “pending environmental regulations and market conditions are making the power station uneconomical to operate,” the company announced today. The news comes on the heels of the announced closure of Dominion’s State Line Power Plant in Hammond, Ind.

Win a Vacation for Two! All ELECTRIC POWER conference delegates are eligible to enter into a drawing to win money toward a vacation for two in the continental United States. To enter, you must have each sponsoring exhibitor stamp your prize card. Stamps are located in each sponsoring company’s booth. Complete the form on the […]

How Do We Learn About Safety? The hard way—usually when somebody dies. That was one of the critical messages conveyed in the Monday preconvention workshop on "Conveyor Safety." It was also a key rationale for the session, led by Larry Goldbeck, manager of conveyor technology for Martin Engineering. In 1911, 3,539 people died handling coal […]

There’s a lot to see and learn at ELECTRIC POWER 2011, and the show guide is your key information source. In it you’ll find: An overview of the conference schedule on page 10. Session details (time, topic, presenters, and room) starting on page 14. Exhibit Hall layout on pages 44-45. Exhibitor information beginning on page 50. However, […]

On Sunday, Mexico’s labor secretary, Javier Lozano, announced that the bodies of all 14 miners had been retrieved from a coal mine in northern Mexico that collapsed last Tuesday after a methane explosion.

Japanese utility Chubu Electric Power Co. on Monday agreed to shut down all units at its Hamaoka nuclear power plant in Shizuoka Prefecture as soon as possible on safety concerns. The action includes idling Unit 4 and Unit 5, an advanced boiling water reactor that started commercial operation in 2005. The company, which is in the process of mothballing Units 1 and 2, said it would also postpone restarting Unit 3, which has been shut down for maintenance since November 2010.

 Marine energy technology firm Ocean Power Technologies (OPT) on Monday said it had begun ocean trials of the first of its new generation utility-scale PowerBuoy device, the PB150. The ocean trials are being conducted at a site approximately 33 nautical miles from Invergordon, off ScotlandÂ’s northeast coast, and are expected to last up to three months.

Dominion will at the end of next year close the 515-MW State Line Power Station in Hammond, Ind. The coal-fired plant has two units: The first fired up in 1955 and the second, in 1962.

By Kennedy Maize Washington, D.C., May 8, 2011 — Anyone who has followed energy politics in the U.S. for the past 15 years or so knows that Bill Richardson is a buffoon. Back in August 2003, following the mammoth Northeast blackout, Richardson famously said, “We are a major superpower with a third-world electrical grid.” Richardson […]

Tomorrow is the last day to preregister and save $200 for ELECTRIC POWER 2011! ELECTRIC POWER 2011 is more than a conference and trade show. Just look at all of the colocated events (for more details and registration, visit the ELECTRIC POWER website): Power Plant Management Institute: Plant managers attend this two-day event free of […]

Make the most of your time in Rosemont, Illinois at ELECTRIC POWER. The conference runs May 10 to 12, but Monday, May 9 offers several preconference workshops for in-depth professional advancement. Topics include: PRB Foundation (Conveyor Safety) Course Combustion Optimization in Utility Boilers—Performance Improvements and NOx PRB Combustible Dust—How to Perform a Process Hazard Analysis […]

See the latest power generation technology solutions by visiting the Exhibit Hall between sessions and during special show floor events. You’ll find more than 500 exhibits in one place, at one time. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to evaluate prospective suppliers. The Exhibit Hall is also a great place to network and catch up with […]

In the latest of a string of mergers in the utility sector, Exelon on Thursday said it would buy Constellation Energy in a $7.9 billion deal. The agreement would bring together Exelon’s large nuclear fleet and Constellation’s “customer-facing” business, creating a platform for growth, the companies said in a joint statement.

The North American Electric Reliability Corp. (NERC) plans to conduct a large-scale grid security exercise later this year that will involve bulk North American power system owners and operators.

The Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) on Tuesday filed draft rules with the state Legislature that could require large wood-burning power producers to meet strict greenhouse gas (GHG) emission standards before they can receive state financing. The rules were modeled on conclusions reached in a June 2010 study that burning forest trees for power is not carbon neutral.

A law signed by Governor Chris Gregoire on Friday phases out coal-fired power production in Washington State with the closure of two coal boilers at TransAlta’s Centralia power plant.

In the past week, Japan’s Prime Minister Naoto Kan and Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano separately rejected suggestions that Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) could be exempt from liability for damages at its crippled Fukushima Daiichi power plant caused by the magnitude 9 quake and 14-meter tsunami wave on March 11.

Workers are scrambling to contain highly radioactive water and prevent another explosion at the quake-devastated Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Meanwhile, the situation—which still remains “very serious,” according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)—has improved only incrementally, the chairman of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) told lawmakers.

Seventeen industry groups, including the Biomass Power Association (BPA) and U.S. Chamber of Commerce, last week petitioned the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to put on hold rules for industrial boilers while the agency reconsiders them.

Don’t miss the most important generation industry event of the year! State of the Industry speaker confirmed: John Shelk, President & CEO, Electric Power Supply Association, will deliver the State of the Industry speech before the Executive Roundtable, Tuesday morning at 8:30 a.m. What you’ll hear on Tuesday morning alone is worth the price of […]

During the show, you’ll find brief reports on selected sessions and presentations in this space. It’s no substitute for attending the sessions, but we know you can’t get to them all, so we give you a taste of tracks you might have missed. To help you plan your time at ELECTRIC POWER, consult the online […]

The ELECTRIC POWER Exhibit Hall is the real-world meet-up for the power generation industry. It’s where everyone comes together between sessions, for lunches, for receptions-and, of course, to visit a wealth of exhibits and industry vendors. Here’s just a glimpse of what you’ll find on the Exhibit Floor… Tuesday, May 10 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 […]

May 6 is the last day to save by registering for ELECTRIC POWER online! Register online today and save $200. Stay in the middle of the action. Book your hotel room now. ELECTRIC POWER has discounted hotel rooms at several different hotels, but time is running out, so make your reservation today. When you register, […]

ELECTRIC POWER conference tracks are programmed by a 100-member industry committee to ensure that session content is substantive, practical, and timely. It’s information you can use presented by people who have been in your shoes. To help you plan your time at ELECTRIC POWER, consult the online conference grid. You’ll have complete session details when […]

Do you have limited time, or do you just want to visit with hundreds of North American and international industry exhibitors? Then the Expo-Only Special Package is for you: See the latest power generation technology solutions at more than 500 exhibits. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to evaluate prospective suppliers. Attend the Keynote and CEO […]

By Kennedy Maize Washington, D.C., May 2, 2011 – The Obama administration’s response to current high gasoline prices is so 1970s…or 1980s…or 1990s…or 2000s. Been there, done that, dead end. Washington seems to be perfumed with a silliness pheromone that gets loosed in the Nation’s Capital whenever gasoline prices go up. As pump prices climb, […]

The challenges of using Powder River Basin (PRB) coal are as significant as the rewards. The subbituminous coal contains lower amounts of sulfur dioxide than bituminous coal but can be prone to combustible dust explosions if it is not properly managed. To eliminate such hazards, plant personnel need to establish best practices for the safe operation and maintenance of PRB coal-handling and -storage systems based on best available technologies.