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Renewables
Decarbonization: Utilities Leading the Way
Decarbonization is a word that seems to be used quite regularly these days. For the power industry, it refers to the shift in electric generating resources from carbon-heavy coal to carbon-free nuclear or
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Connected Plant
Unlocking Value at the Grid-Edge: Extending the Reach of the Utility Control Room
Just 10 years ago, the magnitude of behind-the-meter distributed energy resources (DERs) at the edge of the grid was not materially significant. All that has changed, and we’re now at an inflection point: by
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News
Worm Gear Technology Helps CSP Plant Stay Locked on Target
Solar power generation continues to increase, with forecasts from BloombergNEF (BNEF) calling for global solar generation to make up 22% of the world’s electricity by 2050, up from about 2% today. BNEF has
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Commentary
International Business: Before You Enter a New Market, Do Your Due Diligence
As an attorney who has spent the majority of his career litigating and settling international commercial disputes, I have experienced several instances where U.S. companies jump at the opportunity to expand
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Coal
Smarter Monitoring for Coal Ash Remediation
Total suspended solids probe can help coal-fired power plants reduce compliance risks and avoid additional sampling. Water plays an essential role in coal ash remediation, but managing that process often comes
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Coal
Is Chasing Grid Demand Killing Your Large Coal Boiler? Here Are Four Concerns to Address
Operating pulverized coal-fired boilers under low-load conditions presents several challenges. This article offers tips to keep units in the best possible operating condition. In today’s energy market with
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News
Protecting Critical Infrastructure from Drone Intrusions
Drones represent a classic good news/bad news scenario. The good news is great. The bad news is terrifying. On the good news front, drones can keep utility-sector workers safely on the ground, with the
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IIOT
EAM Solutions Stretch Capabilities of Lean Plant Maintenance Teams
Of the many challenges power and industrial plant maintenance teams face, stretching the capabilities of their ultra-lean staff is one of the most critical. Assets can range from industrial generators, to
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Commentary
Hydrocarbon Molecules Know No Borders: The U.S.-Mexico Natural Gas Dilemma
Natural gas traders once spoke of the North American continent as a potential seamless natural gas trading market, where market synergies could be perfected and hydrocarbon molecules could flow freely to the
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Business
Public vs. Private: The Debate Continues
In the September issue of POWER , I wrote about a public utility (JEA) that is exploring privatization, and in October, I looked at a city (Boulder, Colorado) that is exploring municipalization. While I think
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Nuclear
Extended Power Uprate Is a Winning Strategy for Nuclear Plant
The Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant completed an extended power uprate (EPU) that increased the total capacity of the facility’s three units by about 465 MW. The addition is an important part of the Tennessee
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News
Equipment Showcase: Boilers, Burners, Combustion
Boiler and burner manufacturers, along with suppliers of combustion control systems, work with the power generation sector along with other industries. They provide equipment for low- and high-pressure steam
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News
France Scraps Fast Nuclear Reactor Demonstration
France’s nuclear research agency, Commissariat à l’énergie atomique (CEA), in September confirmed it abandoned plans to build a prototype Advanced Sodium Technological Reactor for Industrial
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Connected Plant
Evolutionary Triumph: China’s First ACPR1000
Completion of the first ACPR1000 reactor at Yangjiang 5 within a mere 58 months marks a major achievement for China’s lengthy efforts to commercialize the first-of-its-kind 1,000-MW evolutionary
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News
Is Small Beautiful? Maybe Not When It Comes to Wind Power
Wind power has become a major electric generating source in the U.S. and elsewhere, based on the reality that this renewable energy technology, beloved of the environmental community that has long embraced the
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Fuel
Dependable Renewable Energy for the Power Grid
Although wind and solar facilities receive most of the renewable power publicity, biomass offers a reliable baseload solution for power generators. State-of-the-art circulating fluidized bed boilers are a
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News
The Future of Energy
The future of energy is electric. It is a future that is evolving rapidly, bringing significant changes. Traditional suppliers are scrambling to stake their claims and remain relevant. Market trends point
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News
Operating HRSGs with Elevated Feedwater pH
Cycle-chemistry guidelines for combined cycle power plants have changed over the years, with pH frequently maintained between 9.6 and 10.0 today. That can cause problems with condensate polisher operation
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News
When the Storm Strikes, Will You Be Ready?
Is your plant’s natural disaster preparedness plan leaving your site vulnerable? This article provides some best practices to help you prepare for the worst. At some point in a plant’s life, there will
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Connected Plant
Innovative Technology Captures Energy from Waste Heat
Fuel- and emission-free generators convert low-grade waste heat from diesel generators into power. In 2014, three organic Rankine cycle (ORC) generators were installed to turn the waste heat from three diesel
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News
Stranded Nuclear Asset Provides Opportunity for Seawater Pumped Storage
The closure of the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station in 2013 left a stranded coastal asset. However, the existing transmission infrastructure, site control, and geographic topology make it an ideal site
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News
2019 POWER Top Plant Award Winners
Coal-fired See our August 2019 issue for stories covering these plants: University of Alaska-Fairbanks combined heat and power plant, Fairbanks, Alaska Tufanbeyli Thermal Power Plant, Tufanbeyli, Adana Province, Turkey Healy Unit 2, Healy, Alaska Four Corners Generating Station, Farmington, New Mexico Rheinhafen Dampfkraftwerk Block 8, Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg, Germany Renewables See our September 2019 issue for stories covering […]
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Markets
Distress and Deals Continue to Persist in Energy Sector
At the end of last year, the power market began to lose steam. The credit market wasn’t as strong as it was at the start of the year and many people began speculating “doom and gloom” for the market. However, over the last few months, the power market has picked up and is beginning to […]
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Instrumentation & Controls
How Remote Operation Centers Can Help Companies Transition
The energy industry is currently moving from a traditional, highly regulated production model dominated by electricity utilities to a decentralized, deregulated model featuring a higher proportion of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power. With subsidies in decline, renewables are reaching grid parity—with costs equal to or less than traditional sources. Not surprisingly, […]
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Distributed Power
Show Preview: Distributed Energy Conference 2019
POWER magazine’s second Distributed Energy Conference will build upon the success of the inaugural event, a sold-out program that brought together utilities, energy industry executives, and companies from across the spectrum of distributed power generation. Insiders from the wind and solar sectors, along with operators of backup and emergency power systems, combined heat and power, […]
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News
POWER Digest—October 2019
First Unit at 2-GW Coal Plant in Malaysia Begins Operation. The first of two proposed 1-GW coal-fired power plants in Port Dickson, Negi Sembilan, Malaysia, began commercial operation on Aug. 22, expanding
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Distributed Power
Almost No Heat Is Wasted at This Highly Efficient German CHP Facility
This modern Bavarian factory produces 105,000 tons of wood pellets, enough to heat tens of thousands of homes. To help manufacture them, it integrates a uniquely designed combined heat and power facility that
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News
A Busy Summer for New Nuclear Power Plants
Several new nuclear plants around the world marked important milestones over the summer. Among notable projects are those that began second units of new third-generation reactor designs—such as the EPR
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Business
Public vs. Private: The Boulder Case
In my “Speaking of Power” column last month, I explained that JEA, a community-owned utility in northeast Florida, is contemplating privatization. One of the reasons JEA is considering the change is that
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Gas
DLN Upgrade Helps Gas Turbines Meet ‘Blue Sky’ Requirements
Power plants around the world are being tasked with reducing emissions. In China, Shenzhen Nanshan Power Plant installed an innovative dry low-NOx upgrade on its gas turbines, helping the units meet