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Commentary
EU’s Green Policies in Retreat
EU leaders are beginning to comprehend that there is a practical limit to their dogged pursuit of reducing carbon emissions: their customers’ ability to pay their energy bills each month.
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Coal
EIA: Gas and Coal to Remain Competitive Through 2040
Despite the challenge of burgeoning gas supplies and sustained lower prices, the EIA projects that coal and gas generation will continue jockeying for the lead in the dispatch order for the next few decades. -
Commentary
The New Permit for Old Power Plants
Beware the letter from the Environmental Protection Agency asking seemingly innocuous questions about your plant.
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Commentary
Two Polar Bear Decisions in Two Weeks
Protecting polar bears was the subject of two recent legal rulings. The courts ensured the bears remain protected but also closed to door to those wanting to use the Endangered Species laws to effect new greenhouse gas rules.
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O&M
Fire Protection Guidelines for Handling and Storing PRB Coal
Operators familiar with the unique requirements of burning Powder River Basin (PRB) coal will tell you that it’s not a case of “if” you will have a PRB coal fire, it’s “when.”
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O&M
Give Your Plant a Dust Control Tune-Up
Every piece of equipment that transports or processes coal creates some level of particulate matter. Having a strategy for coal dust management in your plant is essential.
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O&M
Save Money Using High-Efficiency Motors
Electric motors are the largest energy consumer within a typical industrial plant. Motors also present the greatest opportunity to reduce auxiliary loads, particularly those with high usage factors.
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Coal
Australia’s New Energy Paradigm
Investments into Australia’s power sector enable the industry to meet the collective goal of becoming a cleaner, greener nation. Download the report.
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O&M
Repower or Build a New Combined Cycle Unit?
URS recently performed a combined cycle repowering study to determine the feasibility and economics of repowering an existing steam turbine that went into service in the 1950s. The competing option was building a new combined cycle unit. The results of the study provide insight for others considering the same alternatives.
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Instrumentation & Controls
Troubleshooting and Solving Poor Control Loop Performance
Only through proper troubleshooting and then solving the underlying problems can control loop performance be improved. Process design certainly plays a role in control loop performance, but experience has shown that the majority of control loops can perform better—provided that the root cause of the poor performance is found and corrected.