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POWER

  • Why We Need to Be Cautious in the Shift to Gas

    There’s a lot to like about gas-fired power: Abundant fuel supplies, lower emissions, higher efficiencies. But in the rush to seize these advantages, the U.S. may risk overcommitting to a single generation resource—one with a long history of price volatility.
  • Environmental

    Gas Power Fights Uphill Battle in China

    Soon to become the world’s largest electricity market, China is also looking to ease its reliance on coal by shifting toward renewables and natural gas. But an array of roadblocks stand in the way of gas becoming a major element of the mix. 
  • Wind

    What Toothpaste and Battery Manufacturing Have in Common (Video)

    Among the early-stage energy technology projects on display at last week’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) Energy Innovation Summit were two from the Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) that have the potential to enhance a variety of battery and other power-related applications. POWER shot video demonstrations of these technologies, which are approximately three to five years from commercialization. See if you can figure out which one was inspired by striped toothpaste.

  • Environmental

    The Effect of Shale Gas on Power Generation in New England

    Generators in New England were burned in the 2000s when a fleet of new gas turbine plants couldn’t compete because of high fuel prices. But what goes around comes around, and these same plants are now pushing out oil and coal thanks to cheap shale gas and favorable regulations. 
  • Renewables

    The Spotlight on a Mexican Success Story

    Energy demand in Mexico, according to the Secretary of Energy (SENER), will increase by approximately 4% each year for the next ten years, and with it the potential for private sector growth in the industry. Download the report.

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  • Nuclear

    Too Dumb to Meter, Part 9

    As the book title Too Dumb to Meter: Follies, Fiascoes, Dead Ends, and Duds on the U.S. Road to Atomic Energy implies, nuclear power has traveled a rough road. In this POWER exclusive, we present the 16th and 17th chapters, “Uranium Rush and the New ’49ers” and “Naked Shorts at Westinghouse,” the first two chapters of the “False Scarcity and Fools for Fuels” section.

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    Waste to Energy

    Why Aren’t Construction and Demolition Wastes Considered Biomass Fuel?

    You may be surprised to learn that even with the increased demand for biomass fuels for power generation, construction and demolition fuel is classified as solid waste, not biomass. Reconsidering this designation is critical as U.S. environmental regulations tighten emission profiles for solid waste combustion units and renewable portfolio standards expand.

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    Gas

    Selecting a Combined Cycle Water Chemistry Program

    The lifeblood of the combined cycle plant is its water chemistry program. This is particularly true for plants designed for high pressures and temperatures as well as fast starts and cycling. Even though such plants are increasingly common, no universal chemistry program can be used for all of them.

  • Gas

    Should the U.S. Export Natural Gas?

    Controversy concerning natural gas exports flared the day the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) released its estimate that U.S. natural gas exports could begin in 2021.

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    Wind

    Rethinking Wind’s Impact on Emissions and Cycling Costs

    Recent reports by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and others suggest that the emissions-reducing benefits of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar may have been overstated and the cost of cycling fossil-fueled plants underestimated. These findings may change how utilities and policymakers weigh the costs and benefits of wind and solar energy.