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Renewables
Developments in Energy Storage Could Spell the End of the Duck Curve
The duck curve is named for its resemblance to a duck, with its peaks and valleys highlighting the effect solar production has on the power demanded from thermal generators and hydropower resources throughout
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Press Releases
Equipment Showcase: Boilers, Burners, Combustion
Boiler and burner manufacturers, along with those who supply combustion control systems, work with a variety of industries, providing power generation to commercial, industrial, and residential sites. A 2017
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Commentary
Why the EPA’s Proposed Coal Ash Rule Is Concerning
Over the past decade, together with my students and colleagues at Duke University and other academic institutions, I have conducted scientific research and published 13 scientific articles on different aspects
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Commentary
The Power Grid’s Great Transition
POWER has been reporting for many years on changes taking place in the power generation mix around the globe. Renewable energy, such as wind and solar generation, has been growing steadily in most parts of the
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Renewables
Hybrid Energy Storage System Gets First-of-Its-Kind Certification
Geothermal energy is a growth business. Several countries, such as Kenya and Indonesia, are rich in geothermal resources, and others such as Chile, Mexico, and the Philippines are looking to rapidly develop
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IIOT Power
DOE Announces New Efforts in Energy Sector Cybersecurity
On May 14, 2018, the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Electricity Delivery & Energy Reliability released its Multiyear Plan for Energy Sector Cybersecurity (“Plan”). The Plan is significantly guided by DOE’s 2006 Roadmap to Secure Control Systems in the Energy Sector and 2011 Roadmap to Achieve Energy Delivery Systems Cybersecurity. Taken together with DOE’s […]
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Commentary
Have a Seat: Welcoming Women to the Energy Sector
In addition to the record-breaking number of women running for office, we are also seeing an uptick in women getting involved within the energy sector—an industry long dominated by men. Although the energy sector still remains one of the least gender-diverse sectors, more and more women are creating green energy initiatives, founding renewable energy companies, […]
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O&M
How the Middle East Is Transforming Its Power and Water Industry
Global demand for power and water is accelerating—and the Middle East is no exception. A burgeoning population combined with multiple industrial diversification programs is fueling a boom in power and water projects. During the first three quarters of 2017, about $30 billion of major power contracts and $20 billion of water projects were awarded across […]
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O&M
Putting a HALT to Hazardous Hopper Maintenance
Those responsible for the operation or maintenance of thermal plant boilers know there is nothing trivial about hopper ash buildup. At a minimum, plugging can lead to decreased output, unscheduled maintenance
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Connected Plant
Looking to the Cloud for Energy and Power Sector Security
Malware-based attacks against utilities and power plants are increasing six-fold according to a recent federal report. Power plants have become an appealing target because of a lack of detection and monitoring
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Legal & Regulatory
Challenges for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in Licensing Accident Tolerant Fuel
After the meltdowns at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in March 2011, Congress directed the Department of Energy (DOE) to support development of new fuel designs that could tolerate loss-of-cooling
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Legal & Regulatory
Upheaval and Innovation in Wastewater Management
Regulatory uncertainty, changing resources, and an industrywide drive to cut costs and boost flexibility and efficiency are among a growing list of challenges that are prompting new approaches to treat power
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Water
Bringing New Life to Industrial Wastewater
As water demand soars in every corner of the world amid widespread drought and water scarcity concerns, recovery and recycling of wastewater is increasingly becoming a valuable solution to alleviate pressures
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Renewables
Power Mix Comes Down to Cost
It’s not a secret that the North American power mix is changing. Renewable energy and natural gas are picking up market share while coal-fired generation shrinks and nuclear power remains stagnant at best
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Renewables
Offshore Wind May Finally Be Here (Really)
New low prices for offshore wind energy projects in Europe have excited policymakers up and down the East Coast about prospects in the U.S. and emboldened some to finally pull the trigger on long-mooted plans
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O&M
Offshore Wind Has Taken Off in Europe
A sharp surge in new, larger offshore wind installations in Europe throughout 2017 dramatically shows the viability of a technology that has truly come of age. As costs fall and generation capacity increases
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IIOT Power
Immersive Visual Environments, Advanced Analytics Drive Operational Optimization
As data volume, variety, and velocity continue to accelerate, power plant operators increasingly encounter situations where 2-D desktop data visualization is insufficient to convey context for advanced
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O&M
Basics of Sound and Noise Propagation
According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, 22 million people—including nearly all power plant workers—are exposed to potentially damaging noise at work each year in the U.S. Hearing
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Coal
Equipment Showcase: Continuous Emissions Monitoring Systems and Gas Analyzers
A continuous emissions monitoring system (CEMS) is required in the U.S. under Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations to continuously collect, record, and report emissions data. CEMS are used to
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Commentary
The Nuclear Waste Impasse Can Only Be Resolved by the Public
The more I review the Yucca Mountain political boondoggle, the more I am convinced the stalemate will have to be resolved through a grassroots public campaign. At the outset of the Yucca startup, the
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Nuclear
Could Advanced Reactor Technology Save the Nuclear Industry?
Constructing a new nuclear power plant is a massive undertaking. It involves years of planning and countless hurdles just to get the necessary regulatory approval to break ground. Once physical work begins
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Coal
German Giants Swap Assets and Reshape Energy Sector
Germany’s electricity sector faced a renewed, violent shakeup in March as two of its biggest utilities, E.ON and RWE, announced a complex asset exchange that experts said points to the death of the
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Renewables
Vattenfall Pioneers Innovative Offshore Wind Foundations
The first commercial-scale suction bucket jacket foundation has been installed at Vattenfall’s 11-turbine European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre (EOWDC) in Scotland. The pioneering foundation, which weighs
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Commentary
Turning Hindsight into Foresight for U.S. Energy Infrastructure
A transformation is underway in the energy sector where utility grid infrastructure is evolving to produce more energy from renewable sources and incorporate new advanced grid technologies. Technology concepts such as microgrids, and distributed and district energy help to localize our energy supply and allow us to generate, store, and consume energy in the places […]
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Nuclear
Accident-Tolerant Fuels Could Be a Boon for Nuclear Industry
Following a planned outage, Unit 1 at the Edwin I. Hatch Nuclear Plant near Baxley in southeastern Georgia returned to service in early March outfitted with first-of-their-kind accident tolerant fuel (ATF)
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O&M
Automated Tools Improve Hydroblasting Productivity and Safety
Just a decade ago, a hydroblasting contractor was considered cutting-edge if he owned a spinning nozzle for his shotgun and a 2-D tank cleaning tool. Now, the next evolution in hydroblasting technologies is
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O&M
Electric Co-op Shines a Light on Rack Selection
Clay Electric Cooperative was determined to dramatically improve its logistics, reliability, and productivity, even before the Florida member-owned utility set out to build a new warehouse to consolidate
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Commentary
Market Barriers Eased for Energy Storage Resources
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) adopted a final rule on February 15 (Order No. 841) that facilitates the direct participation of electric storage resources in centralized markets operated by
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Coal
Gaining Steam: Combined Heat and Power
There are increasing schemes in Europe to use marginally profitable gas-fired power plants to also generate heat for cities, and for good reason. Lausward Power Plant’s Fortuna Unit—POWER’s 2016 Plant of
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Renewables
Williamson College of the Trades Energy Island: Time-Honored Innovation
Williamson College of the Trades’ Power Plant Technology program provides hands-on training for learners within its student-run power plant—known as the “Energy Island.” Through the program, students