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O&M
Consider Automated Machine Learning for Wind Turbine Asset Maintenance
The potential financial benefits from Industry 4.0 are apparent to plant owners in almost all sectors. The wind power industry is no exception, and existing vendors such as GE (Predix/Digital Windfarm)
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Legal & Regulatory
New York Net Metering Is Not “Smart” Enough for the Grid of the Future
On March 9, 2017, the New York Public Service Commission (NYPSC) issued an order announcing a transition from a traditional net energy metering (NEM) compensation mechanism for certain energy resources to a
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Gas
The Highly Efficient Workhorse of Brunswick County
Dominion Energy’s massive new natural gas-fired combined cycle power plant in Freeman, Virginia, has been servicing customers since April 2016. In its first year online, the plant carried roughly 10% of
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Gas
World’s Most-Efficient Combined Cycle Plant: EDF Bouchain
When you bring two power giants together to develop a new breed of combined cycle gas turbine plant, you expect the results to be pretty good. When EDF and GE installed the first commercial 9HA gas turbine in
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Coal
Grand Resilience: How a State Agency Pioneered Gas Technology and Bolstered Critical Supply
Unit 3 at the Grand River Energy Center in Chouteau, Oklahoma, was the Grand River Dam Authority’s first construction project in 30 years. Yet, the team put this distinct project—one of the largest and
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Gas
Growing Community Seeks Attractive Power Plant
Nestled near the center of Shakopee, Minnesota, is the Minnesota Municipal Power Agency’s (MMPA’s) Shakopee Energy Park. The plant, a 46-MW natural gas-fueled reciprocating engine facility, powers the city
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Gas
Two SCE Gas-Battery Hybrid Projects Revolutionize Peaker Performance
For deploying a novel, groundbreaking gas-battery hybrid technology along with environmentally significant upgrades within a tight installment window, and despite logistical hurdles, Southern California
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International
What It Takes to Be a POWER-ful Woman
It’s no secret that women are underrepresented in the energy industry. According to the Department of Energy, less than a quarter of U.S. workers in the electric power generation field are women, compared to
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O&M
Upgraded Boiler Feedwater Pump Improves Efficiency and Adds Flexibility
Times have changed. Not long ago, baseload units came online and went straight to full load for days on end. Now, those same units are being asked to cycle operations to accommodate for variable renewable
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Research and Development
Useful Tips for Designing Thermal Insulation Systems
Thermal insulation is installed on almost every piping system and much of the plant equipment at power generation facilities. It not only saves energy, but also protects workers, reduces noise, helps protect
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Commentary
Fuel Cells: Key to Our Electric Energy Future
For more than 20 years, I have been championing the use of fuel cell powered cars to connect the natural gas distribution network of this country with the electric distribution network, making them partners in
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Renewables
Could Success Spoil ISO-NE?
Independent System Operator-New England celebrated its 20th anniversary last July with a solid record in its energy and capacity markets, turning around a fragmented regional electric system. Can it repeat
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O&M
3-D Laser Scanning of Nuclear Plant Piping Systems Reduces Radiation Exposure
It’s no secret that high-radiation areas are scattered throughout nuclear power plant facilities. The challenge is getting work done in those areas while keeping exposure to workers as low as possible. On
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Commentary
The Impact of Alternative Energy on Electricity Pricing
The rise of some sources of alternative energy such as renewables, storage, energy efficiency, and demand response, and decline in others—specifically nuclear—will continue to impact regional gas and
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Commentary
Is Natural Gas Threatening Grid Reliability?
If you’ve been paying attention to the power markets in recent years, you know that merchant coal and nuclear power plants are struggling to compete against natural gas-fired generation and renewable
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Renewables
China Connects Panda-Shaped Solar Plant to the Grid
In late June, Panda Green Energy Group Limited connected the first-ever panda bear-shaped solar plant to the grid. The plant, which is currently in its testing phase, is only the beginning. “This is the
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O&M
Three Companies Evaluate Natural Gas Unit Conversion to Hydrogen for Carbon Capture
Three major firms want to evaluate the possibility of converting a natural gas–fired power plant in the Netherlands into a hydrogen-powered plant to possibly capture its carbon emissions. Statoil
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Coal
Canadian Carbon Price Hits a Wall in Saskatchewan
If the province of Saskatchewan does not join Canada’s carbon pricing scheme, it will be unable to benefit from the nation’s recently announced Low Carbon Economy Fund. Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall said
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Renewables
POWER Digest (August 2017)
Rosatom Gets Approval to Proceed with Turkish Reactors. Turkey’s energy watchdog EPDK in mid-June gave Russia’s state-owned nuclear entity Rosatom the green light to proceed with construction of the $20
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O&M
The Importance of Maintaining Fly Ash Hopper Bin Level Monitoring
The power industry has a critical need to measure the bin level inside fly ash hoppers under electrostatic precipitators (ESPs). The inherent problem associated with these hoppers is that they are usually
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Commentary
Baseload Regulation in a Post-Clean Power Plan World
The relationship between affordable and reliable electric power and the economy, standard of living, and physical well being of Americans is beyond doubt. In the past several years, the burden of environmental
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O&M
Flexibility, Efficiency, and Low Emissions Make Repowered Facility a Success
The Glenarm Power Plant has been keeping the lights on around Pasadena, California, for more than 110 years. The historic site has expanded over time and has included a total of 17 different power generation
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O&M
Closed Circuit Reverse Osmosis System Squeezes Money Savings Out of Water Management
In water-strapped California, managing power plant water usage is more important than ever. Southern California Edison implemented novel closed circuit reverse osmosis systems at five of its gas-fired
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O&M
Ameren’s TAC Microgrid Seamlessly Integrates Distributed Energy Resources
The microgrid installation at the Ameren Illinois Technology Applications Center (TAC) near the University of Illinois campus in Champaign—designed, engineered, and constructed by S&C Electric Co. of
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History
Microgrids: An Old Concept Could Be New Again
Self-contained, small islands of electric generation, storage and distribution inside the existing grid–microgrids–could be the next big thing in electricity. But some argue they may be just another
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Coal
Market Dynamics Are Complicated as Coal Battles Natural Gas
Several factors favor natural gas when it comes to the future of U.S. power generation. But other forces, such as power demand, energy efficiency, and the impact of renewables, make it a complex fray. Let’s
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O&M
Stepping Up Cybersecurity: Power Producers Move Ahead
The energy sector has been hit with almost one-third of the cyberattacks against U.S. industrial facilities in recent years. It is among the top issues, along with reliability, environmental regulations, and
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O&M
A Proactive Program to Mitigate Coal Dust Reduces the Risk of Explosions
Coal, by its very nature, is a dusty fuel. That poses a serious risk at coal-fired power plants, because coal dust can be highly explosive. However, actions can be taken to reduce the risk. Implementing strict
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Coal
Researchers: Power Plant Carbon-Capturing Calcium Carbonate Looping Technology Almost Market-Ready
A novel demonstration underway at Technische Universität Darmstadt (TU Darmstadt), a research university in Darmstadt, Germany, has shown a calcium carbonate looping (CCL) technology retrofitted at existing