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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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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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Safety
Personal Protective Equipment Vending Simplifies Employee Safety
By many indicators, working in the power sector today is safer than it’s ever been. In 2014, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) found that utilities had a lower fatal work injury
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Infographics
Advanced Turbine Dynamics Monitoring System Proven Effective
Grid behavior in today’s power generation environment is a stochastic system that is more variable than in the past. One common issue is the response to economic dispatch, in which formerly baseload thermal
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Commentary
FERC Civil Penalty Order Underscores Need for Companies to Invest in Compliance Training
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approved a settlement with GDF SUEZ Energy Marketing NA Inc. (GSEMNA) in February 2017, in which GSEMNA agreed to pay civil penalties of $41 million and disgorge
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Coal
Improved Maintenance Strategy and Excellent Planning Turns Coal Plant into a Top Performer
Southern Co.’s Plant Scherer was chosen as the 2017 Powder River Basin Coal Users’ Group Plant of the Year based on a rigorous selection criteria, including safety, fire protection, and risk reduction
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Coal
Retrofitting Electrostatic Precipitators to Meet Current Emission Limits
Electrostatic precipitators (ESPs) offer a tried-and-true technology for particulate matter control. However, existing ESPs can be challenged to meet the latest regulatory requirements. Retrofitting power
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Infographics
Humboldt Bay Generating Station: A Case Study in Emissions Control Troubleshooting
It can be a challenge to keep emissions in check while operating dual-fuel reciprocating engine technology during low-load conditions. However, doing so is especially important under California’s strict
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Infographics
New Capture Technology Holds Key to Reaching Carbon Emissions Targets
Some naysayers have argued that developing carbon capture technology for use on fossil-fueled power plants is pure folly. But research and pilot tests have continued nonetheless, and various solutions have
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Legal & Regulatory
Particle Sizing in Emissions Samples by Scanning Electron Microscopy
With low particulate loading common in stack emissions these days, particulate matter measurement can be difficult using traditional techniques. Microscopical measurement of particle-size distributions offers
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Infographics
Technological Advancements in Cooling Water Treatment
Regulatory agencies are becoming more and more critical of phosphorus-based water treatment chemicals because they can have a negative impact on lakes and waterways. In the past, treating cooling water with
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Renewables
MISO: Avoiding the Mess Facing Other Wholesale Competitive Electric Markets
The Midcontinent Independent System Operator’s (MISO’s) geographic footprint extends down the middle of the U.S. Because of the structure of its market, MISO has artfully avoided some nasty policy and
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Renewables
European Pumped Storage Plants Are in Crisis
A number of baseload generators across Europe have decried the fall in average European wholesale power prices, which some peg to additions of subsidized low-marginal-cost renewable generation to an already
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Infographics
How China Is on the Leading Edge of Environmental Technologies
Coal proponents and climate skeptics often cite China’s current and future reliance on coal power to bolster talking points. What is little discussed is the recent, massive transformation of China’s vast
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Legal & Regulatory
Foggy Resolution for Russia-Ukraine Gas Spat from Arbitration Court
Beyond the bitter disputes that have recently cropped up between Ukraine and Russia concerning Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea and the subsequent separatist violence in Ukraine’s Donbass region
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Renewables
The Latest in Thermal Energy Storage
As renewables gain a greater foothold in the energy system, the importance of energy storage is going to increase in kind. With the ongoing gradual shift away from traditional baseload energy sources, the