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Legal & Regulatory
Technology Risk Insurance Broadens Power Project Financing Options
Power project financing demands are constantly changing. The current model for structuring project finance transactions began with the emergence of independent power producers (IPPs). Many IPPs only wanted to
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Commentary
Can the U.S. Nuclear Power Industry Survive?
The recent announcement by Westinghouse Electric Co. that it had filed for bankruptcy sent a shockwave through the nuclear power industry. It wasn’t a secret that the company was struggling financially as a
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Legal & Regulatory
As Community Choice Aggregation Expands, the Battle Over “Exit Fees” Intensifies
Community choice aggregation (CCA) continues to emerge as a favorite tool for towns, cities, and counties interested in pursuing local control over their energy supply, increased renewable electricity
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Hydro
Trends Suggest New Directions for Global Hydropower
While hydropower installations worldwide fell slightly in 2016 to 31.5 GW compared to 33 GW in 2015, the sector marked a colossal jump in pumped storage installations last year, the International Hydropower
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Nuclear
Indonesia Considers Thorium Molten Salt Reactors
Power-short Indonesia has been mulling building a nuclear power plant for nearly 15 years, and it is exploring a number of novel options, including high-temperature gas-cooled reactors (HTGRs) and a thorium
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Gas
POWER Digest
UK Gives First Consent for Hinkley Point C EPRs. The UK’s Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) on March 27 gave its approval to allow a consortium to begin placing structural concrete for a series of
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Geothermal
One of World’s Largest Geothermal Units Begins Operations in Indonesia
The first of three 110-MW units at the $1 billion Sarulla geothermal power plant in Indonesia’s North Sumatra province commenced commercial operation this March. When the next two units come online as
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Renewables
After Blackout, South Australia Wrests Control of Its Power Security
Freshly reeling from a statewide blackout, South Australia’s government in March released an energy plan that seeks to cut its reliance on an electricity interconnector with eastern Australia that feeds the
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O&M
Reducing Cycling Damage to Combined Cycle Steam Turbines
Cycling a combined cycle plant places additional stresses on all equipment, but the impacts extend beyond the gas turbine and heat recovery steam generator. Plant owners and managers are beginning to see
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Connected Plant
Facilitating Predictive Maintenance of Electrical Assets with Pervasive Sensing Strategies
Continuous condition-based monitoring of electrical conductors and insulation is an effective way to reduce required plant maintenance activities, cut operating costs, and prevent unplanned shutdowns
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O&M
Enhanced Boiler Defense Strategies for an Aging Coal Fleet
Cyclic operating conditions can be problematic for many coal-fired power plants that were designed to run as baseload units. Implementing a combustion and boiler performance management program can help ensure
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O&M
Strategies for Small Hydro Upgrades
Small hydro is becoming big business as ongoing technological advances make more small sites economic to exploit. Older plants can also see substantial output and efficiency gains by upgrading from decades-old
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O&M
Simplify Outage Planning to Increase Collaboration
Many elaborate planning tools are available to help managers prepare for power plant outages. However, there is something to be said for keeping things simple. One modest tool that some NRG Energy facilities
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O&M
The Oft-Neglected Isolated Phase Bus Deserves Your Attention
A power plant’s isolated phase bus is generally reliable, and therefore, maintenance is frequently overlooked. However, the system is too important to neglect. Assessing its condition during minor outages
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Environmental
Whether Man-Made or Not, Global Warming Is a Problem
I recently bought a house in southwestern Florida, but not without some reservations. Don’t get me wrong, I love the palm trees and sandy beaches, but what worries me is the area’s sea-level trend, as
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Connected Plant
Cybersecurity: Keeping Current on a Moving Target
What it means to have a secure energy generating facility has changed in recent years as the threat of cyberattacks grows. As the nation’s energy sector becomes increasingly interconnected, it is more
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O&M
Who Has the World’s Most Efficient Coal Power Plant Fleet?
A comparison of coal power plant fleets from China, the European Union (EU), Japan, and the U.S. by the International Energy Agency’s (IEA’s) Clean Coal Centre yields surprising insights into efforts these
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Legal & Regulatory
U.S. Nuclear: From Hope to Despair
A decade ago, the annual Platts nuclear energy conference in Washington was brimming with optimism over a coming “nuclear renaissance,” as licensing requests poured into the Nuclear Regulatory Commission
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Renewables
POWER Digest (April 2017)
Russia Marks Milestone with Commercial Operation of Third-Generation Reactor. After nearly a decade of construction, the first advanced third-generation VVER-1200 nuclear reactor began commercial operation on
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Commentary
Reports of the Electric Grid’s Death Have Been Greatly Exaggerated
There have been numerous pronouncements recently about the upcoming demise of the bulk power grid as consumers are projected to move toward decentralized green energy sources. We don’t believe that the end
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Coal
China’s Nuclear Expansion Mired in Overcapacity
China has brought 24 of its 36 operating nuclear reactors online at a breakneck pace since 2010, but there are signs it may roll out future plants that are still under construction more slowly, owing in part
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IIOT Power
New Approaches for Transformer Operation and Maintenance
Technology advancements and new regulatory requirements could reshape how power plant owners operate and maintain large power transformers. Experts outline emerging strategies and call attention to overlooked
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Nuclear
India Gears Up to Expand Fast Breeder Reactor Fleet
India’s Department of Atomic Energy, the entity responsible for research, construction, and operation of the country’s nuclear power reactors, will build two prototype fast-breeder reactors (PFBRs) at
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Renewables
A Wrap-Up of the Energy Union’s Second Year
Two years after the Energy Union was launched as a strategy to help the European Union (EU) provide secure, sustainable, competitive, and affordable energy, the 28-member bloc is seeing a precipitous drop in
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O&M
Dissimilar-Metal Weld Is a Misnomer
Most combined cycle professionals understand that a joint between grade 91 steel and an austenitic stainless steel is considered a dissimilar-metal weld. For that reason, it requires special welding
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O&M
Using Rotor-In Major Inspections to Shorten Outages and Drive Safety
Today, some F-class operators continue to opt for rotor-out major inspections, which are cumbersome and inefficient. They involve complex lifts and moves of the rotor, as well as the need for substantial space
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Legal & Regulatory
The Future of Clean Energy Is Dependent on States and Utilities
U.S. coal production in 2016 reached its lowest level since 1978. However, in its Annual Energy Outlook published in February 2017, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) expects coal-fired power to
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Connected Plant
The Future Is Now: Connected Power Plants Are Here
New technology is being used throughout the power industry to improve plant efficiency, predict trouble with degrading equipment, forecast weather trends, and train workers. A recent conference hosted by POWER
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LINEAR POSITION SENSOR PG SERIES DESIGNED FOR STEAM TURBINE VALVE CONTROL SYSTEMS
MOORESTOWN, N.J.- February 27, 2017 The Alliance Sensors Group PG Series LVDT linear position sensors are designed and engineered specifically for valve position sensing applications for steam turbine control systems in electric power generation plants. Previously, the LVDTs used in the power generation industry were either designed by OEMs over 40 years ago, or are […]
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Finance
New and Improved Insurance Offerings Provide Power Plants with More Options
Risk is inherent in all businesses, but power plants face unique perils that require the right protection. Property and casualty insurance may not be enough; equipment breakdown, business interruption, weather risk transfer, and cyber coverage are just a few examples of insurance that may also be worth considering. The right coverage could mean the difference […]