Falling prices and technological improvements have brought battery storage systems into direct competition with traditional distributed generation, demand response, and peaking generation resources. But making one work efficiently and profitably is not just plug and play.   Last fall, Southern California Edison (SCE) had some big decisions to make. The giant utility, which serves 14 […]

Renewable generation may be the most talked-about form of distributed power these days. However, historically, engine- and turbine-based smaller-scale generation—strategically located where needed by loads or for grid support—has supplied valuable distributed power. For many reasons, the roles for distributed power provided by rotating and reciprocating equipment continue to increase. The U.S. utility industry is […]

As I write this column at the beginning of spring, I have two kinds of spring fever: excitement about warming temperatures that bring spring flowers and the “hay fever” caused by tree pollens. I have mixed feelings about spring. I mention this only because the power industry is experiencing a spring fever of its own. […]

The digital economy has changed the way we shop for clothing, travel, communicate with friends and family, consume news, and watch television—among so many other things. But the innovative potential of the digital economy has not yet found a place within the electric system. With that important goal in mind, New York has embarked on […]

The wireless transmission of power by microwave over long distances is viable, Japanese technology firm Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) has proved in a recent ground demonstration test. The company has been developing the new technology for use in space solar power systems (SSPS)—which it says will be “the power generation systems of the future.” As […]

When many older plants were built, steel and cast iron piping were common materials used underground. Although these materials have proven to have long, useful lives, improvements in plastics offer additional alternatives today. An understanding of best practices for inspecting and servicing buried piping will help you keep systems operating as designed.  Most, if not […]

After adding a 280-MW geothermal power complex to its grid last year, Kenya is producing most of its power from geothermal sources, says the state-owned Kenya Electricity Generating Co. (KenGen). This February, the East African country formally inaugurated the last phase of the Olkaria geothermal power complex, which comprised the 140-MW Olkaria IV plant and […]

ALLETE Inc., a Minnesota holding company known mostly for its Minnesota Power subsidiary, is making a major strategic transition into the broader world of energy services, exemplified by its recent purchase of U.S. Water Services. At the same time, Minnesota Power, which previously transitioned from hydro to coal, now is shifting to a portfolio of […]

Europe—and especially Germany—has been struggling with how best to integrate large amounts of renewable generation while maintaining grid stability. While considerable attention has been devoted to expanding national transmission systems, new links between those national grids are growing in importance. The biggest project so far took a step forward when, on March 19, the consortium […]

Given the costs and other concerns about currently available technologies for capturing and storing carbon dioxide from fossil-fueled power plants, interest in new technologies remains high. Here’s a look at some potentially promising approaches that are advancing the technology frontier.  Frontiers represent the boundary between the known and the unknown. As researchers attempt to push […]

When it was erected in 1889 (seven years after POWER magazine was founded), the iconic iron-lattice Eiffel Tower was meant to serve as the entrance arch of the World’s Fair—and designed to stand only 20 years, about the lifetime of a wind tower. Some 126 years and several renovations later, the Paris landmark has evolved […]

Advocates for the continued reliance on coal for baseload electricity cheered late last year when North America’s largest power-related carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) facility was commissioned. Since then, that pool of advocates is evaporating as prominent electricity industry decision-makers publicly distance themselves from coal and champion alternatives for a low- or no-carbon future. If […]

NRC Advances Design Certification of Westinghouse SMR, South Korea’s APR1400. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) on Feb. 27 approved Westinghouse Electric Co.’s testing approach for its small modular reactor (SMR) design—a “significant” step that the Toshiba Corp. company said will reduce the time ultimately needed to obtain design certification. By granting a safety evaluation report […]

How to give electricity customers who can’t take advantage of rooftop solar access to the sun? Community solar—a shared resource—is a fast-growing segment of the renewable energy market, making solar photovoltaic power more accessible while offering another approach to distributed generation. Mention “solar energy” and the image that probably comes to mind is an array […]

The Egypt Economic Development Conference (EEDC) in Sharm El-Sheikh resulted in some big agreements for the Egyptian government, including a reported $10.5 billion deal with Siemens and a $1.7 billion order with GE. The conference was held March 13–15, 2015, and was touted as a key milestone of the government’s medium-term economic development plan, which […]

In the UK, which has the world’s largest offshore wind capacity, in large part due to government backing, formal negotiations have begun on public funding of a £1 billion ($1.48 billion) tidal lagoon project to produce electricity from turbines in Swansea Bay, South Wales. The 320-MW project (Figure 3)—which could be the first of its […]

With plans for a “permanent” solution for storing waste from nuclear power generating plants permanently stalled, some are hoping that an “interim” site can be developed that would enable the removal of spent nuclear fuel from plant sites. Today, Holtec International and two New Mexico counties announced a memorandum of agreement to build such a […]

POWER Looking for your next career move? View more than 500 jobs in POWER’s Job Center. Central Control Operator – Mystic 7Exelon Corporation – Charlestown, MA ELECTRICAL MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN-WASHINGTON D.C.M.C. Dean, Inc. – Washington, DC Senior Engineer (Technical Advisor)U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission – Rockville, MD Supervisor Electrical Maintenance – Clinton, ILComEd, an Exelon Company – […]

Supports growth in Power and Process markets BURLINGTON, Mass.– CIRCOR International, Inc., a leading provider of valves and other highly engineered products for markets including oil & gas, power generation and aerospace & defense, announced the acquisition of Schroedahl, a privately held company headquartered in Germany that develops and manufactures high-quality specialty valves for power stations […]

POWER Looking for your next career move? View more than 500 jobs in POWER’s Job Center. Central Control Operator – Mystic 7Exelon Corporation – Charlestown, Massachusetts ELECTRICAL MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN-WASHINGTON D.C.M.C. Dean, Inc. – Washington, Dist. Columbia Senior Engineer (Technical Advisor)U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission – Rockville, Maryland Supervisor Electrical Maintenance – Clinton, ILComEd, an Exelon Company […]

MAN Success in the Caribbean 184MW Power Plant inaugurated by the Cuban Vice President  The power plant in Moa, Cuba, one of the largest projects designed and commissioned by MAN Diesel & Turbo in the Caribbean region, was recently inaugurated by the Cuban Vice President, Comandante Ramiro Valdez. Located at about 600m from the sea […]

Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems Americas Savannah Machinery Works is 2015 Winner of the Georgia Manufacturer of the Year Award (Savannah, GA – April 14, 2015) The Savannah Machinery Works of Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems Americas (“MHPSA”), received recognition as the 2015 Georgia Manufacturer of the Year for medium-sized businesses today. Governor Nathan Deal presented this award […]

Verona, Pennsylvania / Heatherbrae, New South Wales (April 1, 2015) Conco Systems Pty. Ltd. in  Heatherbrae, NSW, Australia, will begin a comprehensive re-tubing of Stanwell Power Station, one of Queensland, Australia’s largest power plants, with a total generating capacity of 1,460 megawatts. After a formal evaluation of competitive bids, Stanwell Power Station awarded a contract […]

Careers in POWER Featured Article: How U.S. Power Generators Are Preparing for 2015 Generating companies have different challenges topping their lists for the coming year, depending on their service territory—from integrating renewables, to responding to several new federal regulations, to anticipating variable natural gas prices. All, however, are confident their companies have the… READ MORE » […]

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Hanson Professional Services Inc. will showcase its commitment to the energy industry at the firm’s booth during the 17th annual ELECTRIC POWER conference and exhibition April 21–23 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Ill. Hanson has worked on a large variety of projects for coal-fired power plants involving geotechnical, […]

Careers in POWER Featured Article: How U.S. Power Generators Are Preparing for 2015 Generating companies have different challenges topping their lists for the coming year, depending on their service territory—from integrating renewables, to responding to several new federal regulations, to anticipating variable natural gas prices. All, however, are confident their companies have the… READ MORE » […]

Wind turbine blades, gearboxes, and generators get most of the attention both within and beyond the power industry. The focus is often on increased capacity and blade lengths, as well as drive train premature failures. That’s natural, because those rotating blades are the most visible part of a wind project. However, successful operation of a […]

In order to comply with the Clean Air Act and subsequent regulations covering emissions, coal-fired utilities have installed multiple pollution control devices. Understanding key operating aspects of this equipment can help you avoid costly maintenance activities and forced shutdowns. Since the passage of the Clean Air Act in 1970, the regulatory environment for control of […]

NextEra Energy consists of a traditional, vertically integrated electric utility with a heavy reliance on nuclear and natural gas—Florida Power & Light—and an aggressive foray into renewable energy outside of Florida—NextEra Energy Resources. Given its recent bid for Hawaii’s electric utility, which has a legacy of oil-fired generation and a state commission pushing renewables, NextEra […]

When the decision is made to retire a power plant, the work of getting there is just beginning. Maintaining safe and reliable generation requires strong leadership, clear communications, and heightened attention to operations and maintenance, staff morale, and post-shutdown plans.   For utilities and other generators facing the challenge of winding down operations at an […]