POWER

New research conducted by Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Santa Fe Institute researchers finds that the number of energy patents is increasing faster than patents overall. However, the trend lines

As solar technologies, both solar photovoltaic (PV) and concentrated solar power (CSP) are often discussed collectively, along with solar thermal and solar fuels. But the difference between the two power

Beginning with its landmark Order No. 888 in 1996, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has aggressively pursued policies designed to foster planning and construction of new transmission facilities

Rising energy costs necessitate new ideas and techniques for heat recovery—such as the Hitec Economizer from GEA Heat Exchangers. It is designed for equipping or retrofitting gas turbines and boilers, as

Christoph Frei The global energy environment is increasing in complexity and uncertainty. We are in a much more challenging world than previously envisaged. The World Energy Council’s (WEC) analysis has

Germany’s levy to promote renewables under the 2008 Renewable Energy Act (EEG) will climb to €0.624/kWh in 2014—a 20% increase that represents nearly a fifth of residential electricity bills. The measure

Owner/operator: Energias de PortugalCourtesy: Alstom Sunny Portugal enjoys a climate much like that of Southern California and likewise has considerable wind resources. Unlike California, Portugal has

Up to 18% of the world’s electricity could be generated with wind energy by 2050, but the massive jump from 2.6% today would require the nearly 300 GW of current wind capacity worldwide to increase eight- to

Owner/operator: AGL Energy/Malakoff Corporation Berhad Though endowed with some of the world’s largest coal resources, Australia—whose southern coasts experience strong westerly winds called the “Roaring

The Power Finance Corp. (PFC), India’s nodal agency that conducts bidding for 16 proposed Ultra-Mega Power Plants (UMPPs)—coal projects of a 4,000-MW scale to make power available at a minimum cost—in

Plans to build the $12 billion Inga 3 hydropower project may be finally coming to fruition after a new energy treaty signed by South Africa and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) promised to give the

Owners/operators: Sempra U.S. Gas & Power and Consolidated Edison Development Courtesy: Sempra U.S. Gas & Power California has been pursuing renewable generation since enactment of its Renewable

Europe’s largest pumped-storage power plant was inaugurated this October in the Júcar River basin in Spain’s eastern province of Valencia as Spanish utility Iberdrola commissioned the final

Owner/operator: GDF SUEZ Energy Poland Historically, Poland has relied heavily on coal for electricity generation. International Energy Agency statistics show that coal generation accounted for 86.5% of total

First Kundankulam Unit Synchronized to Grid. The state-owned Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) on Oct. 22 synchronized to the grid the first of two units at the Kundankulam Nuclear Power

Owner/operator: Shams Power Co. Courtesy: Masdar The small nation of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), despite having the world’s seventh-largest proven reserves of both oil and gas, has been working hard to

Recently, the variable generation (VG) industry has been strongly promoted in China to advance sustainable energy development, especially for wind power and solar photovoltaic (PV) power, which have entered

The new Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) have given coal-fired power plant owners a short time to bring their plants into compliance with rules that require significantly less mercury (Hg) in stack

Georgia Power has completed placement of the basemat structural concrete for the nuclear island at the Vogtle Unit 4 site, where it is the second of two units currently under construction. Georgia Power says that the basemat concrete placement was completed in just under 41 hours, an efficiency it says matches the best time achieved […]

On August 9, 2013, President Obama signed into law the “Hydropower Regulatory Efficiency Act of 2013” (the “Act”).  This legislation, passed with overwhelming support in the House and Senate, streamlines the regulatory approval process for certain hydroelectric power (“hydropower”) projects.  Perhaps more importantly, the Act reflects bipartisan recognition of the benefits of hydropower. According to […]

Scaling is one of the most frequently occurring problems in geothermal power plants and can prohibit the control of well flow if it builds in the well or wellhead. At HS Energy on the Reykjanes Peninsula in

South Korea, the world’s eighth-largest trading nation, whose trade volume has surpassed $1 trillion for two straight years, barely avoided blackouts between June and August this summer after the country’s

Industrial lighting company Larson Electronics has announced the release of a new explosion-proof LED light designed for portable mounting to ladders, scaffolds, and railings for convenient operation. The

As we announce Top Plant award winners in the nuclear category this month, the global nuclear power industry is at an unusual point in its history: mired in controversy and caution, yet championed by an

Renewable portfolio standards (RPSs) have been remarkably successful in boosting renewable generation, especially in the western U.S., where most states enjoy large areas of prime wind and solar potential

Paul Smith A few short years ago, our nation was scrambling to import natural gas from abroad, and an energy-secure America was little more than a pipe dream. Oh, the difference a decade makes. Advances in

Owner/operator: FPL Florida Power & Light (FPL) announced the afternoon of April 17, 2013, that its Turkey Point Unit 4 had completed its planned outage and was resynchronized to the grid earlier in the

Owner/operator: Entergy Corp. Courtesy:Entergy Corp. The Waterford 3 Steam Electric Station has been providing power to the Gulf Coast since 1985, when Entergy—then Louisiana Power & Light—first

Recent articles in POWER and elsewhere have noted that all types of generating technologies are more frequently feeling the pain of constrained water supplies. The limitations can come from increased

Many coal-fired power plants use water to cool and sluice bottom ash away from the bottom of the boiler for final disposal, and then they recirculate the water for reuse. This system is also known as a