Aaron Larson
Articles By

Aaron Larson

  • GOP Lawmakers Aim to Protect Coal and Gas-Fired Power Plants from EPA Rules

    Forty-three Republican senators (along with one Independent) introduced a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution of disapproval on June 5 to overturn emissions rules issued by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which they say target existing coal-fired power plants and new gas-fired plants. The action was led by U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Ranking Member […]

  • Why the U.S. Government Should Fund Cybersecurity Efforts of Private Companies Protecting the Power Grid

    FBI Director Christopher Wray, while speaking at the Vanderbilt Summit on Modern Conflict and Emerging Threats in Nashville, Tennessee, in April, warned that U.S. critical infrastructure is a prime target of the Chinese government. “The fact is, the PRC’s [People’s Republic of China’s] targeting of our critical infrastructure is both broad and unrelenting,” he said. […]

  • New Gas-Fired Power Plants Proposed in Southeast Texas

    Entergy Texas filed an application with the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) for approval to build two natural gas power plants—one in Jefferson County and the other in Liberty County. “The Legend and Lone Star Power Stations will address the critical need for increased power generation capacity, support increased economic activity throughout the region, […]

  • COAL POWER Direct—June 5, 2024

    POWER Magazine   Jobs   White Papers  Webinars   Events   Store   June 5, 2024 States, Trade Groups Sue EPA Over New Fossil Fuel Rules More than two dozen states and a handful of trade groups filed separate lawsuits in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, challenging parts of the Environmental […]

  • The POWER Interview: The Best Use of Digital Construction in Electrical Engineering and MEP Design

    Engineering firms are increasingly recognizing the importance of digital construction and its transformative impact on electrical engineering and MEP (mechanical, electrical, and plumbing) design. Leveraging digital construction tools enables firms to optimize design processes, enhance collaboration, and deliver more efficient and sustainable solutions for their clients. Rahul Mittal, senior electrical engineer at Arup, has been […]

  • Effective Training and Mentoring Programs Are Critical to Power Project Success

    The power industry has long been lamenting its aging workforce. While turnover has been happening for years, there remains a large percentage of power professionals on the verge of retirement. Furthermore, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts faster than average job growth for engineering occupations. That means experienced workers with the skills needed by […]

  • Upgrades Planned at Loviisa Nuclear Power Plant as Part of Life Extension

    Fortum, a Nordic energy company with headquarters in Espoo, Finland, near Helsinki, and offices in 10 other countries, announced that it will modernize the Loviisa nuclear power plant’s low-pressure turbines. The project will start in 2026 as part of lifetime extension-related investments at the site. The Lovissa plant is a dual-unit facility with a total […]

  • Russia Will Supply Small Modular Reactor Nuclear Plant in Uzbekistan

    Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Uzbekistan on May 26 to meet with his counterpart Shavkat Mirziyoyev. Among topics high on the leaders’ discussion list was energy. In addition to Russia reportedly being open to broader cooperation on gas supplies with Uzbekistan, the two countries also signed a protocol in the presence of the two […]

  • Best of POWER—May 28, 2024

    POWER Magazine   Jobs   White Papers  Webinars   Events   Store   May 28, 2024 DOE Announces Support for Plug Power Hydrogen Production Sites The U.S. Dept. of Energy (DOE) announced it was preparing to make as much as a $1.66 billion loan guarantee to Latham, New York-based Plug Power, with the money earmarked… […]

  • NUCLEAR POWER Direct—May 22, 2024

    POWER Magazine   Jobs   White Papers  Webinars   Events   Store   May 22, 2024 Nuclear Supply Chain for the BWRX-300 SMR Takes Shape GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH) is forming a group of qualified supply chain companies to help ensure the deployment of its BWRX-300 small nuclear modular reactor (SMR). The move comes… […]

  • How PG&E Is Reducing Wildfire Risks Using Satellite Imagery

    Wildfires have had a devastating impact on California and on the state’s largest utility company, Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E). PG&E’s equipment has been linked to several major wildfires in the past including the 2018 Camp Fire (the deadliest wildfire in California history, killing 85 people, according to CAL FIRE, the state agency responsible for, […]

  • How Regulatory Burdens and Misguided Incentives Are Degrading Power System Reliability

    It’s no secret that the U.S. electric power system has undergone a remarkable transition that continues today. Coal-fired generation, which was the leading source of power generation during the 20th century, often providing more than half of the country’s electricity supply, fell to about 16.2% of the mix in 2023. Meanwhile, the U.S. solar market […]

  • Best of POWER—May 13, 2024

    POWER Magazine   Jobs   White Papers  Webinars   Events   Store   May 13, 2024 China Brings High-Elevation Hydropower Project Online The first unit of one of the world’s highest-elevation hydropower plants began operating in China in April. China Energy said the Maerdang hydropower station, sited at more than 16,000 feet above… Sponsored Content […]

  • How Grid Enhancing Technologies Are Expanding Electric Power Transmission System Capabilities

    It’s no secret that power grids around the world need to expand to accommodate more renewable energy and the so-called “electrification of everything.” The latter, of course, refers to the growing trend of using electricity to power various sectors and applications that have traditionally relied on fossil fuels, such as natural gas or petroleum-based products. […]

  • COAL POWER Direct—May 1, 2024

    POWER Magazine   Jobs   White Papers  Webinars   Events   Store   May 1, 2024 EPA Unleashes Four-Pronged Assault on Fossil Fuel Power Pollution In an unprecedented move, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on April 25 simultaneously finalized four major environmental rules covering greenhouse gases (GHG), air toxics, wastewater discharges, and coal combustion… […]

  • Federal Policies and Incentives Drive Demand for American-Made Solar Power Modules

    The U.S. was one of the world leaders in solar equipment manufacturing a few decades ago, but then the Chinese stole the show. Now, however, American companies are finding a lot of new opportunities as a

  • How the Massive Growth in Solar Power Is Affecting Power Grids

    The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) reported in March that the U.S. solar industry installed 32.4 GWdc of capacity in 2023, a remarkable 51% increase compared to 2022. It was the industry’s

  • Vogtle Unit 4 Achieves Commercial Operation, Now Largest Nuclear Power Plant in the U.S.

    The road was long and the challenges difficult, but Plant Vogtle is now the largest nuclear power plant in the U.S., as Unit 4 was declared commercially operational on April 29. With four units now available, Plant Vogtle has the capacity to generate a total of about 4,664 MW of electricity. “The completion of the […]

  • Best of POWER—April 29, 2024

    POWER Magazine   Jobs   White Papers  Webinars   Events   Store   April 29, 2024 Vogtle Unit 4 Achieves Commercial Operation, Now Largest Nuclear Power Plant in the U.S. The road was long and the challenges difficult, but Plant Vogtle is now the largest nuclear power plant in the U.S., as Unit 4 was […]

  • NUCEAR POWER Direct—April 24, 2024

    POWER Magazine   Jobs   White Papers  Webinars   Events   Store   April 24, 2024 NRC Advances Rule to Streamline Advanced Nuclear Reviews The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has voted to codify proposed changes to streamline a key environmental review process for advanced nuclear reactors. Nuclear advocates lauded the measure as one of… Molten […]

  • Navigating the Interconnection Queue Is One of Many Challenges Clean-Energy Projects Face

    There are several obstacles to overcome when building a clean-energy project, but perhaps the biggest is getting through the generator interconnection queue (GIQ). Every regional transmission organization (RTO) and independent system operator (ISO) in the U.S. has a significant backlog in its GIQ and processing interconnection requests can take years to complete. This has created […]

  • Best of POWER—April 15, 2024

    POWER Magazine   Jobs   White Papers  Webinars   Events   Store   April 15, 2024 TVA to Replace Iconic Kingston Coal Plant With 1.5-GW Modern Complex The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) has moved to retire its iconic 1.3-GW Kingston Fossil Plant in Tennessee in 2027 and replace it—with notable urgency—with a 1.5-GW modern complex […]

  • Molten Salt Reactor Technology Solves Several Nuclear Industry Problems

    Molten salt reactors (MSRs) represent a fascinating intersection of nuclear history and modern innovation. The concept of using molten salts as both a coolant and fuel carrier dates back to the 1950s, with the pioneering work of Alvin Weinberg and his team at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). In 1965, ORNL successfully operated the Molten […]

  • COAL POWER Direct—April 3, 2024

    POWER Magazine   Jobs   White Papers  Webinars   Events   Store   April 3, 2024 TVA to Replace Iconic Kingston Coal Plant With 1.5-GW Modern Complex The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) has moved to retire its iconic 1.3-GW Kingston Fossil Plant in Tennessee in 2027 and replace it—with notable urgency—with a 1.5-GW modern complex […]

  • Gas Turbine and Hydrogen Technologies Grow Together

    The future of gas turbines and hydrogen are intricately intertwined. Gas turbine manufacturers know that they need their equipment to be ready to operate on higher levels of hydrogen as electrolysis technology

  • AI Is Not Only a Thing of the Future, It’s Also a Thing of the Present

    Artificial intelligence (AI)-based platforms have taken the world by storm. Perhaps the best known of these is ChatGPT. OpenAI, the company that developed the innovative chatbot, released the tool widely to

  • Coastal Utilities Warned of ‘Potentially Explosive’ 2024 Hurricane Season

    AccuWeather’s team of expert meteorologists is warning people and businesses to start preparing for a frenzy of tropical activity that could have major impacts on the U.S. this hurricane season. “The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season is forecast to feature well above the historical average number of tropical storms, hurricanes, major hurricanes, and direct U.S. impacts,” […]

  • NUCLEAR POWER Direct—March 27, 2024

    POWER Magazine   Jobs   White Papers  Webinars   Events   Store   March 27, 2024 Palisades Nuclear Plant on Path to Recommissioning by 2025 The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Loan Programs Office (LPO) announced a conditional commitment of up to $1.52 billion for a loan guarantee to Holtec Palisades LLC to finance the restoration… […]

  • Palisades Nuclear Plant on Path to Recommissioning by 2025

    The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Loan Programs Office (LPO) announced a conditional commitment of up to $1.52 billion for a loan guarantee to Holtec Palisades LLC to finance the restoration and resumption of service of the Palisades Power Plant, an 800-MW nuclear generating station in Covert Township, Michigan (Figure 1). The project aims to bring […]

  • Best of POWER—March 25, 2024

    POWER Magazine   Jobs   White Papers  Webinars   Events   Store   March 25, 2024 Bill Gates' TerraPower Ready to Build New U.S. Nuclear Power Plant A group established by Microsoft founder Bill Gates is preparing to begin construction of a new generation of nuclear power plants in June, according to the company's chief […]