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COAL POWER Direct—Oct. 7, 2015
Coal Power Current Issue | Find a Job | Post a Job EPA Finalizes Steam Electric Power Plant Effluent Guidelines The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has finalized revisions to technology-based effluent limitations guidelines and standards, setting the first federal limits on the levels of toxic metals in wastewater discharges from steam electric power plants. The […] -
Renewables
Xcel to Retire Two Units at Its Largest Coal-Fired Plant
Xcel Energy said on Oct. 2 that the company would accelerate its transition from coal power to cleaner energy sources by retiring two units at its Sherburne County Generating Plant (Sherco) in Becker, Minn. The decision is part of the company’s strategy to cut carbon emissions 60% by 2030. The Sherco plant is Xcel’s largest […]
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Legal & Regulatory
Senators Cite Conflicting Polls and Studies During Environmental Hearing
An old saying often attributed to Mark Twain is, “Figures don’t lie, but liars figure.” Listening to the conflicting information presented by a variety of senators during a hearing on Capitol Hill Sept. 29, one has to wonder if Twain was covering a Senate hearing when he penned the phrase. The only witness at the […]
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Nuclear
U.S. Nuclear Plants Are Operating Better than Ever
The nation’s nuclear fleet has performed impressively through the first eight months of 2015. Plant outages averaged less than 3% of total U.S. nuclear capacity during the all-important peak summer season this year—from June through August. The result is far better than even the lowest range of data from any of the past five years. […]
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Nuclear
NRC Investigates Control Valve Failures at Callaway Nuclear Plant
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) announced on Sept. 21 that it has begun a special inspection at the Callaway nuclear plant in Fulton, Mo., to investigate the failure of three of four control valves that regulate water flow to the plant’s steam generators. The review follows a reactor trip that occurred on August 11. According […]
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Legal & Regulatory
Duke Energy Settles with Groups Over Edwardsport Operating Costs
Duke Energy Indiana reached a settlement agreement with some of the state’s key consumer groups related to operating costs at its Edwardsport integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) coal power plant. The deal was submitted to state regulators on Sept. 18 and is subject to Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) approval. If approved, it would resolve […]
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Distributed Energy
Threats to Electric Power Grid Could Result in “Black Sky Days”
The societal impact of a “Black Sky Day”—a term used by electric infrastructure security experts when discussing a collapse of the North American power grid—would be devastating, according to Dr. Daniel Baker, distinguished professor of Planetary and Space Physics at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Baker testified before two subcommittees of the U.S. House of […]
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Nuclear
Lawmakers Press for Smaller, More Efficient NRC
Some members of the U.S. House of Representatives feel the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) needs to appropriately align its budget and staffing levels with the organization’s workload. That message was delivered to the agency’s commissioners during the Subcommittee on Energy and Power and the Subcommittee on Environment and the Economy joint oversight hearing held on […]
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Nuclear
Nuclear Power’s Future Is Still Bright, According to IAEA Report
A study released today by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) suggests that the world’s nuclear power generating capacity will continue growing through at least 2030. The projected growth varies widely due to uncertainty surrounding energy policy, license renewals, permanent retirements, and future construction, but even the “low case” sees nuclear capacity increasing 2.4% by […]
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COAL POWER Direct—Sept. 9, 2015
Current Issue | Find a Job | Post a Job Doubling of We Energies Coal Stockpile Approved, Extra Dust Mitigation Required The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) issued the final construction permit this week, allowing the expansion of the coal storage facility at We Energies’ Oak Creek site, but not without some additional […]