Aaron Larson
Articles By

Aaron Larson

  • COAL POWER Direct—September 7, 2022

    POWER Magazine   Jobs   White Papers  Webinars   Events   Store   September 7, 2022 California Declares Stage 3 Emergency Alert, Warns Rotating Outages Possible California’s grid operator issued a Stage 3 energy emergency alert (EEA) at 5:17 p.m. PST on Sept. 6, warning it would order rotating power outages to lower soaring power […]

  • You’ve Heard of Offshore Wind; Now, Offshore Nuclear Is a Thing

    CORE POWER announced that it and its partners, the MIT Energy Initiative and the Idaho National Laboratory, were granted funding by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Nuclear Energy University Program (NEUP) for a three-year study into the development of offshore floating nuclear power generation in the U.S. “It is an important step forward for […]

  • TVA Successfully Completes a Dam Safety Modification Project for the Ages

    When a sinkhole was discovered near the base of the Boone Dam embankment, the Tennessee Valley Authority’s dam safety engineers went to work determining the best fix. The complexity of the work and quality

  • Western Spirit Sets the Standard for Large-Scale Wind Power Projects

    With a capacity of more than 1,050 MW, Western Spirit Wind farm is the largest wind power project ever constructed as a single phase in the Americas. The project, which was completed in roughly a year in spite

  • How One Fossil Fuel Is Poised for Growth as the World Transitions to Net Zero

    Most power companies have carbon reduction goals. Often, reaching those goals involves transitioning from coal-fired generation to renewable energy such as solar and wind. However, it’s not always practical

  • Best of POWER—Aug. 29, 2022

    POWER Magazine   Jobs   White Papers  Webinars   Events   Store   August 29, 2022 Biden Signs Bill to Transform U.S. Energy, Combat Climate Change President Biden’s signing of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) should provide further impetus for growth of U.S. renewable energy, coming on the heels of a report from the Federal […]

  • U.S.’s Natural Gas-Fired Power Plants Set Daily Production Records in July Despite High Fuel Prices

    The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported that electricity generated by natural gas–fired power plants in the lower 48 states reached 6.37 TWh on July 21, setting a new record high for a day. In fact, the previous high, set on July 27, 2020, was broken three times during that week in July, first on […]

  • Operating Energy Systems in a War-Torn Country: DTEK Prepares for Winter

    While much of the world lives life as usual, DTEK—the largest private investor in Ukraine’s energy sector—is focused on providing reliable service amidst war and uncertainty. “Today, the major topic for us is to provide stability in durations of electricity sector in Ukraine and also do everything possible to prepare for winter season,” DTEK CEO […]

  • POWERnews—Aug. 18, 2022

    POWER Magazine   Jobs   White Papers  Webinars   Events   Store   August 18, 2022 Biden Signs Bill to Transform U.S. Energy, Combat Climate Change President Biden’s signing of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) should provide further impetus for growth of U.S. renewable energy, coming on the heels of a report from the Federal […]

  • Best of POWER—August 15, 2022

    POWER Magazine   Jobs   White Papers  Webinars   Events   Store   August 15, 2022 U.S. Utility Survey Suggests Industry Mulling Additions of 90 GW of New Nuclear A Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) survey suggests U.S. utility members expect to add up to 90 GW of new nuclear generation by the 2050s, including more […]

  • How to Overcome Challenges to the U.S.’s Offshore Wind Energy Goals

    Lofty goals have been established in the U.S. for the offshore wind industry. The U.S. Department of Energy, Department of the Interior, and Department of Commerce announced a national goal in March 2021 to deploy 30 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2030. That would mark a significant increase from the 42 MW of offshore […]

  • Nuclear Power Production Curtailed in France, Worsening Europe’s Energy Crisis

    High temperatures in river water are reportedly forcing Electricite de France SA (EDF) to cut power generation at some of its nuclear plants. The news is particularly troubling as several European nations struggle to cope with an energy crisis caused by gas cuts made by Russia in retaliation against sanctions placed on it due to […]

  • COAL POWER Direct—August 3, 2022

    POWER Magazine   Jobs   White Papers  Webinars   Events   Store   August 3, 2022 Shanghaimiao Part of China’s Push for More Efficient Coal Plant Designs China’s rapid buildout of new power plants, needed to satisfy the country’s increasing demand for electricity, includes several gigawatts of coal-fired generation. The first 1-GW unit of an […]

  • Spent Nuclear Fuel: A Valuable Resource—Not a Waste

    Did you know that more than 90% of the potential energy that exists in fuel rods when they’re loaded into commercial nuclear reactors still remains in the fuel after five years of operation? Well, that’s

  • Experts Say Hydropower Needs to Double by 2050 to Meet Climate Goals

    Global installed hydropower capacity rose by 26 GW in 2021 to 1,360 GW, but that’s far short of the progress needed to achieve the world’s climate change mitigation goals. “We know that to keep climate change below 2°C, or the more challenging 1.5°C net zero target, we will need to see a huge increase in […]

  • Nuclear Power Plants Report Stellar Performance, but Retirements Could Limit Climate Benefits

    The world’s nuclear power plants generated a total of 2,653 TWh of energy in 2021, up 100 TWh from 2020. It was the third-highest total ever for global generation from nuclear, just 4 TWh short of the output in 2019 and 7 TWh less than the record set in 2006. The results were reported by […]

  • Best of POWER—July 25, 2022

    POWER Magazine   Jobs   White Papers  Webinars   Events   Store   July 25, 2022 GE's Energy Business Will Have a New Name—Vernova General Electric (GE) is again announcing changes to its corporate structure, with the company on July 18 saying its energy and other businesses will operate under new brand names. H.… Sponsored […]

  • Community Choice Aggregation Provides Renewable Energy at Reduced Costs

    Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) programs have become quite prominent in communities across California, and have begun to spring up in other states including Illinois, Massachusetts, and Ohio. Through CCA, communities can purchase electricity on behalf of residents and businesses, in place of investor-owned utilities such as Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), San Diego Gas & […]

  • Best of POWER—July 11, 2022

    POWER Magazine   Jobs   White Papers  Webinars   Events   Store   July 11, 2022 Wudongde Project Takes Hydro to New Heights A multi-year, multibillion-dollar undertaking on China’s Jinsha River has achieved several “firsts” for the hydropower sector, earning POWER’s highest honor thanks to its development, design, and Supreme Court Limits EPA Authority to […]

  • COAL POWER Direct—July 6, 2022

    POWER Magazine   Jobs   White Papers  Webinars   Events   Store   July 6, 2022 Supreme Court Limits EPA Authority to Regulate Power Plant Emissions The U.S. Supreme Court has curbed the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) options for limiting emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) from power plants, an important environmental decision that could impact […]

  • Advanced Power Grid Sensors and Switches Reduce Downtime and Improve System Reliability

    A Fault Isolation Service Restoration module, part of an Advanced Distribution Management Solution, has improved grid reliability, and reduced outages and outage durations, for customers of PPL Electric

  • Risks and Opportunities: It’s an Interesting Time to Be in the Power Industry

    War rages in Europe. Natural gas prices are through the roof. Drought threatens hydro production. Weather extremes are becoming commonplace. Supply chains are strained. Demand for electricity is headed

  • Rick Perry Believes in Nuclear Power—Is He onto Something or on Something?

    Rick Perry, the former governor of Texas (2000–2015) and former U.S. Energy Secretary (2017–2019), who has more recently been in the news because of his support for legalizing psychedelic drugs, including

  • Nuclear Power on the Upswing, Numerous Projects Take Shape Around the World

    The International Energy Agency (IEA) says momentum is building for nuclear power in many countries amid soaring fuel prices and growing energy security concerns. “In today’s context of the global energy crisis, skyrocketing fossil fuel prices, energy security challenges and ambitious climate commitments, I believe nuclear power has a unique opportunity to stage a comeback,” […]

  • Best of POWER—June 27, 2022

    POWER Magazine   Jobs   White Papers  Webinars   Events   Store   June 27, 2022 China Group Announces Successful Test of Space-Based Solar Power A research team at Xidian University in China announced it has successfully tested technology that would enable a space-based solar power plant that could transmit energy to Earth, akin to… […]

  • Finnish Nuclear Plant Under Construction Since 2005 Faces Yet Another Delay

    Commercial operation of Olkiluoto 3 (OL3), a nuclear power plant (NPP) unit that has been under construction in Finland for nearly 17 years, will be delayed for another three months due to foreign material issues observed in the turbine’s steam reheater, plant owner Teollisuuden Voima Oyj (TVO) reported on June 15. The setback is just […]

  • Hydrogen Poised to Play Prominent Role in the World’s Energy Transition

    People around the world are searching for ways to decarbonize, and green hydrogen is a fuel that can help in that effort. Green hydrogen is produced through electrolysis using renewable energy, such as wind and solar power. Although most hydrogen produced today is made from natural gas, often referred to as gray hydrogen, new capacity […]

  • GAS POWER Direct—June 15, 2022

    POWER Magazine   Jobs   White Papers  Webinars   Events   Store   June 15, 2022 GE Debuts First 7HA.03 Gas Turbines at 1.3-GW Plant in Florida The first two GE 7HA.03 machines—the largest 60-Hz heavy-duty gas turbines in the world and the most efficient in GE’s fleet—are now operational at Florida Power & Light’s […]

  • Best of POWER—June 13, 2022

    POWER Magazine   Jobs   White Papers  Webinars   Events   Store   June 13, 2022 GE Debuts First 7HA.03 Gas Turbines at 1.3-GW Plant in Florida The first two GE 7HA.03 machines—the largest 60-Hz heavy-duty gas turbines in the world and the most efficient in GE’s fleet—are now operational at Florida Power & Light’s […]

  • [UPDATED] Researchers Say SMRs Will Produce More Waste Than Large Nuclear Reactors, NuScale Disputes Claim

    Findings from research led by a team that included a former U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) chairperson and experts from Stanford University suggests small modular reactors (SMRs) will generate more radioactive waste than conventional gigawatt-scale nuclear units. The results were released in a research article published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences […]