Aaron Larson
Articles By

Aaron Larson

  • Supply Chain Issues Mean Planning Is More Important Than Ever

    It’s hard to imagine a company that hasn’t been affected by supply chain issues over the past couple of years. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic began, a couple of utility executives had suggested POWER

  • Best of POWER—April 25, 2022

    POWER Magazine   Jobs   White Papers  Webinars   Events   Store   April 25, 2022 First Hydrogen Burn at Long Ridge HA-Class Gas Turbine Marks Triumph for GE Hydrogen combustion has begun at the 485-MW Long Ridge Energy Terminal combined cycle power plant—a flagship GE HA-class project that is purpose-built to transition from natural […]

  • White House Advisor Says Progress Toward Biden’s GHG Emissions Reduction Targets Is ‘Going Really Well’

    On April 22, 2021, President Biden announced greenhouse gas (GHG) pollution reduction targets for the country. His vision was revealed during a summit on climate that he was holding, which was said to be “part of the President’s focus on building back better in a way that will create millions of good-paying, union jobs, ensure […]

  • Four Questions You Must Ace to Ensure Sound Cybersecurity in OT Systems

    Some cybersecurity experts believe hackers today pose a greater threat than ever to power plants and electric grids. Much of the operational technology (OT) used in power stations and throughout the grid was installed at a time when cybersecurity was more of an afterthought than a focal point in the system design. Furthermore, the pool […]

  • Grid Interconnection Queue Filled with Solar and Energy Storage Projects

    A study conducted by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) shows more than 1.1 TW of solar and energy storage capacity were in the U.S. power grid’s interconnection queue at the end of 2021. Notably, that total is more than the currently existing capacity in the U.S. power fleet. Additionally, Berkeley Lab researchers found […]

  • How a UPS Can Provide a Return on Investment as an Energy Storage System

    Uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems are often installed to protect critical equipment and loads from power outages, and other voltage and current problems. Many UPS systems continuously regulate the input power, thereby maintaining a constant and uniform supply of electricity. UPS systems are typically used on computer hardware or other equipment where an unexpected power […]

  • GAS POWER Direct—April 13, 2022

    POWER Magazine   Jobs   White Papers  Webinars   Events   Store   April 13, 2022 Largest CCGT Plant in Southeast Asia Now Fully Operational The third unit of what is now the largest combined cycle gas turbine power plant in Southeast Asia has entered commercial operation, according to officials with Edra Energy Sdn Bhd,… […]

  • Best of POWER—April 11, 2022

    POWER Magazine   Jobs   White Papers  Webinars   Events   Store   April 11, 2022 Major Wind Power Producer Sentenced in Wind Farm Eagle Deaths A Wyoming court on April 5 sentenced NextEra Energy Resources affiliate ESI Energy to five years of probation and fined the wind power developer more than $8 million for […]

  • Tri-State Moves to Retire Rifle Combined Cycle Power Plant

    Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, a wholesale power supply cooperative with 45 members in four states—Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico, and Wyoming—announced its intentions to retire the Rifle Station, an 85-MW combined cycle facility in Rifle, Colorado. The announcement was made on April 5 in conjunction with a filing with the Colorado Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). […]

  • COAL POWER Direct—April 6, 2022

    POWER Magazine   Jobs   White Papers  Webinars   Events   Store   April 6, 2022 Homer City Coal Plant to Keep All Three Units Operating The Homer City coal-fired power plant will continue operating, according to multiple news sources in western Pennsylvania, where the plant is located. Owners of the thee-unit, 1,884-MW generating station […]

  • Homer City Coal Plant to Keep All Three Units Operating

    The Homer City coal-fired power plant will continue operating, according to multiple news sources in western Pennsylvania, where the plant is located. Owners of the three-unit, 1,884-MW generating station in Indiana County, about 45 miles east of Pittsburgh, had been contemplating shuttering one or more units, while also exploring options to add renewable energy to […]

  • Power Companies Must Plan to Deal with Climate Risks

    The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) issued a report at the end of February titled “Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability.” Among the warnings found in the 3,675-page

  • How to Complete Successful Power Projects Working with EPC Contractors

    Power companies rely heavily on engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractors to build new power facilities and keep old ones in top condition. However, some projects go smoother than others

  • Best of POWER—March 28, 2022

    POWER Magazine   Jobs   White Papers  Webinars   Events   Store   March 28, 2022 Vestas Cutting Jobs Despite Leading Wind Installations Vestas occupies the top spot when it comes to market share among global wind turbine manufacturers, according to a new analysis, but the Danish business is not immune to the… New Jersey’s […]

  • New Jersey’s Last Two Coal Power Plants to Close within Months

    The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) approved a petition filed by Atlantic City Electric Co. (ACE) that modifies power purchase agreements (PPAs) and power sales agreements (PSAs) between ACE and Chambers Cogeneration Ltd. and Logan Generating Co., the last two coal-fired electricity generation units in New Jersey. Under the agreements, coal-fired generation will […]

  • How Ammonia Could Help the World Transition to Clean Energy

    Hydrogen is widely seen as a vital component in efforts to decarbonize the world’s power supply. One example of this is a strategy being piloted by at least a couple of major gas turbine manufacturers, which involves storing “green hydrogen” produced through electrolysis using excess wind or solar power when renewable energy supplies exceed grid […]

  • POWERnews—March 17, 2022

    POWER Magazine   Jobs   White Papers  Webinars   Events   Store   March 17, 2022 DOE Funds New Program to Recycle Used Nuclear Fuel, GE Conducting Innovative Related Research The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced this week that it would provide up to $48 million for a new Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) […]

  • Fukushima Touched by Another Earthquake, Some Deficiencies Reported at Nuclear Plants

    A 7.3-magnitude earthquake caused some deficiencies at two of the three nuclear power plants (NPPs) located in relatively close proximity to the fault, but it did not cause any safety concerns, according to Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA). The quake struck about 60 kilometers off the coast of Japan on March 16 at 2:36 p.m. […]

  • Eight of 15 Ukrainian Reactors Remain in Operation After Three Weeks of War

    Ukraine’s nuclear regulator informed the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on March 16 that eight of the country’s 15 nuclear reactors were in operation despite the ongoing Russian invasion. Of the four sites with operational units, two of six at Zaporizhzhya, three of four at Rivne, one of two at Khmelnytskyy, and two of three […]

  • DOE Funds New Program to Recycle Used Nuclear Fuel, GE Conducting Innovative Related Research

    The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced this week that it would provide up to $48 million for a new Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) program that could substantially reduce the disposal impact of used nuclear fuel (UNF). The program, dubbed CURIE (Converting UNF Radioisotopes Into Energy), is intended to support “a comprehensive national strategy […]

  • Best of POWER—March 14, 2022

    POWER Magazine   Jobs   White Papers  Webinars   Events   Store   March 14, 2022 Pressure on U.S. Nuclear Power Could Mount if Sanctions Imposed on Russian Uranium Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and ensuing sanctions may have a limited immediate impact on the U.S. nuclear industry, despite its reliance on uranium imports. Potential implications […]

  • Women Are an Important Piece of UAE Nuclear Power Program

    Tuesday, March 8, was International Women’s Day, a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The idea of an International Women’s Day (IWD) was first proposed in 1910 by Clara Zetkin, leader of the Women’s Office for the Social Democratic Party in Germany, during a conference in Copenhagen, Denmark. The […]

  • Ukraine’s Largest Nuclear Power Plant Taken by Russian Forces

    The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported on March 4 that Russian forces had taken control of the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) site, but that the reactors continued to be operated by the plant’s regular staff and there had been no release of radioactive material. “What we are telling you is confirmed information that […]

  • Conflict in Ukraine Threatens Nuclear Power Plants and Radioactive Waste Disposal Facilities; Operations Continue

    In its most recent update on the status of Ukrainian nuclear power plants (NPPs), issued to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on March 2, the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine (SNRIU) said it maintained communications with the country’s NPPs and that all units “continued to operate as before.” Of Ukraine’s 15 reactors, more […]

  • COAL POWER Direct—March 2, 2022

    POWER Magazine   Jobs   White Papers  Webinars   Events   Store   March 2, 2022 SCOTUS Hears Arguments on EPA’s Purview Over Power Plant GHG Emissions The U.S. Supreme Court is hearing arguments on a landmark case that could determine whether the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has the authority to broadly interpret the Clean […]

  • Power Industry People: Finding Top Talent in the Military

    Last month, POWER published an article written by Senior Associate Editor Darrell Proctor that detailed the challenges power companies have been facing when trying to attract high-quality recruits in the increasingly competitive labor market for engineers and other workers with technical backgrounds (see “Groups Grapple with Labor Logistics as Energy Evolves” in the February 2022 […]

  • 2022 CTOTF Innovation Excellence Award Winners Announced

    The Combustion Turbine Operations Technical Forum (CTOTF), in association with POWER, is excited to announce the recipients of its annual Innovation Excellence Awards. Winners were selected through a judging process performed by an independent panel of recognized utility industry experts. Selections were made in five categories: maintenance, environmental stewardship, safety process, operational, and management and […]

  • Best of POWER—February 28, 2022

    POWER Magazine   Jobs   White Papers  Webinars   Events   Store   February 28, 2022 Ethiopia Produces First Power at GERD Mega-Dam Ethiopia began delivering power from a 375-MW turbine at its flagship 5.15-GW Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on Feb. 20, marking a significant milestone for the project that could become… Solar Developer […]

  • Decarbonizing the World: Hydrogen Technology Is the Next Big Thing

    Many experts believe hydrogen holds great promise as a clean energy resource that can help nations achieve carbon-free goals. Green hydrogen, which is made from water through electrolysis powered by renewable energy, could be used to decarbonize a wide range of hard-to-abate industries, including petrochemical, cement, and steel, which often require high temperatures and combustion […]

  • GE-Led Carbon Capture Project at Southern Company Site Gets DOE Funding

    A GE Gas Power front-end engineering design (FEED) study will receive $5,771,670 in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management following successful completion of the award negotiation phase. The funding is focused on carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) for power generation applications with a goal […]