Conducting conveyor inspections and maintenance can pose significant risks to employees, as these activities bring workers into close proximity with the conveyor system under potentially dangerous conditions. Staff members are exposed to moving belts, rolling components, and pinch points, all in an environment that is commonly dirty, distracting, and sometimes noisy. As plants struggle with […]

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NRG Energy’s shopping spree, which has seen it become the nation’s largest merchant generator through a string of acquisitions, continued this week as subsidiary NRG Yield announced on June 4 that it has agreed to acquire the mammoth Alta Wind facility in Tehachapi, Calif., from Terra-Gen Power LLC. The Alta Wind farm has an operating […]

A new power grid exhibit opens June 7 at the Marbles Kids Museum in Raleigh, N.C. Kid Grid—sponsored by ABB—will introduce children to electricity and power grid technology through hands-on play. Utilities have a vested interest in maintaining an educated workforce and breaking through traditional gender stereotypes. Studies have shown that the U.S. is lagging behind […]

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its “Clean Power Plan” proposal today, which spurred a wide range of responses. Environmental groups applauded the guidelines while fossil fuel proponents decried the end of affordable energy. Power plants are the largest source of carbon pollution in the U.S., accounting for roughly one-third of all domestic greenhouse gas […]

According to a report released on May 28, NOX and SO2 emissions in 2012 were 74% and 79% lower, respectively, than they were in 1990 when Congress passed major amendments to the Clean Air Act. Although power plant CO2 emissions have actually increased 13% from 1990 levels, the trend has been down in recent years, […]

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Duke Energy have signed an agreement regarding cleanup of the coal ash release that occurred at the retired Dan River coal-fired power plant in North Carolina in February. As part of the deal, the EPA will oversee the cleanup and Duke will reimburse the agency for its oversight […]

While the rainfall has stopped for now, the risk of flooding continues for the Nikola Tesla coal-fired power plant located on the Sava River near Obrenovac, Serbia (Figure 1). 1. Flooding from the Sava River has affected many parts of Obrenovac, Serbia. Courtesy: EPS The 1,502-MW “A” plant (Figure 2) has six units and is […]

In late January, Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz requested a study of existing U.S. coal-fired power plants to assess options for enhancing capacity, efficiency, and emissions profiles of the present generation fleet. On May 14, the National Coal Council (NCC), an advisory group that provides recommendations to the Secretary of Energy on policy matters relating […]

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Many coal-fired power plants in operation today do not have a fire-extinguishing medium installed in their coal storage silos. CO2 injection would generally be the preferred method, and is used in many plants, but what do you do when your plant was left without this option after construction? Wet or just plain “hot” coal making […]

[Update May 13] A serious fire at the Martin Drake Power Plant in downtown Colorado Springs will leave the facility offline for an indefinite period of time. The fire began at approximately 9:40 a.m. on May 5. The first firefighters arrived on the scene within five minutes and faced a difficult decision on how to […]

A report released on May 5 by staffing firm Manpower suggests that utilities are under a “double squeeze”—a shortage of skilled workers at both the entry and senior level—caused by an aging workforce, advances in technology, and a breakdown in the educational system. In its report, “Strategies to Fuel the Energy Workforce,” Manpower noted that […]

On May 1, President Obama announced his intention to nominate Cheryl A. LaFleur for a second term as commissioner at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). LaFleur was first nominated to serve as a member of FERC in 2010. She became the acting chairman in November 2013 following Jon Wellinghoff’s resignation. Her term is slated […]

Exelon Corp. and Pepco Holdings Inc. announced on April 30 that they have reached an agreement to combine the two companies. Assuming all approvals are received, Exelon will acquire Pepco in an all-cash deal valued at $6.83 billion, which represents a 24.7% premium to the volume-weighted average share price over the last 20 trading days […]

Taiwan’s governing party has agreed to halt construction on the island’s fourth nuclear power plant due to anti-nuclear public sentiment. Protestors staged a sit-in along a main street near the central train station in Taipei, the capital city of Taiwan, beginning on April 26, which was the 28th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear accident. According […]

Energy Future Holdings Corp. (EFH)—the Dallas-based holding company whose portfolio includes Luminant and TXU Energy—filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection today. With support of key financial stakeholders, the company reached an agreement on a restructuring plan that it says will reduce debt, lower annual interest costs, allow access to additional capital, and create a sustainable […]

On Apr. 22, Duke Energy updated the N.C. Joint Environmental Review Commission on near- and long-term actions it is considering to address coal ash storage across the state. Paul Newton, N.C. state president for Duke, explained that actions outlined in a letter sent to N.C. Gov. Pat McCrory (R) and N.C. Department of Environment and […]

Calpine Corp. has agreed to sell six of its Southeast region combined cycle power plants with a total capacity of nearly 3.5 GW to LS Power Equity Advisors LLC for $1.57 billion. The deal includes the 1,134-MW Oneta plant in Coweta, Okla., the 795-MW Decatur plant in Decatur, Ala., the 606-MW Columbia plant in Calhoun […]

According to recently released data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), 80% of total wind generation in 2013 was produced in only 12 states. A little more than 21% of the total—35,875 GWh—was generated in Texas. While that is a significant figure, Iowa would actually have led the nation in wind production if generation […]

The 270-MW South Kent Wind project has been completed in Ontario. The project includes 124 wind turbines and is the largest wind power facility in Canada. The wind farm utilizes Siemens 2.3-MW wind turbines with blades manufactured at the company’s Tillsonburg facility and towers made by CS Wind at its Windsor location using Ontario-made steel. […]

During the Powder River Basin Coal Users’ Group (PRBCUG) annual conference held Mar. 31–Apr. 3, 2014, in conjunction with the ELECTRIC POWER Conference & Exhibition, Springerville Generating Station was recognized as the PRBCUG Plant of the Year. The 1,600-MW Springerville facility includes four units of roughly equal size. Units 1 and 2 are owned by […]

Dealing with combustible dust and controlling fuel spillage are struggles faced by almost all coal-fired power plants. During the ELECTRIC POWER Conference & Exhibition held Apr. 1–3, 2014, in New Orleans, La., several breakout sessions covered best practices being utilized at some facilities to overcome these challenges. In one session, David Thomas, fuel systems manager […]

Andy Dobrzanski, Mark Collett, and Dave Markle were among the presenters at the Powder River Basin Coal Users’ Group (PRBCUG) annual conference held Mar. 31–Apr. 3, 2014. The PRBCUG provides in-depth presentations and discussions promoting the safe, efficient, and economic use of PRB coals by companies that currently use, or are considering the use of […]

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A first-of-its-kind, utility scale solar project has been completed on an active Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Superfund site. The 10.86-MW Maywood Solar Farm is located on 43 acres of the Reilly Tar and Chemical Superfund site in Indianapolis, Ind. Superfund is the name given to the environmental program established to address abandoned hazardous waste sites. […]

The 417-MW Andong combined cycle power plant (CCPP) constructed in the province of Gyeongsangbuk-do, in South Korea, was completed in only 24 months. Owned and operated by Korea Southern Power Co. Ltd. (KOSPO), the plant is fired using liquefied natural gas and utilizes a Siemens SGT6-8000H gas turbine, an SST6-5000 steam turbine, an SGen6-2000H generator, […]

When Sanmen Nuclear Power Co. and State Nuclear Power Technology Corp. declared the main control room at the Sanmen Unit 1 nuclear power plant—currently under construction in China—operational on March 31, it marked the first AP1000 unit to reach that important milestone. Several instrumentation and control (I&C) systems were integrated and tested before the declaration […]

Once upon a time, obtaining a job at a nuclear power plant meant a person was set for life. If an individual did at least acceptable work and kept their nose clean, they were rewarded with a career that

In a letter to Department of Energy Inspector General Gregory Friedman, U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Chair Mary Landrieu (D-La.) and Ranking Member Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) requested an investigation into sensitive information leaks suspected to have originated in Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) offices. The letter—dated March 27—stated that “Recent reports in […]