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 […]

Coal Power Current Issue | Find a Job | Post a Job

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 […]

On the 35th anniversary of the most serious accident in U.S. commercial nuclear power plant operating history, it seems fitting to take a look back at the Three Mile Island Unit 2 (TMI-2) meltdown. One of POWER’s contributing editors—Kennedy Maize—wrote an article on the 30th anniversary that recollected his experience covering the event. It’s still […]

When Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy testified at the House Appropriations subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies today, Rep. Hal Rogers (R-Ky.) made it clear from the start that he would be at odds with her. “For years, it seems the EPA has worked hard to devise new regulations that are designed […]

With natural gas exports as its focus, the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources held its first oversight hearing with new chair, Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.), at the helm on Mar. 25. Landrieu began the hearing by pointing out how greatly America’s natural gas situation has changed in less than a decade. She noted […]

The Dan River coal ash spill has forced some serious discussions about the future of Duke Energy’s North Carolina coal fleet. Duke Energy President and CEO Lynn Good said in a March 12 letter to Gov. Pat McCrory (R) and Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary John Skvarla that the company is planning […]

NuScale Power LLC and Enercon Services Inc. have joined forces, announcing a strategic partnership to support deployment of NuScale’s small modular reactor (SMR) technology. Enercon got its start in 1983, supporting nuclear plant startups and operations. In 2005, the company created its New Plant Services division to focus on deployment of new nuclear plants. The […]

When California’s solar power production peaked at 4,093 MW on Mar. 8, it set a new record, supplying nearly 18% of the state’s electricity demand at the time. California is the largest producer of solar power in the nation with 5,231 MW of installed capacity. According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, 2,621 MW of […]

If a conveyor belt does not perform according to the manufacturer’s claims—by wearing prematurely, ripping too easily, or disintegrating due to excessive heat or because of oil penetration—the risk to life and limb is relatively small. Yes, it can be very expensive, but it is generally not life-threatening. But if a fire retardant conveyor belt […]

The deadline for power plants to comply with the Environmental Protection Agency’s Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) is fast approaching. The wide range of rapidly changing and developing technologies that can be used to reduce emissions offers many options for decision makers to meet mercury control limits. At one plant, Great River Energy’s (GRE’s) […]

POWERnews Current Issue | Find a Job | Post a Job

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued its annual assessment of the nation’s 100 operating commercial nuclear power plants on Mar. 6. The results—for performance through 2013—showed that 80 plants were meeting all safety and security standards, while nine more were doing well enough to warrant only slight additional oversight due to one or two items […]

Cleanup of the Kingston Fossil Plant coal ash spill is one step closer to completion. On Mar. 3, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) announced that a retaining wall surrounding a 240-acre ash containment cell was completed nearly a month ahead of schedule. Kingston was the site of the worst coal ash release in U.S. history […]

President Obama submitted his fiscal year 2015 budget proposal on Mar. 4. In it, tax subsidies for fossil fuel companies were under the knife, as was the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) piece of the pie. In the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) overview, it was noted that clean energy technologies are expected to spur future economic […]

On Feb. 24, President Obama approved a proposed agreement with Vietnam, which would allow for cooperation between the two countries concerning peaceful uses of nuclear energy. The agreement has been in the works for some time and will now undergo a 90-day Congressional review period. Secretary of State John Kerry originally signed the deal with […]