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Commentary
Why Utilities Must Create A Stronger Digital Architecture to Manage the Future Power Grid Amid Climate Challenges
This year, many of us watched with audible gasps as high temperatures shattered records and extreme weather destroyed homes and displaced people across the globe. These uncontrolled events have undoubtedly strained our old, antiquated electric grids, causing outages and downtime. The Biden administration has stepped up with $167 Million in energy grid resilience funding to assist in modernizing these […]
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Legal & Regulatory
California Climate Bill Targets Business, Utility Emissions
New climate legislation in California, known as the Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act (SB 253), was signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Oct. 7. The law—the first of its kind in the U.S.—requires the
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Hybrid Power
New Zealand Utility Eyes Cloud Computing to Support Renewables, EVs
A New Zealand utility is piloting two software solutions to gauge their efficacy at handling grid constraints. Raglan is a beachside community of just under 4,000 people, about a two-hour drive from Auckland
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Power
Why Utilities Need to Supercharge Their Approach to Cybersecurity
People know a storm can disrupt the electrical grid and cause a wave of complications across the region or country very quickly. But now, for those charged with grid reliability and keeping the lights on
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O&M
The Value of NDT in Power Generation Asset Management
Nondestructive testing (NDT) blends quality assurance and materials science. It is used to inspect and evaluate materials, components, and assemblies without destroying their serviceability. In the power
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Business
Cogeneration Facility Boosts Turbine Performance with Enhanced Lubricant and Fluid Management Service
Ariege Biomasse Cogeneration, situated in Saint-Paul-de-Jarrat, Ariege, France, is a biomass cogeneration plant that derives electricity and heat from locally sourced wood. The facility was commissioned in
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Legal & Regulatory
Increased Demand Is Fueling Interconnection Process Changes
Electrical system operators are seeing an increase in potential projects seeking to connect to the power grid. Ideally, this growth in application activity means that energy systems and networks will become
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O&M
Connect Without the Clutter: Building Neater, Tidier, Safer Electrical Enclosures
In light of the widespread integration of renewable energy resources to the power grid, the imperative of ensuring optimally efficient, safe, and reliable energy storage infrastructure cannot be overstated
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Energy Storage
Off-Grid BESS Technology: Revolutionizing Remote Power Solutions for Energy Independence
Off-grid projects with battery energy storage systems (BESSs) are revolutionizing the energy landscape, providing reliable power solutions in remote locations while promoting sustainability. Off-grid BESS technology is beginning to grow in demand, as it offers a plethora of benefits to customers seeking energy independence through its role in managing power supply and demand. In remote […]
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Distributed Energy
Smart Grid Telemetry, Data Key to Securing Distributed Energy Networks
Energy data has a key role in securing and protecting our energy future. As the global shift to decentralized energy networks keeps growing, together with the rising adoption rates of electric vehicles (EVs), cyber adversaries are finding an expanding array of opportunities to attack and exploit the dynamic energy sector. By leveraging smart-grid energy telemetry […]
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O&M
Cold Weather: How to Maintain Power Plant Readiness and Reliable Operation
Extreme temperature and weather events have become more prevalent in the past decade. The December 2022 Christmas freeze in the southeast U.S. saw many areas experiencing single-digit temperatures. The February 2021 Texas freeze saw temperatures in Dallas reach as low as –2F. Meanwhile, the January–February 2019 Midwest Arctic Polar Vortex saw temperatures plunge as low […]
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Gas
Realize the Opportunity from Advanced Air Inlet Filtration
For maximum efficiency and operational flexibility, advanced gas turbines have rightly been optimized to the nth degree. However, there are big opportunities in important related components like the air inlet filtration systems too. The latest developments from Parker Hannifin show what can be achieved when a new approach is taken. Today’s advanced gas turbines are […]
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O&M
The Added Value of Corrosion Protection for Pump and Valve Maintenance
Power plants depend on hundreds of valves and many different pumps to carry out operations 24/7. Good maintenance procedures—including routine tasks and predictive maintenance—are critical to keeping these
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News
Propane: A Clean Energy Solution for Tomorrow That’s Available Today
Electrification is often presented as an optimal way to reduce carbon emissions, but it’s simply not practical to rely on electricity alone. No single energy source can solve the long-term environmental challenges the world faces. Why isn’t all electrification the answer? The infrastructure required to keep up with the electrification movement would take decades to […]
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Sustainability
Engineering the Largest Post-Combustion Carbon Capture Plant
As part of the UK’s Humber Zero initiative, VPI Immingham’s gas-fired combined heat and power (CHP) plant will be home to the world’s largest post-combustion carbon capture facility. The Humber region is
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Energy Storage
Peak Shaving in Energy Storage: Balancing Demand, Savings, and Sustainability
Energy consumption is continually escalating at a remarkable rate, with current statistics showcasing the gravity of the situation. Global energy demand has risen by approximately 50% over the past two decades, and projections indicate that this upward trajectory will persist. Additionally, concerns about climate change have reached a peak, solidifying the need for immediate and […]
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Legal & Regulatory
New Labor Regulations Could Have Implications for Renewables Developers
Developers of renewable energy projects generally haven’t concerned themselves with the Davis-Bacon Act, the Great Depression-era federal law that mandates the paying of prevailing wages to laborers on public works projects. However, if the Department of Labor (DOL) gets its way, that might soon change. On August 23, 2023, DOL published new Davis-Bacon and Related Acts regulations that contain […]
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Wind
Elevating Wind Energy: ‘Intelligent Inspection’ Transforms Turbine Operations
A successful clean energy transition depends on maximizing output and minimizing the costs of renewable investments.In particular, wind turbines are highly effective assets but require frequent detailed inspections and maintenance to ensure they are fully operational and maximize their energy production. This can be ‘easier said than done’ for many wind turbine owners and operations […]
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Commentary
Cyberattack Vulnerabilities of Modern Power Systems
Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) is crucial to contemporary power systems and is widely used in industry and defense. SCADA are computer-based systems that are used to centrally control, monitor, and analyze activities in industries and power systems. This entails real-time communication over a communication network between a central entity and the local controllers […]
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T&D
How the Energy Transition Is Impacting the Transformers Market
Power grids around the world require upgrades to accommodate growth and incorporate new clean energy resources. Transformers are a necessary component in the modernization. Estimates suggest hundreds of
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Energy Storage
Major Austrian Utility Optimizing Energy Storage with Battery Analytics Software
Many utilities are recognizing that battery energy storage is a critical part of the transition to cleaner forms of power generation. This is especially true in Europe, where many countries have adopted
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O&M
Ester Transformer Fluids Bring Innovation to Clean Energy Systems
Clean, green, renewable energy deployments continue to grow each year. A recent statement from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) noted, “By the end of 2022, global renewable generation
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Trends
Lessening the Impacts of Extreme Weather—How Utilities Should Be Preparing
Climate change is a threat multiplier. Clean-up costs are ballooning and natural disasters are growing more expensive. In 2022 alone there were 18 natural disasters that caused more than $1 billion in damage, up from only three events in 1980. These are taking a bigger bite out of the energy sector’s operating costs and profits, […]
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Hydrogen
Moving Toward a Hydrogen Economy in the U.S. and Beyond
While using low-carbon hydrogen is not a viable economic option in most markets today, the wheels are set in motion for hydrogen to support the decarbonization of the world’s energy supply. It is a journey
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Connected Plant
Self-Tuning AI Strengthens Plant and Grid Reliability on Islands
Energy transition is progressively being adopted globally, pushing combined cycle gas turbines (CCGTs) to embrace flexible operation also on islands. CCGTs are, or will be, ramping loads up and down to accommodate intermittent renewable power inputs into the grid. These maneuvers compromise operational stability and jeopardize plant availability. Plant trips on small to mid-size islands […]
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Hydrogen
A Field Guide to Clean Hydrogen
Hydrogen is a key ingredient in any country’s future energy plans. In the U.S. the hydrogen sector is on the launch pad, ready for liftoff. However, its trajectory hinges on a critical question: what criteria will be used to define “clean hydrogen”? “Clean” is not synonymous with “green” when talking about hydrogen, although the terms […]
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Commentary
For EV Adoption, How Important Are Proposed EPA Vehicle Emissions Regulations?
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in April of this year announced proposed regulations to tighten restrictions on tailpipe emissions for light and medium-duty vehicles and greenhouse gas emissions from heavy-duty vehicles beginning with the 2027 model year. In order to meet the new requirements, the proposed regulations could effectively require automakers to produce zero-emission […]
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Commentary
FERC’s Queue Reform an Improvement, but Devil Is in the Details
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on July 28 issued a landmark order that reforms the generator interconnection process. The order is in response to a clear need for nationwide improvements due to a rapidly changing resource mix, market forces, and emerging technologies for power generation. Order No. 2023, Improvements to Generator Interconnection Procedures and Agreements, […]
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Gas
Could SCR Catalyst Technology Adoption Be a Roadmap for Power Plants Seeking Economical and Efficient CO2 Point-Source Solutions?
As the quest to develop a net-zero carbon emissions electricity grid marches on, global entities like the International Energy Agency (IEA) increasingly point to a big role for carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS). The IEA goes so far as to say reaching net-zero will be nearly impossible without CCUS. Proposed governmental greenhouse gas emissions […]
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Wind
How Wind Turbine Pitch-Control and Sealing Systems Work
With over 350,000 wind turbines currently in use globally, wind continues to be one of the fastest growing forms of renewable energy. In 2021, 93.6 GW of new installations brought global cumulative wind power capacity to 837 GW, showing year-over-year growth of 12%. The Global Wind Report 2022 notes that 557 GW of new capacity […]