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Gas
Gas Power Outlook: Gas Turbines Will Play a Vital Role in Decarbonization
Natural gas–fired power generation has seen its ups and downs over the past couple of decades. In some cases, highly efficient combined cycle units were taken offline because they just weren’t needed. But
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Gas
Optimizing Combined Cycle Power Plant Operations
Cogentrix Energy and Siemens Energy have partnered to optimize 8000H-class gas turbine reliability and outage planning. Under Cogentrix’s management, the Patriot site successfully upgraded one of its
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Renewables
Working with EPC Contractors: Guidance for Utilities Embarking on Solar Development
Engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractors deliver many benefits to power projects. Besides the experience they bring that can help keep schedules on track, they often have longstanding
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Legal & Regulatory
CEQ’s New Guidance on NEPA Reviews for Clean Energy Projects
The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) earlier this year published its updated “Guidance on Consideration of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Climate Change,” a document for the assessment and disclosure
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Safety
Cameras Are an Important Security Tool for Power Plants and Substations
Physical security of plants and substations has become a real concern for power companies. In an interview with NPR, Puesh Kumar, director of the U.S. Energy Department’s Office of Cybersecurity, Energy
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O&M
Considerations for Automatic Filtration of Cooling Tower Water Systems
Waste reduction and process efficiencies are key for companies wanting smoother operations. As various industries, including power generation, seek ways to improve operational efficiency, cooling water
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Instrumentation & Controls
Instrumentation and Control for Reliability, Efficiency, and Pollution Control
High-tech instrumentation and state-of-the-art modeling tools are helping power plant operators achieve best-in-class performance, meet pollution targets, and better predict failures. Calibration management
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Commentary
The Path to EV Supply Chain Independence in the U.S.
Electric vehicles (EVs) are in the spotlight and every industrialized country is looking for a piece of the pie. We’re at a pivotal moment in the transition to more sustainable forms of energy and transportation, and the United States is clambering to lead the pack. There’s a problem, however, that promises to make EV production […]
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Offshore Wind
The Tremendous Potential—and Challenge—of Offshore Wind Energy
Wind turbines must move farther offshore to gain greater efficiency. But the challenges associated with doing so are significant. At the Dutch village of Den Oever, just north of Amsterdam, the A7 motorway extends onto the Afsluitdijk, a 32-kilometer dike that separates IJsselmeer Lake and the North Sea. Near the midway point, approaching the village […]
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Energy Storage
Micro-Mobility: The New York City Battery Boom
Micro-mobility is booming in popularity in New York City. Problem is, something else is booming and that’s the lithium-ion batteries powering these devices. Last year, in NYC alone, there were 216 fires involving batteries, with 147 injuries and six deaths — up from 104 fires in 2021, accounting for 79 injuries and four deaths. COMMENTARY […]
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Power
Sampling Procedures for Inspection and Sampling Plans for Lot Inspection Using ISO 2859
Sampling is a technique in which samples are drawn at random (without any favor or bias). For this, suitable measures or procedures may be laid down and adopted according to the nature and configuration of parts under inspection for ensuring complete randomness in sample selection. The term sample implies a subset chosen from the population. […]
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Commentary
Minimizing Talent Risk Critical to Success of Cleantech 2.0
“Deploy, deploy, deploy” is a mantra coined by Jigar Shah that’s gaining momentum as the climate tech and energy industries seek to scale their operations to meet the 2030 net-zero goals. With this Decade of Action in full swing, the urgency to implement carbon reductions in corporate and government operations is (finally) palpable and intensifying. […]
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Solar
Solar Energy Caught in Crosshairs of New Legislation
The solar power industry seems to be caught in the crosshairs of competing legislative agendas. The U.S. Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) created incentives to increase solar capacity via tax credits, but the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) limits the effectiveness of those credits by restricting the importation of any goods that were mined, produced, […]
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Power
Cyber Resilience for Wind Power Installations
A tailored approach to evaluating and implementing benefit-based cybersecurity technologies for wind power plants. Recent research and development (R&D) have provided insights into cybersecurity strategies and business cases for cybersecurity investments. These findings will help renewable sector entities tailor an approach to evaluating and implementing cybersecurity technologies for wind power plants. A Cyber Resilient Reference […]
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Power
An Unplanned Outage, an Unconventional Plan, and a Global Collaboration
When problems strike and normal supply channels are constrained, it can be advantageous to consider alternatives. The Rocksavage plant in the UK found needed parts at a station in Argentina and was able to get
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Gas
Protecting Gas Turbines from High Temperatures, Humidity, and Dust
Gas turbines require high-quality air to operate reliably. However, increasing temperatures and reduced rainfall are increasing the frequency of dust storms in many parts of the world. In these circumstances
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Legal & Regulatory
Renewables Need More Domestic Production of Minerals
Climate legislation such as the Inflation Reduction Act, which aims to cut U.S. greenhouse gas emissions up to 43% below 2005 levels by 2030, has shifted the already critical need for domestic minerals into
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Energy Storage
Improve Electric Grid Resilience Through Integration of Energy Storage at EV Charging Stations
By 2030, it’s expected that half of U.S. car sales will be electric, and while this is a positive step forward in transportation decarbonization, this change also comes with challenges and concerns
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Cybersecurity
Modernizing Cybersecurity Practices Within Utilities
The utility industry needs to be prepared to adapt at this time of uncertainty and change, rising prices, and international turmoil. However, it is becoming more challenging to comply with regulations and
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Commentary
California’s Energy Future Lies in the NRC’s Hands
California has been driving America’s clean energy transition for years, but the road to net-zero is still paved with fossil fuels. Frequent extreme weather events and surging electricity demand are catalyzing the buildout of more reliable and secure clean energy. The state’s shift has largely been focused on renewable sources like solar and wind, which […]
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Carbon Capture
Carbon Capture: Perspectives on the State of Affairs
Carbon capture is an important means of addressing worldwide greenhouse gas levels, but where are we in terms of implementation? Carbon capture will play a key role in decarbonization plans for businesses
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Engineering
Engineering the Next Generation
Improving processes and unlocking future innovations relies on new ideas. Many of the engineers of tomorrow who will deliver these breakthroughs are currently learning their craft at universities around the
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Commentary
Why Solar Parks Are in Desperate Need of Good Publicity
Americans have much to gain from having a solar project installed in their local community, but their relationship with solar energy is hardly a love affair. The infamous NIMBY (not in my backyard) phenomenon
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Microgrid
Microgrids Can Provide Resiliency During Extreme Weather Events
Microgrids are small, self-sustaining local power systems that provide big benefits to the communities they serve. As extreme weather events become more common, microgrids will become more important not only
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Commentary
States Address EV Charging Infrastructure
In addition to affordability, range anxiety—the ability to access efficient and reliable vehicle charging—remains one of the largest barriers to electric vehicle (EV) adoption. At the federal level
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Renewables
Risk Mitigation: An Essential Prerequisite for Inflation Reduction Act Funding
The groundbreaking Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) will put hundreds of billions of dollars toward renewables. As the most comprehensive energy policy in recent years, the IRA is already having a profound impact
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Legal & Regulatory
Identifying State-Focused Renewable Energy Tax Exemptions
President Joe Biden last year signed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) that, in addition to a number of other actions, extended and enhanced a number of green energy tax opportunities. Notably, it extended the
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Hydrogen
Should We Really Use Renewable Electricity to Make Green Hydrogen? Not Always
There’s a growing belief that hydrogen will play a key role in lowering CO 2 emissions. However, there are several caveats in realizing that vision, and in some cases, hydrogen may not be the right choice
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O&M
APM: Making It Easy to Maintain a Greener Grid
The Inflation Reduction Act gave the power generation industry the push it needed to go all in on renewable energy. In the short term, we’ll see more solar and onshore wind. In the long term, we’ll have
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Research and Development
Enterprise Asset Management: Empowering Stronger Vision for Net-Zero Reality
Managers are constantly battling to improve efficiency and become more sustainable. Having effective asset management tools can help decision-makers visualize what’s working well and what isn’t, so fixes