A wide range of industries fall under the umbrella of critical infrastructure, and they are all—as the name implies—critical. From energy production and water treatment to transportation and data storage, everything within critical infrastructure serves an essential purpose when it comes to the continued functioning of the nation. Unfortunately, that makes critical infrastructure sites a […]

In 2023, U.S. utilities have a multipronged ambition to realize: how to provide customers with reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy, and safe water. However, increased pressure around decarbonization and the adoption of cleaner energy sources, electrification, and related infrastructure needs, and customer-driven disruption will make this energy trilemma even more difficult to balance. Management at […]

Working with and around electrical distribution system poles is dangerous. Georgia Power has taken a proactive approach to reducing the risk, keeping safety first in its operations. In the electric utility

Identifying areas in your plant where insulation is inadequate and fixing the problem can save significant amounts of money, eliminate safety hazards for workers, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It’s a

Advanced nuclear energy can, and should, play a major role in meeting the societal goal of 100% clean energy by mid-century. Advanced nuclear energy would complement other energy sources like wind and solar

Industry trends toward bigger and heavier modules, along with greater adoption of bifacial technology, are changing the way designers of solar power sites are thinking about tracking systems. Distributed

Thermal power generation has to adapt new methods to thrive as renewables transform dispatch. Now used more often as a bridge source of power rather than the main source of power, many fossil fuel plants

The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA) includes the largest clean energy incentive effort in U.S. history. It builds on the energy initiatives included in 2009’s American Reinvestment Recovery Act

Coal ash, or coal combustion residuals (CCRs), is the second-largest waste material in the U.S., just behind household garbage. The safe and sustainable management of coal ash poses one of the most complex

Even more than technology and processes, power and utilities leaders must focus on that most timeless of resources—people—to be successful against a landscape of ever-evolving cybersecurity threats. Users

The world is on a quest for solutions to decarbonize its economy. More than 70 countries and over 1,200 companies have set a net-zero target, according to the United Nations. To limit warming to less than 2 degrees Celsius, emissions of hundreds of gigatonnes of carbon dioxide (CO₂) would need to be prevented and removed from […]

In a constantly plugged-in world, people rely on always available and uninterrupted electricity, now more than ever. While the electric industry has invested significantly to meet customers’ demand on the grid, utilities increasingly turn to their customers to provide reliable, cost-effective grid services with customer-sited distributed energy resources (DERs) like energy storage and demand response. […]

While the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) provides steps in the right direction by expanding renewable energy development and electrification incentives, it may also lead to a worsening duck curve and a larger proportion of variable power sources in the generation mix—putting significant pressure on utilities’ ability to maintain reliability. U.S. utilities need to be proactive […]

Environmental pressure is ramping up. Countries have issued targets to reduce or even eliminate the use of traditional fossil fuels in order to reduce emission of greenhouse gases such as CO2. Gas turbine original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are responding by investing in hydrogen (H2) combustion. They are spending heavily on the development of combustors and […]

Australia stands at a crossroads when it comes to its energy strategy. On the one hand, the country has moved to embrace clean energy in the past few years, with renewables growing to 29% of total generation

For decades, gas-insulated substations (GIS) have been used primarily in densely populated metropolitan areas. They take up only 10% of the footprint of outdoor or air-insulated substations and provide reliable medium- and low-voltage service where space needed to service areas for industrial locations, hospitals, and housing may be limited. However, as rural environments become desirable […]

The U.S. will rely on utility leaders to scale smart grid infrastructure and reduce carbon emissions. Climate change has captured the world’s attention for decades. We’ve seen countless intergovernmental summits, worldwide protests, and documentaries on global warming over the years. Although momentum has been building across the public and private sectors, leaders are preparing for […]

For most of my childhood growing up in a small town in the foothills of North Carolina, my dad worked in the blanket factory as a supervisor in the labs—working on fabric treatments, dyes, weaves, and all the other things that you’d never think about going into the design of a blanket. On Saturday mornings, […]

Climate and extreme weather are increasingly impacting energy systems around the world. Whether it is prolonged, extreme cold in Texas, wildfires in California, high winds in the Midwest, or the recent prediction for an above-normal 2022 hurricane season, it is clear extreme weather events are testing the resilience of the North American grid. Changes in […]

In this day and age, there’s more of a need for data centers and cloud computing than ever before. They’re actually one of the fastest growing businesses out there right now. While they are essential, they’re also a drain on the planet. Powering these centers can take up to 50% of their operating costs, and […]

Hurricanes are the leading cause of power outages in the U.S. Power outages can make storms exponentially more dangerous for local populations, especially if they affect critical facilities like hospitals, fire stations, and police departments, which are vital in times of crisis. But what can utilities and municipalities do to prepare for natural disasters? How […]

Hydrogen prices across key European countries rose over the course of 2021, primarily driven by gas and power price spikes amid tight supply, while record carbon prices lifted grey hydrogen close to parity with low-carbon hydrogen, analysis from market data and intelligence group ICIS shows. Near-Curve The hydrogen near curve posted the largest gains, as […]

There’s a lot going on in the energy world right now. The United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) is happening in Glasgow, Scotland. Congress recently passed major new energy legislation in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. And as consumers soon will find out if they don’t already know: much higher energy costs and heating bills are […]

The decarbonization of our global economies is a must to arrest climate change and create a sustainable future for everyone. Yet, the transition off fossil fuels to a more sustainable economic foundation will be rocky. Recent events underscore both the need and the challenge. This year, Europe experienced its warmest summer in history, with almost twice as […]

One of the biggest challenges facing utility companies is the need to reduce costs and operational risks while maximizing revenue. Utility projects in the power generation space are undergoing rapid digital acceleration, which means groups are looking for technologies that can help reduce construction costs. This is an issue virtually every utility leader is concerned […]

An innovative European Union–funded Arbaflame project is aiming to produce 70,000 tonnes of biomass-based combustibles per year to enable clean power generation. The biomass pellets are made of wood and can be used as a 100% sustainable alternative to coal in power plants to produce carbon-neutral power. Sulzer Chemtech’s separation equipment will play a key […]

Consumers today want their utilities to provide an experience like any other service provider, offering the same control and transparency. User-friendly smart meter technology has allowed consumers to play a bigger role in managing their energy usage and cost. But to give customers true command of their energy consumption, the industry needs distributed intelligence technology. […]

There is an adage in the cooperative electric business that “if you have seen one cooperative, you have seen one cooperative.” And we think that holds true. But in today’s rapidly transitioning energy supply space—due to the continued proliferation of low-cost and clean energy generation—there is commonality across cooperatives and regions of the country on […]

Selective catalytic reduction (SCR) projects often focus on the final NOx emissions levels achieved, but a successful project is about much more than that. Facility owners must consider the complete scope associated with an SCR installation, from supply chain issues and ultra-low NOx emissions levels to customization requirements associated with a given application’s pressure drop […]

Damages caused by Hurricane Ida will once again force the construction, manufacturing, energy, agribusiness, retail, and travel industries to focus on best practices for responding to major events. According to Eric Ruzicka, a partner at the international law firm Dorsey & Whitney and an expert who has advised companies during the rebuilding following Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, now is the time […]