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Connected Plant
Distributed Antenna System Solves Power Plant Communications Problem
Collaboration was the main success factor in the deployment of an all-carrier enterprise distributed antenna system (DAS) for a Midwest power plant. The Problem A power plant in the Midwestern U.S. (Figure 1) faced a formidable situation: The obsolescence of 3G cellular technology meant that the plant soon would lose its already unreliable cellular coverage, […]
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Sustainability
Responsive Economic Dispatch: Meeting a New Goal for Power
Customization is what we expect from our coffee order, not something we associate with an electricity plan. But like other industries influenced and motivated by the Internet of Things (IoT) age, the energy industry is having a renaissance that is changing customers’ relationship with power. Customers want their electricity to do more than keep the […]
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Distributed Energy
What Texas Can Learn from Australia—How VPPs Are Saving Renewable Energy
In the face of unprecedented weather events driven by climate change, the global electrical utilities sector is grappling with disruptions, and the state of Texas in particular has been significantly impacted in recent years. From the winter storms of February 2021 to challenges posed by heat events in the summer of 2023, Texas has faced […]
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O&M
Optimizing Turbine Repair Resources
Steam turbines are used in many applications on various scales to drive equipment such as pumps, compressors, and generators. Routine maintenance, as laid out by the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) is
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Solar
How Electroluminescence and Current-Voltage Characteristics Tools Enhance PV Solar System Performance
Solar photovoltaic (PV) power generation demonstrated the largest absolute growth of all renewable technologies in 2022, surpassing wind for the first time in history, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). The IEA has said continuous growth in the economic attractiveness of PV, massive development in the supply chain, and increasing policy support, especially in […]
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Power
Tips for Managing Steam and Water Analysis System Maintenance in Aging Plants
Proper steam and water analysis system (SWAS) maintenance is critical to the operation of any coal, nuclear, or combined cycle power plant, many of which are being forced to ask more of aging equipment. For
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Commentary
Generating Employee Buy-In to Embrace Energy Innovation
The White House’s billion-dollar investment in transitioning to and expanding clean power grids is the latest reminder of the critical window for energy companies to capitalize on the opportunities to make
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Legal & Regulatory
A Review of Air Quality Rules and a Look at 2024
Federal regulators in 2023 proposed a variety of new air quality rules, and 2024 is likely to see these proposals become final and enforceable. Here’s a look at the past year, and a look ahead at the major
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O&M
A New Year’s Resolution: Utilities Can Reap the Rewards of Resilience
Extreme weather events are occurring more frequently and with greater severity across the U.S., from scorching heat in many areas to major hurricanes battering coastal regions. Throughout the U.S., utilities
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Commentary
2023: A Transformative Year for Small Modular Nuclear Reactors
The small modular reactor (SMR) concept has long been viewed by many within the nuclear sector and by policymakers as somewhat of an arriviste—an upstart with bold promises but lacking credibility and a track record. SMRs were touted to save the nuclear industry from its original sins of delays and cost overruns, typical for all […]