Darrell Proctor
Articles By

Darrell Proctor

  • NV Energy Adding Two Gas-Fired Units Near Las Vegas

    Nevada utility NV Energy is ready to add two natural gas-fired units to the existing Silverhawk Generating Station as part of the group’s plan to increase the state’s energy supply during the hottest months of the year. The $353 million project, the first phase of an $827 million plan the utility filed with state regulators […]

  • GE Developing 18-MW Offshore Wind Turbine

    The global competition to build ever-larger offshore wind turbines continues to ramp up, with General Electric (GE) announcing the company’s renewable energy arm is developing a 17- to 18-MW model that could rival those currently being launched by Chinese groups. “Now we are getting a very positive reception from the market with our 17-MW to […]

  • Ukraine Group Completes First Phase of Wind Farm Despite Ongoing War

    Ukrainian energy company DTEK Group said it has finished construction of the first 114 MW of a planned 500-MW wind farm in the country, as DTEK continues to work on energy projects despite the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine. The company on March 10 said it is seeking international help to complete the Tyligulska wind […]

  • The POWER Interview: IRA, Economics Support Solar-Plus-Storage Market

    Several executives in the energy industry have spoken with POWER in recent months about how utility-scale solar power projects benefit from the addition of energy storage. Many have noted how installing storage systems alongside solar arrays supports the integration of renewable energy to the power grid, and also enhances the economic potential of any such […]

  • Duke Energy Group Brings Texas Solar Farm Online

    Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions (DESS), an arm of major U.S. utility Duke Energy, said commercial operation has begun on the group’s largest solar power plant. DESS on March 8 said the 250-MW Pisgah Ridge Solar farm in Navarro County, Texas, is online, supplying power to at least three groups as part of virtual power purchase […]

  • Major Pumped-Hydro Storage Project Moves Forward in Nevada

    A Utah-based energy developer has filed a final license application for construction of a major pumped-hydro storage project in Nevada. rPlus Hydro on March 8 said it made the filing with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for the company’s 1,000-MW White Pine Pumped Storage installation in White Pine County. White Pine, the first pumped-hydro […]

  • Vistra Expands Nuclear Portfolio in $3.4 Billion Deal for Energy Harbor

    Texas-based energy company Vistra Corp. is adding to its nuclear power generation capacity. The group on March 6 announced it would buy Ohio-based Energy Harbor Corp. in a $3.4 billion deal that includes ownership of three nuclear power stations. The transaction includes $3 billion in cash, with Energy Harbor shareholders receiving a 15% stake in […]

  • Biden Administration Pledges $1.2 Billion to Keep U.S. Nuclear Reactors Online

    The Biden administration has pledged another $1.2 billion to help extend the operating life of older or distressed nuclear power plants, with Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm saying nuclear power is needed to support the nation’s clean energy goals. The funding, announced by the Dept. of Energy (DOE) on March 2, is the second tranche of […]

  • NRC Approves Move to Keep Diablo Canyon Nuclear Plant Open

    The Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant in California can continue operating while Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) seeks a license renewal for the 2,250-MW facility that would extend its lifecycle. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) on March 2 approved PG&E’s request for an exemption to keep Diablo Canyon open past 2025. Thursday’s move is a […]

  • Russia Ready to Bring Nuclear Power to Sri Lanka

    Government officials in Sri Lanka said they will work with Russia to bring nuclear power to the country as part of its effort to increase the supply of electricity for the island nation. Professor S.R.D. Rosa, chairman of the Sri Lanka Atomic Energy Board, told local media the country is looking at offshore and onshore […]

  • The POWER Interview: DC-Coupled Storage Optimizing Solar PV Systems

    Asset owners want to get the most out of their solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, which is why many today are adding energy storage to an installation or upgrading a project through repowering. Companies working in the space recognize that both new and older solar power systems can be optimized, thanks to innovative technologies and new […]

  • Renewable Properties Closes Fund 8 Portfolio of Nearly 30 MW of Community Solar Projects with Financiers Nelnet Renewable Energy and AB CarVal

    SAN FRANCISCO, CA — March 1, 2023 — Renewable Properties, a developer and investor in small-scale utility and community solar projects, has closed its Fund 8 portfolio with two financing partners, Nelnet Renewable Energy and AB CarVal. Fund 8 consists of nearly 30 MW of community solar projects in California and New York. The closing of Fund 8 reflects the company’s strong ties to […]

  • New Technologies, New Sites Supporting Growth of Energy Storage

    Advancements in energy storage, including new battery types and longer-duration batteries, are driving innovation in the sector. Retired power generation plants are being repurposed as storage sites, and the

  • South Africa Energy Crisis at Critical Stage as Load-Shedding Continues

    The energy crisis in South Africa has prompted continued calls for government action, and officials in January said an energy action plan announced last year is starting to be implemented. The plan was laid

  • Solar Power/Hydrogen Project Underway in DRC

    Hydrogène de France (HDF Energy) has entered into a partnership with the government of Kinshasa, a city-province and capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in Africa, for construction and operation

  • Group Touts Milestone for Hydrogen-Boron Fusion Power

    A California-based group said it has completed the first-ever hydrogen-boron fusion experiments to produce a sustainable fuel for utility-scale fusion power. TAE Technologies on Feb. 28, in a peer-reviewed paper published by the scientific journal Nature Communications, said its research supports the path to providing electricity from nuclear reactors fueled with hydrogen-boron, also known as […]

  • Madagascar Ready to Ramp Up Hydropower Projects

    Madagascar has significant hydropower potential, but to date less than 20% of the country’s energy comes from hydroelectric facilities. The Economic Development Agency of Madagascar (EDBM) estimates the island nation, located in the Indian Ocean off the cost of Southeast Africa, could produce as much as 7.8 GW of power from hydro resources, but at […]

  • China Approves 106 GW of New Coal-Fired Capacity

    A new report from a two global energy research groups found that China last year approved its most new coal-fired power generation projects since 2015. The report from the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) and Global Energy Monitor (GEM) shows the Chinese government approved permits for 106 GW of new coal-fired […]

  • The POWER Interview: Chemistry Crucial for Global Growth in Energy Storage

    The global market for energy storage is driven by several factors, with power producers continually looking for ways to improve their storage systems and enhance performance. Battery technologies for energy storage are becoming more important as project developers look for ways to control costs and optimize battery energy storage systems (BESS). Advancing technology supports lowering […]

  • Indonesia Begins Carbon Trading Program for Coal-Fired Power Plants

    Indonesia’s efforts to decarbonize the country’s power generation sector took a major step on Feb. 22 as the government launched the first phase of mandatory carbon trading for coal-fired power plants. Officials in the capital of Jakarta have said they want to increase electricity production from renewable energy resources and achieve net-zero carbon emissions by […]

  • Biden Administration Announces First Offshore Wind Lease Sales for Gulf of Mexico

    The Biden administration on Feb. 22 announced the first-ever lease sale for offshore wind power development in the Gulf of Mexico. The Dept. of the Interior, through its Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), said it would open more than 300,000 acres in the Gulf, an area that long has been a major part of […]

  • Dominican Republic Adds to Power Capacity With New Gas-Fired Plant

    The first phase of a new natural gas-fired power plant has been brought online in the Dominican Republic (DR), a project designed to support demand for electricity across the island nation. The SIBA Energy plant, located in Boca Chica in Santo Domingo province, is owned by a consortium led by SIBA Energy Corp. The group […]

  • Poland Moves Forward With Country’s First Nuclear Power Plant

    Westinghouse and Poland’s Polskie Elektrownie Jadrowe (PEJ) have finalized a contract for pre-design work on what would be that country’s first nuclear power plant (NPP). The agreement announced Feb. 22 moves forward a project that began late last year when Westinghouse was selected by the Polish government to build a nuclear plant using AP1000 reactor […]

  • Beam Global CEO: EVs, Off-Grid Solutions, Electrification Will Make News in 2023

    Beam Global is a company dedicated to providing clean energy for the transportation sector. The San Diego, California-based group has said its “mission is to lead the world to clean mobility. We believe that every person deserves access to clean sustainable transportation. That every community is safer with a resilient microgrid. That every state can […]

  • Major Offshore Wind Array Planned off Iberian Peninsula

    The joint venture (JV) of an Irish energy developer and two Spanish companies has announced its second large floating offshore wind project. IberBlue Wind, a JV created to develop gigascale arrays in waters near the Iberian Peninsula, on Feb. 17 said it would build a 990-MW project off the coast of Figueira da Foz. IberBlue, […]

  • The POWER Interview: Challenges, Opportunities for Energy Storage

    The market for energy storage projects continues to grow as utilities recognize the benefits of storage for demand response, along with the integration of renewable energy resources to the power grid. Incentives in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) for standalone storage provide even more support for the sector. Storage companies are growing, and more deals […]

  • Major Solar and Storage Projects, EVs and More Featured at California Event

    A diverse mix of companies and experts in the solar power and energy storage sectors are in Long Beach, California, this week for the annual Intersolar North America (ISNA) and Energy Storage North America (ESNA) conference. The event, which is supported and attended by POWER, provides a look at the latest innovations in solar and […]

  • Iran Brings More Natural Gas-Fired Units Online

    Two more units at a natural gas-fired combined cycle power plant in Iran are producing electricity for the country’s national grid. The Mahtab Kavir plant in Zarand County in Kerman Province now has total power generation capacity of 484 MW after the two new 162-MW units were synchronized with the grid on Feb. 9. The […]

  • Large Solar-Plus-Storage Project Underway in California Desert

    Construction of a major solar-plus-storage installation in California has been approved by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The Desert Quartzite project, sited on about 3,000 acres near Blythe in eastern Riverside County, will feature a 300-MW solar array along with 600 MWh of energy storage. Desert Quartzite, being developed by EDF Renewables North […]

  • DOE, NREL, EPRI Announce Program to Support Grid Integration of DERs

    The U.S. Dept. of Energy (DOE) has announced a new competition designed to support the integration of distributed energy resources (DERs) into the nation’s power grid. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm unveiled the program Feb. 7 during a presentation to attendees of the DISTRIBUTECH 2023 event at the San Diego Convention Center in California. The program […]