Darrell Proctor
Articles By

Darrell Proctor

Darrell Proctor is a data analyst and communications professional with years of writing, editing, and analytical experience in the energy sector. He has been part of Pulitzer Prize-winning teams and has more than three decades of management expertise, leading teams in both newsrooms and boardrooms. He's a sought-after speaker and analyst on topics across the spectrum of power generation, energy infrastructure, financial aspects of the industry, and more.

  • Reliability, Resiliency, Cost, and Climate Driving C&I Power Systems

    Commercial and industrial (C&I) entities want to ensure they have electricity when they need it. Businesses also are looking at sustainability, decarbonization, and control of their energy costs as factors

  • Morocco Project Could Support UK’s Renewable Goals, Hydrogen Economy

    A project to bring solar and wind energy from a 10.5-GW project in Morocco to the UK will feature what is likely the world’s longest subsea, high-voltage direct current (HVDC) cables. The importation of

  • POWER Digest [June 2022]

    Twenty20 Energy Will Build Gas-Fired Plant in Papua New Guinea. Singapore-based Twenty20 Energy Systems in April announced it would design and build a new gas-fired power plant in Hela province, Papua New

  • India Plans to Reduce Coal-Fired Generation, and Mine More Coal

    India’s Power Ministry, despite the country facing shortages of electricity in recent years and as recently as the past month, said it plans to reduce the amount of power generation from at least 81 of the country’s 173 coal-fired power plants over the next four years. The agency, in a letter dated May 26 that […]

  • The POWER Interview: How Solar Can Solve the C&I Power Puzzle

    Commercial and industrial (C&I) enterprises rely on their power supply. Many facilities, such as hospitals, federal institutions, and military bases—those considered mission critical—have long been at the forefront of finding solutions to keep their lights on. In today’s world, the need for reliable and resilient power is critical for a wide range of industries. Uninterrupted […]

  • DOE Awards GE Two Projects to Test Hydrogen Combustion

    General Electric (GE) has been awarded two projects from the U.S. Dept. of Energy (DOE) as it continues to develop and test equipment and systems needed for hydrogen combustion in gas turbines. GE on May 25 announced the proposals, which were selected by DOE’s Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management, are worth more than […]

  • Wartsila Engines Will Power New Wisconsin Gas-Fired Plant

    A new natural gas-fired power plant project being developed by Wisconsin-based WEC Energy Group will use seven Wärtsilä 50SG gas engines. The Finland-based technology company on May 24 announced the equipment order, with the engines expected to be used at a planned 128-MW facility located near Wausau, Wisconsin, that would be built at the site […]

  • Philippines May Restart Bataan Nuclear Plant Project

    The winner of the Philippines’ presidential election earlier this month has made another move in support of reviving nuclear power in that country, holding talks with South Korea about enlisting help to restart a nuclear power plant project that was abandoned nearly 40 years ago. President-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr. met with Kim Inchul, South Korea’s […]

  • The POWER Interview: EVs Lead Charge for Electrification

    Several groups are studying the impact of electrification on the U.S. power system, including the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Colorado and its research partners, which include the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), and national laboratories such as Lawrence Berkeley and Oak Ridge. NREL, as part of its Electrification Futures Study, has used what […]

  • RENEWABLE POWER Direct—May 18, 2022

    POWER Magazine   Jobs   White Papers  Webinars   Events   Store   May 18, 2022 California, Again Facing Summer Supply Vulnerabilities, Eyes 20-GW Offshore Wind Goal The California Energy Commission (CEC) is mulling a preliminary planning goal for 3 GW of offshore wind by 2030 and potentially expanding it to 10 GW to 15 […]

  • GE Turbines Will Equip Vietnam’s First LNG-Fueled Power Plant

    Two units of a new gas-fired power plant in Vietnam will feature the first use of General Electric’s (GE’s) H-Class turbine in the country. GE on May 16 announced that PetroVietnam Power Corp.’s (PV Power’s) Nhon Trach 3 & 4 Power Plant, with 1.6 GW of generation capacity, will use two GE 9HA.02 gas turbines. […]

  • GAS POWER Direct—May 11, 2022

    POWER Magazine   Jobs   White Papers  Webinars   Events   Store   May 11, 2022 Siemens Energy Sells 100th H-Class Gas Turbine—Fleet Exceeds 2.5 Million Operating Hours In late March, Siemens Energy announced separate agreements with Guangdong Energy Group Co. Ltd. and Shenzhen Energy Group Co. Ltd., in which the gas turbine giant will […]

  • Vogtle Nuclear Expansion Price Tag Tops $30 Billion

    An updated financial report from one of the owners of the Plant Vogtle nuclear expansion in Georgia shows the cost to build two new reactors has now topped $30 billion, more than double the original price tag expected for the project. The Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia (MEAG), one of four groups with an ownership […]

  • The POWER Interview: Importance of Pricing Data for Renewable Energy

    The highs and lows of markets for renewable energy are driving more interest in granular pricing data. Any company embarking on a new project must do its research to ensure that it calculates the proceeds based on the right financial information. With so much data now readily available, it’s more important than ever to use […]

  • There’s Value in Old Power Generation Components

    Equipment from both renewable and thermal energy power plants is finding new life in the recycling market. The market for recycled power equipment components is getting a boost due to ongoing global supply

  • POWER Digest [May 2022]

    Czech Republic Chooses Site for SMR Development. CEZ Group, a major conglomerate in the Czech Republic, in late March said it had set aside an area at the Temelin Nuclear Power Plant as a possible location for

  • Southern CEO: Vogtle Still on Track for 2022-2023 Start

    Southern Co. CEO Tom Fanning said the group continues to stick to its most-recent timeline for startup of the two-unit expansion of the Vogtle nuclear plant in Georgia, telling participants in the company’s first-quarter 2022 earnings call that construction is pacing well, with fuel load for Unit 3 expected later this year.   “Importantly, the […]

  • Duke Energy Could Power Purdue with Nuclear Project

    Small modular reactors (SMRs) are widely considered the best technology to increase the use of nuclear power worldwide, with advocates touting their zero-emission production of electricity, smaller land footprint, and scalability. SMRs also offer a cost savings over construction of new utility-scale nuclear reactors. Powering a college campus with nuclear energy has increasingly been a […]

  • Burns & McDonnell Awarded Contract for Ocean Wind 1 Offshore Project

    The first three major construction contracts have been awarded for the 1,100-MW Ocean Wind 1 offshore project that will provide electricity to New Jersey. Ocean Wind 1 is a joint venture between Ørsted and Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG), which provides electricity for much of New Jersey. Those groups on April 25 announced Burns & […]

  • At Least 15 China-Backed Coal Plants Canceled, Another 37 GW in Limbo

    A research group focused on the energy industry and its impact on air pollution said the Chinese government’s decision to no longer provide financing for overseas coal projects has resulted in the cancellation of at least 15 coal-fired power plants in recent months. The group said China’s investments are so far-reaching that the change in […]

  • RENEWABLE POWER Direct—April 20, 2022

    POWER Magazine   Jobs   White Papers  Webinars   Events   Store   April 20, 2022 Grid Interconnection Queue Filled with Solar and Energy Storage Projects A study conducted by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) shows more than 1.1 TW of solar and energy storage capacity were in the U.S. power grid’s interconnection […]

  • Marcos, Pacquiao Could Decide Nuclear’s Fate in Philippines

    The candidate leading in the polls just weeks ahead of the May 9 presidential election in the Philippines has vowed to make nuclear power part of the country’s energy mix if he is elected, saying it is the best technology to tackle the country’s high electricity prices. Other candidates, while noting the importance of nuclear […]

  • BlackRock-led Group Invests $525M Toward India Renewable Energy

    A group considered the world’s largest asset manager has joined with a United Arab Emirates (UAE) wealth management fund to support an investment in renewable energy development in India. A consortium led by New York-based BlackRock, along with UAE sovereign wealth fund Mubadala Investment Co., on April 14 said it would pay $525 million for […]

  • Australia’s Coal Conundrum: Economy, Climate at Odds

    Coal has long been a lifeblood for Australia. The country is the world’s largest exporter of metallurgical coal used to make steel, and it’s the second-largest exporter of coal for use in power generation

  • Norway Setting Strategy for Offshore Wind

    Offshore wind is big business in the North Sea, with dozens of wind power installations commissioned in the region over the past two decades. Norway, a country that gets 98% of its power from renewable energy

  • Electrification Ignites Debate Over Future of Energy

    Electrification—replacing fossil fuels with electricity to provide power—is a major part of the global effort toward decarbonization. It touches many sectors, and is sparking even more discussion about its

  • The POWER Interview: Energy Experts Discuss Electrification

    Electrification is changing global energy use, as entities worldwide replace technologies that use fossil fuels such as natural gas, oil, and coal, with processes that electricity as the source of energy. Proponents of electrification tout it as a way to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the industrial, transportation, building and other sectors, which […]

  • Largest CCGT Plant in Southeast Asia Now Fully Operational

    The third unit of what is now the largest combined cycle gas turbine power plant in Southeast Asia has entered commercial operation, according to officials with Edra Energy Sdn Bhd, the builder, owner and operator of the Edra Melaka Power Plant (EMPP) in Malaysia. Dai Honggang, Edra’s chairman, in a statement on March 31 said […]

  • OhmConnect, Carrier, SunPower Collaborate to Support Grid Resiliency

    A California company known for its residential energy management systems has announced it is collaborating with a provider of building energy solutions and a solar technology company to modernize energy infrastructure and provide support to the power grid. OhmConnect is an Oakland-based group that creates grid-connected homes to leverage energy storage, solar power, heating, cooling, […]

  • SDG&E Adds More Energy Storage to CAISO Grid

    San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) has completed a second energy storage project in its home city, a 20-MW/80-MWh facility located in Kearny Mesa. Utility officials on March 29 said the new installation is part of California’s push toward 100% carbon-free electricity. SDG&E in June 2021 completed the Top Gun Energy Storage project, a 30-MW/120-MWh […]