Darrell Proctor
Articles By

Darrell Proctor

  • Illinois Nuclear Plants Saved by Last-Minute Vote

    The Illinois Senate has approved an overhaul of the state’s energy policy with an eye toward a carbon-free future, with a key part of the package keeping the Byron nuclear power plant operating just hours before Exelon, the parent of Commonwealth Edison (ComEd), said it would begin shutting down the facility. Senators voted 37-17 on […]

  • LNG-to-Power Project, $30 Billion in Offshore Wind Targeted for Vietnam

    Power generation projects both thermal and renewable continue to be announced for Southeast Asia, with Vietnam taking a lead role with both onshore and offshore power generation installations. Details of a large liquefied natural gas (LNG)-to-power project were announced Sept. 13, just days after the country’s T&T Group and Denmark’s Ørsted said they are prepared […]

  • Groups Announce Successful Test to Advance Fusion Energy

    A company working to bring fusion energy technology to market joined with a group from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in announcing a successful test of what they call the world’s strongest high-temperature superconducting (HTS) magnet, technology considered key for development of commercial fusion energy. Representatives of Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS), along with researchers […]

  • Moss Landing Battery Project Offline After Overheating

    The first phase of the battery storage project at the Moss Landing complex in California was taken offline after an overheating issue caused some parts of the installation to be damaged. Vistra said the incident happened late on Sept. 4. Fire crews responded to the site, and though no fire was found, officials said battery […]

  • Power Restoration Continues After Ida; Storm’s Death Toll Tops 60

    Power restoration efforts continue along the Gulf Coast and in the U.S. Northeast, as utilities work to bring electricity back to areas in Louisiana hit hard by Hurricane Ida, and around New York City and New England due to heavy rainfall from remnants of the storm. The U.S. Dept. of Energy (DOE) in a Sept. […]

  • Sun Shines on FPL’s Solar Program

    Florida provides a wealth of opportunity for utilities building a solar power portfolio, and Florida Power & Light has taken a lead role with its dozens of solar energy centers. Power generation companies

  • Winds of Change Revitalize West Texas

    A major wind farm sited on 200 square miles across two Texas counties is part of that state’s commitment to renewable energy, part of an energy transformation in a region once known for its oil boomtowns

  • Hydropower Experiencing Climate Impacts From Drought, Flooding

    The impacts of climate change are being experienced across the power generation industry, and certainly in the hydropower sector, with generation directly tied to the ebbs and flows of precipitation. Areas

  • Global Market Expanding for Battery Makers

    The global market for batteries continues to grow, as demand for battery power accelerates across several industries, from electric vehicles (EVs) to electronic devices, and for energy storage in the power

  • POWER Digest [September 2021]

    LFP Battery Technology Chosen for Australia Project. Maoneng, an Australian renewable energy company, in August said its proposed battery energy storage system (BESS) in Victoria state’s Mornington Peninsula

  • NRC Cites Problems at Vogtle, May Increase Project Oversight

    Continuing issues with the two-unit expansion of the Vogtle nuclear power plant in Georgia have led federal regulators to say they are considering increasing oversight of the project. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) on Aug. 26, in a letter to Southern Nuclear, which is leading the project along with its sister company Georgia Power, […]

  • RENEWABLE POWER Direct—August 25, 2021

    POWER Magazine   Jobs   White Papers  Webinars   Events   Store   August 25, 2021 Record Growth Continues for Renewable Energy Projects The pace of installations of renewable energy projects across the first six months of 2021 hit a new high for the sector, according to a report released Aug. 24 by… Sponsored Content […]

  • ‘Smart Grid Ready’ Generator Changes Game for Backup Power

    Residential applications for smart grid technologies continue to grow as electricity customers take more control of their energy usage and costs. Homeowners with rooftop solar have been selling power back to the grid for years, and more opportunities for power customers are coming as electric vehicle owners tap into the market via energy storage. Homeowners […]

  • Record Growth Continues for Renewable Energy Projects

    The pace of installations of renewable energy projects across the first six months of 2021 hit a new high for the sector, according to a report released Aug. 24 by the American Clean Power Association (ACP). ACP, which works with solar, wind, energy storage and power transmission companies to promote renewable energy, said the U.S. […]

  • California Will Add Gas-Fired Units to Increase Power Supply

    The California Energy Commission (CEC) has approved licenses for gas-fired power units to help the state cope with continued electricity shortages. The move comes after Gov. Gavin Newsom earlier declared a state of emergency for California’s power grid. The state’s Dept. of Water Resources is procuring what it called five temporary gas-fueled generators, each with […]

  • Vistra Finishes Second Phase of California Energy Storage Project

    Vistra, the Texas-based integrated retail electricity and power generation company, said it has completed the second phase of its Moss Landing Energy Storage Facility expansion project in California. The group on Aug. 19 announced it has added 100 MW/400 MWh to what at present is the world’s largest battery energy storage facility. “This facility provides […]

  • GAS POWER Direct—August 18, 2021

    POWER Magazine   Jobs   White Papers  Webinars   Events   Store   August 18, 2021 PSEG Agrees to Sell 6.8-GW Fossil Fleet to ArcLight Capital Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG) has agreed to sell its 6.8-MW portfolio of non-nuclear generating assets—a fleet of 13 gas plants—to a fund controlled by ArcLight Capital Partners LLC […]

  • Korean Group Buying Renewable Energy Giant in $855M Deal

    South Korea-based Hanwha Solutions announced it plans to acquire renewable energy developer RES France in an $855.2 million deal expected to be finalized in the next two months. RES France is a subsidiary of UK-based RES Group, which calls itself the world’s largest independent renewable energy company. The agreement announced Aug. 9 is led by […]

  • New GE Gas-Fired Plant Part of Taiwan’s Energy Transition

    A new combined heat and power gas-fired plant, designed to support increased power generation as part of Taiwan’s developing energy policy, has entered commercial operation. General Electric (GE) on Aug. 10 said the 535-MW Chia Hui facility, using GE’s advanced HA technology, is located in Minxiong Township in Chiayi County, the sixth-largest county in Taiwan. […]

  • Icebreaker Reactor Approved for Ground-Based Nuclear Plant

    The international business arm of Russia’s state-owned nuclear power company has received a license that will allow construction of small modular reactors (SMRs), based on the design used in the country’s icebreaker shipping fleet, at ground-based nuclear power plants. Rusatom Overseas JSC (RAOS JSC), the company representing parent company Rosatom’s international interests, on Aug. 9 […]

  • China Brings ACPR-1000 Reactor Online at Hongyanhe

    The first reactor in the second phase of an expansion at the Hongyanhe Nuclear Power Plant in China has entered commercial operation, with five reactors now online at the site in Liaoning Province in eastern China. China General Nuclear (CGN) on Aug. 1 announced the 1,080-MW Unit 5 at Hongyanhe is now in its steady-state […]

  • Group Buys Pennsylvania Coal Refuse Plants to Power Bitcoin Mining

    A digital mining company has an agreement to purchase a second power plant in Pennsylvania, as the group increases its coal refuse reclamation operations in the state to provide energy for its bitcoin mining operations. Stronghold Digital Mining, a bitcoin (BTC) miner headquartered in Kennerdell, Pennsylvania, on Aug. 3 said its purchase of the Panther […]

  • Cause for Celebration–Plant Provides Power, Economic Boost to Pakistan

    The Engro Powergen Thar Ltd. power station is transforming a desert region that has long sought reliable electricity to support its economy, create jobs, utilize an abundant natural resource, and help solve an

  • Communities Benefit from Microgrid Milestones

    A remote area in Australia recently recorded an important power generation achievement, as the region received all its electricity from solar power and battery energy storage. The town of Onslow, located in

  • Exelon Set to Decommission Illinois Nuclear Plants

    Exelon Generation has filed plans to decommission its Dresden and Byron nuclear power plants in Illinois, citing a lack of action from state lawmakers on clean energy legislation that would help save the facilities. The nation’s largest operator of nuclear power plants on July 28 said it has submitted its plans to the Nuclear Regulatory […]

  • EPA Will Strengthen Limits on Wastewater Pollution from Coal-Fired Plants

    The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is set to establish more stringent standards on water pollution from coal-fired power plants. The EPA on July 26 announced it would reinstate Obama-era regulations that were rolled back by the Trump administration. An EPA official on Monday said the new rule would impact about 100 coal-fired plants. The agency […]

  • G20 Environment Ministers: No Consensus on Phasing Out Coal

    The U.S., UK and other countries want world governments to commit to a phaseout of the use and financing of coal-fired power generation, but officials who met at the G20 Environment Ministers Meeting summit in Naples, Italy, this past week ended their talks without an agreement on the future of the fuel. The topic will […]

  • New GE Digital Tool Part of Grid Management Advancements

    Energy companies continue to work on providing solutions to optimize the power grid, part of their efforts to support the integration of renewables and help ensure the reliable delivery of electricity. Such systems are part of the digital transformation of power generation, bringing increased flexibility to the power supply, supporting faster power restoration after outages, […]

  • RENEWABLE POWER Direct—July 21, 2021

    POWER Magazine   Jobs   White Papers  Webinars   Events   Store   July 21, 2021 Arizona Solar Project to Supply Microsoft Now Online A solar energy project that will provide power for Microsoft has begun commercial operation in Arizona, with the project developer announcing term financing has been completed. Longroad Energy, a Boston-based…   […]

  • TransAlta Completes Second Coal-to-Gas Conversion

    A Canada-based energy company has completed the second of three planned coal-to-gas conversions at its thermal power plants in Alberta. TransAlta Corp. on July 19 said the conversion of the 395-MW Unit 2 at the Keephills plant near Wabamun, about 45 miles west of Edmonton, continues the company’s transition away from coal-fired power generation. TransAlta […]