Darrell Proctor
Articles By

Darrell Proctor

  • GE Exec: Global Gas Turbine Market ‘Stabilizing’

    GE Power’s CEO on March 4 said his company sees the global gas turbine market stabilizing, in part due to better accessibility to natural gas worldwide. Scott Strazik made the comment during GE’s Investor Outlook on Wednesday. The event is an annual overview of the company’s operations that GE gives to investment professionals. The outlook […]

  • Nation’s Largest Community Solar Program Set to Launch

    Florida Power & Light (FPL) on March 3 received approval from state regulators to launch the nation’s largest community solar program. FPL’s $1.8 billion SolarTogether project will more than double the amount of available community solar power nationwide. The program, unanimously approved Tuesday by the Florida Public Service Commission (FPSC), adds almost 1.5 GW of […]

  • Fund Manager to Banks: Stop Financing Coal Plants

    A UK-based hedge fund billionaire is urging large central banks to end their funding of coal-fired power plant projects. Chris Hohn, founder of TCI Fund Management and a champion of causes to combat climate change, expressed his concerns in letters published March 1 to the Bank of England, the European Central Bank, Barclays, HSBC, and […]

  • Long-time GE CEO Jack Welch Dies at 84

    Jack Welch, the chief executive of General Electric (GE) during a period of great prosperity for the company, and considered one of America’s most influential CEOs, died March 1 at his home in Salem, Massachusetts. He was 84. His wife, Suzy Welch, on Monday said the cause of death was renal failure. In a statement […]

  • Albania Seeks Investment to Support Existing Hydropower

    Albania, a country of about 2.9 million people, is a net importer of electricity, and power supply security is a major challenge for the country, which is situated north of Greece and borders the Adriatic and

  • Moving Toward Mainstream—The Rise of Renewable Goals

    More states are setting targets for renewable energy. Cities and counties are joining in. Utilities are formalizing commitments. And economics, as always, play a major role. The transition to clean energy

  • Driving Change on the Grid—The Impact of EV Adoption

    Utilities and other power generators need to prepare now for increased loads as the electrification of transportation grows. As with any challenge, opportunities exist for those willing to invest in electric

  • Economics Hamper Power Improvements in Puerto Rico

    Puerto Rico has been battered by natural disasters in recent years, with hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017, and a series of earthquakes in late December 2019 and early January 2020, causing widespread damage

  • Tech Guru’s Plan—Fight Climate Change with Nuclear Power

    There’s widespread debate over whether nuclear power should be a player in the path toward addressing climate change. Industry analysts say nuclear is key to zero-emission power generation; even some environmentalists agree, though others point to the issue of disposal of nuclear waste, and concerns about the safety of reactors. Those concerns have led some […]

  • Research Group: Energy Storage Market Will Hit $546 Billion by 2035

    A new report from a global research, data, and analytics firm says the total market for energy storage will reach $546 billion in annual revenue over the next 15 years, led by the continued electrification of the transportation sector. Lux Research, a Boston, Massachusetts-headquartered group, in its “Global Energy Storage Market 2019” report, estimates the […]

  • The POWER Interview: Vicinity CEO Discusses District Energy

    The rise of distributed, or decentralized, power generation has been supported by district energy, the generation from facilities and associated distribution networks supplying steam or hot water, chilled water, and electricity for heating and cooling to millions of square feet of building space across the U.S. and around the globe. District energy is among several […]

  • TECO Announces $800-Million Investment in New Solar

    Tampa Electric Co. (TECO) on Feb. 19 said it plans to invest about $800 million to add another 600 MW of solar power generation capacity by year-end 2023. TECO on Wednesday said the expansion will increase its solar portfolio to more than 1.25 GW of solar generation, or about 14% of its total generation mix. […]

  • France Announces Fessenheim Nuclear Power Plant Closure

    France, which has long relied on reactors to supply the bulk of the country’s electricity, on Feb. 19 announced the imminent closure of the Fessenheim nuclear plant, located on the country’s border with Germany. One of the plant’s two 920-MW pressurized water reactors will shut down within days, with the second taken offline by the […]

  • UAE’s First Reactor Gets Go-Ahead

    The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is set to begin commercial operation of the Middle East’s first nuclear power plant, after the country’s regulatory agency on Feb. 17 gave its approval for the start-up of the first reactor at the Barakah site. The plant can now begin loading fuel, and Unit 1 is expected to come […]

  • RENEWABLE POWER Direct—February 19, 2020

    February 19, 2020 Vestas, Siemens Gamesa, GE Top Wind Turbine Growth An energy and finance research group on Feb. 18 said Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy’s (SGRE’s) offshore wind installations make it far and away the market leader in that category, while… Read More ITC Probing Economic Impact of Renewable Goals, Imports to New England Responding […]

  • Vestas, Siemens Gamesa, GE Top Wind Turbine Growth

    An energy and finance research group on Feb. 18 said Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy’s (SGRE’s) offshore wind installations make it far and away the market leader in that category, while Danish wind turbine manufacturer Vestas continues to lead the onshore and overall wind turbine market. The report published Tuesday from BloombergNEF (BNEF) said Vestas took […]

  • GAS POWER Direct—February 12, 2020

    February 12, 2020 Engineering Group: American Gas Turbines Will Remain Relevant But Need Advancement Given current trends, the U.S. gas turbine industry is set to play a critically important role in power generation, aircraft propulsion, and the oil and gas industry “for decades to… Read More Dominion Latest to Set Net-Zero Carbon Goal Richmond, Virginia-based […]

  • The POWER Interview: Exelon Discusses Digitalization

    Digitization in the power generation sector continues to expand. Its goal in simple terms—providing easy access to data for power plant operators and engineers, enabling the use of advanced analytics to improve equipment performance and efficiency—has resulted in reduced operating costs for utilities, and also has enhanced plant safety. POWER’s upcoming Connected Plant Conference, set […]

  • DOE Announces Additional $64 Million for Clean Coal Projects

    The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has earmarked $64 million in additional funding for research and development of smaller, more efficient, and cleaner coal plants. Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette on Feb. 7 announced the money would be part of the DOE’s “Coal FIRST Initiative,” telling the audience at an Atlantic Council meeting Friday in Washington, […]

  • California Official: Solar’s Future Bright, but Clouds Persist

    The technology behind solar power is changing rapidly. Researchers at the University of California, Davis have said so-called “anti-solar” panels could even generate power at night. But even as solar deployments grow worldwide, more innovative solar products are launched, and more governments enact clean energy mandates, political headwinds threaten to slow the progress of the […]

  • Predicting the Future? There’s an App for That

    Power plant operators are turning to predictive maintenance applications to monitor equipment and collect performance data. Asset management systems, using artificial intelligence and other methods, are part

  • South Korea Continues Nuclear Phase-out

    South Korea has announced the permanent closure of another nuclear reactor, as the country continues to phase out thermal power generation and increase the use of renewable resources for electricity. The

  • India’s Energy Market Overhaul—Infrastructure, Renewables, and Keeping Coal in the Mix

    India wants to reform its power generation sector, including upgrades to energy infrastructure, and plans to introduce new technology to make its electricity supply more reliable and resilient. It’s part of

  • Raiders Will Roll With Renewables at New Vegas Stadium

    The Raiders, a franchise that has called both Oakland and Los Angeles, California, home since the team began play in 1960, is moving to Las Vegas for the 2020 National Football League season. And this “new” team will take advantage of renewable resources to power both its new stadium, as well as its administrative offices […]

  • The POWER Interview: Benefits of a Smarter Grid

    The smart grid is transforming the way utilities communicate with their customers. Smart grid technology, including control systems and automation that help new technologies work together, supports a power grid that can respond digitally to quickly changing electricity demand. The smart grid enables electricity producers to enhance reliability, availability, and efficiency. It can provide cost […]

  • Wisconsin Co-op Will Close Coal-Fired Plant

    Wisconsin-based Dairyland Power Cooperative on Jan. 23 said it would close its 345-MW coal-fired Genoa Station No. 3 by year-end 2021. The move comes as the La Crosse-based utility continues to phase out coal-fired power generation while it develops a new, $700-million natural gas-fired plant, and ramps up its use of renewable power sources. The […]

  • Coal Is Out as APS Sets Carbon-Free Goal

    Arizona Public Service (APS) announced Jan. 22 that it plans for all its power generation to be carbon-free by 2050, and also said it plans to produce nearly half its power from renewable sources by 2030. APS joins other U.S. utilities who have put forth similar goals in recent years. APS, which has been criticized […]

  • RENEWABLE POWER Direct—January 22, 2020

    January 22, 2020 Report: Investment in Renewables Hit Record High in 2019 Financial support for installations of offshore wind projects helped investment in renewable energy capacity hit a record high in 2019, according to data from research company BloombergNEF (BNEF) released Jan.… Read More Siemens Gamesa Bags Deal for Mammoth 2.64-GW Virginia Offshore Wind Project […]

  • Qatar Will Boost Middle East Solar with 800-MW Project

    Qatar’s energy minister on Jan. 19 said the country will build an 800-MW solar power project that will push the country far beyond its announced goal for solar energy. That goal of 100 MW of solar generation was established when Qatar in December 2010 was awarded rights to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup tournament. […]

  • Wisconsin PSC Backs Construction of Gas-Fired Plant

    Construction of a $700 million natural gas-fired power plant near the Wisconsin-Minnesota border was authorized by Wisconsin regulators on Jan. 16, over the objections of environmental groups who have said the plant is not needed. Dairyland Power Cooperative and Minnesota Power would jointly own the 625-MW Nemadji Trail Energy Center, which on its current timeline […]