Sonal Patel
Articles By

Sonal Patel

  • McCrary Institute, ORNL Launch First U.S. Regional Cybersecurity Center to Protect Grid

    A $12.5 million project to establish the first U.S. regional cybersecurity research and operations center focused on grid protection has garnered a $10 million Department of Energy (DOE) grant.    Auburn University’s McCrary Institute for Cyber and Critical Infrastructure Security is partnering with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to create the Southeast Region Cybersecurity Collaboration […]

  • POWERnews—April 18, 2024

    POWER Magazine   Jobs   White Papers  Webinars   Events   Store   April 18, 2024 OPG Embarks on Major Refurbishment of Niagara Falls Hydropower Stations Ontario Power Generation (OPG) will partner with GE Vernova to complete a 15-year project to refurbish the iconic 1.7-GW Sir Adam Beck I and II hydroelectric complex near Niagara […]

  • EPA Denies Industry Petition to Delist Stationary Combustion Turbines as Hazardous Pollutants

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has denied an industry petition seeking to delist stationary combustion turbines from the agency’s list of hazardous air pollutants (HAP) major source categories regulated under section 112 of the Clean Air Act (CAA). The agency’s final action on April 11 responds to an August 2019 petition filed by several […]

  • OPG Embarks on Major Refurbishment of Niagara Falls Hydropower Stations

    Ontario Power Generation (OPG) will partner with GE Vernova to complete a 15-year project to refurbish the iconic 1.7-GW Sir Adam Beck I and II hydroelectric complex near Niagara Falls. The C$1 billion ($724 million) project unveiled on April 16 will comprise the first phase of OPG’s larger plans to overhaul all five of its […]

  • Eight Critical Reliability Challenges NERC Is Confronting for Grid Stability

    The “hypercomplex” risk environment in which the North American power sector operates is underscoring the urgency for strategic initiatives to enhance grid reliability and security across North America, the head of the North American Electric Reliability Corp. (NERC) told reporters on April 4. NERC CEO Jim Robb, in a briefing, said the hypercomplex risk environment […]

  • POWERnews—April 11, 2024

    POWER Magazine   Jobs   White Papers  Webinars   Events   Store   April 11, 2024 DOE Eases Requirements in Final Transformer Efficiency Standards Amid Supply Chain Strain The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) final energy efficiency standards for distribution transformers appear to strike a compromise with industry, softening the agency’s stance on steel requirements […]

  • DOE Eases Requirements in Final Transformer Efficiency Standards Amid Supply Chain Strain

    The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) final energy efficiency standards for distribution transformers appear to strike a compromise with industry, softening the agency’s stance on steel requirements for essential transformer components and extending compliance deadlines to five years. The DOE’s final standards issued on April 4 seek to reduce losses in three types of distribution […]

  • Grids Brace for Solar Eclipse, Totality Poised to Test Ramping

    Grid operators across the U.S. report they are largely prepared for the total solar eclipse that will pass over a large swath of North America on April 8, though they remain vigilant, monitoring for any unexpected shifts in power generation or demand that could test the power system’s resilience. The much-anticipated solar eclipse will begin […]

  • ACWA Power: Crossroads for Exponential Growth in Power and Water 

    In 2002, the government of Saudi Arabia moved to step up the private sector’s role in the kingdom’s economy by opening the production of power and desalinated water. Saudi firms Abunayyan Trading Co., Abdulkadir Al Muhaidib & Sons Co., and MADA Group for Industrial and Commercial Development sensed a tremendous opportunity, forming ACWA Power Projects […]

  • TVA to Replace Iconic Kingston Coal Plant With 1.5-GW Modern Complex

    The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) has moved to retire its iconic 1.3-GW Kingston Fossil Plant in Tennessee in 2027 and replace it—with notable urgency—with a 1.5-GW modern complex featuring a combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) plant, aero-derivative turbines, 100 MW of battery storage, and up to 4 MW of solar generation. The nation’s largest public […]

  • POWERnews—April 2, 2024

    POWER Magazine   Jobs   White Papers  Webinars   Events   Store   April 2, 2024 A Bold Beginning: GE Vernova Charts Course for Electrification and Decarbonization in Market Debut Marking the completion of its spin-off from GE, GE Vernova began trading on the New York Stock Exchange on April 2 as an independent company […]

  • A Bold Beginning: GE Vernova Charts Course for Electrification and Decarbonization in Market Debut

    Marking the completion of its spin-off from GE, GE Vernova began trading on the New York Stock Exchange on April 2 as an independent company “singularly focused” on accelerating the energy transition. The measure, approved by GE’s Board on Feb. 29, effectively establishes GE Vernova as a giant purpose-built firm that will leverage its technology […]

  • Delving Deeper: New Optimism for Enhanced Geothermal Systems

    Enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) have long held promise. New developments suggest dramatic progress may be on the horizon. Can innovation feasibly overcome technical and economic hurdles that have

  • Long-Awaited Milestone: Fuel Loading Begins at India’s Prototype Fast Nuclear Reactor

    India in March began fuel loading at a 500-MWe/1,250-MWth prototype fast-breeder reactor (PFBR) located at Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu, marking a crucial phase for the second stage of the country’s ambitious

  • The Big Picture: Coal Controls [Infographic]

    U.S. coal power plant emissions in 2023 showed dramatic reductions in air pollutants, owing mainly to coal plant closures. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), compared to 2022, sulfur dioxide emissions fell by 24%, nitrogen oxides (NOx) by 15%, carbon dioxide by 7%, and mercury by 17%. Over the years, coal plants have […]

  • POWERnews—March 28, 2024

    POWER Magazine   Jobs   White Papers  Webinars   Events   Store   March 28, 2024 Palisades Nuclear Plant on Path to Recommissioning by 2025 The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Loan Programs Office (LPO) announced a conditional commitment of up to $1.52 billion for a loan guarantee to Holtec Palisades LLC to finance the restoration… […]

  • Landrieu: Politics Not Aligned with Energy Reality

    A significant disconnect between political rhetoric and the practical realities of energy production is posing an insidious hurdle for the future of power, former Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-Louisiana) has warned. Speaking candidly to POWER during CERAweek by S&P Global in Houston on March 21, the influential three-term Democrat (1997–2015) who chaired the U.S. Senate Energy […]

  • CPS Energy to Acquire Talen’s 1.7-GW Gas Power Fleet in Texas for $785M

    CPS Energy will acquire Talen Energy’s 1.7-GW portfolio—comprising three natural gas–fired power plants—in the Texas market for $785 million. The nation’s largest municipally owned power entity on March 27 said it reached an agreement with competitive generator Talen Energy for the acquisition. The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2024, “subject […]

  • POWERnews—March 21, 2024

    POWER Magazine   Jobs   White Papers  Webinars   Events   Store   March 21, 2024 Offshore Wind Area Detailed for Gulf of Maine; New York Project Delivering Power The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has completed its designation of an offshore wind energy area in the Gulf of Maine. The BOEM, in […]

  • UK Commercial Gas Power Project Equipped With Carbon Capture Unveils Contractors

    Eight engineering, procurement, and construction contract packages have been unveiled for the UK’s Teesside-based Net Zero Teesside Power (NZT Power), a landmark integrated project that could become one of the world’s first commercial-scale gas-fired power stations equipped with carbon capture when it begins operation in 2027. NZT Power, a joint venture between bp and Equinor, […]

  • POWERnews—March 14, 2024

    POWER Magazine   Jobs   White Papers  Webinars   Events   Store   March 14, 2024 UK Leaders Say New Gas-Fired Plants Needed for Energy Security Officials in the UK said the country will need to build new natural gas-fired power plants beyond 2030 in order to ensure a reliable supply of energy and avoid […]

  • U.S., UK, Canada Ink Trilateral Memo to Cooperate on Advanced Reactor Licensing

    Nuclear regulatory agencies from the U.S., Canada, and the UK will collaborate on technical reviews and share best practices for advanced reactors and small modular reactor (SMR) technologies. The measure is aimed at improving regulatory efficiency and effectiveness as more reactor technologies seek approval in the three countries. A trilateral memorandum of cooperation (MOC)  signed […]

  • Fluor to Design Commercial Laser Fusion Power Plant

    Longview Fusion Energy, a firm leveraging the recent fusion breakthrough at the National Ignition Facility (NIF), has secured a contract with engineering, procurement, and construction specialist Fluor to design what could become the world’s first commercial laser fusion power plant. Longview announced the contract on March 8, noting its historic relevance for laser fusion energy. […]

  • POWERnews—March 7, 2024

    POWER Magazine   Jobs   White Papers  Webinars   Events   Store   March 7, 2024 EPA Drops Existing Gas-Fired Plants from Contentious Power Plant GHG Rule (Updated March 7 with responses from EPA): The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will drop requirements covering existing natural gas-fired power plants in its final Section 111 rule […]

  • EPA Drops Existing Gas-Fired Plants from Contentious Power Plant GHG Rule

    (Updated March 7 with responses from EPA): The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will drop requirements covering existing natural gas-fired power plants in its final Section 111 rule regulating power sector greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which is expected in April.  EPA Administrator Michael Regan on Feb. 29 said in a written statement the agency’s rule—which the […]

  • NRC Sets Stage for Advanced Nuclear with New Part 53 Rule

    The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has directed its staff to publish a proposed rule and draft guidance to create Part 53, a much-awaited risk-informed and technology-inclusive licensing framework geared toward advanced technologies, including non-light-water-reactors (non-LWRs). In a staff requirements memorandum (SRM) made public on March 4, the commission directed staff to incorporate several changes to […]

  • Shifting Gears: How Diesel and Gas Engines Are Thriving in the New Power Paradigm

    As the global power industry pivots toward decarbonization and decentralization, major manufacturers of diesel and gas engines are strategically adapting to change. While large power plants frequently garner

  • UK’s Drax Eyes U.S. for Bioenergy CCS Expansion Drive

    The 2.6-GW Drax Power Station in northeastern England—once Western Europe’s largest coal-fired power plant—is poised to pioneer bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS), a negative emissions

  • POWERnews—Feb. 29, 2024

    POWER Magazine   Jobs   White Papers  Webinars   Events   Store   February 29, 2024 Clearing the Air: Is Direct Air Capture a Savior, Distraction, or a Trojan Horse?   Direct air capture (DAC) holds promise to extract carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, potentially becoming a crucial tool in the battle against climate change. Amidst […]

  • $45M Federal Boost for Cyber Resiliency of Energy Delivery Infrastructure

    The Department of Energy (DOE) will furnish 16 innovative projects with $45 million in federal funding to develop cybersecurity tools and technologies that thwart cyber attacks in the power and oil and gas energy delivery systems. The $45 million funding stems from a 2022 funding opportunity announcement (FOA) overseen by the DOE’s Office of Cybersecurity, […]