While 29 states and the District of Columbia currently have Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS)—goals for power producers to provide a certain amount of power from renewable sources by a specific date—a growing number of states are also instituting standalone targets and mandates for energy storage procurement. Sources: Energy Storage Association, North Carolina Clean Energy Technology Center, Lawrence Berkeley […]

Framatome today announced that it completed its purchase of Schneider Electric’s nuclear instrumentation and control offering. With this transaction, Framatome adds to its engineering expertise and expands its instrumentation and control (I&C) offerings. I&C systems are the central nervous system of a nuclear power plant, allowing operators to control reactor operations. Modernizations, upgrades and ongoing […]

GE has launched a three-part strategy to address a dismal outlook for its power division that will involve operating in a “leaner, more cost-efficient way,” the company’s head told investors in a February 26 letter. The multinational conglomerate’s long-standing and lucrative GE Power business unit’s earnings plunged 45% in 2017 owing to costly operational misses […]

Wood has secured a framework agreement to provide technical assistance for a project to build a new nuclear power station in the UK. Effective immediately, the company is supporting General Nuclear System Limited (GNS), a joint venture between China General Nuclear Power Corporation (CGN) and EDF Energy, as it seeks preliminary regulatory assessment of the […]

Competitive Irish electricity market to go live in May 2018 Retirement of old coal, peat, and gas power stations opens up opportunity for 1.7GW of new cleaner, high-efficiency gas plants Battery storage and demand-side management projects could capture a share of €60M/year revenues Policy uncertainties remain due to Brexit and lack of detail on decarbonisation […]

Atlanta, GA – As solar energy development continues to expand in the Southeast, increasing almost 30 fold over the last five years, the growth patterns remain varied depending on specific location.The Solar in the Southeast 2017 Annual Report from Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE) was released today, highlighting solar data and trends throughout the […]

 SAN FRANCISCO, California, February 26, 2018 – Pattern Energy Group Inc. (NASDAQ and TSX: PEGI) (“Pattern Energy” or the “Company”) today announced a series of transactions highlighted by: 1) agreements to acquire 206 megawatts (“MW”) of owned capacity in projects from Pattern Energy Group LP (“Pattern Development 1.0”) and Green Power Investments (“GPI”); and 2) […]

Zurich, Switzerland, February 26, 2018 – ABB FACTS technology to boost transmission capability and improve power stability for electricity consumers in Seoul area ABB has won an order from Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) to supply technology that will help strengthen long distance transmission and provide more reliable power to the North Eastern part of […]

February 22, 2018 Entergy One Step Closer to New Gas Plant in New Orleans In what has been a much longer and more drawn-out process than Entergy could have imagined when it first proposed a new gas-fired power plant in New Orleans, the company… Read More Intrusion-Tolerant SCADA Demonstrated at Power Plant Researchers have successfully […]

Researchers have successfully demonstrated an open-source supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system designed to withstand attacks and compromises on the power grid. The intrusion-tolerant system—called “Spire”—keeps power flowing even if part of the system is compromised, and it may be a breakthrough for grid resiliency, industry observers said. Spire was built from the ground […]

The D.C. Circuit last week struck down parts of an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule concerning implementation of its 2008 ozone standards, creating new regulatory limbo for the entities required to comply with the rule. Ruling in a set of cases consolidated under South Coast Air Quality Management District v. EPA (No. 15-1115), the federal […]

FirstEnergy Corp. bled $2.64 billion from its competitive businesses over 2017, financial losses exacerbated by marked declines in contract sales, higher operating expenses, and costs associated with asset impairment and plant exit. The Akron, Ohio–based company, which in January received a $2.5 billion equity injection from four private investment groups to boost its transition to […]

February 15, 2018 Pennsylvania Plant Agrees to Phase Out Coal In a move designed to resolve a Sierra Club lawsuit before it was even filed, Talen Energy agreed to operate its Brunner Island Steam Electric Station, a 1,411-MW plant located… Read More FERC Clears Barriers for Energy Storage but Not Aggregated DERs The Federal Energy […]

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) finalized a rule to make it easier for energy storage resources to participate in capacity, energy, and ancillary services in wholesale electricity markets. The final rule, approved unanimously by the five-member commission, will require independent system operators (ISOs) and regional transmission organizations (RTOs) to revise tariffs to establish a […]

  A newly established U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) office dedicated to cybersecurity, energy security, and emergency response may be a signal that it is elevating its focus on emerging grid threats. The Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response (CESER) will use $96 million in funding included in President Trump’s Fiscal Year 2019 budget […]

February 8, 2018 AEP, American Power Giant, Sets Goal to Slash Carbon Emissions 80% by 2050 American Electric Power (AEP), one of the nation’s largest power generators, will pursue a strategy to reduce its carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 60% from 2000 levels by 2030, and… Read More NRG Sells Renewables Assets, 3.6 GW of […]

Microgrid deployment is rapidly taking hold worldwide, a new report from Navigant Research suggests. As of the fourth quarter of 2017, the research group’s Microgrid Deployment Tracker had identified 1,869 projects—representing a total capacity of 20.7 GW—operating, under development, or proposed across 123 countries worldwide. That compares to 18 GW of microgrid capacity identified in […]

After decades of lethargic power demand—and negative growth in 2017—U.S. electricity use is expected to grow steadily through 2050, driven by a healthy economy and increasing efficiency, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) projects in its Annual Electricity Outlook 2018 (AEO2018). However, during that period, direct-use generation will outpace growth in retail sales as more […]

NRG Energy, in a bid to shed $7 billion in consolidated debt, is selling the bulk of its renewable assets and development platforms along with several coal and natural gas power plants worth 3.6 GW tied to its South Central Generating business. The independent power producer, which recently relinquished bankrupt wholesale generator GenOn Energy to […]

American Electric Power (AEP), one of the nation’s largest power generators, will pursue a strategy to reduce its carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 60% from 2000 levels by 2030, and 80% from 2000 levels by 2050. AEP expects to achieve carbon reductions through a variety of actions, including investments in renewable generation and advanced technologies […]

Exelon Generation will shutter its Oyster Creek Generating Station in October 2018—more than a year before it is required to close the single-unit reactor as part of an agreement with the state of New Jersey. Exelon agreed in 2010 to close the unit by December 2019—10 years before its license to operate expires—after it decided […]

Two more U.S. nuclear power plants are facing early retirement, joining a string of generators whose fate was determined by market conditions, political pressure, or financial stresses assailing the sector. Several others may be poised to join them. The 647-MW Duane Arnold nuclear plant in Palo, Iowa, will likely close in 2025 after a current […]

February 1, 2018 Report: Trump Wants Deep Cuts in Clean Energy Programs Documents obtained by The Washington Post show the Trump administration is prepared to ask Congress to cut the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) renewable energy and energy efficiency programs by as… Read More What is the future of energy in the digital age? The […]

This month’s THE BIG PICTURE infographic is accompanied by an interactive map. For more, visit: https://www.powermag.com/interactive-map-abandoned-nuclear-power-projects/

Increasing uncertainties concerning low forecasted load; construction financing constraints and reversals; state certification hurdles; and challenges to nuclear profitability posed by the growing share of coal plants beset the nuclear industry in the early 1970s. The nuclear suffered a renewed economic meltdown and fierce public pushback in the aftermath of the Three Mile Island accident […]

BP Ventures to invest $5 million in FreeWire, manufacturer of mobile rapid charging systems for electric vehicles BP to trial technology at selected retail sites in the UK and Europe during 2018 Mobile system will allow flexible deployment of charging facilities while building understanding of fast-evolving market BP today announced that its venturing business has […]

KYOTO, JAPAN — January 31, 2018 —SolarEdge Technologies, Inc. (“SolarEdge”) (NASDAQ: SEDG) and OMRON Corporation (“OMRON”) (HQ: Shimogyo-Ku, Kyoto. President and CEO: Yoshihito Yamada) are launching a new DC optimized inverter solution for Japan’s high-voltage PV market. OMRON will offer SolarEdge’s three-phase DC optimized inverter solution, consisting of inverters, power optimizers, and module-level monitoring, for […]

100% of survey respondents say their cybersecurity function is not fit for purpose Utilities struggle to monitor their digital ecosystem more than all other sectors 85% of respondents say they don’t have a robust incident response program  LONDON, 31 JANUARY 2018. All utilities organizations surveyed in the latest EY Power and Utilities Global Information Security […]

  Latest edition of Navigant Research’s Microgrid Deployment Tracker now includes microgrid projects that are on hold January 31, 2018 – Boulder, CO – A new report from Navigant Research presents data on known grid-tied and remote microgrid projects in the proposal, planning, and deployed stages across six geographies and seven microgrid segments. Since 2Q […]

Overwhelmed by low wholesale power prices and changing customer needs in the Pacific Northwest, the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) on January 30 unveiled a lifeline it hopes will allow it to remain commercially afloat. While the nonprofit federal power marketer headquartered in Portland, Oregon, is part of the Department of Energy, it is self-funding and […]