Sonal Patel is a national award-winning multimedia journalist and senior editor at POWER magazine with nearly two decades of experience delivering technically rigorous reporting across power generation, transmission, distribution, policy, and infrastructure worldwide.
FirstEnergy Corp.’s competitive arm FirstEnergy Solutions (FES) and several key subsidiaries, including FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Co. (FENOC), on March 31 sought Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. FirstEnergy said the move would facilitate an “orderly financial restructuring” and accelerate its strategy to become a fully regulated utility. FES—the parent company of FE Aircraft Leasing Corp., FirstEnergy Generation, […]
The generating fleets owned by some of the largest companies in the U.S. (ranked here by capacity in 2017) have transformed over the past four years, in some cases dramatically, as total revenues fluctuated. Sources: Fidelity Investments (revenue data standardized by S&P Capital IQ); EIA-860 detailed data; SEC 10-K filings, and company websites. —Copy and artwork by Sonal Patel, a […]
March 29, 2018 FirstEnergy Entreats DOE to Help Save Nuclear Plants A day after FirstEnergy Corp.’s competitive arm notified PJM Interconnection it would close four uneconomic nuclear units—a total of 4 GW—in Ohio and Pennsylvania between 2020 and 2021, it urged… Read More Minnesota May Be Next to Support Nuclear Plants Following the lead of […]
A day after FirstEnergy Corp.’s competitive arm notified PJM Interconnection it would close four uneconomic nuclear units—a total of 4 GW—in Ohio and Pennsylvania between 2020 and 2021, it urged Energy Secretary Rick Perry to issue an emergency order directing the regional transmission organization (RTO) to secure nuclear and coal capacity for long-term reliability. FirstEnergy […]
FirstEnergy Corp. will close four uneconomic nuclear units—a total of 4 GW—in Ohio and Pennsylvania between 2020 and 2021, the company’s competitive arm notified PJM Interconnection on March 28. FirstEnergy Solutions (FES) told the regional transmission organization that it will close the 908-MW Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Station in Oak Harbor, Ohio, by 2020; the twin-unit […]
Waste Control Specialists (WCS) and Orano USA intend to revive licensing of a consolidated interim storage facility (CISF) in Andrews County, Texas, where spent nuclear fuel (SNF) from reactors across the country can be stored until a permanent repository is developed. The companies said on March 13, 2018, they intend to form a joint venture […]
To remain competitive in power markets increasingly characterized by disruptions, NRG Energy plans to accelerate its transition from a pure independent power producer (IPP) model to a more simplified customer-driven integrated power model that favors its retail businesses. In a number of presentations showcased on March 27 as part of NRG’s 2018 Analyst Day, company […]
Chubu Electric’s Nishi-Nagoya power plant Block-1 in Japan, a plant powered by three GE 7HA turbines and Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions steam turbine and generator technology, is officially the world’s most efficient combined-cycle power plant, according to Guinness World Records. The entity that collects and showcases ultimate record-breaking facts highlighted the plant’s achievement of […]
March 22, 2018 Turbine Manufacturers Tout Improvements During ELECTRIC POWER Conference Turbine manufacturers continue to upgrade their products with technology enhancements to meet market demands for more flexibility and higher efficiency. Suppliers for combined cycle power plants outlined several of those… Read More Utility Managers Build Business Case for Digital Technologies The rise of digital […]
Battery storage’s emergence as a tool to boost grid reliability and a viable project finance opportunity is good news for utilities and grid operators, said Moody’s Investor Service in an infrastructure and project report on March 19. The ratings agency noted that currently, lithium ion battery costs hover at about $400/kWh installed—the battery itself which […]
Giant U.S. energy holding company Duke Energy in a new report outlined for shareholders how it will achieve a goal updated last year to reduce its 2030 carbon dioxide emissions 40% compared to 2005 and achieve a “science-based 2-degree target.” The company’s 2017 Climate Report to Shareholders made public on March 22 unveils a strategy […]
COSTA MESA, Calif.: 21 March 2018 — Utilities are among the lowest-performing industry groups when it comes to delivering distinct digital customer experiences, but some pioneers have found the secret to digital success, according to the J.D. Power 2018 Utility Digital Experience Study,SM. [For a chart showing utility rankings, click here: http://www.jdpower.com/press-releases/jd-power-2018-utility-digital-experience-study] The inaugural study evaluates […]
Russian government cyber threat actors have infiltrated workstations and servers of corporate networks containing data output from industrial control systems (ICS) or supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems associated with an unnamed number of power plants, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has warned. The dire warning issued by the agency’s U.S. Computer Emergency […]
March 15, 2018 Regulators, Lawmakers Spar Over Arizona Renewable Mandates State regulators in Arizona want the state’s investor-owned utilities to source more of their electricity from renewable sources, and develop more energy storage options, rather than rely on new natural… Read More Sponsored Content Microgrids have the Potential to Reduce Power Outages and Electric Costs […]
Burdened by a trade case, unpredictable policy-making, interconnection delays, and other market factors, the U.S. installed 30% less solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity in 2017 compared to a record-breaking 2016. However, the 10.6 GW of new PV capacity added last year represents 30% of all new generating capacity added to the U.S. grid, more than any […]
Slack power demand in 2017 has prompted Indonesia’s state-owned utility PT PLN to cancel 22 GW it planned to procure from independent power producers (IPPs) through 2026, the bulk of which are combined cycle gas turbine and renewable projects. Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Ignasius Jonan on March 13 told reporters he endorsed changes to […]
Markets may currently favor natural gas, but coal, which has been diminished for “good reason,” will likely have a significant place as a reliable fuel for power generation, a diverse panel of U.S. coal experts—including a generator, a supplier, and a market analyst—suggested at CERAWeek by IHS Markit in Houston on March 7. Coal lost […]
Marking a fresh development for the nation’s futile efforts to resolve a long-standing impasse on nuclear waste, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) said it could issue a license for Holtec International’s proposed consolidated interim storage (CIS) facility for used nuclear fuel in New Mexico by July 2020 or earlier. Holtec, a Camden, New Jersey–based supplier […]
The Supreme Court for the state of New Mexico affirmed a final order by state regulators to allow Public Service Company of New Mexico (PNM) to replace lost generation from two shuttered units at its 1,800-MW coal-fired San Juan Regional Generation Station with coal and nuclear resources. The case stems from a petition filed by […]
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed more than a dozen significant changes to the Obama administration’s final 2015 rule governing disposal of coal combustion residuals (CCR) by the nation’s power generators. EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt on March 1 signed the first of two rules that propose to amend the 2015 rule, saying the changes […]
March 12, 2018 GE Embarks on Plan to Keep Power Unit Competitive 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… Read More Sponsored Content Rexroth® Actuator Rebuild Experts with Short-cycle Turnaround Mechanical Dynamics […]
No evidence exists that New England local gas distribution companies engaged in practices to withhold natural gas pipeline capacity on the Algonquin system to drive up gas or power prices in the region, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) staff revealed. FERC on February 27 closed an inquiry after conducting an “extensive review” of the allegations—which […]
The recent retirement of older generating units and high peak usage owing to economic growth could tighten operating reserves in the region served by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) this summer. The grid operator said on March 1 that total resource capacity for the upcoming summer (spanning June through September 2018) is expected […]
Though increasingly serious cybersecurity threats loom, nearly two-thirds of U.S. industrial control system (ICS) vulnerabilities identified in 2017 could cause severe operational impact if exploited, cybersecurity firm Dragos Inc. warned in a series of reports published March 1. The reports, which cover ICS vulnerabilities, ICS threats, and reactions to existing threats, draw a dire picture […]
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 […]