Sonal C. Patel
Articles By

Sonal C. Patel

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.

  • Minnesota Power Deploys Smart Wires to Optimize Its Grid and Save Customers Money

    September 27, 2016 06:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time DULUTH, Minn. & SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Minnesota Power and Smart Wires announced today their partnership to deploy an innovative solution for optimizing the flow of power on the grid. Smart Wires is a leading provider of power flow control technology for transmission systems. “The Minnesota Power deployment represents […]

  • WGL Energy Completes 3.2 MW Solar Project in Devens, Massachusetts

    September 27, 2016 08:33 AM Eastern Daylight Time WASHINGTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–WGL Energy Systems (WGL Energy), a WGL company (NYSE:WGL), today announced the completion of a 3.2 megawatt (MW) solar facility in Devens, a 4,400-acre community in north-central Massachusetts. The fully installed photovoltaic (PV) solar system is designed to provide power to the residential, commercial and industrial customers […]

  • Aeroderivative Gas Turbine Market Will Witness Traction Due to its Growing Demand from Mobility Segment: Technavio

    September 27, 2016 04:03 PM Eastern Daylight Time LONDON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–According to the latest market study released by Technavio, the global aeroderivative gas turbine market is expected to grow at a CAGR of almost 5% during the forecast period. Global aeroderivative gas turbine market is expected to grow at a CAGR of almost 5% during the period 2016-2020. Tweet this […]

  • ACCIONA Energía Signs Agreement with Sentient Science to Extend the Working Life of Its Global Wind Turbine Fleet

    The innovative solutions by the US company will include full turbine monitoring, testing, life prediction and life extension actions for the critical failure components. September 28, 2016 11:45 AM Eastern Daylight Time HAMBURG, Germany–(BUSINESS WIRE)–ACCIONA Energía, a leading renewable energy company, and the U.S. industrial software firm Sentient Science have reached an agreement with the […]

  • Siemens launches three new wind turbines based on one onshore direct drive platform

      • Extended portfolio for low wind, medium wind, and noise sensitive sites • Short time-to-market Siemens has launched an extended portfolio of its successful Onshore direct drive wind turbines. At the WindEnergy Hamburg trade show, the company’s Onshore CEO Thomas Richterich launched three new turbine models for optimum performance at low wind, medium wind, […]

  • LIVE UPDATES: The Clean Power Plan at the D.C. Circuit

    Oral arguments on the merits of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Clean Power Plan were concluded before an en banc panel (10 judges, rather than the anticipated three) at the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals on September 27. West Virginia v. Environmental Protection Agency (No. 15-1363) is arguably the most important environmental case in nearly […]

  • POWERnews—Sept. 22, 2016

    Power News Don't miss these POWER magazine resources: Post Jobs | View Jobs | Buyers' Guide AEP to Shed Ohio, Indiana Coal and Gas Plants in Move for Full Regulation In an effort to become a fully regulated power company, American Electric Power (AEP) has agreed to sell four Midwestern power plants—representing a total of […]

  • Briefs: Mass., N.Y., Calif. Move to Address Greenhouse Gas Emissions

    At least three states called for hefty new measures relating to greenhouse gas (GHG) goals over the past week. Mass. Gov. Directs State Officials to Implement Regulations to Annually Reduce GHG Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker (R) signed an executive order on September 16 directing state officials to develop rules for specific, yearly reductions in GHG […]

  • GE Announces More Than $800 Million in Digital Industrial Power Orders for Asia-Pacific Region

    Includes more than $660 million in Power Services orders First total power island order in Asia and first HRSG technology use following Doosan acquisition in August 2016 Strong customer support of high efficiency solutions throughout region September 19, 2016 09:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time SEOUL, Korea–(BUSINESS WIRE)–GE Power, a division of GE (NYSE:GE), today announced […]

  • Fuel Tech Awarded Air Pollution Control Orders Totaling $2.1 Million

    September 20, 2016 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time WARRENVILLE, Ill.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Fuel Tech, Inc. (NASDAQ:FTEK), a world leader in advanced engineering solutions for the optimization of combustion systems and emissions control in utility and industrial applications, today announced the receipt of multiple air pollution control (APC) contracts from customers in China and the US. These awards […]

  • SLIDESHOW: An Alarming Trend Affecting U.S. Baseload Power

    States, regulators, and market participants have in recent years called attention to a trend concerning uneconomic baseload generation in organized wholesale markets, specifically in ISO New England, New York Independent System Operator (NYISO), MISO, PJM, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), and the California Independent System Operator (CAISO). Cheap natural gas, low power demand […]

  • AEP to Shed Ohio, Indiana Coal and Gas Plants in Move for Full Regulation

    In an effort to become a fully regulated power company, American Electric Power (AEP) has agreed to sell four Midwestern power plants—representing a total of 5.2 GW—to a newly formed joint venture of Blackstone and ArcLight Capital Partners for about $2.17 billion.  AEP will sell: the 1,186-MW natural gas–fired Lawrenceburg Generating Station in Lawrenceburg, Ind. […]

  • UK Approves Hinkley Point C Construction—with Caveats

    The $23.8 billion Hinkley Point C nuclear project has received the UK government’s green light, but the country wants to ensure that project’s ownership cannot change without government agreement. After a “comprehensive review” of the project and a revised agreement with French power generator EDF, the UK Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial (DBEI) Strategy […]

  • POWERnews—Sept. 15, 2016

    Power News Don't miss these POWER magazine resources: Post Jobs | View Jobs | Buyers' Guide New Solar Technology Promises Big Gains in Efficiency and Output After years of incremental advances, a variety of innovations both simple and exotic are promising to boost the output of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems as much as 30% over […]

  • Greensmith Energy Selected by American Electric Power to Expand Use of Existing Energy Storage System

    September 13, 2016 10:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time HERNDON, Va.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Greensmith Energy, one of the largest providers of energy storage software and integration services, announced today that American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP) has selected Greensmith as the software provider for a 2 megawatt/14 megawatt hour energy storage system in West Virginia. For the last five years, this […]

  • DOE, DOI Roll Out National Strategy for 86 GW of Offshore Wind

    A strategy rolled out by the Department of Energy (DOE) and Department of the Interior (DOI) to enable 86 GW of offshore wind capacity in the U.S. by 2050 highlights a number of key hurdles, including those related to technology, regulations, the environment, and markets. The DOE’s and DOI’s September 9–released joint document, “National Offshore […]

  • NRG Poised to Scoop Up 2.1 GW of Renewable Assets from Bankrupt SunEdison

    NRG Energy has taken action to acquire 2.1 GW of utility-scale wind and solar assets owned by bankrupt renewables giant SunEdison with a $144 million auction bid this week. New Jersey–based NRG Energy on Sept. 12 executed a purchase and sale agreement (PSA) to take on 200 MW of SunEdison’s construction-ready, fully contracted solar assets […]

  • POWERnews—Sept. 8, 2016

    Power News Don't miss these POWER magazine resources: Post Jobs | View Jobs | Buyers' Guide EPA Issues Updated CSAPR Rule in Push for Compliance with More Stringent 2008 Ozone NAAQS Updates finalized by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to its Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR) identify nitrogen oxide emission (NOx) reductions from power plants […]

  • Enbridge, Spectra to Merge, Create Energy Infrastructure Giant

    A merger proposed between Canadian firm Enbridge and Houston-based Spectra Energy Corp. could create the largest energy infrastructure company in North America. The companies announced on September 6 that they have entered into a definitive agreement to combine in a stock-for-stock merger transaction that has an enterprise value of $127 billion. The transaction was reportedly […]

  • Development Begins on World’s First Electricity-Generating Windows for Retrofitting Existing Homes and Commercial Buildings

      September 06, 2016 09:15 AM Eastern Daylight Time COLUMBIA, Md.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–SolarWindow Technologies, Inc. (OTCQB: WNDW), the leading developer of transparent electricity-generating liquid coatings for glass and flexible plastics, announced that it has begun initial work on transparent electricity-generating veneers. These could be applied directly on to existing windows of homes and commercial buildings, for […]

  • GSE Awarded Two International Projects to Modernize Nuclear Simulators, Increasing Company Backlog by More Than $6 Million

    September 06, 2016 04:05 PM Eastern Daylight Time SYKESVILLE, Md.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–GSE Systems, Inc. (“GSE” or “the Company”) (NYSE MKT: GVP), the world leader in real-time high-fidelity simulation systems and training solutions to the power and process industries, today announced that it has been awarded contracts to provide mission-critical updates to multi-unit nuclear site simulator platforms […]

  • EPA Issues Updated CSAPR Rule in Push for Compliance with More Stringent 2008 Ozone NAAQS

    Updates finalized by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to its Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR) identify nitrogen oxide emission (NOx) reductions from power plants in 22 states to help states address transported pollution under the agency’s more stringent 2008 ozone air quality standards. It marks the first time the EPA has updated an existing program […]

  • POWERnews—Sept. 1, 2016

    Power News Don't miss these POWER magazine resources: Post Jobs | View Jobs | Buyers' Guide Transformer Fire Will Delay Watts Bar Unit 2 Commercial Operation A main bank transformer fire has put a halt to power ascension testing at the Tennessee Valley Authority’s (TVA’s) Watts Bar Unit 2 nuclear plant. The incident occurred at […]

  • NREL: Integrating 30% of Wind and PV into Eastern Interconnection Is “Technically Feasible”

    If wind and solar photovoltaic (PV) penetrations in the Eastern Interconnection were amped up to 30%, they would decrease coal, combined cycle, and combustion turbine capacity factors by 30% to 50%, a new study from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) suggests. The study, NREL’s Eastern Renewable Generation Integration Study (ERGIS), was released on August […]

  • Siemens to provide long-term service for eight gas turbines at four power plants in Mexico

      • Service and maintenance for six SGT6-8000H and two SGT6-5000F gas turbines included in the 16-year agreement • Supports Mexico’s commitment to meeting the country’s increasing demand for reliable and efficient energy Siemens has received an order to provide long-term service and maintenance at four power plants in Mexico. The service agreement covers the […]

  • NRG Penalized for Faulty Wastewater Treatment at Maryland Coal Plants

    NRG Energy will pay $1 million in penalties, install environmental projects worth another $1 million, and complete costly upgrades under a consent decree it entered into with the state of Maryland to resolve wastewater discharge violations at two coal-fired power plants owned by its subsidiary GenOn. The settlement results from a June 2013 complaint Maryland […]

  • PG&E Calls for Proposals from Local California Renewable Energy Developers for New Program

    August 29, 2016 01:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) today announced a call for proposals for renewable energy developers to build projects for a new clean energy program available to customers. Approximately half of U.S. households and businesses are unable to install private solar systems due to space […]

  • GE Joins With the MIT Energy Initiative to Develop Advanced Technology Solutions for Transforming Global Energy Systems

      GE commits to a five-year, $7.5 million membership with MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI) GE will become a Sustaining Member of the MITEI and participate in MITEI’s Low-Carbon Energy Centers Furthers GE’s commitment to the Boston area and expertise focused on solutions to carbon reduction   CAMBRIDGE, Mass., August 30, 2016–GE (NYSE:GE) announced it will […]

  • Wärtsilä to supply 100 MW power plant to Argentina

      Wärtsilä Corporation, Press release, 30 August 2016 at 10 am EET Wärtsilä will supply a 100 MW dual-fuel plant to Albares Renovables in Argentina. The turn-key order includes six Wärtsilä 50DF dual-fuel engines running on gas and heavy fuel oil. The order is one of five contracts that Wärtsilä was recently awarded in Argentina. These orders […]

  • S&C Electric Company Completes Acquisition of Intelligent Power & Energy Research Corporation (IPERC)

      CHICAGO & FORT MONTGOMERY, NY – August 25, 2016 – S&C Electric Company, a global provider of equipment and services for electric power systems, and IPERC, an industry leader in cybersecure, intelligent microgrid control systems, today announced a definitive agreement under which S&C would acquire all outstanding common shares of IPERC. Terms of the […]