Drone technologies can assist utility infrastructure maintenance efforts by determining where ground crews should be deployed March 02, 2016 05:15 AM Eastern Standard Time BOULDER, Colo.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–A recent report from Navigant Research examines the market for drone and robotics technologies for transmission and distribution (DRTD), providing an analysis of market issues and global forecasts for revenue, segmented […]

NEW YORK, Feb. 26, 2016 /PRNewswire/ — Sumitomo Corporation today signed a contract to acquire up to 20 percent of Cosan Biomassa S.A. ( “Cosan Biomassa”), a subsidiary of the world’s largest sugar & ethanol company, Cosan S.A.Industria e Comercio ( “Cosan S.A.”) and producer of sugarcane pellets for power generation, subject to the prior approval […]

  Innovative program fuels grid interoperability, enhances reliability and resiliency The IDOP platform lowers costs, reduces maintenance and optimizes productivity The first deployment of GE’s ADMS, PowerOn Advantage, in the U.S. ORLANDO – March 1, 2016 – GE (NYSE: GE) and American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP), one of the largest electric utilities in the U.S., successfully […]

The fleet of Siemens H-class high-efficiency gas turbines achieved more than 200,000 operating hours in January 2016. There are currently 19 turbines in the SGT-8000H series in commercial operation, and they are setting the standard for efficiency, reliability, and availability. Siemens has sold a total of 76 H-class gas turbines worldwide to date: This makes […]

The disposal of coal ash, a combustion byproduct from coal-fired power plants, was propelled into the national conversation on December 22, 2008, when the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Kingston power plant suffered one of the largest coal ash spills in history. Calls for regulatory action shifted pitch again after the Duke Energy Dan River spill […]

The coal ash spill in December 2008 at the Tennessee Valley Authority’s coal-fired Kingston power plant may have triggered regulatory action, but it wasn’t the first or the most devastating disaster in the coal industry’s history. Coal Ash Spills at Power Facilities [gss name=”example1″ link=”none” ids=”85886,85788,85786,85790,85778,85888,85794,85784,85776″] Other Notable Coal Ash Spills [gss name=”example2″ link=”none” ids=”85772,85780,85782″] —Sonal […]

External malicious actors deployed a “synchronized and coordinated” cyberattack to prompt the large-scale blackout in Ukraine last December, a U.S. interagency team has confirmed. The event on December 23, 2015— the world’s first power blackout prompted by a cyberattack—saw a swathe of unscheduled power outages afflict three regional power distribution companies (called the “Oblenergos”) and cut […]

A proposal put forth by China—and one that it says has received “positive responses” and substantial backing from international groups, including the United Nations—foresees a global smart ultra-high-voltage (UHV) grid that transmits only “clean energy.” The Global Energy Interconnection (GEI) outlined by State Grid Corp. Chairman Zhenya Liu on February 25 at the IHS CERAWeek […]

Rallied by the Supreme Court’s unprecedented stay of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean Power Plan, a coalition of 20 states has asked the high court to stay another disputed agency rule: the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS). The states are: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North […]

  Power generators consumed 34% of total U.S. energy uses from fossil fuels and accounted for 39% of the nation’s carbon emissions from fossil fuel combustion in 2014—a fraction of a percent more than in 2013—the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said in its newly released Greenhouse Gas Inventory report. In 2014, 2,054.8 million metric tons […]

Despite the unprecedented stay by the Supreme Court, the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Clean Power Plan will withstand legal challenges “based on its merits,” predicted the agency’s head, Gina McCarthy, at the IHS CERAWeek conference in Houston. McCarthy discussed the plan and other recent initiatives to stem greenhouse gas emissions—including recently announced rules to curb […]

Power News Don’t miss these POWER magazine resources: Post Jobs | View Jobs | Buyers’ Guide Twenty States Call on Supreme Court to Stay EPA Mercury Rule Rallied by the Supreme Court’s unprecedented stay of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean Power Plan, a coalition of 20 states has asked the high court to stay […]

February 16, 2016, SINGAPORE—A consortium of Singaporean institutions and private sector companies including HES Energy Systems, ST Aerospace, DSO National Laboratories, and the Future Systems and Technology Directorate of Singapore’s Ministry of Defense, have worked jointly to achieve a record 6 hour endurance, 300km flight on the Skyblade 360 UAV built in Singapore by ST […]

February 18, 2016, PITTSBURGH—Westinghouse Electric Company has been selected by Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to provide refueling outage and inspection services for the Westinghouse-designed pressurized water reactors at Watts Bar Units 1 and 2 and Sequoyah Units 1 and 2. The award is valued at approximately $75 million and covers the period 2016 through 2021. […]

Feb. 19, 2016, JOHANNESBURG—The growth of unconventional gas is spreading across the world with major implications over many years for markets and prices according to a new World Energy Council study ‘Unconventional gas, a global phenomenon’ which looks at where and how fast the revolution is taking place. The study, developed with project partner Accenture […]

Cloud-based building management platform leverages enterprise asset management and data analytics technologies to help meet sustainability goals Collaboration with IBM Watson Internet of Things Business Unit showcased at IBM InterConnect 2016 will transform real estate performance LAS VEGAS, Feb. 22, 2016—Today, the Siemens Building Technologies Division and IBM (NYSE:IBM) announced cloud-based solutions that will leverage Siemens’ […]

The Dayton Power and Light Co. (DP&L), a subsidiary of The AES Corporation, filed its latest Electric Security Plan (ESP) with the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) on February 22. DP&L’s plan is designed to protect customers from volatility in energy prices while promoting economic development by allowing its power plants to continue operations. The […]

Mexico’s ongoing energy reform is a “paradigm shift” in the way the country obtains, transforms, and exploits its energy resources, President Enrique Peña Nieto told attendees at IHS CERAWeek on February 22. The reform allows the state to maintain ownership of hydrocarbons underground, but it also encourages private participation in the entire hydrocarbon value chain […]

In the week since the highest court in the U.S. issued an unprecedented ruling to stay the Clean Power Plan—as at least two states suspended compliance efforts—the passing of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia may have boosted the odds that the Obama administration’s efforts to stem power plant carbon emissions will pass judicial review. The […]

Power News Don't miss these POWER magazine resources: Post Jobs | View Jobs | Buyers' Guide A Rollercoaster Week for the Clean Power Plan A week since the highest court in the U.S. issued an unprecedented ruling to stay the Clean Power Plan—as at least two states suspended compliance efforts—the passing of Supreme Court Justice […]

Wisconsin’s Senate has voted to lift a longstanding ban on building new nuclear plants unless a federal site exists to store the waste and it can be shown to benefit ratepayers. The Senate voted 23–9 for Senate Bill 384, with several Democrats joining Republicans in voting for the measure. The bill now heads to the […]

Closure of Exelon’s 614-MW R.E. Ginna and Entergy’s 882-MW James A. FitzPatrick nuclear plants will leave New York with a statewide power deficiency starting in 2019, the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) has concluded. A generator deactivation assessment issued on February 11 that is focused on reliability impacts stemming from the deactivation of the FitzPatrick […]

Power News Don't miss these POWER magazine resources: Post Jobs | View Jobs | Buyers' Guide Electric Co-ops Launch “Community Storage” Initiative Electric cooperatives are poised to increase their use of electric water heaters as a demand response (DR) and energy storage tool in their service territories.&hellips; Read More   Advertisement Over 150 Million Tubes […]

A national action plan issued by the White House seeks to take near-term actions to enhance cybersecurity awareness and protections, including investing more than $19 billion in resources for cybersecurity. The Cybersecurity National Action Plan (CNAP) announced on February 9 is the “capstone” of more than seven years of efforts by the Obama administration to tackle […]

Duke Energy is considering the sale of all or most of its international power plants, about 4,400 MW dispersed throughout Central and South America. The company’s international business segment, Duke Energy International (DEI), was forced to make the disclosure in light of a required statement from its Brazilian subsidiary, Duke Energy International, Geração Paranapanema S.A. […]

Canadian utility Fortis wants to acquire ITC Holdings Corp., the largest independent electric transmission company in the U.S., to benefit from “low-risk” regulated power markets. The deal valued at about $11.3 billion will allow Fortis to enter the U.S. regulated power market overseen by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), providing a “unique, highly diversified, […]

Power News Don't miss these POWER magazine resources: Post Jobs | View Jobs | Buyers' Guide EPA, DOE Experts Upbeat on Regulatory Agenda The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) acting administrator of the Office of Air and Radiation, and the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) head of clean coal and carbon management gave upbeat assessments of the […]

Mississippi Power’s lignite-fired Kemper County integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) power plant is seeing yet another delay and $110 million in new costs, a filing with state regulators shows. The company’s December 2015 monthly status report for the nation’s first commercial power plant that will capture and store carbon dioxide anticipates that it will now […]

Following rigorous safety checks, Kansai Electric Power Co. on February 1 restarted a unit that uses a uranium-plutonium mixed oxide (MOX) fuel at its Takahama nuclear plant in Japan’s Fukui prefecture. The unit is the third restarted in Japan since the country’s Nuclear Regulation Agency (NRA) idled all reactors and began safety checks in the […]

The New York State Public Service Commission on January 21 approved a 10-year, $5 billion Clean Energy Fund that is expected to address climate change and strengthen resiliency in the face of extreme weather. It will also bolster Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s aggressive Clean Energy Standard, which calls for the state to meet 50% of its […]