Business

  • Energy at a Cellular Level: Battery Storage Shows Plenty of Power

    Battery storage technology has moved in fits and starts, but today experts note that rapid advances make it difficult for safety standards to keep pace. Developers of storage systems are designing projects to

  • Microturbines Useful in Commercial and Industrial Applications

    Gas turbines come in a variety of sizes. While large combustion turbines seem to get the bulk of the publicity, with the likes of Siemens, GE, and Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems making the most noise

  • Cost-Effective Solutions for Boosting Solar Farm Production

    It makes sense that solar panels would perform better when positioned to capture more direct sunlight, but the cost of adding tracking systems has not always penciled out. Costs have come down, however, and

  • Solving Renewable Transmission Constraints with Water Infrastructure

    One of the largest hurdles to delivering substantial amounts of renewable energy is transmission constraints. Los Angeles’ current in-basin transmission infrastructure is based largely on delivering power

  • Should a Power Company Be Held Responsible for Wildfires?

    If you’ve been following the news, you know that Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) recently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection because it is facing tens of billions of dollars in liability for

  • POWER Digest [March 2019]

    The Distribution System Is Newest Energy Transition Frontier in Europe. The European power sector is urging member states and regulators within the European Union (EU) to speed up development of

  • UAE Adds Gas Power to Its Mix and Renewables Abroad

    The January agreement between GE and Japan’s Sumitomo Corp. for a 1.8-GW combined cycle power plant in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is part of the country’s commitment to increasing its power generation

  • Russia Sets New Domestic Nuclear Generation Record

    Rosenergoatom, Russia’s state-owned nuclear plant owner and operator, said it set another nuclear power production record in 2018. The company generated 204 TWh from its 35 reactors—1.4 TWh more than in

  • Germany’s Coal Exit Bound to Be Complicated

    Eight years after Germany decided it would halt nuclear power production by 2022, the country that relied on lignite and hard coal for 38% of its generated power in 2018 will phase out coal by 2038 or earlier

  • Kazakhstan Adds New Solar Plant to Growing Renewables Capacity

    The SES Saran solar power plant entered commercial operation in late January in Saran, in the Karaganda region of Kazakhstan, an area long known for its coal production. Government officials said the plant is

  • The POWER Podcast Archive Vol. 1

    The POWER Podcast is available through Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, iHeart, TuneIn, SoundCloud, and some other podcast apps. Follow the links below to subscribe via your favorite platform: Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube YouTube Music Amazon Music iHeart TuneIn SoundCloud The POWER Podcast Archive (Sept. 21, 2017 – Feb. 28, 2019) FERC […]

  • DOE Chief: Nuclear Power, Clean Coal Technology Key to Reducing Emissions

    U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry on February 28 said nuclear power and the use of clean coal technology are the way to combat climate change and reduce emissions from the energy sector. Perry, speaking at a joint press conference in Washington, D.C., with Fatih Birol, director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), said, “We believe […]

  • ENGIE to Exit 20 Countries, Refine Transition Growth Strategy 

    Multinational power and gas giant ENGIE, which embarked on an aggressive transition toward zero-carbon three years ago, saw tempered revenue growth over 2018, owing in part to its disposal of thermal generation businesses in the UK and Poland, and the 1-GW Loy Yang B coal-fired power plant in Australia. ENGIE CEO Isabelle Kocher, who outlined […]

  • KBC Releases Petro-SIM® and Petro-SIM Integrator for the PI System® to Accelerate Digitalization Across The Oil and Gas Industry

    Petro-SIM Integrator for the PI System enables automatic synchronization between two market leading platforms for smarter decisions across the enterprise WALTON ON THAMES, United Kingdom, Feb. 27, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — KBC (a Yokogawa Company) and OSIsoft LLC, a leader in operational intelligence, today announced the Petro-SIM Integrator for the PI System. Petro-SIM 7 is also being […]

  • GC and GE Sign Agreement to Modernize Nine Gas Turbines and Improve Reliability at GC’s Industrial Power Plant in Thailand

    GE’s Total Plant and Digital Solutions Will Help GC Reduce Costs, Achieve Higher Availability and Increase Reliability and Efficiency at GC’s Rayong Facility GC is the First Company in Thailand to Install GE’s Asset Performance Management Software Signing Ceremony Held Today with GE and GC Executives Highlights a Strong 30–Year Relationship Service Agreement Will Cover […]

  • New kind of turbine governor from Voith proves effective in small hydropower plant in Scotland

    Modified form of tried and tested compact drive from Voith Turbo used in a hydropower plant for first time Installation and maintenance friendly design Energy efficiency and environmental compatibility Heidenheim. As part of an upgrade of the Storr Lochs small hydropower plant in Scotland, technology group Voith installed a new kind of turbine control unit, […]

  • B&W Vølund Signs Licensing Agreement To Provide Biomass Grate Technology to Asian Markets

    (BARBERTON, Ohio – February 26, 2019) – Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises, Inc. (NYSE:BW) (B&W) announced today that its Denmark-based subsidiary, Babcock & Wilcox Vølund A/S, has signed a licensing agreement to provide its water-cooled vibrating grate technology for biomass boilers to thyssenkrupp Industries India Pvt. Limited on an exclusive basis for projects in India, Nepal, […]

  • A historic milestone has been achieved by Doosan Škoda Power: its first steam turbine is heading to the United States

    Pilsen (26 February 2019) Doosan Skoda Power, a Czech-based manufacturer of steam turbines, has recorded a historic achievement. Late last year the company signed a contract with Lansing Board of Water & Light (BWL) to supply a steam turbine generator for their new gas-fired power plant in Lansing, Michigan.  The turbines produced by Doosan Skoda […]

  • Thermo Fisher Scientific Launches New Dosimetry Monitoring Service

    Medical and dental facilities, nuclear power plants and other sites can now simplify their radiation safety program by accessing dosimetry technology and services from single provider TEWKSBURY, Mass. (February 25, 2019) – A new dosimetry monitoring service from Thermo Fisher Scientific enables medical and imaging facilities, dental offices, veterinary clinics, nuclear power plants, laboratories and […]

  • GE Selling Biopharma Unit in $21.4 Billion Deal

    General Electric’s (GE’s) sale of its biopharma unit on February 25 is designed to reduce the company’s overall debt load, and CEO Larry Culp said the deal is the latest step in his plan to strengthen the whole of GE, particularly the company’s struggling Power division. GE on Monday agreed to sell the biopharma part […]

  • Kyocera, LO3 Energy Will Demonstrate Blockchain-Managed Virtual Power Plant

    KYOTO, Japan (February 25, 2019) — Kyocera Corporation and New York-based LO3 Energy today announced a joint project to test the feasibility of a blockchain-managed virtual power plant (VPP) utilizing a peer-to-peer distributed consensus network. The test will start Feb. 28, 2019 at Kyocera’s Yokohama Nakayama Office in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, where a small VPP will […]

  • Groups Reach Deal to Keep New Mexico Coal Plant Open

    A private New York-based real estate investment company that focuses on North American energy projects has reached an agreement with officials in Farmington, New Mexico, to keep the coal-fired San Juan Generating Station open beyond 2022. The city is part-owner of the 847-MW plant, and the other owners—which include Tucson Electric Power, Los Alamos County, […]

  • Hawk Measurement attains North America, Canada and Europe gas and dust approval certification with its Centurion Guided Radar system

    Hawk Measurement Systems (HAWK), a global leader in measurement solutions, has announced that it has been awarded explosion proof, flameproof and dust ignition proof certification by FM Approvals for FM, FM Canada and ATEX standards. Adding to the existing IECEx rating, Hawk now covers all major market areas. FM Approvals is a globally recognized and […]

  • APS Will Add 850 MW of Battery Storage to Solar Plants

    Arizona’s largest utility wants to support its renewable power portfolio by adding as much as 850 MW of battery storage capacity to its solar power plants by 2025. Arizona Public Service Co. (APS) made the announcement February 21. Don Brandt, the utility’s chairman and CEO, in a statement said, “Arizona is already a national leader […]

  • POWER Interview: The Future of Power Sector Engineering Amid Market Disruptions

    Danish engineering, design, and consultancy firm Ramboll Group in December  entered into an agreement to acquire U.S-based engineering and design consultancy OBG. Founded in 1945, OBG has delivered integrated engineering solutions within water, energy, environment and advanced manufacturing, and today, the company says it has extensive client relationships in both the private and public sectors, […]

  • Japanese Conglomerates Rejigger Power Sector Strategies

    Hitachi and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), two giant Japanese companies with substantial stakes in the world’s power sector, are separately rethinking future business directions as sizable disruptions shake up prospects for traditional market growth. In recent months, Hitachi refined its business model to prepare it for explosive demand in  digitalization solutions, focusing heavily on grid […]

  • Southern Company CEO: Vogtle Ahead of Schedule

    Southern Company CEO Thomas Fanning on February 20 said construction of two new nuclear reactors at Plant Vogtle is on track and could possibly beat the current regulatory approved startup dates for the AP1000 units. Fanning spoke Wednesday on the company’s fourth-quarter 2018 earnings call. He said Georgia Power, a Southern Company subsidiary and the […]

  • Alabama Power Will Close Century-Old Coal Plant

    An Alabama power plant that has operated for more than a century will close in April, with Alabama Power saying that the cost to comply with government regulations on the handling of coal ash and wastewater no longer make the plant economically viable. Jim Heilbron, Alabama Power’s senior vice president and senior production officer, on […]

  • Clobotics Joins Forces with Leading European Wind O&M Provider GEV to Bring Artificial Intelligence to $27.4 Billion Market

    SEATTLE – February 20, 2019– Clobotics, a leading provider in industry-level computer vision solutions, today announced a global strategic partnership with GEV Wind Power, one of the largest wind operations and maintenance (O&M) companies in Europe. The global partnership will use Clobotics pioneering artificial intelligence solutions to deliver AI-based autonomous blade inspections for wind turbines, […]

  • MDU Will Close Coal Units in Montana, North Dakota

    A subsidiary of MDU Resources Group on February 19 said it plans to close three of its coal-fired units at power plants in Montana and North Dakota. Montana-Dakota Utilities said it would partly replace the lost generation with a new simple-cycle gas-fired unit at the North Dakota site. The company on Tuesday said a biannual […]