Business

  • End of an Era for Silicone Transformer Fluids?

    Glancing back to the 1970s, those of us in the power sector can remember when polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were the cooling liquid of choice for transformers in locations where fire risk was a critical consideration. Then it happened — PCBs were classified as carcinogenic and persistent organic pollutants. A safer replacement liquid was needed, and […]

  • Improving on the Original Westinghouse Iso-Phase Bus Design

    Not only does the Westinghouse design live on, but iterative improvements to insulators, mountings and housings make this IPB design even more rugged and reliable Isolated-phase bus (IPB) systems are the critical first link in the power transmission chain.  As a highly reliable method of construction for moving bulk electrical power, Iso Phase Bus Duct […]

  • Report: CO2 Emissions from Power Sector Rising

    A new study from an economic research group shows that U.S. emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) rose about 3.4% last year, including a 1.9% rise in emissions from power generation. The New York-based Rhodium Group, which released its findings on Jan. 8, said its study used data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) and […]

  • Siemens provides four steam turbines to Concentrated Solar Power plant in Dubai

    As part of its ongoing support to the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 and its role as a premier partner to Expo 2020 Dubai, Siemens will provide four steam turbine generator sets and auxiliary equipment for a 700-megawatt (MW) concentrated solar power (CSP) project in Dubai. The facility will be the largest single-site CSP plant […]

  • CHARAH SOLUTIONS INSTALLS MP618™ INNOVATIVE THERMAL PROCESS TECHNOLOGY FOR FLY ASH BENEFICIATION IN SULPHUR, LOUISIANA

    New Proven Technology Will Increase Charah Solutions’ Supply of High-Quality Fly Ash and Expand Byproduct Sales Offerings LOUISVILLE, KY (January 8, 2019) – Charah® Solutions, Inc. (NYSE: CHRA), a leading provider of environmental and maintenance services to the power generation industry, has installed its proprietary fly ash beneficiation technology at the company’s Sulphur, Louisiana, terminal […]

  • Site work commences for Wärtsilä 378-MW power plant in El Salvador

    January 8, 2019 — The technology group Wärtsilä commenced site work for a new 378 MW power plant being supplied on an Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contract in El Salvador. This facility, ordered by Energía del Pacífico, will be the largest and most efficient power plant in El Salvador, and one of the first […]

  • Stertil-Koni Scores Record Growth in 2018

    Service and Innovation Remain Key Areas of Focus in 2019 STEVENSVILLE, MD – Heavy duty vehicle lift leader Stertil-Koni, well-regarded for its bus lifts and truck lifts, today announced that the company achieved record sales growth in 2018, capturing additional market share in both the municipal and public sectors across the U.S. and Canada. Keying the […]

  • ALL Crane Buys Eight-Crane Package from Kobelco

    Authorized dealer strengthens rental fleet so more customers can try G Series January 7, 2019—The ALL Family of Companies, one of the largest privately held crane rental companies in North America, has purchased eight new Kobelco CK-class G Series hydraulic lattice-boom crawler cranes for its rental fleet. ALL Crane is an authorized Kobelco dealer, and […]

  • CLAMPSEAL® VALVES PROVIDE CONTROL FOR BOILER OR TURBINE BLOW DOWN AND BOTTOM BLOW-OFF SERVICE

    ENFIELD, CT—Conval, a global leader in high-performance valves, offers Clampseal Blowdown Service Valves to provide necessary control for continuous or tandem boiler or turbine blow down and bottom blow-off service. For continuous service, blowdown valves are available in ¾” through 4” sizes with butt or socket weld and flanged ends, in ASME/ANSI Class 900 through […]

  • EVs Will Overload the Grid: 5 Ways the Industry Must Self-Correct

    What is the impact of all electric vehicles (EVs) today and what will be the transformative effect on the grid and energy market? In recent data from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) on plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV), the U.S. had 764,666 light-duty vehicles sold (third in sales behind […]

  • Apex Clean Energy Acquires 442.5 MW of Solar Projects Under Development in Virginia

    Charlottesville, VA (January 4, 2018) — Apex Clean Energy today announced the purchase of 442.5 MW of solar projects across Virginia from renewable energy developer SolUnesco. This acquisition expands Apex’s nationwide portfolio of advanced solar projects to more than 3 GW, approximately 700 MW of that situated in the Commonwealth. “Apex continuously seeks to grow our utility-scale […]

  • DOE Designates Part of UAMPS SMR Plant for Research, Self-Power

    The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) wants to use two of 12 modules at the NuScale small modular reactor (SMR) plant that Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems intends to build at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL).  One module will be used strictly for research, development, and demonstration activities under the newly launched Joint Use Modular […]

  • NTE Energy begins serving 4 new communities in North and South Carolina

    ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla., Jan. 2, 2019—The new year brought a new source of cleaner, more efficient power to the Carolinas, when four new communities began receiving power from NTE Energy. January 1 marked the beginning of 20-year power purchase agreements between NTE and the North Carolina communities of Concord and Kings Mountain, and the South […]

  • POWER Digest [January 2019]

    EDF Inks Agreement for O&M Services at UAE Nuclear Plant. French nuclear power plant operator EDF will operate and maintain the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) under a

  • Innovative Microgrid Will Power Finnish Distribution Center

    A distribution center in Finland is installing what is being called the country’s largest industrial microgrid, a system that will use 100% renewable energy. The system is being built by Schneider Electric

  • 10 Takeaways from the IEA’s Newest World Energy Outlook

    The International Energy Agency (IEA) deemed growth and disruptions of the world’s power sector so significant to the future of energy, it dedicated—for the first time—a four-chapter “special focus”

  • Natural Gas and Renewable Energy to Continue Leading the Market

    Cheap natural gas and social pressure to reduce carbon emissions give gas-fired power plants and renewable energy resources a competitive advantage over traditional coal and nuclear generation. Energy storage

  • Blockchain Technology Will Transform the Power Industry

    What began in the world of finance has moved into the power sector. Blockchain, a nascent technology most often associated with cryptocurrency, is a new frontier in the energy space, changing the way power is

  • Game-Changing Coal Power Technologies

    To be a relevant player in the future power mix, coal power efficiency and costs must improve, and technologies in the realm of research and development promise to do just that. Although most experts agree

  • Debate Continues: Can New Technology Save Nuclear Power?

    Nuclear power provides carbon-free electricity for a warming world. But is its use still practical, can it still be economic, is its promise still achievable, and is nuclear a key to combating climate change

  • Adjusting Power Line Sag in Real-Time

    Getting proper sag between power line towers can be time-consuming. However, a new surveying tool allows workers to make adjustments in real-time. The method saves time and money, while also providing

  • Establishing a Culture of Continuous Learning and Improvement

    With many challenges facing both fossil fuel and nuclear power generation facilities, training and workforce development has never been more important. Establishing a culture of continuous improvement is

  • Why a Single Source Is Best for Chemical-Feed Systems

    What is the best way to construct a complete chemical-feed system for use in a power plant—piecing together equipment acquired from a hodgepodge of suppliers or creating a system with components sourced from

  • Energy Storage as a Service: Why Renting Can Be Better Than Buying

    The burgeoning as-a-service model, offering greater user flexibility and attractive economics, is now a viable option for energy storage. As with transportation, office equipment, and other capital-intensive

  • Despite Financial Hurdles, Utility Capital Spending to Remain Elevated

    Despite higher taxable income and pressure on balance sheets, capital spending by regulated utilities will remain elevated—and much of it will be dedicated to replacing aging infrastructure, hardening or efficiency-boosting measures, and on renewables and environmental projects, said Moody’s Investors Service in a recent sectoral briefing.  The credit ratings agency for the first time this […]

  • Bipartisan Nuclear Modernization Bill Clears Congress

    A bipartisan bill to modernize regulation of the nation’s nuclear power fleet passed in the U.S. Senate on Dec. 20 and the House on Dec. 21 without much opposition. It now heads to President Trump.   S.512, better known as the Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act (NEIMA), seeks to provide a program to develop […]

  • NV Energy Accelerates Retirement of One of Nevada’s Last Coal Units

    NV Energy plans to retire a 254-MW coal-fired unit in a power-constrained region of Nevada at the end of 2021, four years ahead of schedule. The company will instead purchase 1,001 MW from new solar photovoltaic projects equipped with 100 MW of long-term battery storage, effectively doubling its total renewable generation from 14% in 2017 […]

  • Finnish Nuclear Plant Start-up Delayed Again

    Another nuclear power project has been delayed, as the Fennovoima consortium and Russia’s state-run nuclear company Rosatom said the Hanhikivi 1 power plant’s projected start-up date has been pushed to 2028, four years behind the original schedule and eight years later than the proposed start when Finland’s government supported the project in 2010. The announcement […]

  • Tianwan Unit 4 Latest Chinese Reactor to Come Online

    Unit 4 of the Tianwan Nuclear Power Plant in China entered commercial operation this past weekend after completing commissioning. It began supplying power to the country’s national grid on Dec. 22. Tianwan NPP is the largest facility built with a Russian-Chinese framework of economic cooperation, with Units 1 through 4 based on the VVER-1000 reactor […]

  • Bailing Out Coal and Nuclear Plants Is Misguided

    For decades the U.S. has relied on coal for much of its energy supply. States with abundant coal—Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Kentucky, and others—have towns and cities whose economies are driven by the coal industry. Now, as the coal industry declines and those areas struggle, the Trump administration wants to use taxpayer money to save coal […]