Business

  • China Puts Online Pioneering Large-Scale CSP Project

    China completed its first large commercial-scale parabolic-trough concentrated solar power (CSP) plant at the end of June. The 50-MW Delingha project built by CGN New Energy, a subsidiary of China General

  • A Wind Experiment: The Hornsdale Wind Farm

    Along with producing power from 99 turbines, the 309-MW Hornsdale Wind Farm in South Australia has helped trial new technologies that could ramp up power system security and reliability. At first glance, the

  • Tesla Virtual Power Plant Takes Shape in Australia

    Tesla in July released more details of its virtual power plant (VPP) project in South Australia (SA), outlining the initiative as well as its resources and the benefits it will bring to the region. The company

  • Cerro Pabellón: Taking Geothermal Power to New Heights

    South America’s first and only geothermal power plant, the 48-MW Cerro Pabellón project, sits at an elevation of 4,500 meters above sea level in Chile’s harsh and remote Atacama Desert. Building and

  • Let the Sun Shine In: Where Is Solar Power Headed?

    The Solar Energy Industries Association, the national trade association for the U.S. solar industry, reports that solar power has grown in the U.S. at a compounded annual rate of 59% since the solar investment

  • Australia Braces for Power System Transformation, Disruptions

    The inaugural integrated system plan (ISP) released by Australia’s Energy Market Operator (AEMO) in mid-July warns that the country is in the midst of a “transformative and unprecedented” rate of change

  • Egypt Brings New Natural Gas and Wind Power Plants Online

    New natural gas-fired power plants and wind farms are part of Egypt’s strategy to increase the country’s power generation by at least 50%. It began delivering on that plan in July as it brought three

  • A Reimagined Power Future Enabled by Digital Technologies

    The power industry is changing and leading companies are turning to digital technologies to revolutionize their operations. Monitoring and diagnostics centers are leveraging vast amounts of data from around

  • Voith received first order for two VECO-Drives from Guangzhou China Resources Thermal Power Co., Ltd. in China

    Two VECO-Drives will replace the existing boiler water feed pumps speed control in the NanSha thermal power plant Significant improvement of overall efficiency and reduction of energy consumption as well as greenhouse gas emissions Guangzhou, China. On August 27, 2018, Voith and Guangzhou China Resources Thermal Power Co., Ltd. signed an order for two VECO-Drive […]

  • Clarke Energy to Supply GE’s Jenbacher Gas Engines to Power New Algerian ‘Mega Mosque’

    Clarke Energy to Deliver Four of GE’s Jenbacher J320 Gas Engines to Power Trigeneration Plant at Djamaâ el Djazaïr Mosque being Built in Mohammadia, Near Algiers Jenbacher Trigeneration Units to Supply Reliable, Lower-Emission Power, Heating and Cooling Project Highlights Growing Industrial Demand for Advanced Trigeneration Technologies ALGIERS, ALGERIA—August 30, 2018—GE’s Distributed Power business (NYSE: GE) […]

  • FirstEnergy Throws in the Towel on Coal Plants

    FirstEnergy Solutions Corp. (FES) notified PJM Interconnection, the regional transmission organization (RTO), of its plans to deactivate four fossil-fuel generating plants in 2021 and 2022. In a press release issued on August 29, the company said it “is closing the plants due to a market environment that fails to adequately compensate generators for the resiliency […]

  • As More Power Companies Announce Decarbonization Initiatives, EEI Makes Sustainability Reporting Easier

    A spate of major power companies—including American Electric Power (AEP) and Southern Co.—have acquiesced to investor pressure and announced drastic cuts to their generating fleet carbon emissions over the long term. Industry group Edison Electric Institute (EEI) this week launched an official industry-designed template to help its member utilities better inform investors about their environmental, […]

  • Oklahoma Coal Plant Sets Closing Date After Losing PPA

    An executive with the AES Shady Point coal-fired power plant in Oklahoma said the facility could close as soon as January after being notified its power purchase agreement (PPA) will not be extended. Oklahoma Gas & Electric Co. (OG&E) this month said it will not execute another five-year extension of a PPA between the two […]

  • Why Open Source Works for the Renewable Energy Sector

    According to the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, renewable energy is the fastest-growing energy source globally where 24% of the energy generated in 2015 came from renewable sources such as biomass, geothermal, solar, hydro, wind, and biofuels. This is expected to increase to 31% by 2040 and will heavily depend on a number of […]

  • MHPS, NTE Energy Open Second Clean Power Plant In Three Months

    Lake Mary, Florida (August 28, 2018) — Officials from Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems Americas joined with NTE Energy executives today to mark the formal start of operations at a new North Carolina clean power plant featuring MHPS technology. MHPS executives helped cut the ribbon on NTE Energy’s $500 million Kings Mountain Energy Center (KMEC); located […]

  • Coal’s ACE in the Hole? New Rule Still Faces Headwinds

    The Trump administration has extended a potential lifeline to coal-fired power plants with its Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) rule. Now the debate is about how much the plan will actually help coal generation. Energy analysts and other industry experts who spoke with POWER on August 28 say the new rule, which would give individual states the […]

  • Siemens and Bentley Systems strengthen their strategic alliance and joint investment initiatives

    Munich / Boston, 2018-Aug-27 Successful strategic alliance with Bentley Systems, which started in 2016, to be further expanded Joint investment initiative extended by an additional €50 million, totaling €100 million Ambition to further accelerate joint business In the companies’ latest Alliance Board meeting, Bentley Systems and Siemens decided to further strengthen their strategic alliance. The […]

  • Fate of Vogtle Nuclear Expansion Hinges on Minority Owners

    On August 8, Georgia Power announced that its revised capital and construction cost forecast for its share of the Plant Vogtle expansion project had increased from $7.3 billion to $8.4 billion, based on a revised cost-to-complete estimate from Southern Nuclear. The news was softened somewhat by Georgia Power’s declaration that significant construction progress had been […]

  • Power Market Is Changing — Distributed Energy Gaining Ground [PODCAST]

    The power market is changing. It’s being driven more and more by the retail side of the business, according to Roy Palk, Esq., president of New Horizons Consulting. Palk will give a presentation titled “The Rise of Distributed Energy — New Challenges Bring New Opportunities” during the Distributed Energy Conference, which will be held at […]

  • Storage Bringing Change to Energy Markets

    Energy industry experts speaking at the MEGA Symposium in Baltimore, Maryland, on August 21 agreed that storage is becoming more important to the overall mix of U.S. power sources. They also said utility-scale storage solutions remain “years away,” even as technology advancements in battery systems occur more rapidly. Panelists at the session entitled “The Transformation […]

  • A Brief History of the Clean Power Plan (VIDEO)

    The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a proposed rule to replace the Clean Power Plan—a rule regulating greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) from existing coal-fired power plants. The new “Affordable Clean Energy” rule sets GHG guidelines for states to set standards for performance for existing coal-fired power plants. The proposal is the newest development in a […]

  • Wärtsilä to help ensure reliable power supply in challenging Hawaii conditions through Smart Technologies

    Clean, secure, and uninterrupted power is at the core of Hawaiian Electric’s 50-megawatt Schofield Generating Station. Wärtsilä has signed a Maintenance and Operational advisory agreement for the power plant, located on the island of Oahu, 40 kilometres from Honolulu. The agreement will help the utility to maximize the availability and efficiency of the power plant. […]

  • Potential Navajo Station Operator—Less Capacity Equals More Profit

    The possible new operator of the largest coal-fired power plant in the western U.S. told Arizona regulators this week the company would run the Navajo Generating Station (NGS) at less than half its installed generation capacity in order to maintain profitability. An official for Illinois-based Middle River Power (MRP) also said the plant would operate […]

  • World’s First AP1000 Nuclear Reactor Reaches Full Power

    The world’s first AP1000 nuclear reactor—Sanmen 1 in China’s Zhejiang province—commenced 100%  power operation for the first time on August 11, China National Nuclear Corp. (CNNC) said. Sanmen 1 was connected to the grid on June 30. Earlier this year, China also put online Unit 5 of the Yangjiang Nuclear Plant on May 23, and Taishan 1, an EPR, on […]

  • MHPS Enhances Capabilities, Invests in Manufacturing Facilities, and Takes the Lead in Gas Turbine Market

    It’s no secret that the gas turbine market in the Americas has been tough in recent years. Across the industry, there have been reports of shrinking orders, forcing drastic measures to cut costs, including restructuring of businesses and cutting large numbers of jobs. The story from Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems has been markedly different. In […]

  • Siemens to boost power output and efficiency at Al-Sadder power plant in Iraq

    Siemens’ digital services to maximize power plant’s performance Assets will generate more power and supply electricity to an additional 100,000 homes Project supports Iraq’s goal of meeting electricity demand In line with Iraq’s goal to improve the efficiency and availability of the country’s power plants, Siemens will provide inspection and upgrade services for two power […]

  • Wells Fargo Joins Origis Energy USA to Expand Clean Energy Supply for Florida

    52-MWac FL Solar 5 project to produce low-cost, renewable electricity for Reedy Creek Improvement District NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC) announced it has committed the capital in construction debt, as well as the tax-equity funding of $35 million for the new solar generation facility, known as FL Solar 5 in Orange County, Florida. This […]

  • Group: Indiana Should Reject Vectren Plan for New Gas-Fired Plant

    An Indiana consumer protection agency has told state regulators they should reject Vectren Corp.’s plan to build a new natural gas-fired power plant in the state. Vectren wants the plant to replace four of the utility’s retiring coal-fired units. Indiana’s Office of Utility Consumer Counselor (OUCC) on August 13 said it completed a five-month legal […]

  • Pattern Energy and PSP Investments Acquire 147 MW Mont Sainte-Marguerite Wind Facility in Québec

    MONTRÉAL, Québec, August 14, 2018 – Pattern Energy Group Inc. (NASDAQ and TSX: PEGI) (“Pattern Energy” or the “Company”) and the Public Sector Pension Investment Board (“PSP Investments”) today announced the acquisition of the 147 megawatt (MW) Mont Sainte-Marguerite Wind power facility from Pattern Energy Group LP (“Pattern Development 1.0”). Mont Sainte-Marguerite Wind is located […]

  • Xcel Energy breaks ground on Foxtail Wind

    Fargo, ND (August 9, 2018) — Xcel Energy celebrated the construction of its newest 150-megawatt wind facility in central North Dakota today. The event featured local landowners, company representatives, U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp, and other state and local officials. The Foxtail Wind project will provide low-cost wind energy to nearly 80,000 homes when it’s completed […]