Business
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Coal
How to Improve Remediation of Coal Ash Pond Water
Many power companies face significant risks from coal ash ponds. New solutions based on water flow physics are showing promise in preventing the spread of hazardous particulate matter. Existing coal plants are
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Energy Storage
Fire Suppression for Battery Energy Storage Systems
As demand for electrical energy storage systems (ESS) has expanded, safety has become a critical concern. This article examines lithium-ion battery ESS housed in outdoor enclosures, which represent the most
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Energy Storage
Lessen Risk for Battery Energy Storage with Analytics Software
Battery energy storage systems (BESS) have emerged as a crucial technology for storing and dispatching energy when needed. However, the rapid expansion of BESS has been accompanied by safety and risk management challenges. Most BESS units use lithium-ion batteries, which require particular care to avoid fire concerns. Though lithium-ion BESS is overall a safe and […]
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Energy Storage
How Energy Storage Can Turn Oversupply into Opportunity
Renewable energy intermittency isn’t only a challenge when the sun isn’t shining or the wind isn’t blowing. For many regions, oversupply of renewable electricity during sunny and windy periods with low grid demand creates its own economic and operational challenges. In California, more than 2.7 TWh of renewable energy—primarily solar—was curtailed last year during such […]
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Legal & Regulatory
EPA Proposes Tighter NOx Limits for Combustion Turbines
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has proposed tougher nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions limits for new, modified, and reconstructed stationary combustion turbines. The proposed rule identifies a combination of combustion controls and selective catalytic reduction (SCR) as the Best System of Emission Reduction (BSER) for most turbines though it proposes combustion controls alone for certain smaller […]
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Nuclear
Westinghouse, CORE POWER Partner for Floating Nuclear Power Plants
Westinghouse Electric Co. and CORE POWER said the companies have formalized a deal for the design and development of a floating nuclear power plant (FNPP) using the Westinghouse eVinci microreactor. The companies on Nov. 25 called the floating facilities “a game-changing approach to deploying nuclear energy to islands, ports, coastal communities and industry.” “There’s no […]
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Commentary
Why Businesses and the Government Are Turning to Nuclear Reactors for Our Increasing Energy Demands
The energy landscape in the U.S. is undergoing a seismic shift, owing in part to the exponential growth of generative artificial intelligence (AI) applications and data centers, according to McKinsey & Company. This rise in energy demand is further exacerbated by the country’s increasing seasonal cooling and heating needs due to extreme weather. To offset […]
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Commentary
Hotly Contested Dispute Over Co-Located Loads Is Primed for FERC Action
Federal regulation of customer loads located next to existing power generating facilities, referred to as “co-located loads,” have become a significant area of interest for the electric industry. Large industrial loads have taken an interest in this configuration because it promises a faster, streamlined pathway to interconnecting to the grid and meeting their power supply […]
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Nuclear
DeepGEO, Copenhagen Atomics Sign Pact to Align Nuclear Fuel Reprocessing with Spent Fuel Management
DeepGEO, a multinational spent nuclear fuel (SNF) repository developer, and Copenhagen Atomics, a Danish advanced thorium reactor innovator, have signed a first-of-its-kind collaboration agreement that seeks to revolutionize the nuclear fuel cycle by aligning emerging waste management solutions with next-generation reactor technologies. The landmark collaboration marks an industry-first effort to unite a reactor designer and […]
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T&D
GE Vernova Will Supply Essential Grid Equipment for Australian Project
GE Vernova Inc. said it has secured a contract from Powerlink, Queensland’s state-owned transmission utility, to supply essential equipment for an upcoming Capital Work program. Under the agreement, GE Vernova will deliver 69 Dead Tank Circuit Breakers (DTCBs) rated 245 kV and above, supporting Queensland’s renewable energy targets and enhancing power infrastructure resilience. Powerlink is responsible […]
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Trends
Texas Mandates Cryptomining Registration, Power Demand Reporting, to Bolster Grid Reliability
The Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) has adopted a rule for reliability purposes requiring cryptocurrency mining facilities in the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) region to register with the state and annually report details about their location, ownership, form of business, and demand for electricity. The PUCT’s new rule, adopted on Nov. […]
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Full Coverage
Communication Is Key to Successful Power Projects
Power plant construction and retrofit projects come in all shapes and sizes, but they all generally have at least one thing in common: complexity. There are usually a lot of moving pieces that must be managed. This can include sourcing the right materials and components, getting equipment delivered to the site at the right time, […]
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Renewables
Norway’s Equinor Cuts 20% of Renewable Energy Staff
European energy major Equinor said it is cutting 20% of the workforce, or about 250 jobs, in its renewable energy division due to continued economic challenges. The Norway-based company said the layoffs are part of the company’s effort to streamline its operations. Equinor in recent months has canceled offshore wind projects in several countries, including […]
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Nuclear
NRC Approves Construction of First Electricity-Producing Gen IV Reactor in the U.S.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has taken a historic step by voting to issue construction permits for Kairos Power’s 70-MWth Hermes 2, a “low power” advanced test facility comprising two 35-MWth molten salt reactors. “Following the Commission’s vote, Hermes 2 is now the first electricity-producing Gen IV plant to be approved for construction in the […]
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Hydrogen
GE Vernova Unveils 100% Hydrogen-Fueled Aeroderivative Gas Turbine Solution, Secures First Customer
GE Vernova has unveiled a 100% hydrogen-ready aeroderivative gas turbine solution based on its LM6000VELOX package. The first-of-a-kind technology will be showcased at the 200-MW Whyalla hydrogen power plant in South Australia, with commissioning slated for early 2026. “It is projected to mark the first time a GE Vernova power plant project, at a commercial […]
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Nuclear
Solid Leadership and Experience Are Keys to Successful Nuclear Plant Construction Projects
One of the biggest challenges the nuclear power industry faces is building plants on time and on budget. Having an experienced project team with the right leaders driving the bus, so to speak, can mean the
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Gas
Entergy Louisiana Eyes 2.2 GW of New Gas-Fired Generation to Support Data Center Demand
A filing with the Louisiana Public Service Commission shows that Entergy plans to build more than 2 GW of natural gas-fired power generation in the state, including a 1,500-MW facility in northeast Louisiana that would provide power for a large Meta data center operation in an area off Interstate 20 in Holly Ridge (Figure 1). […]
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Nuclear
Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant Cuts Nation’s Reliance on Natural Gas-Fired Electricity Generation
In a strategic move to reduce its heavy dependence on Russian natural gas, Belarus has successfully completed its first nuclear power plant (NPP). The Belarusian NPP, featuring two VVER-1200 reactors, now
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Nuclear
Artificial Intelligence Has Entered the Nuclear Industry and Its Early Benefits Are Just the Tip of the Iceberg
A collaboration between startup Atomic Canyon and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory allowed construction of a sentence-embedding model using 53 million pages of Nuclear Regulatory Commission documents
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Nuclear
Financing the Nuclear Renaissance
At the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, last December, 25 countries underlined the role of nuclear energy in their climate strategies by issuing a
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Nuclear
Mobility, Flexibility, Scalability: SMRs Forging Nuclear’s Future
The need for emissions-free power generation, along with the ability to provide more power when and where it’s needed, is driving research and development of smaller nuclear reactors. Energy industry
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Trends
Can Nuclear’s Big Recent Wins Propel a True Global Revival?
While the past year has marked stunning triumphs for nuclear energy, experts caution that high costs, regulatory bottlenecks, and the need for market alignment remain major hurdles on the path to a true
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Nuclear
Tear It Down or Start It Back Up? Plant Owners Weigh Options Around Retired Reactors
Nuclear power plants are still being dismantled, and the business of decommissioning remains strong, but the need for more baseload power and emissions-free generation has some companies ready to restart idled
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Trends
Nuclear Fuel: The Unseen Barrier Ahead
As global nuclear ambitions surge, the industry’s fuel supply chain faces critical gaps. Can advanced fuels like HALEU (high-assay low-enriched uranium) and TRISO (TRi-structural ISOtropic particle fuel)
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Nuclear
Idaho Digital Twin Project Trailblazing for Nuclear
In 2023, Idaho National Laboratory (INL) and Idaho State University unveiled the industry’s first near real-time digital twin of a nuclear reactor. The virtual replica of the 5-Wth AGN-201 research reactor
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Trends
How Nuclear O&M Is Evolving for the Emerging Power Paradigm
In its quest to drive down costs while boosting safety, the nuclear industry has ramped up efforts to streamline operations and maintenance (O&M). New approaches target efficiency and resilience. If there
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Nuclear
Continued Excellent Nuclear Power Plant Performance Bodes Well for Future Prospects
The carbon-free attributes and consistently high fleet performance have led to increasing momentum behind nuclear power. With ambitious plans to triple global nuclear capacity by 2050, the nuclear industry is
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Renewables
SRP and EDP Renewables Announce New Energy Storage System to Support Increasing Energy Demand
Salt River Project (SRP) and Flatland Storage LLC, a subsidiary of EDP Renewables North America LLC (EDPR NA), have entered into an agreement to provide 200 MW of new energy storage to Arizona’s grid. The Flatland Energy Storage Project will be a 200-MW/800-MWh battery energy storage system located near Coolidge, Arizona. The project will utilize […]
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Nuclear
Group Has Contract to Build Two New CANDU Reactors in Romania
Canada’s AtkinsRéalis Group announced it has an agreement to build two new CANDU nuclear reactors in Romania, which would be the first new reactors of that type built since 2007. The Montreal-based company on Nov. 15 said the Romanian project is a joint venture with Fluor Corp., Ansaldo Nucleare, and Sargent & Lundy. The contract […]
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Hydrogen
Abraxas Power, EDF Group Plan 3-GW Green Hydrogen Project in Canada
Abraxas Power Corp. and French energy giant EDF Group have announced the companies will collaborate on development of a 3-GW power-to-X (P2X) project in Newfoundland, Canada. Abraxas and EDF on Nov. 18 said the project would use wind energy to power electrolyzers and produce green hydrogen and ammonia, with output of as much as 200,000 […]