Business
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Top Plant
Epasa Breakthrough Transforms Heavy Fuel Oil Sludge into Resource Stream
Brazilian independent power generator Epasa faced significant environmental and operational challenges with heavy fuel oil sludge. Through innovative engineering and problem-solving, the company developed a
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Trends
Energy Evolution: What Technologies Are Leading the Way Today
It’s not uncommon to hear people talk about the energy transition. Yet, throughout its history, the power industry has almost always been transitioning in one way or another. There are constantly new
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Wind
Measuring the Prospects for Wind Energy in 2024 and Beyond
The wind energy industry has been on an exponential growth curve for more than a decade. POWER looks at the drivers behind the growth and predictions for the future. Nearly 200 countries made major collective
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Combined Heat and Power
The Heating Sector: A CO2 Headache or a Hidden Treasure?
The combination of combined heat and power plants with thermal energy storage and industrial heat pumps provides a sustainable and efficient heating sector option. In recent years there has been a growing
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Commentary
The World Wants Nuclear Power Again—America Can Lead
After a decades-long slowdown marked by fits and starts, the U.S. is once again building and innovating in nuclear power. In April, the second of two new nuclear units went into service at Georgia Power’s
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Wind
Coating Technologies Crucial for Offshore Wind Farms
Efforts to combat climate change drive the growth of renewable energy technologies as governments and utility companies increase investments in solar and wind installations to meet rising electricity demands. Onshore wind is a well-developed market, while offshore wind is beginning to expand due to its high production efficiency and significant energy production potential. According to […]
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O&M
Rugged Mobile Devices Enhance OPPD Operations
Many power companies have turned to digital technology to streamline operations and improve worker efficiency. One example is Omaha Public Power District (OPPD), the 12th-largest public power utility in the U.S. OPPD recently decided to deploy hundreds of semi-rugged TOUGHBOOK 55 devices across multiple units, including meter technicians, troubleshooters, line crews, and system protection and […]
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Coal
Tri-State Advances ERP With Unopposed Settlement Filing
Colorado electric cooperative Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association is proposing aid to coal communities in its service territory as part of an unopposed comprehensive settlement of the first phase of the group’s recent Electric Resource Plan (ERP). The company on June 27 said the filing is an important milestone in the energy transition of the […]
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Press Releases
Mobideo revolutionizes turnaround planning at Delek’s El Dorado refinery with the launch of its Digital Twin, powered by R2S
Houston, June 26, 2024: Mobideo, a global technology leader specializing in the digital transformation of industrial workforces, announces the launch of the Mobideo Digital Twin, powered by R2S. The innovative Shutdown, Turnaround and Outage (STO) planning platform, designed for asset-intensive industries went live at Delek’s refinery based in El Dorado, Arkansas on June 24, 2024. […]
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T&D
Strengthening America’s Electric Power Grid: How the Government and Industry Are Improving T&D Systems
The U.S. transmission and distribution (T&D) network is reliable and well-maintained, but as renewable energy continues being added to the grid, and demand increases due to growing data center needs and the electrification of transportation and manufacturing processes, work is necessary to keep up with the changing times. The U.S. government understands the need for […]
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Nuclear
First-Ever Additively Manufactured Debris-Filtering Bottom Nozzles Installed at Farley Nuclear Plant
Southern Nuclear, a subsidiary of Southern Company and operator of more than 8.2 GW of nuclear power capacity, said it has completed the installation of lead test assemblies with additively manufactured debris-filtering bottom nozzles (AMBN) at Alabama Power’s Joseph M. Farley Nuclear Plant. The AMBN assemblies are a new technology manufactured by Westinghouse Electric Co. […]
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T&D
Building a Better Grid—Infrastructure Upgrades Require Ingenuity, Innovation, and Investment
The need for more reliability and resilience of power delivery, both in the U.S. and worldwide, has utilities and grid operators looking for solutions to the challenge of bolstering the electricity supply. Electric grid infrastructure, both in the U.S. and other parts of the world, needs an upgrade. Increased power demand from energy-intensive industries such […]
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T&D
The Transformer Crisis: An Industry on the Brink
Facing unprecedented lead times and skyrocketing costs, the transformer supply chain crisis threatens the backbone of the electric power industry, driving urgent calls for increased manufacturing capacity and innovative solutions. Can the industry rise to the challenge? For several years now, the power sector has frantically raised the alarm about an impending transformer supply chain […]
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Distributed Energy
Microgrids Take Major Role for Reliability, Resiliency
An array of technologies, both thermal and renewable, are being used in the design of microgrids, supporting distributed power generation across several sectors. The use of microgrids to provide reliable power for critical infrastructure is growing, and these off-grid installations also are becoming more prevalent as part of commercial and industrial (C&I) enterprises and residential […]
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T&D
High-Voltage Power Transmission Projects Are Booming Around the World
High-voltage power transmission systems are more important today than ever before because power generated at renewable energy sites in remote locations must often be transmitted to distant load centers. Several state-of-the-art projects being done around the world are reviewed below. The majority of major electric power transmission lines in the U.S. are 115-kV, 230-kV, or […]
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T&D
Planning for a Reliable and Resilient Electric Power Grid
In the U.S., regional transmission organizations (RTOs) and independent system operators (ISOs) are responsible for overseeing the reliable operation of the high-voltage transmission system within their respective regions. In other countries, transmission system operators (TSOs) perform similar roles. In most cases, the primary objectives of these entities are to ensure the reliable and efficient operation […]
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T&D
What Does It Take to Bring Stability to a Renewable-Focused Grid?
As coal, gas, and nuclear plants are retired, and wind and solar resources are added to the power grid, stability can become a problem. Understanding the solutions that are available to help manage potential issues is important for decision-makers so they can select the best options for their system. Grid stability and system strength have […]
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Legal & Regulatory
The ADVANCE Act—Legislation Crucial for a U.S. Nuclear Renaissance—Clears Congress. Here’s a Detailed Breakdown
The U.S. Senate has passed the Accelerating Deployment of Versatile, Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy (ADVANCE) Act, sweeping legislation that seeks to promote U.S. nuclear leadership, accelerate advanced nuclear technology development while preserving existing nuclear generation, bolster national security measures, and enhance regulatory efficiency to support new nuclear deployment. The Senate passed the bill on […]
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Renewables
Nextracker Building New Solar Equipment Manufacturing Plant near Las Vegas
A leading solar energy equipment provider announced construction of a new factory that will expand its U.S. operations. California-based Nextracker on June 18 held a ceremony to mark the second Nextracker-dedicated manufacturing line that Unimacts, a Las Vegas-based group, has opened in the past year. The new 160,000-square-foot facility in Sloan, Nevada, south of Las […]
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Hydrogen
Japanese Firms Collaborate on Green Hydrogen Project in Hokkaido’s Chitose Area
Mitsubishi Corp. (MC), Takasago Thermal Engineering Co. Ltd. (TTE), Hokkaido Electric Power Co. (HEPCO), and Air Water Hokkaido Inc. (AWH) announced the signing of a joint development agreement to supply green hydrogen in Hokkaido’s Chitose area. Hydrogen can be produced by electricity and other sources of energy, and because it does not emit CO2 when […]
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Hydrogen
Green Hydrogen Delivered to French Salt Cavern Storage Facility for Testing
Lhyfe, a pioneer in the production of green and renewable hydrogen, delivered 350 kilograms of green hydrogen (Figure 1) to natural gas expert Géométhane, on June 13, for it to test injecting hydrogen into salt caverns at its Manosque site in the south of France. The injection, which was completed within the day, is a […]
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Nuclear
Kemmerer 1 Breaks Ground: A Look at TerraPower’s Natrium Fast Reactor Nuclear Power Plant
Bill Gates’ nuclear innovation firm TerraPower has broken ground on the non-nuclear portion of Kemmerer Unit 1, a 345-MW Natrium sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR) power plant. The groundbreaking on June 10 makes the federal demonstration project the first advanced nuclear reactor project to move from design into construction in the Western Hemisphere, the company noted. […]
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Commentary
It’s Time for Utilities to Back Smart Grid Optimization with the Right Tech
The utility industry is an unsung hero for nearly every community—until the power falters. A prime example is the extreme weather that passed through much of the central U.S. this spring. In Houston, where my company is based, we recently experienced severe storms that left around a million businesses and homes without power. These acts […]
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T&D
U.S. Power Distribution System Reliability Has Declined Over the Past Decade: How to Make It Better
SAIDI (System Average Interruption Duration Index) and SAIFI (System Average Interruption Frequency Index) are widely used reliability indices that measure the performance of power distribution systems. SAIDI represents the total duration of interruptions for an average customer over a given time period, typically a year. It is calculated by taking the sum of all customer […]
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Renewables
Michigan Utility Replacing Coal Plant With Large Energy Storage System
Michigan’s major electric utility said it plans to build one of the nation’s largest standalone battery energy storage projects at the site of a retired coal-fired power plant. Detroit-based DTE Energy on June 10 said it would convert part of the closed Trenton Channel power plant into a 220-MW energy storage facility. DTE retired Trenton […]
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Hydrogen
Advancing Ceramic Matrix Composites and Environmental Barrier Coatings for Hydrogen Turbines: Challenges and Opportunities
Decarbonization goals call for advancing high-impact energy technologies. The U.S. has pledged to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, a goal that presents both challenges and opportunities in the field of advanced materials. This ambitious goal requires a wide range of technological advancements to enable the shift from fossil fuel-based systems to more sustainable and low-carbon […]
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Offshore Wind
GE Vernova, Seatrium Will Build HVDC System for TenneT’s Dutch Offshore Grid Project
Global energy company GE Vernova and Seatrium Limited, a Singaporean state-owned group, said their consortium has been awarded a third contract by Dutch transmission system operator TenneT for construction of a 2-GW high-voltage direct current (HVDC) electric offshore transmission system in the Netherlands. The groups on June 10 said construction is set to begin this […]
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Solar
U.S. Solar Sector Shows Record-Setting Growth
A new report from two leading energy industry groups said a record 11 GW of new solar power module manufacturing capacity entered service during the first three months of this year, representing the largest quarter of solar manufacturing growth in U.S. history. The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and Wood Mackenzie in their U.S. Solar […]
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Sustainability
Michigan Coal Plant Eyes BECCS Retrofit: Could Become First U.S. Facility with ‘Carbon-Negative’ Power
CMS Energy’s subsidiary NorthStar Clean Energy has given Babcock & Wilcox (B&W) the green light to start initial work on converting a 73-MW coal-fired power plant in Michigan into a bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) facility that could send “carbon-negative” power to the grid. B&W on June 3 said the limited notice to […]
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Gas
New Gas-Fired Power Plants Proposed in Southeast Texas
Entergy Texas filed an application with the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) for approval to build two natural gas power plants—one in Jefferson County and the other in Liberty County. “The Legend and Lone Star Power Stations will address the critical need for increased power generation capacity, support increased economic activity throughout the region, […]