Business

  • How Energy Services Businesses Can Adapt and Win in a Changing Market

    Energy services businesses are poised to benefit from an unprecedented amount of government support for energy infrastructure. However, choppy waters lie ahead as business models and market conditions evolve

  • Energizing the Grid: Insights into the DOE’s GRIP Program

    To secure federal funding, developers must navigate various financing and investment options related to grid resiliency and modernization, transmission deployment, and critical electric generation facilities. Responding to funding demands, however, can pose significant challenges. Balancing early-stage project commitments with application requirements blurs the line between speculating about long-term project details, being non-responsive, and making costly […]

  • FRP Delivers Resiliency for Power Plants

    The chemicals and water present in power generation plants can have a corrosive effect on metal. Integrating fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) into power plants can help reduce downtime due to maintenance. Power generation plants almost have “too much of a good thing.” The demand for power in the U.S. alone has skyrocketed in the last few […]

  • Texas Moves Forward with $5.38B in Loans for 10 GW of New Dispatchable Power Projects

    The Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) has shortlisted 17 gas-fired “dispatchable” generation projects—a combined 9,781 MW—that will advance to receive $5.38 billion in loaned funds under the Texas Energy Fund (TEF) In-ERCOT Loan Program. The 17 proposed new projects in the PUCT’s loan portfolio, chosen from 72 applications, now proceed to a “due diligence” […]

  • BWXT Secures Contract to Advance Domestic Uranium Enrichment Pilot Plant

    BWXT Technologies has won a contract from the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) to evaluate options for deploying a centrifuge pilot plant that could establish a new domestic uranium enrichment capability suitable for national security purposes. The Lynchburg, Virginia–based company on Aug. 26 said the NNSA contract would kick off a yearlong engineering study as […]

  • TVA Boosts Nuclear Funding with $150M for SMR Development at Clinch River

    The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA’s) board of directors has approved an additional $150 million for the public power utility’s $200 million New Nuclear Program to boost continued design work and development of potential small modular reactors (SMRs) at TVA’s Clinch River site near Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The combined $350 million funding for the project will […]

  • Investment Firm Buys Major U.S. Community Solar Provider

    A New York-based infrastructure investment fund said it has completed its purchase of a community solar and battery energy storage business in a deal to expand the U.S. community solar market. NOVA Infrastructure on August 16 said its acquisition of UGE International will forge a partnership “with UGE’s veteran management team with the goal of […]

  • Sage’s First 3-MW Geothermal Power and Energy Storage Project Will Feed ERCOT

    Sage Geosystems will build a first-of-its-kind 3-MW geothermal baseload power and energy storage system on land owned by San Miguel Electric Cooperative (SMECI) in Christine, Texas. The company plans to begin operating the project later this year to supply the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) grid. The project will mark the first commercial-scale deployment […]

  • The POWER Interview: Using Home Batteries to Support the Grid

    The Dell name is synonymous with technology and innovation, so perhaps it’s not surprising that a member of that famous computing family is working to solve the challenge of making electricity more reliable and resilient. The technology is distributed batteries, in this case a battery for the home that supports the power grid during periods […]

  • LS Power Acquiring Renewable Energy Assets in $2.5 Billion Deal

    A New York-based power and energy infrastructure group will acquire more than 3 GW of operating renewable energy assets, along with another 8 GW of projects under development, from a Canadian company in a deal valued at up to $2.5 billion. LS Power, headquartered in New York City with offices in New Jersey, Missouri, Texas, […]

  • $2.2B for 13 GW of New Transmission Capacity: DOE Unveils Latest Boost for U.S. Grid Modernization

    The Biden administration will invest $2.2 billion in eight projects under its Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnership (GRIP) program to bolster the nation’s power grid with nearly 13 GW of new transmission capacity across 18 states. The funding, announced on Aug. 6, marks the second round under the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) GRIP program, a […]

  • Fuel Cells: What They Are, How They Work, and Why They’re Important

    Fuel cells are not some novel new technology. In fact, most history books credit the invention of the fuel cell to Welsh chemist and physicist William Grove, who, in the late 1830s and early 1840s, conducted experiments proving that electric current could be produced from an electrochemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen over a platinum […]

  • EIA: U.S. Coal Plant Stockpiles at Highest Level in Four Years

    Stockpiles of fuel at U.S. coal-fired electric plants are at their highest levels since the start of the pandemic. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) on August 5 said coal stockpiles totaled 138 million short tons at the end of May, the most since the early months of 2020 when the start of the COVID-19 […]

  • India’s Prototype Fast Breeder Nuclear Reactor Moves Closer to Criticality

    India’s Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) will allow the country’s flagship 500-MWe/1,250-MWth prototype fast-breeder reactor (PFBR) in Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu, to approach criticality. The nuclear energy safety watchdog on July 30 granted state-owned Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Ltd. (BHAVINI) permission to embark on the final stage of core loading following assessments, extensive safety reviews, and plant […]

  • Peak Performance: APS’s Virtual Power Plant Saves Big During Brutal Heatwave

    Through its innovative virtual power plant (VPP), Arizona Public Service (APS) harnessed smart home devices to save 138 MW during a historic heatwave, shifting peak demand and proving critical for grid

  • Viking Link: The Epic Build of the World’s Longest Onshore and Subsea HVDC Interconnector

    A marvel of modern engineering, Viking Link—the world’s longest onshore and subsea interconnector—began commercial operations in December 2023. The project garners POWER’s inaugural Transmission and

  • Tips for Improving Power Plant Valve Performance

    Managers know that valves are important to plant operation. That’s why keeping them in top condition is a priority. Upgrading to advanced valve designs and reducing stress on valve materials are just a

  • Forced Outage Parametric Insurance Solutions for CCGTs

    Combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) power plants started appearing on a larger scale in the late 1990s and have since then been a very efficient supplier of baseload and lately peaking capacity to the power grids. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) recently reported that natural gas–fired capacity additions are increasing in the U.S. again […]

  • Applying Photovoltaic Charging and Storage Systems: Challenging the Limits of PV Technology

    To achieve net-zero goals and accelerate the global energy transition, the International Energy Agency (IEA) stated that countries need to triple renewable energy capacity from that of 2022 by 2030, with the development of solar photovoltaics (PV) playing a crucial role. Additionally, the comprehensive electrification of combustion engine vehicles is an indispensable measure for reducing […]

  • POWER Digest [August 2024]

    Malaysia Slightly Moves Up Timeframe for Coal Phaseout. Malaysia will halve its coal use by 2035 and phase out coal generation by 2044, slightly earlier than previously anticipated by the country’s National

  • Empowering Waste-to-Energy Solutions with Steam Turbines

    Sustainable municipal waste management solutions often involve waste-to-energy plants that can produce electricity while also providing steam to district heating systems. Efficient steam turbines are important

  • The Role of FRP Structures in Mitigating Workplace Hazards

    Power companies understand the importance of safety and incorporate many safeguards into plant designs. Yet, the materials used in these defenses also matter, and fiberglass-reinforced polymer (FRP) is an

  • Achieving Operational Flexibility with Voltage Control

    Using voltage data down to the consumer level is essential for grid optimisation and operational flexibility in the new era of intermittent generation and fast-changing user demand. Power grids were designed

  • Unseen Heroes: Cutting-Edge Sensors Combatting Air Pollution

    There is an urgent need for accurate and efficient emissions monitoring technologies to ensure air pollution is adequately controlled. Infrared spectroscopy and precision infrared filters play a critical role

  • PJM Capacity Auction Prices Surge Over Nine-Fold, Signal Urgent Need for New Power Generation

    Prices at PJM Interconnection’s 2025/2026 base residual auction (BRA) spiked to $269.92/MW-day for most resources in the wholesale power market, pointing to a tightening supply-demand balance that could have significant implications for the regional transmission organization (RTO). The 2025/2026 BRA—a competitive capacity auction that procures power supply resources in advance of the delivery year to […]

  • It’s Time for the U.S. to Get Smart on Critical Minerals to Advance Clean Energy Goals

    As governments adapt to ongoing clean energy goals, such as the Paris Agreement, green technologies have become more important than ever. The U.S. government has confirmed such goals, striving to implement 100% carbon pollution-free electricity by 2035 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. We are further seeing demand for critical minerals for these green technologies grow, as copper, zinc, […]

  • Governor Youngkin Has Set the Precedent for Nuclear Energy in America

    This month, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin and the Commonwealth’s largest utility, Dominion Energy, announced a request for proposal (RFP) for the development and construction of an advanced nuclear small modular reactor (SMR), and the governor signed Senate Bill 454 designed to facilitate the research, design, construction, and deployment of what will be America’s first commercial […]

  • Powering the Future: How Smart Energy Storage Will Transform Our Power Grid

    The urgency for an energy transition has never been more critical. Climate change, air pollution, resilience, and national security concerns make it clear that minor adjustments to our energy system are no longer sufficient. We must revolutionize the 150-year-old electrical grid, transforming it into a robust energy ecosystem capable of meeting today’s demands and the […]

  • Landrieu: Natural Gas Is ‘Not the Enemy, It Is Part of the Solution’ to Achieving Climate Goals

    Former U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.), who is now a senior policy advisor for the law firm Van Ness Feldman and co-chair of the Natural Allies Leadership Council, is keen on natural gas and believes it is part of the solution to reaching both domestic and global climate goals. “Natural gas in America is not […]

  • Nuclear Power Startup Plans 6-GW Fleet of U.S. Plants

    A Kentucky-based group has announced plans to build a 6-GW fleet of nuclear power stations in the U.S., looking to take advantage of bipartisan support for nuclear technology and the need to build more baseload, zero-carbon sources of energy. The Nuclear Company, headquartered in Lexington, said its business model would lean on “proven, licensed technology […]