Business

  • What’s Been Holding Hydrogen Fuel Cells Back, and How to Change That

    The technology used in modern hydrogen fuel cells is not new. In fact, NASA used fuel cells for its manned space missions in the 1960s. But fuel cells have not really “taken off” (pardon the pun) in earthly applications since that time. Some industry insiders believe that will change very soon. “We’ve been sort of […]

  • Self-Tuning Artificial Intelligence Improves Plant Efficiency and Flexibility

    Flexible plant operations are highly desirable in today’s power generation industry. Every plant owner desires increased ramp rates and the ability to operate at lower loads so their plants will remain “in the money” longer in today’s competitive power markets. This goal, while laudable, remains elusive. The ADEX self-tuning artificial intelligence (AI) system allows plants […]

  • Vistra Backs Illinois Transition Measure to Keep At-Risk Coal Plants Online Through 2025

    Bleeding financially from underperforming and legally burdened coal generation in downstate Illinois and elsewhere, Vistra, the nation’s largest competitive generator, has renewed its call for passage of the Illinois Coal to Solar and Energy Storage Act, a bill that could help keep 2.2 GW of existing at-risk capacity online through 2025 while the state expands […]

  • Four Sizes of the New WV1700 Series Vises from Snap-on Industrial Are Perfect for Virtually Any Application

    Kenosha, Wis., April 6, 2021 – With four different jaw-size widths, the new WV1700 Series Vises from Snap-on Industrial are a perfect addition to any work bench in the aviation, wind power, natural resources or manufacturing industries. The WV1700 Series Vises come with features that make them durable for demanding applications, including an oversized anvil […]

  • A 100-Day Look at U.S. Battery Supply Chain Challenges

    On Feb. 24, 2021, the Biden administration unveiled a sweeping plan to review the U.S. supply chain. The 100-day review will include categories such as computer chips, rare earth minerals, and lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles (EVs). China is a key supplier of many of these items. There is an increasing realization that the lack […]

  • Yes, Texas’ Deregulated Electricity Market Has Problems, but It Can (and Should) Be Fixed

    The severe winter storm that knocked out Texas’ electricity grid in February, plunging millions of people into a cold, dark ordeal, has led to a number of takes about what went wrong. The state’s deregulated energy market has been frequently singled out as the root cause. But, while a contributing factor, it wasn’t the only […]

  • Power Infrastructure Prominent in Biden’s $2.25 Trillion Blueprint

    A major chunk of President Joe Biden’s $2.25 trillion transformational plan to overhaul the nation’s infrastructure is dedicated to re-energizing America’s power infrastructure. The initiatives garnered the industry’s approval—with notable exceptions. The “American Jobs Plan,” released on March 31, strives to jumpstart the U.S. economy, which drooped under burdens posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. But […]

  • The Tsunami Coming for Mexico

    Although Mexican economic history shows moments of tension between the private sector and the federal government—for example, during the administration of President Luis Echeverría (1970-1976)—never in the modern era has such tension reached the levels experienced at this time. The attacks on the private sector, including foreign investment, that the current federal administration has carried […]

  • Oil and Gas Majors Focus on Renewable Energy, Hydrogen, and Carbon Capture

    Although you’d be hard-pressed to find an expert who believes oil and gas companies will abandon exploration and production operations anytime soon, several oil and gas majors are expanding their businesses

  • First Commercial Deployment of Supercritical CO2 Power Cycle Taking Shape in Alberta

    Siemens Energy and Canadian pipeline company TC Energy in February agreed to commission a novel waste-heat-to-power facility in Alberta by 2022 that captures waste heat from a gas-fired turbine operating a

  • Troubleshooting Issues and Eliminating Headaches Related to Control Valves

    An oscillating control valve may appear to be the source of control instability and repair efforts are usually focused only there. When this fails to solve the issue, further investigation often proves the

  • Top Utility Considerations for Truck Electrification

    There are many challenges to overcome before electric trucks fill the road, and the timing for full adoption is many years away. However, now is the time to prepare for the inevitable shift toward

  • POWER Digest [April 2021]

    European Commission Probing Germany Lignite Power Compensation. The European Commission on March 2 opened an “in-depth investigation” to assess whether Germany’s plans to compensate its lignite-fired

  • Why Resiliency in the Electrical Grid Should Be Measured from the Customer’s Perspective

    Reliability performance is core to the utility industry. Utilities strategically design and invest in their system to maximize reliability performance—traditionally measured by System Average Interruption Frequency Index (SAIFI), System Average Interruption Duration Index (SAIDI), and/or Consumer Average Interruption Duration Index (CAIDI). These quantitative metrics largely drive utility investment decisions, shape strategic priorities, dictate regulatory approvals, […]

  • New Mexico Sues NRC to Halt Consolidated Interim Nuclear Waste Storage Facilities

    New Mexico has sued the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), challenging the legality of the agency’s proceedings involving separate proposals to build and operate two consolidated interim storage facilities (CISFs) for spent nuclear fuel (SNF) in New Mexico and Texas.  In a complaint filed on March 29 against the NRC and the U.S. government, New Mexico […]

  • GE to Provide Maintenance Services and Suite of Digital Solutions for the Upcoming 718-MW Gas Power Plant in Bangladesh

    Signs a 22-year maintenance services contract with Reliance Bangladesh LNG & Power Ltd. Power Plant to begin generating power in early 2023. It will provide the equivalent electricity needed to supply over 850,000 homes in Bangladesh.  DHAKA, Bangladesh, March 31, 2021 — GE (NYSE: GE) today announced that it will be providing maintenance services and […]

  • Muscatine Power and Water Issues Solar RFP

    Muscatine Power & Water (MPW) is a non-profit municipal utility providing water, electric, and communications services serving approximately 25 square miles in and around the city of Muscatine, Iowa.  MPW buys/sells all energy consumed/generated through direct participation in the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) wholesale market (zone 3) and is the Local Balancing Authority (LBA) […]

  • Utility Study Demonstrates Benefits of Drones and IoT-Enabled Visual Software to Ensure Safer, More Reliable Power Grid

    Cyberhawk drone-based inspections monitor over 11,500 transmission towers and nearly 150 substations across Scottish Utility Network DENVER – March 30, 2021 – Cyberhawk, a global leader in drone-based inspections and creator of iHawk, a cloud-based asset visualization software platform, has released a case study that examines how its drone-based visual assessment and data management of […]

  • DuPont Launches New Biofouling Preventing Technology for Reverse Osmosis Installations

    The new DuPont™ B-Free™ pre-treatment technology reduces operational costs and boosts plant uptime and reliability. WILMINGTON, Del., March 30th, 2021 – DuPont (NYSE:DD), a global science and innovation leader, today announced the launch of a new pre-treatment technology that eliminates the effects of biofouling in Reverse Osmosis (RO) systems to reduce operational costs and to […]

  • ST Equipment & Technology Teams with Salt River Materials Group on Fly Ash Recycling System

    NEEDHAM, Mass., March 30, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — ST Equipment & Technology LLC (STET) headquartered in Needham, MA, announces the collaboration of a fly ash beneficiation project with the Phoenix Cement Company, a company of the Salt River Materials Group (SRMG). STET is a leader in proprietary technology converting fly ash to useful products for cement […]

  • Biden Administration Sets National 30-GW Offshore Wind Target

    The Biden administration on March 29 laid out a spate of measures to deploy 30 GW of offshore wind in the U.S. by 2030, an ambitious target that will require a vast scale-up in investment and build-out of the still latent power subsector. But if achieved, the target would unlock “a pathway” to 110 GW […]

  • Centrus on Track to Produce HALEU Nuclear Fuel Material by Early 2022

    Centrus Energy, a firm under contract with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to demonstrate production of high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) with domestic technology, says it expects to begin producing the advanced nuclear fuel material by June 2022 at the American Centrifuge Plant in Piketon, Ohio. Centrus President and CEO Daniel Poneman said on March […]

  • Our Iceberg Is Still Melting

    In 2009, only three in 10 American adults said dealing with global climate change should be a top priority. Over the past 10 years, this number has more than doubled: Nearly seven in 10 American adults say the federal government is doing too little to reduce the effects of global climate change, with six in […]

  • ABB modernizes City of Nashville’s water infrastructure, driving water availability for its growing population

    Integrated solution set to increase water capacity, drive operational efficiency and ensure clean, safe and dependable delivery of water to all residents McLean Technology Group (MTG) has employed ABB to deliver automation, electrification, and instrumentation solutions at Nashville’s Central Wastewater Treatment facility, managed by Metro Water Services (MWS), as it looks to address the needs […]

  • ABB technology to power world’s largest seawater desalination project

    ABB technology is being used to build the world’s largest desalination plant in Taweelah, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The USD 500 million development will have the capacity to process over 900,000 cubic meters of seawater per day, enough to meet the demands of over 350,000 households. Approximately 45 kilometers north of Abu Dhabi city, […]

  • James Fisher to drive energy transition with new renewables brand

    Consolidating the group’s core competencies, James Fisher Renewables will provide expertise for the extremes, helping offshore developers push boundaries to accelerate the energy transition By offering services across the project lifecycle, James Fisher Renewables will become a comprehensive solutions provider James Fisher, a leading provider of innovative marine solutions and specialised engineering services, has today […]

  • Is It Safe to Invest in Mexican Energy Projects?

    In late 2013, Mexico embarked on a path to transform its energy markets. Then-President Enrique Peña-Nieto oversaw constitutional reforms that ended state-run monopolies, and opened Mexico’s power market to competition and investment from foreign and private companies. By most accounts, the policies were highly effective in spurring investments in renewable energy and efficient natural gas-fired […]

  • Solar Industry Adds Record Capacity in 2020 in Spite of Pandemic

    The U.S. solar industry installed a record 19.2 GWdc of photovoltaic (PV) capacity in 2020, a 43% increase from 2019, according to a report released by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and Wood Mackenzie. The numbers are particularly impressive considering the world was dealing with unique challenges as a result of COVID-19. “After a […]

  • Maintenance-Free-Bolting concept for bolts up to M80 (3 1/8”)

    ITH Bolting Technology combines digital bolting tool procedures, advanced fastener design, and installation know-how to reduce maintenance costs significantly — proven for onshore and offshore wind-turbine installation projects. Meschede, Germany ITH Bolting Technology is a leading global system supplier in bolting technology providing bolting tools, engineering, fasteners and service. Under their brand, IHF Fastener Systems, […]