Coal

So far, utilities have announced plans to retire some 93,000 MW (nameplate) of coal—almost half the existing coal fleet—by the end of this decade. Coal retirements combined with increasing penetration of

A massive, multibillion-dollar renewable and fossil-fuel energy project is underway in China. The installation, being built by China Three Gorges (CTG), includes wind, solar, energy storage and coal-fired power generation. Ground was broken for the first pilot of the Kubuqi Base project in Dalate Banner, Ordos, Inner Mongolia on Dec. 28, 2022, according to Chinese […]

The Biden administration has rolled out in a final what it says is a “durable” definition of “waters of the U.S.” (WOTUS), potentially capping a legal and political battle that has raged for nearly two decades. The final rule issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of the Army on […]

Every month, POWER magazine publishes several articles in its Global Monitor section covering topics important to the electric power generation industry. The articles typically feature interesting updates on progress made at notable projects around the world, big policy changes, or promising research and development (R&D) news. Short notes about major contracts are also touched on […]

America’s Power Statement on The North American Electric Reliability Corporation’s 2022 Long-Term Reliability Assessment Washington, D.C. – America’s Power president and CEO Michelle Bloodworth issued the following statement in response to the release of the North American Electric Reliability Corporation’s 2022 Long-Term Reliability Assessment: “We commend the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) for issuing […]

EY earlier this month released the findings from its Energy Consumer Survey 2022. The report is “focused on how energy impacts the lifestyles and wallets of consumers,” according to the company. EY is the trade name for Ernst & Young, the multinational professional services group headquartered in London, UK. The report is based on a […]

Power generators are exploring how they can retrofit coal-fired power plants to enable co-firing with ammonia, part of their strategy to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2). The latest project to look at the concept is led by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), which on Dec.  7 announced it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) […]

The Global Energy Monitor (GEM), an organization dedicated to enhancing understanding of climate change data, in a recent report, estimated that about 89.6 GW (or 13%) of the 692 GW of global gas-fired capacity in development are coal-to-gas conversions or replacements. East Asia has the most coal-to-gas conversions or replacements in development (29.6 GW). By […]

It’s always difficult to select winners from the field of nominations submitted to POWER for its annual awards, and this year was no exception. The Wudongde Hydropower Station was the big winner, while

Thermal power generation has to adapt new methods to thrive as renewables transform dispatch. Now used more often as a bridge source of power rather than the main source of power, many fossil fuel plants

Coal ash, or coal combustion residuals (CCRs), is the second-largest waste material in the U.S., just behind household garbage. The safe and sustainable management of coal ash poses one of the most complex

Coal is the most polluting of all fossil fuels. When burned, it emits greenhouse gases, causes acid rain, and pollutes the environment. With all of the talk about hydropower, nuclear energy, as well as biofuels, one might be forgiven for assuming that filthy coal is on its way out. But that is not the fact […]

VGB, the international association of energy plant operators, has just released a new standard VGB-S-150-29-2021-10 for fuel particle fineness measurement that includes the laser-based EUcoalsizer (ECM) mobile system developed by combustion specialists of German EUtech Scientific Engineering GmbH. The standard extents the ISO Standard 9931 and recommends to apply the ECM mobile system in combination […]

The world is on a quest for solutions to decarbonize its economy. More than 70 countries and over 1,200 companies have set a net-zero target, according to the United Nations. To limit warming to less than 2 degrees Celsius, emissions of hundreds of gigatonnes of carbon dioxide (CO₂) would need to be prevented and removed from […]

Power shortfalls could be rife over the next three months across a large portion of the North American bulk power system (BPS), particularly during extreme and prolonged cold conditions, the North American Electric Reliability Corp. (NERC) has warned. The nation’s designated Electric Reliability Organization (ERO) in its latest Winter Reliability Assessment, issued on Nov. 17, said […]

European energy giant EnBW will pilot switching a 114-year-old coal-fired waste incineration and district heating power plant in Stuttgart-Münster, Germany, to gas-fired technology while ensuring the regionally significant plant will be ready to combust hydrogen “as quickly and completely” as possible. Siemens Energy on Nov. 17 sealed an agreement with the utility for an overall […]

The U.S. and other countries have announced a $20 billion financing plan to help Indonesia more quickly shutter the country’s coal-fired power plants and decarbonize its power generation sector. “We’ve built a platform for cooperation that can truly transform Indonesia’s power sector from coal to renewables and support significant economic growth,” U.S. Special Envoy on […]

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) will pursue a first-of-its-kind pilot program at the Shawnee Fossil Plant in West Paducah, Kentucky, to determine if closed coal ash sites are suitable for utility-scale solar projects. The self-funded U.S. corporate agency’s board on Nov. 10 unanimously approved a $216 million pilot project to explore repurposing the 1,071-MW coal-fired power […]

Companies involved in energy production continually look to maximize their investments, and today are tasked with navigating increasingly volatile energy markets. These companies must choose where and how to compete as the world transitions to a low-carbon future. Where are the best opportunities for investment? How important is seeking out positions that reduce exposure to […]

A wave of retirements for U.S. coal-fired power plants continues, with the Energy Information Administration (EIA) reporting almost a quarter of the nation’s remaining facilities could be shuttered by the end of 2029. The EIA in its preliminary monthly electric generator inventory report released Nov. 7 said that 23% of the nearly 201 GW of […]

A severe failure on a duct exiting the sulfur dioxide absorber at Unit 1 of Eskom’s massive coal-fired 4.8-GW Kusile power plant, which is under construction in Mpumalanga province, South Africa, has shuttered the 800-MW unit and delayed Unit 2’s return to service. Eskom on Nov. 2 announced the section of the Kusile 1 flue […]

Marking intent interest from the power sector in hydrogen’s decarbonization potential, six major utilities—Dominion Energy, Duke Energy, Louisville Gas & Electric Co. (LG&E), Kentucky Utilities Co. (KU), Southern Co., and the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)—have announced they will jointly pursue federal financial support for a Southeast Hydrogen Hub. The utilities, along with Battelle, an independent […]

It’s kind of exciting to be able to write that events are back in full swing. In case you missed it, POWER hosted the co-located Experience POWER, Distributed Energy Conference, and HydrogeNext events, Oct

A company that has corporate roots that go back to the Colonial era, Dominion Energy has been shaped by acquisitions and market forces. It is now in the midst of an extraordinary transformation to expand its

Sulfur oxides (SO x ) have several harmful effects both to the environment, and to human and animal health. Much of the SO x in the atmosphere comes from the burning of fossil fuels by power plants and other

With winter fast approaching, and the dreaded effects of extreme natural gas price levels and volatility looming, together with unprecedented uncertainty of fuel supply, governments in Germany and France have

JX Nippon Acquires NRG’s Share of Petra Nova Carbon Capture Plant for $3.6 Million. ENEOS Group, a Japanese energy and non-ferrous metals business group that owns JX Nippon Oil and Gas Exploration, will

Regulated utility PacifiCorp has launched a joint study with nuclear technology firm TerraPower to evaluate the feasibility of deploying up to five additional Natrium pool-type sodium fast reactors (SFRs) and integrated energy storage systems at retired coal plant sites in the utility’s service territory by 2035. The joint study “will evaluate, among other things, the […]

The United States and Canada are in a leadership position with carbon capture, utilization, and storage projects. The industry is developing rapidly due net zero goals and 45Q tax incentives, but companies face challenges with project staffing, equipment constraints, and regulatory permitting. Carbon capture and sequestration must reach gigaton scale in order to achieve net […]

California seems to face the prospect of electricity shortages almost every summer. For example, Californians were asked to voluntarily reduce their electricity consumption for 10 days in a row in August. A few weeks later, the state’s grid operator issued another emergency alert: “Conserve energy now to protect public health and safety … Power interruptions […]