Coal
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Legal & Regulatory
EPA to Hand Over GHG Permitting Authority to Texas
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) last week proposed to approve revisions to a Texas state plan to regulate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the state. If finalized, likely later this year, the EPA will rescind its Federal Implementation Plan (FIP) that is currently in place and grant the state GHG permitting authority. According to the […]
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Coal
EPA Reports Toxic Air Releases Down Due in Part to Coal Plants
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reported on Feb. 4 that total releases of toxic chemicals decreased 12%, while toxic air releases were down 8% in its annual Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) report. The data—from 2012—was compiled from 21,024 facilities that are required to report to TRI. Of that total, only 582 of the facilities fall […]
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Coal
Duke’s Dan River Station Suffers Coal Ash Spill [UPDATED]
[Update Feb. 10] Duke Energy workers have succeeded in permanently stopping the leak from its coal ash pond at the Dan River Steam Station, the company reported on Feb. 8. A storm drain under the pond broke on Feb. 2, releasing coal ash and contaminated water into the Dan River. The leak was not plugged […]
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Renewables
The Power Potential of Southern Africa
Power produced by South Africa represents 40% of Africa’s total—yet that country is facing a crippling supply shortfall. Emergencies are offset with imports from its neighbors in southern Africa, some of which are electricity poor, and others that are latent supply giants. “Power Africa,” the recently announced U.S. initiative that earmarks $7 billion in public […]
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Coal
White Rose Project Wins UK Government CCS Backing
The UK’s faltering plans to establish a carbon capture and storage (CCS) industry by the 2020s got a renewed boost in December as the government pledged to back the Drax Group’s White Rose project
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O&M
Using Neural Network Combustion Optimization for MATS Compliance
The Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS), promulgated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Dec. 21, 2011, set maximum achievable control technology (MACT) emission standards for specific classes
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O&M
Reliable Fire Protection for Turbine Rooms
Fire protection for power plant turbine rooms has typically been a game of tradeoffs. Enclosure integrity issues in older facilities can render CO2 and halon systems ineffective. In new and old facilities
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O&M
Corrosion Protection for FGD Vessels
Roughly five years ago, the power industry readily embraced the new Alloy 2205 metal as a more lightweight and cost-effective substrate for the construction of flue gas desulfurization (FGD) absorbers and
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Coal
Establishing Proper Pressure Drop for Feedwater Flow Control Valves
In power plants with drum-type boilers and constant-speed main boiler feed pumps, the feedwater control valve (also referred to as the drum level control valve) provides the means for controlling flow to the
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