Coal

  • New Report Analyzes Power Demand Destruction Due to Coronavirus

    The coronavirus pandemic is altering the power landscape, with utilities and other power generators forced to adjust for load disruptions. Power consumption is changing as commercial and industrial electricity users close their businesses, and load is shifting to the residential sector with workers now settled in home offices, and students practicing remote and distance learning. […]

  • Power Industry Pleads for Priority COVID-19 Testing, PPE for Mission-Essential Workers

    The U.S. power sector is rallying together to implore state and local governments to treat sector-wide “mission-essential employees” with higher priority and ensure they have top-level access to testing and personal protective equipment (PPE) amid the intensifying COVID-19 pandemic. In a four-page April 2 white paper presumably addressing federal leadership, the Electricity Subsector Coordinating Council […]

  • Live Updates: Power-Related Regulatory Responses to COVID-19

    Federal regulators with oversight over U.S. power matters have issued a series of actions over recent weeks to respond to the potentially devastating impact that COVID-19, the new coronavirus, could have on North American power workforce operations and reliability. POWER will update this post regularly with COVID-19 response news and documents from federal and state […]

  • Energy Groups Supply Gear, Donate Millions to Fight COVID-19

    Energy companies and equipment suppliers to the power generation industry have been at the forefront of efforts to battle the COVID-19 pandemic. Utilities have suspended shutoffs of services to customers impacted by the economic crisis, and have instituted protocols to maintain proper staffing levels to ensure the reliable delivery of electricity during a time when […]

  • ELECTRIC POWER Conference Postponed

    The world has become a very different place over the past few months with the outbreak of a new coronavirus—COVID-19. The virus has forced travel bans and literal lockdowns in several countries. The NCAA and

  • Shift to Gas, Financing Issues Could Delay Polish Power Plant Project

    Officials in Poland have said changing the fuel source of a planned 1-GW power plant in Ostroleka, known as Ostroleka C, from coal to natural gas could delay the project, which already faces several financial

  • POWER Digest [April 2020]

    Group Readies Hydrogen Production Plant in Japan. A consortium including Toshiba, Tohoku Electric Power, and Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) in March said it has

  • New Lockout-Tagout Program Improves Safety

    As one of the U.S.’s premier energy companies, Southern Company is committed to providing a safe work environment for employees. It regularly implements best-in-class safety procedures to ensure compliance

  • Power Plant Cycles with Multiple Direct Contact Heaters

    The regenerative feedwater cycle of modern fossil and nuclear power plants normally includes four or five low-pressure, closed (tube surface-type) feedwater heaters (CFWHs). However, maximum efficiency can be

  • Conveyor Energy Storage: A Battery and Pumped Hydro Alternative

    A new conveyor-based system offers an alternative energy storage technology. The heart of the system is a reversible conveyor belt that converts between electrical energy and gravitational potential energy by

  • EU Unveils Key Elements of its Green Deal

    The European Commission in December 2019 announced its new European Green Deal, a set of major policy and legislative proposals that position the EU as the global leader on environmental and climate issues. Since then, the Commission has published a draft EU climate law and is seeking stakeholder input on potential revisions to the Energy […]

  • COVID-19 Response: Electric Power Industry Closely Coordinating With Federal Partners

    WASHINGTON, March 23, 2020 — The nation’s investor-owned electric companies, public power utilities, and electric cooperatives are working together to protect the energy grid and ensure continued access to safe and reliable electricity during the COVID-19 global health crisis. The electric power industry has been planning for years for an emergency like the COVID-19 pandemic, as […]

  • Eka Releases Free COVID-19 Risk Monitoring App

    New York, March 24, 2020: Eka Software Solutions, the #1 cloud platform for commodity management, announced the release of COVID-19 Risk Monitoring, a free app designed to help customers and prospects quickly gain visibility into supply chain risks to better assess and mitigate risk. The app provides specific insights into the impact of COVID-19 by […]

  • Power Loads Changing as Coronavirus Impacts Energy Sector

    Power industry analysts who’ve spoken with POWER agree there will be an impact to power load due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with the loss of much of the U.S. commercial and industrial demand for power, and certainly an uptick in the amount of demand from the residential sector as more people work from home, away […]

  • Utilities Plan to Keep Key Staff Housed at Power Plants

    U.S. electric utilities and other energy companies are preparing to have key personnel remain at power plants and operations centers to ensure the facilities remain online during the coronavirus pandemic. The federal government considers power plants part of the nation’s critical infrastructure. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is responsible for working with power […]

  • Banks Invest in Coal, Gas Projects Despite Pushback

    A new report from a half-dozen environmental groups says global banks financed $2.7 trillion of fossil fuel projects from December 2015, when the Paris Agreement on climate was reached, through year-end 2019. The report said funding for such projects has increased in each of the past four years. “Banking on Climate Change 2020,” published March […]

  • EPS hiring PowerChina to build 350-MW coal power plant to replace old units

    March 12, 2020 — An investment of EUR 385 million is underway, Elektroprivreda Srbije (EPS) said as it revealed the ambition to get a new lignite-fired electricity production unit online by the end of 2024. Power Construction Corp. of China Ltd. has signed a preliminary deal, vowing to come up with a detailed proposition within […]

  • Gas-Heavy ISO-New England Braces for Steep Influx of Wind, Solar, Storage

    While it is currently highly dependent on natural gas generation today, about 95% of ISO-New England’s (ISO-NE’s) interconnection request queue—a proposed total capacity of 20.9 GW—comprises wind, solar, and battery projects. That clearly indicates that developers in New England’s wholesale market “are looking to take advantage of state incentives, declining technology costs, and revenues from […]

  • Uptake and Flexco Partner to Digitally Transform Belt Conveyor Productivity

    CHICAGO, March 9, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Uptake and Flexco have partnered to launch Flexco Elevate™ Belt Conveyor Intelligence™, a real-time belt cleaner monitoring system that harnesses the power of predictive analytics to remotely gather critical insights that optimize belt conveyor productivity and heighten operational efficiencies. Flexco Elevate™ allows for the remote monitoring of belt cleaners […]

  • The POWER Interview: MHPS Expands Digital Purview with New Division

    Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems (MHPS) is betting heavily on digitalization’s potential to reshape the power sector. Earlier this year, the power equipment and technology firm established a new division, Intelligent Solutions, to develop and deploy solutions that create “sustainable, profitable growth for internal and external customers by optimizing their operation and maintenance systems. “With operational […]

  • Fund Manager to Banks: Stop Financing Coal Plants

    A UK-based hedge fund billionaire is urging large central banks to end their funding of coal-fired power plant projects. Chris Hohn, founder of TCI Fund Management and a champion of causes to combat climate change, expressed his concerns in letters published March 1 to the Bank of England, the European Central Bank, Barclays, HSBC, and […]

  • ASGCO® Announces Their New Improved Belt Clamps Are Being Rebranded to “Safe-Grip™” Belt Clamps!

    Allentown, PA.: ASGCO® “Complete Conveyor Solution’s” unveils two new products in our line of Safe-Guard® safety conveyor products. Designed to secure the belt for safe repair, the BC6 (6 Tons) and BC8 (8 Tons) Safe-Grip™ Belt Clamps were created for maximum grip! Capable to handle more weight and work in any condition, they replace the […]

  • Albania Seeks Investment to Support Existing Hydropower

    Albania, a country of about 2.9 million people, is a net importer of electricity, and power supply security is a major challenge for the country, which is situated north of Greece and borders the Adriatic and

  • POWER Digest [March 2020]

    Siemens Buys Out Iberdrola, Readying to Spin Off Gas and Power and SGRE Businesses. Siemens AG will acquire Spanish renewables giant Iberdrola SA’s full 8.1% stake in Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE)

  • Changes in Boiler Operations Bring Innovations in Erosion and Corrosion Protection

    Metal loss of the pressurized tubes inside the boiler is a big concern for boiler designers and operators. Changing fuel composition and other service parameters can lead to accelerated erosion and corrosion

  • Trump’s Attempt to Bring Sanity to a Torturous Environmental Review and Permitting Process

    The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) proposed changes to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regulations to promote “efficient, effective, and timely” NEPA review by federal agencies (85

  • Moving Toward Mainstream—The Rise of Renewable Goals

    More states are setting targets for renewable energy. Cities and counties are joining in. Utilities are formalizing commitments. And economics, as always, play a major role. The transition to clean energy

  • New Technology Improves Refractory Maintenance and Shutdown Planning

    Power plants require regular maintenance outages to stay in top condition, but shutdown periods can be stressful. New tools are available that can save time, reduce labor costs, and improve safety. The

  • Types of Filtration Systems Used for Wastewater Applications

    The liquid filtration process is an important step in various applications that reuse water within systems. This article provides details on the types of filtration systems available and the benefits of each

  • ELECTRIC POWER Conference Set for Denver

    POWER magazine will host its 22nd annual ELECTRIC POWER Conference & Exhibition April 14–17, 2020, at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, Colorado. ELECTRIC POWER is the premier conference and