Coal

  • Ownership Shakeup at Colstrip Coal Power Plant

    NorthWestern Energy said it will file an application with the Montana Public Service Commission for pre-approval to acquire Puget Sound Energy’s (PSE’s) 25% interest in Colstrip Unit 4, which is a 740-MW coal-fired boiler. The price? $1. “Securing more capacity for only a $1 investment is a unique opportunity that helps give us the time […]

  • The POWER Interview: New Directions for GE Digital

    In a recent conversation with POWER, GE Digital CEO Pat Byrne discussed why GE made key changes to the lucrative business, streamlining it to focus on four key markets, including electric utilities and power generation.  GE has been at the forefront of the innovation in the energy sector since Thomas Edison formulated the essential requirements […]

  • Indiana Utility Will Close Coal-Fired Units Early

    Indianapolis Power & Light (IPL) on Dec. 9 announced it will close two of the four coal-fired units at its Petersburg Generating Station in southern Indiana, as the utility continues to move away from coal generation. IPL has been pressured by state political leaders and environmentalists to close the 1,700-MW Petersburg facility, the largest power […]

  • Veteran Material Handling Specialists Expand Benetech, Inc.’s Capabilities

    Benetech, Inc. has announced the addition of two highly seasoned material handling experts who will further enhance the company’s service and solutions for bulk material handlers. AURORA, Ill., Dec. 10, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Benetech, Inc. has announced the addition of two highly seasoned material handling experts who will further enhance the company’s service and solutions […]

  • EPA Reinterprets ‘Ambient Air,’ Further Tweaks New Source Review 

    The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has finalized a change to a long-standing policy interpreting “ambient air”—a foundational concept under the Clean Air Act that applies to all types of air pollution, from ground-level ozone, particulate matter, and greenhouse gases. While the agency framed the change as part of a suite of actions to reform New Source […]

  • Report Says Global CO2 Emissions From Coal Down This Year

    Global emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) from coal-fired power plants and industrial facilities fell in 2019, according to research published Dec. 3, though overall emissions of CO2 rose due to the increased use of natural gas and oil for power generation and other industrial processes. The new emissions figures were reported by the Global Carbon Project […]

  • Is Carbon Pricing the Key to a Clean Energy Future? [PODCAST]

    The New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) has proposed incorporating the social cost of carbon into the wholesale price of electricity. According to an October-released study conducted by the consulting firm Analysis Group, “A carbon price in NYISO’s competitive wholesale power markets can help deliver New York’s clean-energy transition in faster, cheaper, more reliable, more […]

  • KraftPowercon Acquires Marsulex Environmental Technologies

    GOTHENBURG, SWEDEN – December 3, 2019 – KraftPowercon Sweden AB (https://kraftpowercon.com/) announces the acquisition of 100 percent ownership of Marsulex Environmental Technologies Corporation (MET). U.S.-based MET is a technology leader in Air Quality Control Systems (AQCS), specifically in the control of particulate (dust) and gaseous emissions from power plants and industrial boilers. For more than […]

  • Brouillette Takes Over as Energy Secretary

    The U.S. Senate on Dec. 2 confirmed Dan Brouillette as the new Secretary of Energy, tapping the former lobbyist for Ford Motor Company to replace Rick Perry, the former Texas governor who stepped down as Department of Energy (DOE) chief after becoming part of the impeachment inquiry into President Trump. Perry’s tenure was marked by […]

  • Siemens to equip Bajaj Energy plant in India with digitalization solutions

    Siemens will equip Lalitpur Power Generation Company Limited (LPGCL), a Bajaj Group company, with advanced digital solutions for its power plant located in Lalitpur, Uttar Pradesh, India. Siemens will provide a complete thermal twin for the LPGCL coal-fired power plant, enabling improvements in the plant’s performance. Siemens experts, in close collaboration with plant operations team, […]

  • POWER Digest [December 2019]

    Israeli Group Supports Construction of 1.3-GW Gas-Fired Plant. The Israeli National Infrastructure Committee on Nov. 4 approved a plan to build Israel’s largest privately run power plant, saying the facility

  • Decarbonization: Utilities Leading the Way

    Decarbonization is a word that seems to be used quite regularly these days. For the power industry, it refers to the shift in electric generating resources from carbon-heavy coal to carbon-free nuclear or

  • Unlocking Value at the Grid-Edge: Extending the Reach of the Utility Control Room

    Just 10 years ago, the magnitude of behind-the-meter distributed energy resources (DERs) at the edge of the grid was not materially significant. All that has changed, and we’re now at an inflection point: by

  • International Business: Before You Enter a New Market, Do Your Due Diligence

    As an attorney who has spent the majority of his career litigating and settling international commercial disputes, I have experienced several instances where U.S. companies jump at the opportunity to expand

  • Smarter Monitoring for Coal Ash Remediation

    Total suspended solids probe can help coal-fired power plants reduce compliance risks and avoid additional sampling. Water plays an essential role in coal ash remediation, but managing that process often comes

  • Using Technology to Tackle Power Plant Emissions

    Power plant owners and operators have a range of systems available to help reduce pollutants at their facilities, depending on a number of factors. And industry experts agree—there is no “one size fits

  • Redevelopment Project Converts Site from Coal to Renewables

    The former Brayton Point coal plant’s transformation into an East Coast logistics and manufacturing center, renewable energy hub, and international seaport is a symbolic milestone representing the first of

  • Is Chasing Grid Demand Killing Your Large Coal Boiler? Here Are Four Concerns to Address

    Operating pulverized coal-fired boilers under low-load conditions presents several challenges. This article offers tips to keep units in the best possible operating condition. In today’s energy market with

  • New Monitoring and Analytics Tools Improve Plant Performance

    Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) technologies can help make electric generating plants more efficient while increasing availability. The electric power industry is going through a transformational change

  • Culture Is Key to Optimizing Plant Efficiency

    The power industry faces many challenges, which require a dedicated workforce to overcome. How can a company get everyone pulling in the same direction? It starts with a strong culture. The electric utility

  • Renewable Power Generation on Rise in Turkey

    The market for renewable energy in Turkey has been growing since the country enacted a “Renewable Energy Law” in 2005. Progress has been steady and has ramped up in recent years after renewable energy

  • Report: Blockchain Not Well-Suited to Transactive Energy

    Blockchain—a distributed database technology that allows a network of parties to securely transact with each other—has been hailed as a game-changing innovation in the power sector for its potential to

  • China Ramping Renewables, and Building More Coal Plants

    Officials in China in 2017 said the country—the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases—would move away from coal-fired power generation. They promptly canceled more than 100 coal power plant construction projects. But coal remains king in China, which in the past two years has added 43 GW of coal-fired generation capacity, according to a report […]

  • What’s Driving Wholesale Power Price Changes? Not What You Think

    Falling natural gas prices tamped down annual U.S. wholesale power prices over the last decade by $7/MWh to $53/MWh—to a much higher degree compared to the impact of wind and solar growth—a new report from Lawrence Berkeley National Lab (LBNL) suggests.  The Nov. 20–published report, The Impact of Wind, Solar, and Other Factors on Wholesale Power […]

  • 300-MW Natural Gas Allam Cycle Power Plant Targeted for 2022

    Testing continues at NET Power for a much-watched project that is demonstrating production of low-carbon natural gas power. The project is using a supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) cycle, and its developer is confident that the technology will be commercially deployed in 2022. Mike McGroddy, principal at 8 Rivers Capital, the venture capitalist firm that is […]

  • Report: Global Coal-Fired Generation Down 3%

    A report from a UK-based online journal that covers climate and energy policy said that coal-fired power generation worldwide will fall by 3% this year, to about 54% of global electricity output. The report from Carbon Brief, released Nov. 25, was written by researchers from climate research groups including the Centre for Research on Energy […]

  • Last New York Coal Plant Set to Close

    The last operating coal-fired power plant in New York state could close by mid-February. Somerset Operating Co. on Nov. 15 asked the New York State Public Service Commission to waive the state’s 180-day notice requirement to shutter the 675-MW plant, asking regulators to allow the facility to close as early as Feb. 15, 2020. Somerset […]

  • Regulators: Central Station Generation Will Stay Dominant Despite Emerging Tech

    A nationwide survey of state utility commissions suggests regulators are increasingly grappling with issues that could “profoundly” alter energy delivery and utility business models. However, over the next decade, they expect central station generation will continue to dominate state portfolios, and utility-scale solar growth will surpass customer-owned photovoltaic (PV).  The survey to take the “regulatory […]

  • ‘GREEN Act of 2019’ Extends Tax Credits for Renewables

    The Ways and Means Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives on Nov. 19 released a draft tax package for clean energy projects that includes a five-year extension of the 30% solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC), along with new incentives for energy storage. The legislation also supports incentives for electric vehicles (EVs), offshore and onshore […]

  • GE Will Close Georgia Plant; 200 Jobs at Stake

    GE Renewable Energy has confirmed the company will close its GE Grid Solutions manufacturing plant in Waynesboro, Georgia, with the 200 workers at the facility offered the chance to relocate to a similar site in Charleroi, Pennsylvania, or apply for other jobs within the company. The plant is expected to close by year-end 2020. The […]