Coal

The Department of Energy (DOE) announced on Feb. 3 that it was ending its involvement with the troubled FutureGen 2.0 clean coal project, concluding that it had run out of time to finish development before federal funding expires in September. First proposed under the Bush administration in 2003, suspended in 2008, then revived and allocated […]

An unnamed power company and the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) have partnered to test a concept proven to work at a small scale that applies pulsed electron beam technology to slash coal plant nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide (NOx) emissions. The concept (Figure 3) essentially involves directing electron beams from a cathode into the […]

Despite its efficiency and environmental benefits, combined heat and power (CHP) generation has languished at around 10% of worldwide capacity for more than a decade. But a global review shows growth in some sectors and promising new technology on the way. The statistics are both eye-opening and somewhat depressing. Globally, according to the International Energy […]

As it struggles to grow its economy while improving air quality in urban areas, China is updating its energy delivery infrastructure. A key part of that plan is switching from coal-fired to gas-fired combined heat and power plants. To push efficiency even further, some plants are turning to synchronous clutches. The developed world has done […]

American Electric Power, one of the premier generating utilities in the U.S., is caught between a deregulated rock—wholesale competitive capacity markets that don’t, in the company’s opinion, value solid equipment over ephemeral demand response—and a regulatory hard place of increasing federal government rules that devalue on-the-ground coal-fired generation. Add the competitive challenge of cheap natural […]

An increasing supply of low-cost higher-chlorine coal is prompting many U.S. generators to give the fuel serious consideration in spite of its reputation for causing corrosion. Though corrosion can be a consideration, it’s not always caused simply by the fuel switch. Understanding the various chemical interactions, as well as operational and emissions pros and cons, […]

Proposed U.S. standards for reducing carbon emissions from existing coal-fired power plants rely heavily upon generation-side efficiency improvements. Fuel, operations, and plant design all affect the overall efficiency of a plant, as well as its carbon emissions. This review of the fundamentals of coal plant efficiency, frequent problems that reduce efficiency, and some solutions for […]

According to a study funded in part by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and conducted by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) researchers, a smaller portion of carbon dioxide (CO2) that is injected into the ground may be converted into rock than was previously presumed. The team, working in the Department of Earth, Atmospheric and […]

In a dramatic move that passed the state Legislature with little debate and almost no opposition, West Virginia lawmakers on Jan. 22 voted to repeal the state’s 2009 alternative energy standard, which requires utilities to get 25% of their power from alternative sources by 2025. The repeal bill passed the state Senate unanimously and the […]

On Jan. 14, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published its Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) report for 2013 showing that electric utilities have cut toxic releases to the environment 49% since 2003. The drop was driven by a 73% decline in on-site toxic air releases as a result of a decrease in hazardous air pollutants (HAP) […]

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder announced a series of deals designed to eliminate a costly utility rate payment in the state’s Upper Peninsula (UP), while providing long-term, cost-effective energy reliability for the region. The solution was developed through four principle agreements. In one, the electric utility businesses now owned by We Energies and Integrys (doing business […]

Düsseldorf, Germany–based energy supplier E.ON announced on Jan. 12 that it would sell its Italian coal and gas generation assets to Energetický a Průmyslový Holding (EPH), a Czech energy company. E.ON has been looking for a suitor for the Italian operations since at least Nov. 30 when it announced it was embarking on a new […]

According to a story first reported by Amanda Levin of TheStreet.com, American Electric Power Co. (AEP) has retained the services of Goldman, Sachs & Co. in an effort to unload its 7,923-MW merchant generation fleet. AEP—headquartered in Columbus, Ohio—is one of the largest electric utilities in the U.S., serving over five million customers in 11 […]

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said today that a delay in issuing final rules affecting carbon dioxide emissions from new power plants, which were due this week, will help the agency release a set of more coordinated rules covering new, existing, and modified plants. The carbon dioxide rule for new plants—issued under Section 111(b) […]

Energy market dynamics in the U.S. continue to evolve. Regulatory developments, advancements in power plant technology, and fuel dynamics are transforming the industry. Although the outcome of these

“When pigs fly” is a figure of speech used to express disbelief that a particular situation will ever come to pass. For the power industry, several recent and emerging developments are the equivalent of

The power generation market continues to evolve due to fundamental changes in market forces. Ongoing opportunities exist to partner with utilities to support this evolutionary process. Leadership Is Key for

In mid-November, members of the POWER Generating Company Advisory Team responded via email to the following set of questions. Their comments have been edited for style. POWER: What changes in your fleet’s

The urge to merge, a key feature of the power industry for the past 20 years or so, showed no signs of slowing in 2014. Major players sought to beef up their asset portfolios and diversify their generating

The particulate matter (PM) requirements of the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) require filterable PM emissions less than 0.03 lb/MMBtu, which will demand greater particulate removal efficiency from

Back in the “good old days” of the power industry, fuel was cheap, fuel supplies were fairly constant, air emissions regulations were loose, and power plant coffee was as dark as sin and worse for you

Candu Wins China’s Backing to Develop AFCR Projects. Candu Energy and the China National Nuclear Corp. on Nov. 10 signed a framework joint venture agreement to build Advanced Fuel CANDU Reactor (AFCR)

The trial operation of a steam loop for more than 17,000 hours at temperatures exceeding 760C (1,400F)—the highest ever tested at a pulverized coal plant—have wrapped up at Plant Barry Unit 4 in Alabama

Renewables’ share of the global power mix is slated to overtake coal to become the largest source of electricity by 2040, the International Energy Agency (IEA) projects in its 2014 edition of the World

The growth in natural gas–fired generation in the U.S. since 2007 has overwhelmingly displaced coal-fired generation, according to a report from the Breakthrough Institute released Dec. 15. Consistent with the impressions of power sector observers, but in contrast to previous claims by environmental groups that growth in gas is offsetting renewables and nuclear while coal […]

A final rule issued today by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to regulate coal combustion residuals (CCRs) from coal power plants clarifies technical requirements for coal ash landfills and surface impoundments nationwide under Subtitle D of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), the nation’s primary law for regulating solid waste. The final rule is […]

The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) proposed carbon rules for existing power plants amassed more than 1.6 million remarks before the public comment period ended on Monday. Here’s a snapshot of what states, regulators, industry groups, and environmental alliances told the agency about its Clean Power Plan.  States Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, […]

E.ON—a major investor-owned energy supplier that manages facilities across Europe, Russia, North America, Brazil, and Turkey—announced this week that it will embark on a new corporate strategy focused on renewables, distribution networks, and customer solutions, while combining its power generation, global energy trading, and exploration and production businesses into a new, independent company. “We are […]

Recent months have seen a violent shakeup of India’s coal supply sector and may result in the end of a 40-year-old government monopoly on mining and selling coal. The development could be a boon for