Coal

In a stark departure from the zero-nuclear future proposed by a previous administration, the cabinet of Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe Friday endorsed restarting the country’s idled nuclear reactors as it develops more renewables.  The cabinet on Friday officially adopted the first Basic Energy Plan since the Fukushima disaster, a 78-page document (in Japanese) that […]

At least 70% of U.S. coal-fired generating capacity has already installed environmental control equipment to comply with the Mercury and Air Toxics (MATS) Standards, the Energy Information Agency (EIA) reports.  The Environmental Protection Agency’s rule will require coal generators of more than 25 MW to incorporate the maximum achievable control technologies (MACT) to control the […]

By 2029, renewable sources in Arizona’s energy mix will double and natural gas’s share will surpass coal’s and nuclear’s, the state’s largest utility, Arizona Public Service (APS) projects in its newly released “Integrated Resource Plan.”  The report, which foresees that the state’s energy needs will grow 52% while peak demand will surge 60% compared to […]

North Carolina state officials on Friday cited Duke Energy for a 40-foot-long crack in an earthen dam at the 2012-retired Cape Fear Plant’s ash impoundment, to which the company last week made emergency repairs. The North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) issued Duke Energy with a notice of deficiency on Friday for the longitudinal […]

Andy Dobrzanski, Mark Collett, and Dave Markle were among the presenters at the Powder River Basin Coal Users’ Group (PRBCUG) preconference workshop on Monday. While several speakers mentioned housekeeping’s important role in the safe operation of facilities, other topics were also covered in-depth. One was Fly Ash Handling Systems and PRB Coal Ash. Dobrzanski, fuel […]

I spent the week before this issue went to press at IHS Energy’s CERAWeek in Houston, listening and talking to many of the attendees representing 55 countries during the annual event that examines strategic

Technology development to reduce freshwater withdrawals and consumption for all types of thermoelectric power plants is emerging as a top research and development (R&D) priority. Thermoelectric plants in

On the energy front, Australia seemingly has it all. It is endowed with significant reserves of coal, natural gas, uranium, and thorium—as well as resources that excel by world standards for wind, solar

Mention the word “drone,” and most people will have a mental picture of what a drone is and does. They likely will think first of military drones carrying missiles and other weapons that could malfunction

When Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy testified at the House Appropriations subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies today, Rep. Hal Rogers (R-Ky.) made it clear from the start that he would be at odds with her. “For years, it seems the EPA has worked hard to devise new regulations that are designed […]

The changing generation mix and recent extreme weather throughout the U.S. have led the power sector to evaluate and begin making changes to address their increased dependence on natural gas and the integration of renewables, staff at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) said in the 2013 State of the Markets report. Gas Price Hikes […]

Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (N.D.)—one of a handful of Democrats that are critical of the Obama administration’s carbon rules for new power plants—on Monday introduced a bill that would provide federal funds, tax credits, and pricing support to private power companies investing in carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies.  Heitkamp’s newly unveiled bill, “Advanced Clean Coal […]

The Dan River coal ash spill has forced some serious discussions about the future of Duke Energy’s North Carolina coal fleet. Duke Energy President and CEO Lynn Good said in a March 12 letter to Gov. Pat McCrory (R) and Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary John Skvarla that the company is planning […]

Source: POWER During IHS CERAWeek in Houston in early March, POWER Editor Gail Reitenbach sat down with Heiner Markhoff, president and CEO of GE Power & Water’s Water & Process Technologies, to ask him about several issues of concern to power plants.  Though the “water/energy nexus” theme has gained prominence recently, Heiner Markhoff’s comments underscored […]

Germany’s biggest utility E.ON will shutter nearly 13 GW of capacity—more than a quarter of its conventional fleet in Europe—to offset the “negative effects of a difficult economic and regulatory environment” in the European Union (EU), CEO Johannes Teyssen said on Wednesday.  The company released gloomy financial year results for 2013, reporting a 14% drop […]

Janet McCabe, a top air regulation official at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defended the agency’s carbon rule for new power plants at a House hearing on Wednesday, even as industry witnesses countered that technology does not yet exist to meet the regulatory requirements. The EPA’s acting assistant administrator for air and radiation reiterated the […]

March 11 marked the third anniversary of the magnitude 9.0 earthquake and subsequent tsunami that struck the east coast of Japan. Within days of that event, with no backup power, cooling systems failed at Tokyo Electric Power Co.’s (TEPCO’s) Fukushima Daiichi plant, leading to meltdowns and hydrogen explosions at Units 1, 2, and 3.  But […]

If a conveyor belt does not perform according to the manufacturer’s claims—by wearing prematurely, ripping too easily, or disintegrating due to excessive heat or because of oil penetration—the risk to life and limb is relatively small. Yes, it can be very expensive, but it is generally not life-threatening. But if a fire retardant conveyor belt […]

The deadline for power plants to comply with the Environmental Protection Agency’s Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) is fast approaching. The wide range of rapidly changing and developing technologies that can be used to reduce emissions offers many options for decision makers to meet mercury control limits. At one plant, Great River Energy’s (GRE’s) […]

U.S. energy infrastructure is increasingly vulnerable to acute weather events and long-term changes in the climate, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) says in a new report. Options to help reduce those risks include measures to improve its durability and resiliency. The Mar. 4–released report titled “Energy Infrastructure Risks and Adaption Efforts,” cites data from the National Research […]

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy underscored the agency’s collaboration with the energy sector as it develops environmental rules in her keynote address at IHS CERAweek in Houston on Thursday. While her focus was centered on the proposed New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, POWERnews asked about the status of […]

Cleanup of the Kingston Fossil Plant coal ash spill is one step closer to completion. On Mar. 3, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) announced that a retaining wall surrounding a 240-acre ash containment cell was completed nearly a month ahead of schedule. Kingston was the site of the worst coal ash release in U.S. history […]

coal export  coal export  

Brazil’s electricity market is vast: the largest in Latin America and 10th largest in the world, with an installed capacity of 121,000 MW. Download the report.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. (MHI) and Southern Co. have completed the initial demonstration phase of a carbon capture and storage (CCS) test at the Plant Barry power station in Mobile, Ala. The companies

The increasing penetration of intermittent renewable generation, smart grids, demand response, and other emerging technologies has underscored the need for power plants with greater flexibility and

This is the story of a power plant like no other. The facility runs primarily on coal, but it can utilize petcoke and biomass when available. The front end resembles an integrated gasification combined cycle

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) set limits on the emissions of mercury (Hg) and other pollutants for coal-fired power plants. Many plant operators have

The history of power plant emissions regulations and control technologies is largely one of preventing elements that are bad for the environment or human health—including sulfur dioxide, particulate matter

A little over five years ago, on the night of Dec. 22, 2008, the residents of Kingston, Tenn., were devastated when a dike holding back an 84-acre ash pond broke loose. The ash pond servicing Tennessee Valley