Commentary

As plant owners accelerate the Industry 4.0 digital transformation, attention is increasingly being focused on the evolution of Distributed Control Systems (DCS) to enable them to become more flexible and adaptable. There are many key initiatives that are helping to set the standard for systems offering new levels of openness, security and interoperability. COMMENTARY Originally […]

Demand for horses peaked in the United States in 1905; more than a hundred years later, we still use “horsepower” as a measuring stick for our engines and motors. James Watt, the inventor of the steam engine, first coined the term following a calculation that deduced a single horse could push up to 33,000 pounds […]

As fuel and power price volatility continues across the U.S., the push to transition away from fossil fuels to lower-cost renewable, clean energy intensifies. But in order to reach President Biden’s goal of 100% carbon pollution-free electricity by 2035, utilities, developers, and regulators need to align and work together to improve the interconnection process. COMMENTARY Though […]

While homeowners are increasingly eager to both save money and conserve energy, when it comes to allowing outside entities to enter their lives and help them manage energy decisions in order to accomplish these goals, the picture is more complicated. Trends, including the electrification of everything and an increasing need to manage energy consumption at […]

From the Apollo space missions to the Zeppelin airships, human ingenuity has long dreamed up ways to make the power of hydrogen fly. Now, as the world powers up to reach climate goals in the midst of an energy crisis, the universe’s most abundant element is once again taking up airtime as debate continues over […]

So far, utilities have announced plans to retire some 93,000 MW (nameplate) of coal—almost half the existing coal fleet—by the end of this decade. Coal retirements combined with increasing penetration of

Battery power has never been in greater demand, and a wide range of new applications that require such power are emerging daily. That increased demand is accompanied by the need for more production, which in turn requires the highest degrees of contemporary quality control. Accurate measurement is the key to enabling these new production facilities […]

As the world looks toward innovative technology to help reduce the carbon footprint, scarcity of resources has become a significant challenge. With no single technology being enough to accommodate the green transition, we’re seeing massive investments in both fuel cell- and battery-related technologies. Some large-scale investments include new battery technologies for electric vehicles (EVs), wind […]

Countries’ timelines to becoming energy secure and reaching net-zero targets have shortened. Major contributing factors include COVID-19’s impact on supply chains and the war in Ukraine. Alongside this are external influences such as COP27, or the landmark U.S. Climate Bill, which will direct almost $370 billion toward rapidly scaling renewable energy production and reducing emissions. Already, intergovernmental […]

Are today’s Distributed Control Systems ready for what tomorrow could bring? Johan Björklund of leading global technology company ABB believes they are. Here he looks at how the DCS is adapting to meet the changing demands of users. Distributed Control Systems (DCS) have been around for nearly half a century. Of course, both industrial processes […]

John Stevens Cabot Abbott, the 19th century American historian perhaps best known for writing History of Napoleon Bonaparte and History of the Civil War in America , is attributed with the quote, “War is the

Advanced nuclear energy can, and should, play a major role in meeting the societal goal of 100% clean energy by mid-century. Advanced nuclear energy would complement other energy sources like wind and solar

The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA) includes the largest clean energy incentive effort in U.S. history. It builds on the energy initiatives included in 2009’s American Reinvestment Recovery Act

Even more than technology and processes, power and utilities leaders must focus on that most timeless of resources—people—to be successful against a landscape of ever-evolving cybersecurity threats. Users

Coal is the most polluting of all fossil fuels. When burned, it emits greenhouse gases, causes acid rain, and pollutes the environment. With all of the talk about hydropower, nuclear energy, as well as biofuels, one might be forgiven for assuming that filthy coal is on its way out. But that is not the fact […]

Hurricane Ian, which struck Florida in late September last year, was a devastating storm and a harsh reminder of the impact of Mother Nature’s wrath. Unfortunately, extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and powerful, and our aging grid is struggling to keep up. COMMENTARY Sanibel Island on Florida’s west coast, for example, lost power […]

Listen up, power plant operators: moving forward, environmental, social, and governance (ESG) reporting is going to impact your material handling equipment (MHE) buying process. Purchasing forklifts is no longer just about comparison shopping for the best products, adding an item to the expense column of your ledgers, and creating processes for the ongoing monitoring, managing, […]

In today’s rapidly changing world, the effects of severe weather are felt more acutely and often; take Britain’s recent record temperatures topping 40°C. As nations commit to lowering emissions, promoting energy equality, and moving toward a more sustainable world, resilience to the effects of climate change must also be top of mind—namely, extreme weather events. […]

Building on analysis in its February 2021 Public Citizen, Inc. v. Centerpoint Energy, Inc. opinion, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) recently issued decisions in Evergy Kansas, Inc. (Evergy) and Transalta Energy Marketing (U.S.), Inc. (Transalta) analyzing whether investments that were under 10% of outstanding voting shares, but were paired with appointment of directors that […]

It’s kind of exciting to be able to write that events are back in full swing. In case you missed it, POWER hosted the co-located Experience POWER, Distributed Energy Conference, and HydrogeNext events, Oct

A major lesson from the global energy price crisis has been the value of having a diversity of supplies—not relying on a small number of (sometimes unreliable or politically controlled) sources. With

President Biden recently laid out a detailed plan to strengthen America’s forests. Renewable wood energy—that is, biomass energy produced from wood that is not suitable for higher-value products—is an

Cybersecurity risks can occur daily, taking multiple forms. While there are personal measures that the general population can do to eliminate some of these risks, power utility companies must take a more aggressive approach to keep the communities they serve safe and their security unquestioned. COMMENTARY Should a power utility company face a cyberattack, it […]

The recently passed Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is the largest clean energy investment by the federal government in U.S. history. The passing of this $430 billion bill shows that the American government recognizes it is time for businesses to make crucial, sustainable changes in order to combat global warming. This historic bill further demonstrates that […]

In mid-August, President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) into law, marking this country’s most ambitious climate legislation to date. I applaud Congress and the President for working to pass the IRA and taking an important step toward net zero. The passage of this bill is a monumental achievement for everyone who cares about […]

California seems to face the prospect of electricity shortages almost every summer. For example, Californians were asked to voluntarily reduce their electricity consumption for 10 days in a row in August. A few weeks later, the state’s grid operator issued another emergency alert: “Conserve energy now to protect public health and safety … Power interruptions […]

Solar power has transformed the energy landscape over the past decade, growing from a minimal percentage of U.S. energy use to become the top source of new electric generating capacity for three years in a

After the Supreme Court handed down its decision in West Virginia v. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) earlier this year, many speculated on what it does—and does not—mean for future power plant rules

Only about 1% of the 250 million cars, SUVs, and light-duty trucks on American roads are electric vehicles (EVs). But that’s about to change. While it’s difficult to estimate future sales, an analysis by IHS Markit projects that up to 30% of new car sales could be electric by 2030, rising to up to 45% […]

The nation’s coal power plant sites that helped build the U.S. economy during the country’s electrification could play a huge role once again in helping the nation transition to clean energy. A new U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) study finds that hundreds of coal power plant sites across the country could be converted to nuclear power plant […]