Energy Security

The Biden administration will invest $2.2 billion in eight projects under its Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnership (GRIP) program to bolster the nation’s power grid with nearly 13 GW of new transmission capacity across 18 states. The funding, announced on Aug. 6, marks the second round under the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) GRIP program, a […]

Emerging from a historic election that stripped the African National Congress (ANC) party of its majority, South Africa’s new government has indicated it will accelerate the transition to renewable power to

Prices at PJM Interconnection’s 2025/2026 base residual auction (BRA) spiked to $269.92/MW-day for most resources in the wholesale power market, pointing to a tightening supply-demand balance that could have significant implications for the regional transmission organization (RTO). The 2025/2026 BRA—a competitive capacity auction that procures power supply resources in advance of the delivery year to […]

In May 2024, stargazers and smartphone photographers witnessed a spectacular moment in time over the course of two nights. Social media and news outlets were dazzled by incandescent light plays from around the world—magenta skies gleamed over the city of Vienna, rainbow hues illuminated a lighthouse in England, emerald displays lit up the lakes of […]

In a strategic move to jumpstart domestic uranium enrichment capacity in the U.S., the Department of Energy (DOE) has launched a request for proposals (RFP) to buy low-enriched uranium (LEU) from domestic suppliers. The RFP will seek LEU through procurement contracts for indefinite quantity and indefinite delivery (IDIQ). It could result in awards of “two […]

Risks posed by geomagnetic disturbance (GMD) and electromagnetic pulse (EMP) events add challenges to an already complex power system environment. But they remain crucial to address. How prepared is the power grid to withstand these powerful natural and man-made disturbances? On the evening of May 10, grid operator PJM Interconnection activated a rare geomagnetic disturbance […]

In a significant push toward modernizing America’s aging grid infrastructure, the Biden administration, in partnership with 21 states, has launched the Federal-State Modern Grid Deployment Initiative. The measure marks the latest triumph for transmission and distribution (T&D), which has seen “lumpy” progress in recent decades. The initiative unveiled on May 28 essentially seeks to establish […]

All regions across the bulk power system (BPS) are generally prepared to meet resource adequacy criteria to meet normal peak demand this summer, but ongoing concerns about extreme weather events, rapid demand growth, and systemic vulnerabilities still pose significant risks for supply shortfalls and grid reliability, the North American Electric Reliability Corp. (NERC) has warned. […]

Grid operator PJM Interconnection has issued a geomagnetic disturbance (GMD) warning after observing “persistent geomagnetically induced current (GIC) at multiple stations” late on Friday.  PJM initially issued a GMD warning on May 10 to generators and transmission operators that an ongoing severe solar storm could affect its system between 1:48 p.m. and 9 p.m. on […]

GE Vernova has bagged the Tennessee Valley Authority’s (TVA’s) first order as part of a fast-track project to replace the 1.3-GW Kingston Fossil Plant in Tennessee with a 1.5-GW modern complex. The original equipment manufacturer will supply 16 aeroderivative LM6000VELOX dual fuel DLE (dry low emissions) gas turbine and generator packages, which are expected to deliver […]

How can a utility, or any organization for that matter, prepare for the unexpected, especially when it comes to the volatility of weather? This question is increasingly coming to the forefront of risk

Help customers stay resilient with clean propane power generation. Power outages caused by extreme weather events continue to cause environmental and economic stress throughout the country. Because of this, finding more reliable power options is a top priority for power professionals. In a recent episode of the Path to Zero podcast, Tucker Perkins, president and […]

Reliability measures implemented after Winter Storm Uri and Elliott were largely effective at averting distress on the power and natural gas systems during two severe arctic storms that swept across North America in quick succession in January, staff from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and the North American Reliability Corp. (NERC) have reported. During […]

Cheese Merchants uses close collaboration with Charles Equipment to power its mission to deliver fresh, premium cheese products to vendors across the U.S. Volvo Penta’s D16 engine serves as a key ingredient for standby power systems designed to drive quality and customer service. Cheese Merchants has come a long way since Pasquale Greco founded the […]

The “hypercomplex” risk environment in which the North American power sector operates is underscoring the urgency for strategic initiatives to enhance grid reliability and security across North America, the head of the North American Electric Reliability Corp. (NERC) told reporters on April 4. NERC CEO Jim Robb, in a briefing, said the hypercomplex risk environment […]

Grid operators across the U.S. report they are largely prepared for the total solar eclipse that will pass over a large swath of North America on April 8, though they remain vigilant, monitoring for any unexpected shifts in power generation or demand that could test the power system’s resilience. The much-anticipated solar eclipse will begin […]

Marking the completion of its spin-off from GE, GE Vernova began trading on the New York Stock Exchange on April 2 as an independent company “singularly focused” on accelerating the energy transition. The measure, approved by GE’s Board on Feb. 29, effectively establishes GE Vernova as a giant purpose-built firm that will leverage its technology […]

A significant disconnect between political rhetoric and the practical realities of energy production is posing an insidious hurdle for the future of power, former Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-Louisiana) has warned. Speaking candidly to POWER during CERAweek by S&P Global in Houston on March 21, the influential three-term Democrat (1997–2015) who chaired the U.S. Senate Energy […]

CPS Energy will acquire Talen Energy’s 1.7-GW portfolio—comprising three natural gas–fired power plants—in the Texas market for $785 million. The nation’s largest municipally owned power entity on March 27 said it reached an agreement with competitive generator Talen Energy for the acquisition. The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2024, “subject […]

The 2.6-GW Drax Power Station in northeastern England—once Western Europe’s largest coal-fired power plant—is poised to pioneer bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS), a negative emissions

District energy systems are evolving across the power generation sector. Downtown business districts, college and university campuses, hospitals and healthcare facilities, airports, military bases and more are utilizing these systems to create economies of scale that reduce energy costs, and promote energy efficiency. These systems, used to provide power, hot water, heating, air conditioning and […]

Ontario Power Generation (OPG) will refurbish four units at the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station, Canada’s first major commercial generation plant— marking a major turnaround for the 3.1-GW plant slated to close by 2025. Officials from Ontario’s government and OPG on Jan. 30 announced plans to refurbish Units 5–8 at the massive power plant east of […]

A bipartisan group of 12 U.S. senators on Jan. 18 introduced a bill that could freeze the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) implementation of updated energy efficiency standards for distribution transformers. The Distribution Transformer Efficiency and Supply Chain Reliability Act of 2024 (S.3627) would establish new limitations on federal efficiency rules for specific distribution transformers. Several […]

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) has urged conservation as it grapples with record-high power demand amid extremely cold temperatures and near-zero wind chill over its seven-state region in the Southeast. The federal corporation, a major generator that serves as a regional reliability coordinator, on Jan. 16 said “heavy snow and bitterly cold temperatures” were expected […]

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) has issued a conservation appeal as it braces for continued freezing temperatures, “very high” demand, and “unseasonably low wind” early in the morning on Jan. 15, just before the solar ramp-up. The grid operator on Sunday afternoon said it expects “tight grid conditions” as temperatures plunge, driven by […]

The seven European countries that make up the Pentalateral Energy Forum—Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Switzerland—will strive for the decarbonization of their interconnected electricity system by 2035. The countries, which form the Pentalateral Energy Forum—a 2005-convened voluntary framework for regional energy cooperation—in a joint statement on Dec. 18 formally concluded, “timely decarbonization […]

Spurred by the need to modernize and adapt, utilities are undergoing the same type of widespread digital transformation that other legacy industries have endured, except the power grid presents distinct challenges that add layers of complexity, pressure, and urgency. The International Energy Agency (IEA) recently issued a report warning that to maintain a reliable electricity […]

The World Bank on Oct. 25 granted South Africa a $1 billion developmental policy loan (DPL) as a significant measure to help the country address its debilitating energy crisis, and encourage it to transition

People know a storm can disrupt the electrical grid and cause a wave of complications across the region or country very quickly. But now, for those charged with grid reliability and keeping the lights on

In July 2014, the Department of Homeland Security mandated that utilities meet requirements and measures outlined in the North American Electric Reliability Corporation’s (NERC’s) critical infrastructure protection (CIP) standards. These standards regulate the physical safety and security of all aspects of the power grid, including energy substations and generators. They outline steps toward prioritizing which […]