Environmental

Many power companies face significant risks from coal ash ponds. New solutions based on water flow physics are showing promise in preventing the spread of hazardous particulate matter. Existing coal plants are

In three front-page rulings this summer, the U.S. Supreme Court made sweeping changes to the ways that federal judges will review future agency actions—including a rejection of its longstanding Chevron

Technology group Wärtsilä is part of a new research project exploring innovative technology for cleaner, more energy-efficient engines utilizing a closed-loop combustion cycle. The research, announced on Nov. 26, will focus on the use of argo, a non-toxic ideal gas present in the atmosphere, to increase efficiency of balancing engines. The co-innovation project is run […]

President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team has made the U.S. energy industry a focus of its plans for his first days in office, with analysts and energy experts expecting a rollback of environmental regulations for coal- and natural gas-fired power plants. That may have some utilities rethinking their strategies about the scheduled closure of some fossil […]

The need for emissions-free power generation, along with the ability to provide more power when and where it’s needed, is driving research and development of smaller nuclear reactors. Energy industry

In its quest to drive down costs while boosting safety, the nuclear industry has ramped up efforts to streamline operations and maintenance (O&M). New approaches target efficiency and resilience. If there

An analysis from global data and analytics group Wood Mackenzie says Republican control of the White House and Congress means U.S. energy policy will move away from net-zero emissions targets, but there remains bipartisan support for the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The group also said competitive economics for renewable power resources mean the energy transition […]

Utilities recognizing the need to produce more electricity, in part to satisfy demand from data centers, may keep coal-fired units in operation longer than anticipated. A lessening of environmental regulations under the incoming Trump administration also means power generators are rethinking plans to retire their fossil fuel-burning facilities. Chris Womack, CEO of Southern Co., is […]

On Dec. 22, 2008, a major dike failure occurred on the north slopes of the ash pond at the Tennessee Valley Authority’s (TVA’s) Kingston Fossil Plant. The failure resulted in the release of approximately 5.4 million cubic yards of coal ash spilling onto adjacent land and into the Emory River. The Kingston spill is considered […]

A report from a group that looks at economic conditions in the Appalachia region of the U.S. says a hydrogen hub proposed for the area already faces significant challenges. The Ohio River Valley Institute in a research brief published this month said five of the 15 originally proposed projects in the hub have been canceled, […]