Environmental
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Legal & Regulatory
Avoiding Wildlife Impacts from Renewable Energy in Europe
Courtesy: Ad Meskens/Wikimedia Commons Europe has been in the forefront of renewable energy development, and though the scientific research on wildlife impacts is limited, European environmentalists and developers are beginning to create baseline frameworks and guidelines. Developers around the world can learn from their experience. As more renewable energy systems come online, providers hope to […]
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Legal & Regulatory
The Coal Refuse Dilemma: Burning Coal for Environmental Benefits
The niche alternative energy industry that generates power from hazardous piles of coal waste that litter the U.S. is facing an environmental Catch-22. The torrent of coal mined and processed in the U.S. since
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Coal
Evaluating the Use of CEMS for Accurate Heat Rate Monitoring and Reporting
Power plants are familiar with using continuous emissions monitoring systems (CEMS) to monitor pollutants, but these devices also may be able to measure heat rate—which could be handy for future compliance with the Clean Power Plan. Continuous emissions monitoring systems (CEMS) are used to monitor power plant flue gas emissions as a means to comply […]
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Commentary
Power’s Environmental Issues Then and Now
Discussions about environmental issues related to power plants and the regulations governing their operation are as old as the industry, I discovered while thumbing through the bound July through December 1914 issues of POWER. The specifics of the environmental concerns have become more detailed and complex as scientific knowledge, monitoring technologies, and mitigation solutions advance. […]
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Legal & Regulatory
Weighing the Environmental Impacts of Wind and Solar
Renewable generation is usually characterized as more environmentally friendly than fossil fuels, and in many respects, that’s true. But there is a growing recognition that solar and wind generation have their own impacts, and an increasing number of manufacturers and generators are looking for ways to minimize them. Iceland might be about the last place […]
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Legal & Regulatory
Generators Grapple with ELG Implementation
Plant wastewater treatment is not what it once was, and changes in the Environmental Protection Agency’s effluent limitations guidelines (ELG) have added a host of new wrinkles. A panel of power plant experts discussed what plant managers are planning and doing to keep things running smoothly within the new rules. For more than three decades, […]
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Renewables
Rwanda’s Power Production Triumph over a “Killer Lake”
Lake Kivu, the 1,040-square-mile “killer lake” that stretches over the border between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), has long been a source of trepidation. Because it sits between two
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Coal
Employing Fuel Cells for Carbon Capture
Fuel cells are a rapidly expanding option for distributed generation, with fuel cell–based power plants now being deployed in capacities into tens of megawatts (see “59-MW Fuel Cell Park Opening Heralds
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Legal & Regulatory
Simplify MATS Compliance with Particulate Matter Continuous Emission Monitors
Now that power plant operators have some experience under their belts related to Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) compliance, it’s time to reevaluate the options for demonstrating compliance. Starting
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Legal & Regulatory
B&W to Restructure Power Business, Cites Dismal Coal Projections
Projections that coal utilization will decline faster than previously forecast have spurred Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises (B&W) to shed 200 jobs and restructure its traditional power business that serves coal-fired power generation in a bid to reduce overhead and improve efficiency. The Charlotte, N.C.–based energy and environmental technology and service company said on June 28 […]