Full Coverage

  • OPG Embarks on Major Refurbishment of Niagara Falls Hydropower Stations

    Ontario Power Generation (OPG) will partner with GE Vernova to complete a 15-year project to refurbish the iconic 1.7-GW Sir Adam Beck I and II hydroelectric complex near Niagara Falls. The C$1 billion ($724 million) project unveiled on April 16 will comprise the first phase of OPG’s larger plans to overhaul all five of its […]

  • Massive Electrical and Instrumentation Contract Awarded for Hinkley Point C Nuclear Power Project

    BGEN, one of the UK’s largest engineering firms, has been awarded an £84 million project by GE Steam Power Systems to provide electrical and instrumentation solutions to Hinkley Point C (HPC), which is a two-unit EPR nuclear power station under construction in Somerset, England. When complete, Hinkley Point C is expected to deliver 7% of […]

  • Clean-Energy Companies Urge Congress to Pass Siting, Permitting, and Transmission Reform

    Nearly 200 solar and storage companies sent a letter to congressional leaders on April 17 calling for legislation to improve permitting, project siting, transmission, and public lands access for solar and solar plus storage projects. Market forecasts show that a range of policy and economic outcomes will determine the volume of solar deployment over the […]

  • Dependable Backup Power System Provides Peace of Mind for Cheese Business

    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 […]

  • Eight Critical Reliability Challenges NERC Is Confronting for Grid Stability

    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 […]

  • Harnessing Heat Vision for Smarter Substation Monitoring

    As decision-makers look for practical and worthwhile ways to improve substation monitoring, they often turn to heat-vision applications, such as infrared thermography. Such methods allow people to use specialized equipment to see abnormal temperature patterns—such as hot spots or unusual coolness—within industrial assets. This approach supports substation reliability by reducing outages and warning people earlier […]

  • A Generational Turnover Could Jeopardize the Nuclear Industry’s Recent Momentum

    In the coming decade, the nuclear industry faces the daunting prospect of seeing one in four employees retire. According to the 2022 Global Energy Talent Index, 25% of its current workforce is over 55, compared to 20% in the oil and gas industry, and only 10% in the renewable energy sector. And, at age 65 […]

  • DOE Eases Requirements in Final Transformer Efficiency Standards Amid Supply Chain Strain

    The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) final energy efficiency standards for distribution transformers appear to strike a compromise with industry, softening the agency’s stance on steel requirements for essential transformer components and extending compliance deadlines to five years. The DOE’s final standards issued on April 4 seek to reduce losses in three types of distribution […]

  • Molten Salt Reactor Technology Solves Several Nuclear Industry Problems

    Molten salt reactors (MSRs) represent a fascinating intersection of nuclear history and modern innovation. The concept of using molten salts as both a coolant and fuel carrier dates back to the 1950s, with the pioneering work of Alvin Weinberg and his team at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). In 1965, ORNL successfully operated the Molten […]

  • Grids Brace for Solar Eclipse, Totality Poised to Test Ramping

    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 […]

  • Nuclear Energy Seeing a Resurgence Unlike Any Other

    Nuclear energy is surging back in a big way. Case in point: Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm’s comments last week on plans to restart the Palisades nuclear power plant in Michigan. To bolster the effort, she announced a $1.5 billion conditional loan guarantee to cover work required to restart the plant after a two-year shutdown. And […]

  • ACWA Power: Crossroads for Exponential Growth in Power and Water 

    In 2002, the government of Saudi Arabia moved to step up the private sector’s role in the kingdom’s economy by opening the production of power and desalinated water. Saudi firms Abunayyan Trading Co., Abdulkadir Al Muhaidib & Sons Co., and MADA Group for Industrial and Commercial Development sensed a tremendous opportunity, forming ACWA Power Projects […]

  • What FERC Order 2023 Means for the Interconnection Queue

    In recent years, concerns about the lengthy interconnection queue have dominated headlines. This queue has emerged as a major obstacle to adding new generating facilities to the U.S. power grid. It is primarily caused by grid congestion, permitting issues, extensive infrastructure project delays, and the traditional interconnection study approaches used in many states. To address […]

  • TVA to Replace Iconic Kingston Coal Plant With 1.5-GW Modern Complex

    The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) has moved to retire its iconic 1.3-GW Kingston Fossil Plant in Tennessee in 2027 and replace it—with notable urgency—with a 1.5-GW modern complex featuring a combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) plant, aero-derivative turbines, 100 MW of battery storage, and up to 4 MW of solar generation. The nation’s largest public […]

  • ATXI Chosen to Develop Grid Reliability Project in Northern Missouri

    Ameren Transmission Company of Illinois (ATXI), a subsidiary of St. Louis-based Ameren Corp., has been selected by the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO), the regional transmission operator for large parts of the central U.S., to develop a $273 million transmission project across northern Missouri. “We are proud to have won this vital project that will […]

  • Virtual Power Plant Network Supports the Grid and Compensates Customers

    Sunnova Energy International Inc., an adaptive energy services company, announced continued investments and expansion to its virtual power plant (VPP) network, providing increased reliability, reduced emissions, and lower costs. With its VPP investments, Sunnova is boosting accessibility in California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, and Texas to enable customers to rapidly access […]

  • A Bold Beginning: GE Vernova Charts Course for Electrification and Decarbonization in Market Debut

    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 […]

  • Improving Lithium-Ion Batteries with Silicon Anode Technology

    From the beginning of the electrification evolution, the U.S. has struggled to keep up with the Chinese battery giants, and has also fallen behind Europe in some battery production and adoption areas. Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries are not only important for electric vehicles (EVs), but also for energy storage to accommodate intermittent renewables, such as wind […]

  • Gas Turbine and Hydrogen Technologies Grow Together

    The future of gas turbines and hydrogen are intricately intertwined. Gas turbine manufacturers know that they need their equipment to be ready to operate on higher levels of hydrogen as electrolysis technology

  • Delving Deeper: New Optimism for Enhanced Geothermal Systems

    Enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) have long held promise. New developments suggest dramatic progress may be on the horizon. Can innovation feasibly overcome technical and economic hurdles that have

  • AI Is Not Only a Thing of the Future, It’s Also a Thing of the Present

    Artificial intelligence (AI)-based platforms have taken the world by storm. Perhaps the best known of these is ChatGPT. OpenAI, the company that developed the innovative chatbot, released the tool widely to

  • Long-Awaited Milestone: Fuel Loading Begins at India’s Prototype Fast Nuclear Reactor

    India in March began fuel loading at a 500-MWe/1,250-MWth prototype fast-breeder reactor (PFBR) located at Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu, marking a crucial phase for the second stage of the country’s ambitious

  • The Big Picture: Coal Controls [Infographic]

    U.S. coal power plant emissions in 2023 showed dramatic reductions in air pollutants, owing mainly to coal plant closures. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), compared to 2022, sulfur dioxide emissions fell by 24%, nitrogen oxides (NOx) by 15%, carbon dioxide by 7%, and mercury by 17%. Over the years, coal plants have […]

  • Distributed Power, EAAS—New Ways to Join the Clean Energy Transition

    The first image that likely comes to mind when the average energy consumer thinks about renewable energy is some kind of vast (utility-scale) solar or wind farm, or a massive battery project, usually pictured

  • How to Get the Most Out of EPC Contracts

    Engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contracts are agreements in which a contractor is given major project responsibilities under a single contract established with an owner or developer. A

  • Balancing Essential Utility Infrastructure Investment with Customer Affordability

    Electric utilities are entering an era of growing investment opportunities following a decade of low load growth. However, there is increasing evidence that regulators are growing more concerned about the

  • AI-Powered Computer Vision Is Transforming Utility Inspection and Maintenance

    Employing artificial intelligence (AI) in the power industry may seem like a futuristic concept, but the truth is that it’s available in several innovative applications today. Power companies that tap into

  • Battery Energy Storage Systems: Solutions for Shorter and Longer Durations

    As renewable energy capacity increases on power grids, battery energy storage systems become more and more important. While lead battery technology is not new, it is evolving. Advanced lead batteries offer a

  • Coastal Utilities Warned of ‘Potentially Explosive’ 2024 Hurricane Season

    AccuWeather’s team of expert meteorologists is warning people and businesses to start preparing for a frenzy of tropical activity that could have major impacts on the U.S. this hurricane season. “The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season is forecast to feature well above the historical average number of tropical storms, hurricanes, major hurricanes, and direct U.S. impacts,” […]

  • Palisades Nuclear Plant on Path to Recommissioning by 2025

    The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Loan Programs Office (LPO) announced a conditional commitment of up to $1.52 billion for a loan guarantee to Holtec Palisades LLC to finance the restoration and resumption of service of the Palisades Power Plant, an 800-MW nuclear generating station in Covert Township, Michigan (Figure 1). The project aims to bring […]