Full Coverage
-
T&D
The Benefits of Fiber-Reinforced Polymer in Power Transmission
Wood, steel, and concrete are commonly used materials for power poles. However, fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) offers a relatively lightweight, safe, and resilient alternative, which also offers a long service
-
Distributed Energy
Choosing the Right Distributed Energy Resource
The decision on whether or not to invest in distributed energy resources is complicated. Evaluating all aspects, including cost, consumption metrics, resource availability, personal goals, and reliability
-
Gas
Realize the Opportunity from Advanced Air Inlet Filtration
For maximum efficiency and operational flexibility, advanced gas turbines have rightly been optimized to the nth degree. However, there are big opportunities in important related components like the air inlet filtration systems too. The latest developments from Parker Hannifin show what can be achieved when a new approach is taken. Today’s advanced gas turbines are […]
-
Commentary
Equity in Energy: How Community Solar Is Involved
In the U.S., there has always been a direct correlation between the disparity in income and the distribution of renewable resources. Equity in energy refers to fairness in the distribution of energy, benefits, and burdens among different people and communities. It was designed to rectify historical inequalities, recognizing the need to create a fair and […]
-
Commentary
Germany’s Energy History Is at the Root of Its Current Challenges
Over a year after the start of Russia’s attack on Ukraine, Germany is at the heart and center of current debate when it comes to energy dependence. Like most European countries, Germany did not have adequate time to wean off Russia’s rich and steady inflow of natural gas. But the impact of Russia’s abrupt supply […]
-
Full Coverage
SPP Set to Become First RTO Straddling Eastern and Western Interconnections
The Southwest Power Pool (SPP) is poised to become the first regional transmission organization (RTO) to provide coordinated operation across the Eastern and Western Interconnections, bridging a historic gap to potentially boost regional reliability, savings, and efficiencies. SPP, which has operated as an RTO since 2004, currently has 110 member companies in its Eastern Interconnection […]
-
Nuclear
Nucor and Helion Target 2030 for Utility-Scale Fusion Power Plant
Nucor Corp., a manufacturer of steel and steel products, and Helion, a fusion energy company, are collaborating to develop a 500-MW fusion power plant to supply baseload electricity to a steelmaking facility. The companies are working together to set a firm timeline, saying they are “committed to beginning operations as soon as possible with a […]
-
Nuclear
Major Engineering Services Contract Launches Poland’s First Nuclear Power Project
Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe (PEJ), Poland’s designated entity tasked with developing the country’s first nuclear plant in Pomerania, has signed an engineering services contract with a Westinghouse-Bechtel consortium, allowing site-specific work to begin on the AP1000 power plant. The companies announced the “historic” contract on Sept. 27, one week after nuclear technology giant Westinghouse and global […]
-
O&M
How Power Companies Benefit from Accurate Weather Forecasts
It’s pretty easy to understand how the weather affects certain forms of power generation and infrastructure. Sunlight is obviously needed to generate solar power, wind is required to produce wind energy, and extreme storms of all kinds can wreak havoc on transmission and distribution lines, and other energy-related assets. Therefore, having accurate and constantly updated […]
-
Energy Security
FERC, NERC Reveal Disturbing Details from Winter Storm Elliott Inquiry
Incremental unplanned generation outages triggered during Winter Storm Elliott spiked to 90.5 GW—significantly more than the 61.8 GW during Winter Storm Uri in 2021—representing 13% of the U.S. portion of anticipated resources in the Eastern Interconnection. That finding, one of many disturbing details unveiled by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and North American Electric […]
-
Gas
TVA Exploring Carbon Capture Feasibility for Two Gas-Fired Power Plants
The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is poised to study the feasibility of retrofitting two gas-fired power plants—a combined capacity of 1.8 GW—in Mississippi and Kentucky with post-combustion carbon capture technology to remove more than 90% of their carbon emissions. The non-profit U.S. corporate agency and Canadian energy infrastructure firm TC Energy on Sept. 14 said they will […]
-
T&D
Should You Make the Switch to Digital Integrated Power Transformers?
Are the benefits of digital integrated power transformers worth it? Smart transformers with exciting new technologies like Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI) are among the next generation of energy equipment hitting the market today. Many organizations are considering switching to these cutting-edge transformers, but are unsure about the pros and cons. What […]
-
Interview
The POWER Interview: Making the U.S. Nuclear Industry Great Again
There are many reasons to be optimistic about the prospects for nuclear energy. As a carbon-free energy source, it is a great option for power generation in a world trying to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and stop climate change. The fact that nuclear reactors can operate at baseload with capacity factors regularly greater than 90% […]
-
Energy Storage
Peak Shaving in Energy Storage: Balancing Demand, Savings, and Sustainability
Energy consumption is continually escalating at a remarkable rate, with current statistics showcasing the gravity of the situation. Global energy demand has risen by approximately 50% over the past two decades, and projections indicate that this upward trajectory will persist. Additionally, concerns about climate change have reached a peak, solidifying the need for immediate and […]
-
Connected Plant
Energy Is the Most-Targeted Sector for Cyberattacks: Here’s What to Do
The energy sector recorded three times as many operational technology (OT) and/or industrial control system (ICS) cybersecurity incidents as the next closest vertical, according to a study conducted by the Cyentia Institute, a research and data science firm, and sponsored by Rockwell Automation, an industrial automation and information provider. “Energy, critical manufacturing, water treatment, and […]
-
T&D
Enhancing Energy Asset Performance: Confronting the Energy Challenges of the 21st Century
The energy sector has been characterized in recent years by a crisis that affects the globe. As fossil fuel-based energy production decreases in popularity due to its negative effects on the environment and human health, other means of production are added to the grid. Nevertheless, the new methods, with emphasis on renewable energy forms, are […]
-
Nuclear
DOD Advances X-Energy Mobile Nuclear Microreactor as Second Project Pele Design
The Department of Defense (DOD) has moved to develop a second transportable microreactor under Project Pele, granting X-energy a contract option to advance the design of its mobile advanced nuclear microreactor prototype. The one-year contract option will continue to provide funding for X-energy’s nuclear technology development, allowing the firm to develop its design to meet […]
-
Nuclear
Palisades Nuclear Power Plant May Get a Second Chance with Holtec-Wolverine Agreement
Holtec International, a diversified energy technology company, and Wolverine Power Cooperative, a not-for-profit power generation cooperative based in Michigan, announced that they have entered into a long-term agreement that will “pave the way” for the restart of the 800-MW Palisades Nuclear Power Plant in Covert Township, Michigan (Figure 1). The Palisades reactor was taken offline […]
-
Nuclear
Wyoming Energy Authority Makes Investment Toward Microreactor Deployment
BWX Technologies (BWXT) said it was awarded a “two-phase, two-year contract” with the Wyoming Energy Authority (WEA) to assess the viability of deploying small-scale nuclear reactors in the state to augment existing power generation resources. The WEA says it combines the existing scopes of the Wyoming Infrastructure Authority, Wyoming Pipeline Authority, and the State Energy […]
-
Legal & Regulatory
Environmental Justice: What It Is and Why It’s Important to Power Projects
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) defines environmental justice as: “The fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people, regardless of race, color, national origin, or income, with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.” It says “fair treatment” means that no population bears a disproportionate share of negative […]
-
Nuclear
India Begins Commercial Operation of First Domestically Designed 700-MWe PHWR Nuclear Reactor
India has begun commercial operation of its first domestically designed 700-MWe pressurized heavy water reactor (PHWR) at the Kakrapar nuclear power plant in Gujarat, state-owned Nuclear Power Corp. of India Ltd. (NPCIL) reported on Aug. 30. Commercial operation of Unit 3 at Kakrapar Atomic Power Project, which is located near the city of Vyara in the […]
-
Energy Security
ERCOT Issues First Level 2 Emergency Alert Since Winter Storm Uri
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) on Sept. 6 issued an Energy Emergency Alert 2 (EEA 2) after grid conditions quickly deteriorated around sunset (7:30 p.m.) as demand soared and operating power reserves plunged. The grid operator said that the emergency operations were necessary “due to a combination of dropping operating reserves and frequency.” […]
-
Energy Storage
Extending the Cycle Life of an Industrial Battery: What Makes a Battery Last?
In the fast-evolving world of industrial lithium batteries, extending cycle life—the number of charge and discharge cycles a battery can endure before significant degradation occurs—is one of the key advantages over the incumbent lead-acid technology. A battery management system (BMS) plays a pivotal role in supporting the long cycle life of a lithium battery. Low-priced […]
-
Commentary
The Promise and Potential of Sustainable Fuels
In order to meet decarbonization goals and limit the impacts of climate change, national power systems need to reach 100% renewable power generation without delay. Renewables like solar and wind will be needed in vast amounts, alongside flexible technology solutions, such as engine power plants and energy storage, to balance the intermittency of these power […]
-
Wind
A Symbol of Courage and Invincibility: DTEK Completes Wind Farm Despite War
When a hostile foreign country invades your homeland, many power projects might fall by the wayside, but for DTEK, providing reliable power to customers and continuing to develop secure energy resources was
-
Hydro
Hydropower Horizons: Pioneering a Pelton Turbine Breakthrough
Voith Hydro in 2022 replaced four vertical Pelton turbines at Verbund’s 75-year-old 326-GWh Gerlos 1 pumped storage facility in Austria with a first-of-its-kind horizontal six-nozzle Pelton turbine
-
Sustainability
Accelerating Sustainable Hydropower Development Around the World
The hydropower industry has placed a keen focus on sustainability in recent years. “The San José Declaration on Sustainable Hydropower,” a landmark declaration issued on Sept. 24, 2021, by the hydropower
-
Gas
South Korea’s First ‘K-Gas Turbine’ Begins Commercial Operation
Marking a significant inroad to establish a South Korean foothold in the world’s gas turbine technology market, heavy industrial company Doosan Enerbility this summer began commercial operation of its first
-
Nuclear
Planning Is Key to Successful Nuclear Refueling Outages
U.S. nuclear power plants typically refuel every 18 to 24 months. Refueling outages normally occur in the spring and fall of the year when demand for electricity is at its lowest. The Energy Information
-
Gas
Austin Energy Power Production Cable Defects
Between 2022 and 2023, Sand Hill Energy Center encountered two serious defects in cabling, one of which resulted in an arc fault. These were surprises and have led the team to consider inspections and testing