Gas

Russia Marks Milestone with Commercial Operation of Third-Generation Reactor. After nearly a decade of construction, the first advanced third-generation VVER-1200 nuclear reactor began commercial operation on

Most combined cycle professionals understand that a joint between grade 91 steel and an austenitic stainless steel is considered a dissimilar-metal weld. For that reason, it requires special welding

Today, some F-class operators continue to opt for rotor-out major inspections, which are cumbersome and inefficient. They involve complex lifts and moves of the rotor, as well as the need for substantial space

New technology is being used throughout the power industry to improve plant efficiency, predict trouble with degrading equipment, forecast weather trends, and train workers. A recent conference hosted by POWER

Cycling a combined cycle plant places additional stresses on all equipment, but the impacts extend beyond the gas turbine and heat recovery steam generator. Plant owners and managers are beginning to see

State governors are not obligated to spend resources to comply with the Clean Power Plan, which has been stayed by the Supreme Court, a “guidance” letter from Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt says. The three-paragraph letter, dated March 30, notes that the Supreme Court set a “precedent” when it stayed the rule governing […]

Several U.S. states have passed, or are mulling, programs that expand state aid to financially distressed nuclear reactors in a bid to keep them open for economic and environmental reasons. Generators that operate in competitive wholesale markets are perturbed by these measures, which they say amount to nuclear “bailouts.” —Sonal Patel, associate editor (@POWERmagazine, @sonalcpatel) […]

Beijing, China—a city known for its dreadful air pollution—no longer has any large coal-fired power plants adding to the problem. The Huaneng Beijing Thermal Power Plant’s final unit suspended operations on March 18, marking the end of coal-fueled generation in the city. Beijing’s power is now being supplied by what Xinhua (the Chinese government’s official […]

The Trump administration released a blueprint of its proposed 2018 budget on March 16, likely setting off a major battle with Congress. The budget proposal, “America First: A Budget Blueprint to Make America Great Again” makes major cuts in non-defense discretionary spending over 2017. While funding for the Department of Defense is boosted $52.3 billion, […]

If President Donald Trump truly wants to revitalize the coal industry, he should continue to support the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Fossil Energy’s research efforts, representatives of the coal industry said in a March 10 letter. “In light of recent calls for dramatic cuts to the federal budget, we want to stress that […]