Gas
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Legal & Regulatory
California Mandates 100% Renewable Energy
California Gov. Jerry Brown on September 10 signed into law a measure requiring the state to produce all its electricity from renewable sources by 2045. It’s a goal that also has been set by Hawaii and is being discussed by other states. Environmental groups and renewable energy advocates immediately praised Brown’s action. Utilities operating in […]
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Commentary
Searching for Relief from the Headaches Facing the Merchant Power Sector
Unlike their regulated counterparts, merchant power generators have increasingly struggled to compete over the last few years and the outlook for many is that this won’t change any time soon. While regulated power companies often enjoy near monopolies in their respective markets, merchant power companies build out their power generating capacity on a speculative basis […]
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Gas
Demonstration Advances to Produce Hydrogen Using Molten Salt Reactor Nuclear Technology
Terrestrial Energy USA, a company that is developing a fourth-generation molten salt nuclear reactor, has joined forces with Southern Co. and several U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) national labs, in a research and development (R&D) project that seeks to pin down whether its reactor technology can produce hydrogen efficiently using nuclear heat and power. The […]
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Legal & Regulatory
Several States Urge Federal Court to Rule on Clean Power Plan
Seventeen states have asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit to reject the Trump administration’s efforts to further delay the court’s decision on legal challenges to the Clean Power Plan. In a filing with the court on September 4, the attorneys general of California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, […]
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Press Releases
New OPTALIGN touch to become the game changer in laser alignment
PRUFTECHNIK single-laser technology – the key for easy and high accuracy measurement Ismaning, September 2018 – The world market leader of laser alignment instruments PRUFTECHNIK proudly announces the launch of the new OPTALIGN touch system. The OPTALIGN touch by PRUFTECHNIK is the equipment of choice for simple, fast and precise daily alignment jobs – a tool […]
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Legal & Regulatory
THE BIG PICTURE: Trump’s Regulatory Targets
President Trump campaigned on a promise to reduce regulation and control regulatory costs. One of his first actions after taking office was to issue an executive order calling for the elimination of two existing regulations for every one new regulation issued. Toward that end, the Trump administration has acted or sought to reverse more than […]
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O&M
Select Boiler Chemistry in the Design Phase of Project Life
On many combined cycle projects, the major decisions about boiler chemistry are left until after the plant has been designed, equipment is procured, and construction is well underway. However, the best time to make these chemistry decisions is in the design phase of the project. That enables the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractor to […]
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Renewables
POWER Digest [September 2018]
Israel Embarks on a Major Electricity Reform. Under a law passed on July 19, Israel will break up a monopoly held by state-owned Israel Electric Corp. (IEC) and open the country’s electricity sector to new
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Renewables
Australia Braces for Power System Transformation, Disruptions
The inaugural integrated system plan (ISP) released by Australia’s Energy Market Operator (AEMO) in mid-July warns that the country is in the midst of a “transformative and unprecedented” rate of change
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Renewables
Egypt Brings New Natural Gas and Wind Power Plants Online
New natural gas-fired power plants and wind farms are part of Egypt’s strategy to increase the country’s power generation by at least 50%. It began delivering on that plan in July as it brought three
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Press Releases
Clarke Energy to Supply GE’s Jenbacher Gas Engines to Power New Algerian ‘Mega Mosque’
Clarke Energy to Deliver Four of GE’s Jenbacher J320 Gas Engines to Power Trigeneration Plant at Djamaâ el Djazaïr Mosque being Built in Mohammadia, Near Algiers Jenbacher Trigeneration Units to Supply Reliable, Lower-Emission Power, Heating and Cooling Project Highlights Growing Industrial Demand for Advanced Trigeneration Technologies ALGIERS, ALGERIA—August 30, 2018—GE’s Distributed Power business (NYSE: GE) […]
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Gas
MHPS Marks Third Major U.S. Gas-Turbine Milestone in Recent Months
NTE Energy on August 28 formally began operations of its 475-MW Kings Mountain Energy Center (KMEC) natural gas–fired plant in Cleveland County, North Carolina, marking the third major milestone in recent months for gas-turbine giant Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems (MHPS) Americas. The $500 million KMEC facility features MHPS G-Series advanced-class gas turbine technology. Owned and […]
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Coal
As More Power Companies Announce Decarbonization Initiatives, EEI Makes Sustainability Reporting Easier
A spate of major power companies—including American Electric Power (AEP) and Southern Co.—have acquiesced to investor pressure and announced drastic cuts to their generating fleet carbon emissions over the long term. Industry group Edison Electric Institute (EEI) this week launched an official industry-designed template to help its member utilities better inform investors about their environmental, […]
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Renewables
Oklahoma Coal Plant Sets Closing Date After Losing PPA
An executive with the AES Shady Point coal-fired power plant in Oklahoma said the facility could close as soon as January after being notified its power purchase agreement (PPA) will not be extended. Oklahoma Gas & Electric Co. (OG&E) this month said it will not execute another five-year extension of a PPA between the two […]
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Press Releases
MHPS, NTE Energy Open Second Clean Power Plant In Three Months
Lake Mary, Florida (August 28, 2018) — Officials from Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems Americas joined with NTE Energy executives today to mark the formal start of operations at a new North Carolina clean power plant featuring MHPS technology. MHPS executives helped cut the ribbon on NTE Energy’s $500 million Kings Mountain Energy Center (KMEC); located […]
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Legal & Regulatory
Coal’s ACE in the Hole? New Rule Still Faces Headwinds
The Trump administration has extended a potential lifeline to coal-fired power plants with its Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) rule. Now the debate is about how much the plan will actually help coal generation. Energy analysts and other industry experts who spoke with POWER on August 28 say the new rule, which would give individual states the […]
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Press Releases
MHPS Announces First Fire At Greensville County Power Station
Advanced technology from MHPS delivered on schedule for largest single block power plant in the US Lake Mary, Florida—(August 23, 2018) Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems (MHPS) on August 23 announced a successful first fire for the Dominion Energy Greensville County Power Station located in Emporia, Virginia. Designed to generate 1,558 MW, the plant operates three M501J […]
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Press Releases
MWM Gensets with Fast Ramp-Up Option
With its output of 4,500 kWel, the TCG 2032B V16 is one of the most powerful MWM gensets. The units are mainly used in power plant projects of independent power producers with an output of up to 50 MWel. More than 740 power gensets with an output of approximately 2,850,000 kWel have already been installed […]
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Legal & Regulatory
Experts: Coal Plants Must Adapt to New Energy Landscape
The Trump administration’s Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) rule announced August 21 calls for coal-fired power plants to meet state-designed performance standards, most notably focused on increases in heat rate and overall efficiency for individual generating stations. Energy experts speaking at the MEGA Symposium in Baltimore, Maryland, on August 22 agreed it’s a goal worth pursuing. […]
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Legal & Regulatory
What Coal Generators Should Know About the EPA’s Proposed ACE Rule
The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) rule is proposed to replace the 2015 Clean Power Plan—which the Supreme Court stayed in February 2016 and never went into effect. According to the EPA, the replacement is necessary because the Obama-era Clean Power Plan “exceeded the EPA’s authority.” However, like the Clean Power Plan, […]
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Renewables
Storage Bringing Change to Energy Markets
Energy industry experts speaking at the MEGA Symposium in Baltimore, Maryland, on August 21 agreed that storage is becoming more important to the overall mix of U.S. power sources. They also said utility-scale storage solutions remain “years away,” even as technology advancements in battery systems occur more rapidly. Panelists at the session entitled “The Transformation […]
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Legal & Regulatory
Trump Emissions Plan Aims to Boost Coal-Fired Power
The Trump administration has proposed an overhaul of U.S. power plant emissions rules, unveiling a plan that would allow individual states to determine how they will regulate pollutants. The proposal, called the Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) plan and discussed during the keynote address at the MEGA Symposium in Baltimore, Maryland, on August 21, would essentially dissolve […]
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Legal & Regulatory
A Brief History of the Clean Power Plan (VIDEO)
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a proposed rule to replace the Clean Power Plan—a rule regulating greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) from existing coal-fired power plants. The new “Affordable Clean Energy” rule sets GHG guidelines for states to set standards for performance for existing coal-fired power plants. The proposal is the newest development in a […]
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Coal
Potential Navajo Station Operator—Less Capacity Equals More Profit
The possible new operator of the largest coal-fired power plant in the western U.S. told Arizona regulators this week the company would run the Navajo Generating Station (NGS) at less than half its installed generation capacity in order to maintain profitability. An official for Illinois-based Middle River Power (MRP) also said the plant would operate […]
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Press Releases
MHPS Enhances Capabilities, Invests in Manufacturing Facilities, and Takes the Lead in Gas Turbine Market
It’s no secret that the gas turbine market in the Americas has been tough in recent years. Across the industry, there have been reports of shrinking orders, forcing drastic measures to cut costs, including restructuring of businesses and cutting large numbers of jobs. The story from Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems has been markedly different. In […]
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Press Releases
Siemens to boost power output and efficiency at Al-Sadder power plant in Iraq
Siemens’ digital services to maximize power plant’s performance Assets will generate more power and supply electricity to an additional 100,000 homes Project supports Iraq’s goal of meeting electricity demand In line with Iraq’s goal to improve the efficiency and availability of the country’s power plants, Siemens will provide inspection and upgrade services for two power […]
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Legal & Regulatory
Judge Rules New York Gas Plant Can Resume Startup Tests
A New York Supreme Court judge on August 15 said Competitive Power Ventures (CPV) can resume startup tests at its new natural gas-fired power plant in Wawayanda. The decision Wednesday from Judge Roger D. McDonough came one day after CPV sued New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). CPV is seeking an injunction allowing it […]
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Legal & Regulatory
States Would Set Rules Under Trump Emissions Plan
A report from POLITICO says the Trump administration’s rollback of the Obama-era Clean Power Plan (CPP) would give individual states more leeway to set their own rules governing emissions from power plants. POLITICO, which covers politics and policy both in the U.S. and internationally, said its review of a draft document, and information from a […]
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Legal & Regulatory
Group: Indiana Should Reject Vectren Plan for New Gas-Fired Plant
An Indiana consumer protection agency has told state regulators they should reject Vectren Corp.’s plan to build a new natural gas-fired power plant in the state. Vectren wants the plant to replace four of the utility’s retiring coal-fired units. Indiana’s Office of Utility Consumer Counselor (OUCC) on August 13 said it completed a five-month legal […]
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Legal & Regulatory
Official: FERC, Other Agencies Identifying ‘Critical’ Coal, Nuclear Plants
An official with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) told a nuclear industry group this week that the agency and Trump administration officials are trying to identify power plants they consider critical to the nation’s grid. The move is seen as part of the White House effort to prop up the struggling U.S. coal and […]