Gas
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Hydrogen
California, Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Hubs Secure First Tranche of $7B Federal Awards
The California Hydrogen Hub and the Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Hub have garnered a combined $57.5 million in the first tranche of funding under the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) $7 billion Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs (H2Hubs) program. H2Hubs, managed by DOE’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED), is backed by funding from the Infrastructure Investment and […]
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Gas
Landrieu: Natural Gas Is ‘Not the Enemy, It Is Part of the Solution’ to Achieving Climate Goals
Former U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.), who is now a senior policy advisor for the law firm Van Ness Feldman and co-chair of the Natural Allies Leadership Council, is keen on natural gas and believes it is part of the solution to reaching both domestic and global climate goals. “Natural gas in America is not […]
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Renewables
Colorado Power Provider Will Add 760 MW of Renewable Energy
Platte River Power Authority’s board of directors approved the utility’s 2024 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) on July 25, including the recommended “optimal new carbon” portfolio that adds 760 MW of new renewable energy projects between now and 2030. “We’ve heard from numerous community members throughout this process and I appreciate how transparent Platte River continues […]
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Legal & Regulatory
Federal Court Rejects Stay on EPA’s Carbon Pollution Standards in Setback for Power Industry
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia has denied motions to stay a suite of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations that champion carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology as a key pathway for reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) from fossil fuel-fired power plants. The rules face legal challenges from 24 states, eight […]
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Gas
Shifting from Coal to Gas: One Co-op’s Award-Winning Journey
In 2018, Cooperative Energy, a generation and transmission co-op headquartered in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, had an issue to deal with. Several years earlier, it had joined the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO), giving the power provider access to a competitive market. However, Cooperative Energy’s R.D. Morrow Sr. Generating Station, a 400-MW two-unit coal-fired facility that had […]
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Coal
Price Swings Mean Coal May Replace Natural Gas in European Power Mix This Winter
Higher prices for natural gas across Europe mean some countries, particularly in Eastern Europe, likely will burn more coal for power generation during the upcoming winter season. Coal remains a large part of the energy mix in Germany—the largest energy consumer in Europe—as well as other countries such as Poland, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Romania, […]
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Gas
Largest Maine Natural Gas Provider Acquiring Second-Largest Supplier
Unitil Corp., the largest provider of natural gas in Maine, on July 9 said it has a deal to purchase Bangor Natural Gas Co., which has been the state’s No. 2 provider of the fuel. The Maine Public Utilities Commission, which still must approve the merger, said Unitil has about 27,000 customers in Maine, most […]
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Hydrogen
Group Expects Huge Jump in Global Revenue for Hydrogen-Capable Gas Turbines
A new report from Guidehouse Insights, the Colorado-based dedicated market intelligence arm of Guidehouse, estimates global revenue for hydrogen-capable gas turbines (HGTs) will grow to more than $7 billion by 2033. The group said HGTs will help to buffer intermittent electricity output from renewable resources, and provide stability for the power grid. The report released […]
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Top Plant
Morrow Reinvented: HL-Class Gas Turbine Powers a Coal Plant’s Rebirth
The Morrow Repower Project, winner of POWER’s 2024 Reinvention Award, exemplified a strategic coal-to-gas conversion at a brownfield site that masterfully combined cutting-edge advanced technology with a
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Gas
Mexico Increases Reliance on Natural Gas to Support Electricity Demand
Mexico is ramping up its use of natural gas for power generation, with several plants coming online in recent years, and at least 10 more (Table 1) expected to come online this year, next year, or in 2026. The
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Hydrogen
POWER Digest [July 2024]
Economics Could Bring Early Closure for Slovenia Coal-Fired Plant. Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob in May said the Termoelektrana Šoštanj (TEŠ) facility, the country’s only remaining coal-fired
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O&M
Tips for HRSG Maintenance and Upgrade Success
The heyday of combined cycle plant construction (especially in the U.S.) was at the start of the millennia. Between 2000 and 2005, about 130 GW of natural gas–fired combined cycle plants opened in the U.S.
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Legal & Regulatory
Supreme Court Halts EPA’s ‘Good Neighbor Plan’
The U.S. Supreme Court in a 5–4 vote blocked enforcement of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) final “Good Neighbor Plan,” a rule intended to significantly cut smog-forming nitrogen oxide (NOx) pollution from power plants and other industrial facilities in 23 states. In the meantime, the applicants, which include the states of Ohio, Indiana, and West […]
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Gas
Siemens Energy, GE Vernova Each Will Build Two, 2-GW Gas-Fired Power Stations in Saudi Arabia
Siemens Energy and GE Vernova each announced the companies would support construction of large combined-cycle power plants in Saudi Arabia as part of that country’s plan to increase its supply of electricity to support a growing population. The gas-fired facilities—Taiba 1 and 2, and Qassim 1 and 2—will be built in the western and central […]
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Hydrogen
Advancing Ceramic Matrix Composites and Environmental Barrier Coatings for Hydrogen Turbines: Challenges and Opportunities
Decarbonization goals call for advancing high-impact energy technologies. The U.S. has pledged to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, a goal that presents both challenges and opportunities in the field of advanced materials. This ambitious goal requires a wide range of technological advancements to enable the shift from fossil fuel-based systems to more sustainable and low-carbon […]
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Legal & Regulatory
GOP Lawmakers Aim to Protect Coal and Gas-Fired Power Plants from EPA Rules
Forty-three Republican senators (along with one Independent) introduced a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution of disapproval on June 5 to overturn emissions rules issued by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which they say target existing coal-fired power plants and new gas-fired plants. The action was led by U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Ranking Member […]
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Gas
New Gas-Fired Power Plants Proposed in Southeast Texas
Entergy Texas filed an application with the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) for approval to build two natural gas power plants—one in Jefferson County and the other in Liberty County. “The Legend and Lone Star Power Stations will address the critical need for increased power generation capacity, support increased economic activity throughout the region, […]
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Gas
Filings Support 41 GW of New Gas-Fired Generation Across Texas
Texas’ plan to add more natural gas-fired power generation capacity, supported by money from a newly created energy fund, received a boost when several companies announced their intention to file applications to build new facilities under the program. Vistra on May 30 said it plans to add as much as 2 GW of gas-fired generation […]
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Gas
Mitsubishi Power Supplying Turbines for 1.6-GW Gas-Fired Plant in Brazil
Mitsubishi Power will supply its gas turbine technology to a new power plant in Brazil, a 1.6-GW facility considered among the largest electricity generation projects in Latin America. The company on May 31 said a consortium including Mitsubishi Power and CONSAG Engenharia signed an agreement with Portocem Geração de Energia S.A. and New Fortress Energy […]
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News
NERC: Summer Grid Outlook Improved But Still Vulnerable to Extreme Weather, Demand Growth Spikes
All regions across the bulk power system (BPS) are generally prepared to meet resource adequacy criteria to meet normal peak demand this summer, but ongoing concerns about extreme weather events, rapid demand growth, and systemic vulnerabilities still pose significant risks for supply shortfalls and grid reliability, the North American Electric Reliability Corp. (NERC) has warned. […]
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Commentary
Clean Hydrogen: America’s Promising Next Fuel Source for a Resilient Energy Future
The past few years have shown that the need for cleaner energy sources is only growing, while balancing economic and infrastructure concerns remains vital to safeguard American energy dominance and security. The 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and 2022 Inflation Reduction Act are two recent examples of massive investments into American infrastructure and jobs, forging ahead […]
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Legal & Regulatory
How Regulatory Burdens and Misguided Incentives Are Degrading Power System Reliability
It’s no secret that the U.S. electric power system has undergone a remarkable transition that continues today. Coal-fired generation, which was the leading source of power generation during the 20th century, often providing more than half of the country’s electricity supply, fell to about 16.2% of the mix in 2023. Meanwhile, the U.S. solar market […]
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Legal & Regulatory
States, Trade Groups Sue EPA Over New Fossil Fuel Rules
More than two dozen states and a handful of trade groups filed separate lawsuits in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, challenging parts of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) suite of new final environmental regulations targeting fossil-fired power plants. The challenges respond to the publication in the Federal Register on May 9 […]
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Gas
TVA Secures 16 GE Vernova Aeroderivative Gas Turbine Packages for Kingston Replacement
GE Vernova has bagged the Tennessee Valley Authority’s (TVA’s) first order as part of a fast-track project to replace the 1.3-GW Kingston Fossil Plant in Tennessee with a 1.5-GW modern complex. The original equipment manufacturer will supply 16 aeroderivative LM6000VELOX dual fuel DLE (dry low emissions) gas turbine and generator packages, which are expected to deliver […]
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Gas
Industry Exec: Data Centers Will Drive Demand for Natural Gas
An executive with the TC Energy, a group that is among the largest operators of natural gas pipelines in North America, said electricity demand from energy-intensive data centers will support an increased need for the fuel in the coming years. Stanley Chapman, executive vice president and COO of Calgary, Alberta-based TC Energy, in a May […]
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Energy Security
FERC: Improved Preparations Mitigated January Winter Storms, Resulting in No Load Shed
Reliability measures implemented after Winter Storm Uri and Elliott were largely effective at averting distress on the power and natural gas systems during two severe arctic storms that swept across North America in quick succession in January, staff from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and the North American Reliability Corp. (NERC) have reported. During […]
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Legal & Regulatory
EPA Unleashes Four-Pronged Assault on Fossil Fuel Power Pollution
In an unprecedented move, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on April 25 simultaneously finalized four major environmental rules covering greenhouse gases (GHG), air toxics, wastewater discharges, and coal combustion residuals from fossil fuel-fired power plants. Among the rules is the EPA’s final Carbon Pollution Standards, which marks the agency’s third attempt to broadly curb […]
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Legal & Regulatory
Federal U.S. Power Sector Initiatives Went Full Throttle in April: Here’s the List
The Biden administration has unveiled several sweeping actions over the past month aimed at boosting clean energy deployment, enhancing manufacturing jobs, and reducing pollutant emissions across the power sector. The measures—many announced as part of a comprehensive Earth Week agenda on April 25—are notable for their strategic push in an election year, highlighting the administration’s […]
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Legal & Regulatory
EPA Denies Industry Petition to Delist Stationary Combustion Turbines as Hazardous Pollutants
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has denied an industry petition seeking to delist stationary combustion turbines from the agency’s list of hazardous air pollutants (HAP) major source categories regulated under section 112 of the Clean Air Act (CAA). The agency’s final action on April 11 responds to an August 2019 petition filed by several […]
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Legal & Regulatory
FERC Proposal Would Cut Reactive Power Compensation, a Potential Hit to Independent Power Producer’s Revenue Mix
In a time where capacity revenues are pricing lower and many generation owners find that their facilities are not being dispatched for energy on a consistent basis, reliable revenue streams are increasingly important. In addition to selling energy and capacity, many generation facilities collect fixed, monthly payments for the provision of “reactive power,” which are […]