Gas
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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 […]
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Energy Security
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 […]
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Gas
Mitsubishi Power Supports New Gas-Fired Unit in Hong Kong
Mitsubishi Power, a division of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), announced the company has received an order for gas turbine combined cycle (GTCC) power generation system equipment for Lamma Power Station’s Unit 13. The unit will be built in Hong Kong by The Hongkong Electric Co., Ltd., known as HK Electric. The new turbine has an […]
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Coal
GE Will Support Major South Korean Coal-to-Gas Conversion
A coal-fired power plant in South Korea will use equipment from GE Vernova’s Gas Power business as the facility switches to burn natural gas as soon as 2027. GE Vernova on April 8 said it would supply a 7HA.02 gas turbine and a H65 generator for Korea Western Power Co.’s (KOWEPO’s) power station in Gongju-si, […]
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Interview
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 […]
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Coal
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 […]
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Trends
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 […]
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Hydrogen
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
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O&M
Critical Importance of Annual Turbine Oil Analysis
Turbines are by far the single most-costly piece of equipment for many energy businesses, which highlights the importance of lubrication for these assets. Although turbine oil could last for more than a
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Interview
Landrieu: Politics Not Aligned with Energy Reality
A significant disconnect between political rhetoric and the practical realities of energy production is posing an insidious hurdle for the future of power, former Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-Louisiana) has warned. Speaking candidly to POWER during CERAweek by S&P Global in Houston on March 21, the influential three-term Democrat (1997–2015) who chaired the U.S. Senate Energy […]
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Energy Security
CPS Energy to Acquire Talen’s 1.7-GW Gas Power Fleet in Texas for $785M
CPS Energy will acquire Talen Energy’s 1.7-GW portfolio—comprising three natural gas–fired power plants—in the Texas market for $785 million. The nation’s largest municipally owned power entity on March 27 said it reached an agreement with competitive generator Talen Energy for the acquisition. The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2024, “subject […]
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Gas
UK Commercial Gas Power Project Equipped With Carbon Capture Unveils Contractors
Eight engineering, procurement, and construction contract packages have been unveiled for the UK’s Teesside-based Net Zero Teesside Power (NZT Power), a landmark integrated project that could become one of the world’s first commercial-scale gas-fired power stations equipped with carbon capture when it begins operation in 2027. NZT Power, a joint venture between bp and Equinor, […]
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O&M
Combining the Digital and the Personal in CCPP Maintenance
In the era of cloud computing, the immense potential of planned predictive maintenance (PPM) cannot be denied. Access to a broad range of application programming interfaces could revolutionise critical component servicing, if not transform it entirely. Yet, while the possibility of entirely automating this process is clearly appealing, the use of machine learning and analytics […]