News
-
Technology
Big Data: The New Age of ‘Fortune Telling’ Requires Human Collaboration More Than Ever
Ancient Chinese fortune tellers used heated metal pokers to create cracks in bones or empty turtle shells. By reading the patterns in the cracks, they attempted to calm the unease that comes with the innate uncertainty of the world—especially the ancient world. They predicted the future and doled out advice that affected the fate and […]
-
O&M
A market with potential: AUMUND is increasing its focus on Conveying Solutions for Alternative Fuels
Rheinberg / Germany, June 2020 The cement, steel and power industries are all energy-intensive, and still predominantly use fossil fuels in their processes releasing carbon dioxide which is damaging to the environment. At the same time these industries have to comply with increasingly stringent domestic and international legal requirements in order to reduce their CO2 […]
-
Safety
Kee Safety® Introduces OSHA-Compliant Kee® Rigid Anchors
New Line of Rooftop Fall Arrest Systems Available in Stock for Shipment within 24 Hours (JUNE 2020) – Kee Safety, Inc., Buffalo, New York, announces the introduction of its comprehensive line of Kee Rigid Anchors fall arrest systems to provide personal fall protection in tie-back applications including suspended platforms, window washing, equipment tie-back, and general […]
-
News
iQ Series® Garments Made with DuPont™ Nomex® Comfort Win Innovation Award
Unique Design by Bulwark® Protection and Innovative Fabric by DuPont Are Winning Combination WILMINGTON, Del., June 23, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Bulwark® Protection and DuPont Safety & Construction today announced that the iQ Series® garment collection made exclusively with DuPont™ Nomex® Comfort fabric received a 2020 Innovation Award from the North American Association of Uniform Manufacturers & […]
-
News
Judge Approves PG&E Bankruptcy Exit
A federal judge in California has approved Pacific Gas & Electric’s plan to exit bankruptcy, clearing the way for the utility to compensate victims of a series of wildfires in the state that left more than 100 people dead in 2017 and 2018. The action by U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Dennis Montali on June 20 authorized […]
-
Fuel
Analysis Supports Coal-Like Fuel for Power Plants
A British company that manufactures a fuel that it says mimics coal said it “has received a significant endorsement” for the use of its product in the power generation sector. An analysis by Uniper Technologies said Helvellyn Group’s alternative fuel, known as SERF, “is technically suitable for use in large scale thermal power plants in […]
-
News
Siemens Gamesa Has New Head After Terminating CEO
Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE) has announced Andreas Nauen, who has led the growth of the company’s offshore wind power business, is taking over leadership of the company after the board of directors and CEO Markus Tacke “mutally agreed to terminate” Tacke’s contract. SGRE made the announcement June 17, saying Nauen immediately will assume the […]
-
Gas
GE’s 7F Gas Turbine Turns 30 with New Plant Commissioned in Mexico
The first GE 7F gas turbine began commercial operation 30 years ago this month. Since coming on the market, more than 950 7F machines have been commissioned, including four 7F.04 units that entered service recently at Techint’s Norte III combined cycle power plant in Mexico. The 907-MW Norte III facility is located in the municipality […]
-
News
Colorado Utility Will Close Coal Plant 16 Years Early
A Colorado-based electric utility owned by the four communities it serves announced it will close its remaining coal-fired plant by the end of the decade, a facility that had a planned retirement date of 2046. The Platte River Power Authority on June 16 said the 280-MW Unit 1 at its Rawhide Energy Station near Fort […]
-
News
PG&E Pleads Guilty in 84 Wildfire Deaths
Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) has pleaded guilty to 84 counts of involuntary manslaughter for its role in a 2018 wildfire considered the most devastating in California history. The Camp Fire, which began when a transmission line broke from an aged PG&E tower, destroyed the town of Paradise. The utility on Tuesday acknowledged its negligence […]
-
News
Vectren Will Close Coal Units, Add Renewables
Vectren Corp., the electric utility that serves much of southern Indiana, has announced a plan to shutter its remaining coal-fired power plants and transition to renewable energy. The utility also said it would add gas-fired generation to back up those renewable resources. Vectren’s June 15 announcement comes about two years after Northern Indiana Public Service […]
-
Nuclear
OPG Becomes First Utility to Snag Ownership Stake in Nuclear Microreactor Project
Marking the first time a utility has taken an ownership stake in a small modular reactor (SMR) project, Ontario Power Generation (OPG) formed a joint venture with Seattle-based Ultra Safe Nuclear Corp. (USNC) to build, own, and operate a proposed Micro Modular Reactor (MMR) demonstration at the Chalk River Laboratories (CRL) site in Ontario, Canada. […]
-
News
UK Energy Giant Will Cut 5,000 Jobs
Centrica, the major UK utility and the biggest supplier of energy to British homes, on June 11 said it would cut 5,000 jobs as part of a cost-cutting effort. CEO Chris O’Shea, who took over the company three months ago, said he also wants to simplify the utility’s business model. The company Thursday said the […]
-
Nuclear
Hydrogen May Be a Lifeline for Nuclear—But It Won’t Be Easy
Four U.S. nuclear generators—Energy Harbor, Xcel Energy, Exelon, and Arizona Public Service (APS)—are making headway on projects to demonstrate hydrogen production at nuclear plants, but scaling those efforts up to net new end-users and sources of revenue is still ridden with hurdles, company officials said in a panel discussion at the American Nuclear Society’s (ANS’s) […]
-
Hydrogen
Developers Make Progress on Solar-Powered Hydrogen Projects
Two projects focused on solar-powered hydrogen production made notable steps forward recently. One project, supported by Ricardo plc and the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC), will investigate “using existing solar capacity to produce hydrogen as an alternative to high-carbon fossil fuels.” While the other, developed by HyperSolar Inc., will begin the manufacturing process for its […]
-
T&D
The Importance of a Resilient Power System
It’s hurricane season in the U.S., which runs from June 1 through the end of November, and there have already been three named storms. The most recent was Tropical Storm Christobal, which was the earliest third-named Atlantic storm on record when it formed on June 2. It made landfall in the U.S. along the northern […]
-
T&D
Siemens HVDC power bridge will connect Crete with mainland Greece
• Attica-Crete interconnection will ensure a more secure power supply and increase integration of renewable energy • HVDC project will reduce half a million tons of CO2 emissions in first year of operation • Total order volume for Siemens-led consortium €370 million A consortium led by Siemens Gas and Power (Siemens Energy) has been awarded […]
-
News
Alabama PSC Backs Plan for New Gas Generation
Alabama Power’s plan to add about 2 GW of natural gas-fired power generation capacity to its portfolio was approved by the state’s Public Service Commission (PSC) on June 9. The PSC also supported the utility’s request to acquire 240 MW of gas-fired generation under a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) that should begin this year, […]
-
Nuclear
PPL Group LLC (“PPL”) to Sell New, Nuclear Grade Equipment from Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, LLC’s Cancelled MOX Project
NORTHBROOK, Ill., June 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — PPL Group, a premier buyer and seller of industrial machinery and equipment, is selling surplus assets from the Savannah River Site that are currently located at a property storage location in Barnwell, South Carolina. In partnership with AW Properties Global and Liquidity Services, Inc., PPL will sell approximately 450,000 […]
-
Nuclear
GE Hitachi Awarded Long-Term Outage Services Contract by TVO
WILMINGTON, NC—June 10, 2020—Teollisuuden Voima Oyj (TVO) has awarded a contract to GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH) to provide outage services for the Olkiluoto Nuclear Power Plant in Eurajoki, Finland. GEH will provide control rod drive mechanism exchange services for Olkiluoto units 1 and 2 for the remainder of the plant’s operating license. The first […]
-
T&D
Radix Develops Artificial Intelligence Tool to Improve Control Room Management and Operations for ISA CTEEP
June 9, 2020—Houston, Texas – Radix Engineering and Software today announced that ISA CTEEP, one of the main private electric power transmission concessionaires in Brazil, will rely on an Artificial Intelligence (AI) toolset created by Radix to improve its services. The objective is to improve decision-making and implement best practices that provide a comprehensive and […]
-
Fuel
Another Court Challenge for Nuclear Waste Storage Site
Another legal challenge has been filed against the ongoing effort to build a storage site for U.S. nuclear waste in the New Mexico desert. Beyond Nuclear, among the environmental and other groups opposed to the project that would be built by Holtec International, on June 4 filed a petition for review in the U.S. Court […]
-
Environmental
Conduct RATA Tests Faster and Comply with Regulations Using ESC | Spectrum’s New RATAView™ Software
AUSTIN, TX, June 9, 2020; ESC | Spectrum, the leading provider of CEMS Data Acquisition Software (DAS) and services, is excited to announce the launch of its newest solution: RATAView. RATAView is a subscription-based software that helps stack testers perform RATA tests accurately and efficiently to meet complex regulations and comply with 40 CFR Parts […]
-
Nuclear
SNC-Lavalin awarded inspection contracts for Cernavoda Unit 1 during 2020 outage
MONTREAL: June 9, 2020 – SNC-Lavalin (TSX:SNC) is pleased to announce its wholly-owned subsidiary Candu Energy Inc., was awarded two contracts by Societatea Nationala Nuclearelectrica S.A. (SNN). The contracts are for fuel channel and feeder assembly inspections on the Cernavoda Unit 1 CANDU® nuclear reactor during the 2020 outage. These contract wins are aligned with […]
-
Wind
Siemens to supply high-voltage equipment for major offshore wind project in the U.S.
• Siemens will provide main equipment for an electrical service platform for wind power project • Mayflower Wind developing a lease area with capacity of up to 1.6 gigawatts of renewable energy • Electricity for up to 680,000 U.S. households Siemens has been awarded an order from Danish customer Semco Maritime to provide the main […]
-
News
Senior Exec Will Plead Guilty to Fraud in Abandoned Nuclear Project
The man considered second-in-command at the former SCANA Corp. has agreed to plead guilty to criminal conspiracy fraud charges stemming from his role in the failed V.C. Summer nuclear power plant construction project. Stephen A. Byrne, SCANA’s former chief operating officer, will plead guilty for his alleged criminal actions, according to a document filed June […]
-
News
Vogtle Project ‘Highly Unlikely’ to Meet Deadlines
An official monitoring the progress of the Vogtle nuclear expansion project in Georgia said in testimony filed June 5 with the state’s Public Service Commission that the two new reactors are “highly unlikely” to meet state-approved deadlines, and also will probably have additional cost overruns. The expansion project involves construction of two, 1,100-MW AP1000 reactors […]
-
News
Using Geospatial Data to Strengthen the Grid Against Extreme Weather
Extreme weather events are hitting more often and harder than ever before, and storm-hardening regulations are prompting utilities to strengthen the electrical grid to withstand storm-force winds. As part of this effort, leading utilities are using drone-based data collection and analysis to assess how their electrical grids can withstand Mother Nature’s punishment. Aerial robotics and […]
-
Hydrogen
World’s First Integrated Hydrogen Power-to-Power Demonstration Launched
A consortium of European companies, research institutes, and universities have launched the world’s first demonstration of a fully integrated power-to-hydrogen-to-power project, at industrial scale and in a real-world power plant application. The four-year project to demonstrate HYFLEXPOWER, which has achieved a technology readiness level of 7, will convert a 12-MWe combined heat and power (CHP) […]
-
COVID-19
NERC: Summer 2020 Reliability Rife With Unknowns
Despite COVID-19’s impact on power demand, disrupted pre-season generation preparation, and an expected highly active hurricane and wildfire season, industry appears well-positioned to meet peak demand this summer under anticipated weather in nearly all parts of the North American bulk power system (BPS). Other than in the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), anticipated reserve […]