News

Onshore wind and photovoltaic (PV) solar power are the cheapest forms of new-build power generation for at least two-thirds of the world’s population, according to analysis published by research company BloombergNEF (BNEF). Meanwhile, battery storage has become the lowest-cost new-build technology for peaking purposes in gas-importing regions, such as Europe, China, and Japan. BNEF reported […]

General Electric (GE) on April 29 reported a steep drop in first-quarter revenue, with the industrial giant—like many companies—taking a major hit from the coronavirus pandemic. The company reported a year-over-year revenue decline of 8%, with posted revenue of $20.524 billion, and noted a $1 billion negative impact to cash flow during the quarter. The […]

Valmet has received an order from Zespół Elektrowni Pątnów-Adamów-Konin SA (ZE PAK) to convert a lignite-fired boiler into a biomass-fired boiler at its power plant in Konin, Poland. The order is included in Valmet’s orders received of the second quarter 2020. The value of the order is approximately EUR 20 million. The converted boiler plant […]

Ahead of most of the U.S., California state and local officials in the first weeks of March adopted some of the earliest and strongest steps to restrict movement and close non-essential businesses in order to fight the spread of the COVID-19 disease. One of the key challenges in implementing these “shelter-in-place” orders was how to […]

Workers who install solar power and energy storage systems, along with those working in other sectors of renewable energy, are considered “essential” to maintain “critical infrastructure” in California, according to a clarification from the California Energy Commission (CEC). The state’s Public Health Officer had earlier designated a variety of personnel, mainly health care staff, as […]

Over 2 Million Tons of Ash from Retired Coal-Fired Power Plant Will Be Beneficially Used in Concrete Industry LOUISVILLE, KY (April 28, 2020) – Charah® Solutions, Inc. (NYSE: CHRA) (the “Company”), a leading provider of environmental and maintenance services to the power generation industry, today announced that it recently was awarded a Closure by Removal […]

U.S. power plant operators continue to change procedures at their facilities, including pushing back scheduled maintenance, due to lockdowns and quarantines associated with the coronavirus pandemic. The changes are impacting companies such as General Electric (GE) and Siemens, which are major service providers to power plants, at a time when these global companies already are […]

One of the two remaining operating reactors at the Indian Point Energy Center in Buchanan, New York, will close for good on April 30, shutting down early as part of an agreement between Entergy, the plant’s operator, the state of New York, and environmental groups who had pressured officials to close the plant. The 1,020-MW […]

Flagship power plant and equipment firm Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems (MHPS) plans to change its name to “Mitsubishi Power” once it receives approval from antitrust authorities in several countries. The rebrand announced by the Yokohama, Japan–headquartered MHPS on April 24 will reflect a change in ownership announced in December, when Japanese technology conglomerate Hitachi said […]

Earth Day is normally when we honor the headway made in advancing environmental and climate goals, while also reflecting on the challenges that remain before us. However, this year our society was caught up in a pandemic-induced economic downturn that has left Americans focused squarely on sensible preservation of ourselves, our families, and our way of […]

Moltex Energy, a privately held nuclear power development company headquartered in the UK with an office in New Brunswick, Canada, has entered into a collaboration agreement with Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) to support Moltex’s nuclear fuel development program for its Stable Salt Reactor (SSR), among the latest technology advancements for small modular reactors (SMRs). The […]

GE’s modernization of Bashkir Generation Company LLC’s TTP-2 Plant was completed on time, successfully and safely The project is expected to extend the maintenance interval by 25% at the TPP-2 plant—equivalent to approximately seven months GE’s localized support through its GE Energy Technology Center in Kaluga, including a SGT-800* spare parts warehouse, ensures availability of […]

The U.S. will attempt to regain its international standing as a world leader in nuclear energy through a three-pronged strategy that will essentially seek to strengthen the full domestic nuclear fuel cycle, possibly deny imports of nuclear fuel fabricated in Russia or China, and promote advanced reactor technologies. The strategy is outlined in the White […]

In many locations, solar power is already the lowest-cost renewable energy alternative available. Some of the advantage stems from advancements made in manufacturing processes and economies of scale that solar companies have captured. Operating costs also factor into the equation—solar’s operating costs are minimal while operating expenses for wind power are more substantial. Still, Brendan […]

Dropsafe aids expansion into a wider variety of operating environments in multiple industries with XE & ME models Hong Kong, 23rd April – Global leader in Drops prevention, Dropsafe, has announced today that it is expanding its Barrier range to meet industry demand for robust Drops prevention solutions across all environments. Industries such as power generation and […]

To help nuclear generators manage worker fatigue amid the intensifying COVID-19 pandemic, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has so far granted individually requested exemptions from work-hour controls to seven U.S. nuclear power plants. As described by NRC Director of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Ho Nieh in March 28 letters sent to at least three industry leaders, […]

One of the more memorable experiences from my years with GE’s renewable energy business was managing through a growth spurt in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis. From 2009–2012, U.S. installed wind capacity more than doubled, from 25 GW to 60 GW. The 14 GW installed in 2012 remain a single-year record. It is no […]

How companies respond to the COVID-19 pandemic will determine their public reputations, and those of their leaders and key employees, for years if not decades. This, along with public safety, is why “Priority Number One” for the CEOs of power producers, utilities, and grid operators is to make sure critical employees, such as control room […]

Suitable for all markets, the new digital smart positioner is appropriate for both control and on/off valve applications where enhanced diagnostics are required. It is ideal for highly critical applications in chemical/petrochemical processes. The YT-3700 and YT-3750 pneumatic smart positioners employ continuous monitoring and graphic display of valve position, set point target over time and […]

Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) announced April 22 that Bill Johnson, the president and CEO who took over those roles in the midst of the company’s bankruptcy proceedings, will step down June 30 after just more than one year on the job. The company said Bill Smith, a PG&E board member, will serve as interim […]

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has approved the North American Electric Reliability Corporation’s (NERC’s) motion to defer implementation of seven reliability standards—including for grid cybersecurity—that were slated to become effective this year. In an April 17 order, FERC approved NERC’s April 6 requested motion to defer the implementation of the standards, which have effective […]

The latest version of the Electricity Subsector Coordinating Council’s (ESCC’s) resource guide to assess and mitigate COVID-19 suggests the U.S. power sector continues to grapple with key concerns involving control center continuity, power plant continuity, access to restricted and quarantined areas, mutual assistance, and supply chain challenges. In its fifth and sixth versions of the […]

Independent power producer Neoen Australia said an expansion of the world’s largest lithium-ion battery system has completed its network connection, bringing the Tesla-supported Hornsdale Power Reserve, adjacent to a wind farm in South Australia, to a rated size of 150 MW/193.5 MWh. It’s the latest in a series of projects being developed worldwide to add […]

Will Provide Turnkey Environmental Liability Transfer Services to Repurpose Former B.C. Cobb Ash Ponds LOUISVILLE, KY (April 20, 2020) – Charah® Solutions, Inc. (NYSE: CHRA) (the “Company”), a leading provider of environmental and maintenance services to the power generation industry, today announced that it will close the B.C. Cobb Generating Facility’s Ash Ponds previously owned […]

John Lammas, GE Power’s chief technology officer and vice president of generation technology, an innovator who championed breakthroughs in gas turbine technology both for jet travel and power generation, died suddenly on April 12. GE commemorated Lammas in an emotional tribute to his 35-year legacy at the technology conglomerate, noting his work could be seen […]

Legal challenges to the Trump administration’s Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) rule began in earnest April 17, as more than two dozen states and cities, along with several environmental activist groups, filed briefs with the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., seeking a rollback of power plant regulations that also have been decried by coal […]

2020 will be a year dominated by environmental issues. Governments are under increasing pressure from climate activists and protest groups to address carbon emissions and reduce fossil fuel consumption. The effect of this scrutiny has been largely felt in the energy sector. This decade organizations within this industry will have to manage new environmental taxes […]

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on April 16 withdrew the legal justification for an Obama-era rule that required coal-fired power plants to reduce their emissions of mercury. The Mercury and Air Toxic Standards (MATS) remains in place, but Thursday’s action by the Trump administration could prevent similar regulations from being implemented in the future. EPA […]

The trade group representing the U.S. wind energy industry says the sector emerged as the top provider of new utility-scale power generation in the nation in 2019, with 9.1 GW of large wind power projects coming online. The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), in its Wind Powers America Annual Report 2019 released April 16, said […]

A 22.7 MW flexible gas power plant delivered to Benndale, Mississippi, USA by the technology group Wärtsilä commenced commercial operations on 8 April, 2020, allowing electricity to be sold to the grid. The plant is owned by Cooperative Energy, a member owned electric cooperative, and was supplied by Wärtsilä on a full Engineering, Procurement & […]