News
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News
New Wind Farm Brings More Power to Senegal
Senegal is among the African nations trying to increase access to electricity for its population. U.S. officials estimate about 35% of the country’s 16 million people do not have access to power. The
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Safety
Linemen Safety Best Practices and Apparel Selection
When a storm hits or the worst of weather conditions blow through, you’re there. The community of linemen is like no other because when the power goes out, you get to work. How do linemen remain prepared to
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News
POWER Digest [April 2020]
Group Readies Hydrogen Production Plant in Japan. A consortium including Toshiba, Tohoku Electric Power, and Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) in March said it has
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Fuel
Conveyor Energy Storage: A Battery and Pumped Hydro Alternative
A new conveyor-based system offers an alternative energy storage technology. The heart of the system is a reversible conveyor belt that converts between electrical energy and gravitational potential energy by
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Instrumentation & Controls
Instrumentation Fittings for Power Plants
A lot must be reviewed prior to selecting the right fitting for power plant instrumentation applications. Among the choices are whether to use single- or double-ferrule designs; heat codes, lubrication, and
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Safety
New Lockout-Tagout Program Improves Safety
As one of the U.S.’s premier energy companies, Southern Company is committed to providing a safe work environment for employees. It regularly implements best-in-class safety procedures to ensure compliance
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O&M
Understanding Diesel Fuel Storage Requirements
Liquid fuel storage requirements are based on fuel type, usage, and whether the fuel is “combustible” or “flammable” as assessed by the fuel flash point. This article presents information on applicable
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News
EPRI Training Courses Support Nuclear Plant Operations
The Turkey Point nuclear generating facility in Florida in December 2019 became the first U.S. nuclear plant to receive authorization from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to extend its operating life from 60
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News
Show Preview – Electric Power
POWER magazine was scheduled to host the 22nd annual ELECTRIC POWER Conference & Exhibition April 14–17, 2020, at the Colorado Convention Center (Figure 1) in Denver, Colorado. However, out of concern
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Hydro
Water-Lubricated Bearings Offer Benefits for Hydropower Plants
Significant operating and economic benefits can be realized by replacing a poorly functioning or damaged oil-lubricated turbine guide bearing with a water-lubricated design (Figure 4), as part of a
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News
Why We Need More Public Investment in Energy Storage Technology
When three scientists won the Nobel Peace Prize last year for their work on lithium-ion batteries, The New York Times was one of many outlets that drew the connection between improved energy storage and the
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Solar
What Does It Take to Develop Utility-Scale Solar Projects?
Constructing a utility-scale solar project requires more than simply buying PV panels and mounting them in a field. It can take years to find the right location, conduct feasibility studies, obtain permits, and align the proverbial stars. A couple of experts, who have managed multiple projects through the process, were guests on The POWER Podcast. […]
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Workforce
How One Fabrication Shop in Alabama Is Powering Through the Pandemic
Drive one hour south of Birmingham and you will find the not-so-small town of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, county population of more than 207,000. Known as the home of the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa is rich in history, arts, young professionals, rooted families, and famous Southern hospitality. At the heart of this college town is a culture […]
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News
EU Unveils Key Elements of its Green Deal
The European Commission in December 2019 announced its new European Green Deal, a set of major policy and legislative proposals that position the EU as the global leader on environmental and climate issues. Since then, the Commission has published a draft EU climate law and is seeking stakeholder input on potential revisions to the Energy […]
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Coronavirus
ClearSpan Reacts to COVID-19 with Disaster Response Structures
ClearSpan Structures has quickly adjusted their manufacturing facility to provide governments, medical centers and communities with rapidly deployable disaster response structures and medical buildings. ClearSpan is now able to ship these buildings in fewer than 24 hours, and because of this quick turn around, the company already has buildings being used to respond to the […]
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News
Coronavirus and German Renewable Energy Projects: Some Specific Regulatory Topics
The coronavirus pandemic is currently turning the entire world upside down and each and every market is experiencing its impact. The German electricity market is no exception. Other issues caused by the spread of the coronavirus may also affect German renewables projects, such as delays in permitting and tender proceedings, and limitations on the free […]
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Gas
Lake Charles Power Station Achieves Commercial Operation
Plant will provide clean, affordable and reliable energy to Louisiana customers WESTLAKE, La. – Entergy Louisiana’s state-of-the-art Lake Charles Power Station began commercial operation March 28, providing another source of reliable and clean energy to a region that has seen substantial growth in recent years. “We are excited to announce Lake Charles Power Station achieved […]
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Wind
Siemens Gamesa blazes a trail in Sweden securing first order for industry leading 170-meter rotor onshore turbine
It has now sealed Scandinavian deals for the two variants of the Siemens Gamesa 5.X platform highlighting its strong fit with northern Europe markets The company will supply eight SG 5.8-170 to Danish developer Eurowind Energy A/S. The turbines will operate at up to 6.2 MW delivering unmatched annual energy production Wind turbines to be […]
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Gas
GE-led Consortium to Build Two High-Efficiency, Lower Emission HA Combined Cycle Power Units at Dolna Odra Power Plant in Poland
PGE’s Dolna Odra Plant will be equipped with two GE 9HA.01 gas turbines and two STF-D650 steam turbines to deliver world-class efficiency and flexibility for the combined cycle power plant 1.4 gigawatt (GW) plant will produce the equivalent electricity needed to power approximately 1 million Polish households while meeting the most rigorous environmental standards for […]
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News
NRC to Consider COVID-19 Exemptions for Nuclear Plant Work-Hour Controls
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) on March 28 told industry that it is prepared to grant requests from individual nuclear generators for exemptions from work-hour controls specified in its rules to help provide more flexibility to the sector as it grapples with workforce issues related to the COVID-19 public health emergency. The objective of the […]
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News
Unit 4 Top Head for Containment Vessel in Place at Vogtle
The two-unit expansion of the Plant Vogtle nuclear power plant in Georgia reached another milestone March 27, with the placement of the Unit 4 containment vessel top head. Friday’s work comes about one year after the Unit 3 containment vessel top was lifted into place. “Placement of the Unit 4 top head is a culmination […]
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News
NYISO Workers Now Living at Grid Control Centers
The New York Independent System Operator (NYISO), one of the nation’s nine regional transmission organizations (RTOs) that operate the power grid, now has some of its staff living at two of its control centers in suburban Albany, New York. The move comes as other RTOs and utilities consider having staff shelter-in-place at their respective operations […]
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Power Demand
Electricity Demand Decreases Due to Coronavirus Lockdowns
A study published by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) shows peak demand and energy use decreased as much as 21% in some areas as a result of actions taken to reduce the spread of COVID-19. The report—COVID-19 Bulk System Impacts: Demand Impacts and Operational and Control Center Practices—was released on March 27. It reviews […]
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COVID-19
EPA Relaxes Noncompliance Enforcement During COVID-19 Pandemic
Adopting a new temporary policy that gives it more “enforcement discretion,” the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said March 26 it does not expect to seek penalties for civil violations of the agency’s rules that result from the COVID-19 pandemic. The policy adopted Thursday addresses concerns that regulated facilities are facing potential worker shortages, travel restrictions, […]
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News
FERC, NARUC Want Utility Workers Designated as ‘Essential’
Two agencies aligned with the power generation industry, including the group representing state public service commissioners who regulate utility services, including energy, telecommunications, and water, are asking state regulators to designate utility company workers as essential to the nation’s critical infrastructure during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and the National Association […]
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News
District Energy Group Outlines Emergency Preparedness Steps
The International District Energy Association (IDEA), a group founded in 1909 to help the district energy sector share information, held a COVID-19 Working Group Conference Call on March 23 to discuss emergency preparedness measures underway at district energy systems around the world. IDEA is providing this call as a free webinar, available here. IDEA has […]
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Nuclear
COVID-19 Threatens Outages Scheduled at 97% of U.S. Nuclear Sites in 2020
Challenged by the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. nuclear industry has asked the Trump administration to ensure nuclear workers, suppliers, and vendors will have access to nuclear plants and personal protective equipment (PPE) during the 2020 spring and fall refueling outage seasons and beyond. All but two of the nation’s nuclear sites had scheduled planned outages […]
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News
Sole U.S. Uranium Conversion Plant Secures NRC License Renewal
Honeywell International’s uranium conversion plant in Metropolis, Illinois, has received the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s (NRC’s) approval to run for 40 more years. The approval for the nation’s sole conversion facility is key to ensure it can continue supplying uranium hexafluoride (UF6), a basic component of enriched nuclear fuel used in commercial nuclear power reactors. The […]
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News
Renewable Energy Advocates Decry Lack of Help in Stimulus Bill
The $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus bill passed by the U.S. Senate on March 25 should provide some economic relief to the nation’s households and businesses, but the renewable energy industry is disappointed the bill does not extend investment tax credits and other incentives to keep wind, solar, and other projects moving forward. Clean-energy industry groups […]
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Coronavirus
COVID-19: Resources for the Solar Industry
As the economic crisis brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic evolves, one thing has become very clear – the solar industry is at risk. A survey of our member companies conducted over the past ten days provides further proof points to this story: the data clearly shows that solar companies and workers are being put out of […]