News

  • Introducing the Spectrum of Utility Solar Actions

    Consumer interest in rooftop solar is higher than ever. The most recent numbers from Pew Research show 89% of U.S. adults favor the expanded use of solar power, while only 9% oppose. Historically, this interest has only been met by solar salespeople, which can create a consumer protection risk. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has taken notice: […]

  • New Gas-Fired Plants Come Online in Michigan

    Upper Michigan Energy Resources Corp. (UMERC) placed two new natural gas-fired generating stations into commercial operation on March 31, part of the company’s plan to reshape its generation fleet as it seeks to “balance reliability and customer cost with environmental stewardship.” UMERC, a subsidiary of WEC Energy Group, also retired the coal-fired 430-MW Presque Isle […]

  • Vestas turbines to feature nacelle Lidar

    01 April 2019: Fred. Olsen Renewables places order with ZX Lidars for integrated nacelle wind Lidars on every turbine at the 105 MW Högaliden Wind Farm Fred. Olsen Renewables, a leading global developer, owner and operator of renewable energy assets has confirmed its most recent order of turbines features nacelle Lidar for both wind farm […]

  • DNV GL supports Equinor with verification study for Hywind Tampen floating wind farm

    Oslo, Norway– 1st April 2019 –DNV GL, the world’s largest independent energy advisory and certification body, today announces that it is working with Equinor to undertake a third-party verification study of the Hywind Tampen floating wind farm in Norway. Hywind Tampen is expected to be the world’s first offshore wind farm powering oil platforms. Situated […]

  • SeaPlanner Awarded Contract to Support Triton Knoll Construction

    SeaPlanner Ltd has been awarded the contract by Triton Knoll Offshore Wind Farm Limited, to provide its Marine Management System, SeaPlanner, and SeaHub communications solutions to support construction of the 857-MW offshore wind farm, Triton Knoll. The SeaPlanner Marine Management System will be deployed for use by the construction project team to coordinate all personnel […]

  • Inside NET Power: Gas Power Goes Supercritical 

    A project to demonstrate a novel power cycle that promises to produce low-cost, reliable, and flexible power from natural gas—while generating no atmospheric emissions, and fully capturing carbon dioxide—is inching closer to commissioning. Its developers are now actively assessing siting for the first commercial-scale 300-MW NET Power facility. NET Power’s 50 MWth Demonstration Plant in La […]

  • What Are Supercritical CO2 Power Cycles?

    While conventional power plant cycles produce power from turbines using water or steam as the working fluid, supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) cycles use CO2 that is in a supercritical state—at a temperature and pressure above its critical point where liquid and gas phases are not distinguishable.  CO2 has a relatively low critical pressure of 7.4 megapascal […]

  • Plenty of Natural Gas to Go Around—It Just Needs a Market

    Demand growth for natural gas for power generation may have slowed in the U.S., as renewable resources continue to take market share. With U.S. production continuing to hit record highs, and new gas-fired

  • Optimizing Kaplan Turbine Efficiency with Minimal Cost, Effort, and Time

    When the blades of individual Kaplan turbines are not continuously adjusted to achieve peak efficiency, the result is non-optimal performance and unnecessarily high mortality of downstream migrating fish

  • Is a Faster-Than-Real-Time Energy Management System Within Reach?

    Creating a faster-than-real-time Energy Management System (EMS) is a huge challenge for the power industry. In order to be considered faster-than-real-time, the EMS must be capable of executing within a

  • Controlling Boiler Level When Operating Conditions Change

    The right level instrumentation is key to keeping boilers on an even keel. Guided-wave radar offers a critical combination of capabilities. If asked to make a short list of factors able to improve heat rate

  • Replacing Retirees and Improving Reliability High on To-Do Lists

    What keeps you up at night? The question has become cliché as panel moderators now routinely ask it as a “thought-provoking” final query to close out executive roundtable sessions at industry conferences

  • The Economic Thicket of Generating Cost Comparisons

    Comparing the costs of differing electric generating technologies has become popular among advocates for particular technologies and those seeking to find the optimal approach to new generation. While getting

  • Autonomous Power Plant Takes Shape in Japan

    The world’s first autonomous combined cycle power plant is currently under construction at the Takasago Machinery Works facility in Japan, and it will be operational by 2020, according to Mitsubishi Hitachi

  • Show Preview: ELECTRIC POWER

    The ELECTRIC POWER Conference + Exhibition celebrates its 21st birthday this year, with the event scheduled for April 23–26 at the Mirage Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. ELECTRIC POWER for the past two

  • India Installs Its First Grid-Scale Battery Storage System

    India’s first grid-scale battery-based energy storage system was launched in February. The 10-MW system is owned by AES Corp. and Mitsubishi Corp., and operated by Tata Power Delhi Distribution Ltd. (Tata

  • Energy Resilience Demands Action—Just Not This One

    In an apparent attempt to show supporters he is making good on his pledge to revive the dying coal industry, President Trump has been trying to find a way to funnel tens of billions of dollars to a small

  • POWER Digest (April 2019): News Briefs from Around the World

    The Netherlands Orders Early Closure of Coal Plants. The Dutch government on March 8 told Swedish power producer Vattenfall to stop using coal at the 650-MW Hemweg-8 hard coal-fired unit in Amsterdam by the

  • Off-Grid Microgrid: Solar + Batteries + Thermal Generation

    Today’s microgrid installations showcase a variety of configurations and control systems. Commercial and industrial sites are finding innovative ways to power their operations, particularly those in remote

  • Flexible Operation of Nuclear Power Plants Ramps Up

    A widespread misconception persists that nuclear plants can only function as inflexible baseload sources of power—and it’s hurting prospects for the nuclear sector’s role in the world’s future power

  • Analytical Tool Helps HRSG Operators Compare Equipment Reliability

    Ever since deregulation came to the power industry, combined cycle plant managers have been trying to benchmark their production metrics and cycling costs against those of their competitors. There has always

  • Using Infrared Drone Technology to Inspect Solar Panels and Wind Turbines

    An East Coast industrial plant had for months experienced a significant dropoff in energy production from its 36,000-square-foot solar field. The plant’s maintenance team had been unable to find any problems

  • States Seek Financial Tools to Replace Coal with Clean Energy

    Colorado lawmakers are considering legislation (HB19-1037) designed to help the state’s investor-owned utilities gracefully back out of non-economic coal-fired power plants. Colorado is at the forefront of

  • Managing Thermal Quench Damage at Power Plants

    Attemperation equipment is necessary to control steam temperatures at many power plants. However, when the equipment functions improperly or the design is flawed, thermal quenching/shock can damage piping

  • Proper Valve Trim Extends Life of Boiler Feedwater Valves

    Boiler feedwater valves operate under severe service conditions and are subject to premature failure from seat leakage, cavitation, particulates, and frequent cycling. However, once the type and root cause of

  • Improving Safety and Efficiency with Reality Capture

    Reality capture uses laser scanning hardware to record the as-built conditions of any environment in a series of scans. These scans, once stitched together, create a holistic picture of structures, equipment

  • Working with Peers Is Critical to Power System Reliability [PODCAST]

    When conversations around the power industry turn to computer hacking, more often than not experts say it’s not a question of if, but rather, how systems have been compromised. William Doering, adjunct professor in the online Master’s in Business Administration program at Maryville University and a director with Guidehouse—a management consulting services provider—said he has participated […]

  • Chile’s Innovative Floating PV Project on AngloAmerican’s Tailings Pond

    Chile has its first floating solar farm installed and on a brand-new type of site: a tailings pond, owned by the mining giant AngloAmerican. Located at Los Bronces mines, north of Santiago, the 84 kWp pilot should generate 153 MWh per year for the company’s energy needs. The project, developed by Lenergie and for which […]

  • Bipartisan Senators Move to Cement Nuclear Power’s Future

    A wide-ranging bill introduced by a large group of bipartisan U.S. senators on March 27 seeks to cement the role advanced nuclear reactors will play in the nation’s future power mix.  The “Nuclear Energy Leadership Act” (NELA), aims to “reestablish U.S. leadership in nuclear energy,” which has been lost to state-sponsored development in Russia and […]