News

  • EPA Sends Replacement for Clean Power Plan to Trump

    The Trump administration is moving forward with its effort to replace the Clean Power Plan, with the president set to review a document sent to the White House on July 9. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on July 10 said a new rule, which insiders said would be more favorable to the coal industry, was […]

  • Small Modular Reactor Project Advances in Canada

    A Maryland-based company and its Canadian subsidiary have joined with a Canada utility in a project to develop, license, and build an advanced small modular reactor (SMR). Advanced Reactor Concepts of Chevy Chase, Maryland, along with ARC Nuclear Canada—operating collectively as ARC Nuclear (ARC)—and New Brunswick Power (NB Power) on July 9 said their SMR […]

  • China Tabs Siemens as Partner on Gas Turbines

    Siemens on July 9 said it has a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to work with China’s State Power Investment Corporation (SPIC) on heavy-duty gas turbines. Siemens said it will support SPIC’s research and development of the turbines and provide training and technical consultation. “The signing today will expedite finalization of a technology cooperation agreement in […]

  • EPA Chief Pruitt Resigns; Former Coal Lobbyist Takes Helm

    Scott Pruitt, chosen by President Donald Trump to lead the Environmental Protection Agency despite repeated lawsuits against the agency when he served as Oklahoma’s attorney general, resigned as EPA director July 5. Pruitt had been under scrutiny throughout his EPA tenure for questionable ethical decisions involving his office. Pruitt, who repeatedly said he had done […]

  • First Commercial AP1000, EPR Reactors Connected to Grid

    Two nuclear energy milestones were reached in the past week, as the world’s first commercial AP1000 and EPR reactors were connected to China’s power grid. Westinghouse announced Sanmen 1, the first AP1000 unit, was connected to the grid June 30, one day after Électricité de France (EDF) connected the first EPR reactor—Taishan 1—to the system. […]

  • FERC Thwarts ISO-NE’s Attempt to Keep Mystic Gas Units Online

    The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on July 2 denied ISO-New England’s (ISO-NE’s) request for a tariff waiver to keep two gas-fired units—a total capacity of 1,700 MW—at Exelon’s Mystic Generating Plant in Boston, Massachusetts, running to address “fuel security risks.” The commission instead gave the grid operator a year to submit permanent tariff revisions […]

  • FERC Nixes PJM’s Fixes for Capacity Market Besieged by Subsidized Resources

    In a 3–2 decision, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) rejected approaches filed by PJM Interconnection to reform its capacity market, whose integrity and effectiveness has been increasingly and “untenably threatened” by state subsidies for preferred generation resources, the federal regulatory body acknowledged. The June 29 order sharply divided the commission, prompting Democrat Commissioners Cheryl LaFleur […]

  • Japan’s New Energy Plan Commits to Renewables—And Nuclear and Coal, Too

    Japan’s government on July 3 approved a new Basic Energy Plan for the country, saying it is committed to increasing the role of renewable resources for power generation while also confirming it wants nuclear power to remain a vital part of the nation’s energy strategy. Japan issues a revised Basic Energy Plan, which outlines the […]

  • Oyster Creek Will Close Sept. 17; Fuel Could Remain at Site for 60 Years

    Officials with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) on July 2 said Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station, the country’s oldest operating nuclear power plant, will officially close on September 17. They also said radioactive material is likely to remain at the site in New Jersey until at least the late 2070s, and perhaps beyond. The […]

  • Solar Power Hits New Highs in Britain

    Solar power generation reached new highs in the United Kingdom recently, with a heat wave and stretch of sunny days across the country highlighting the potential for renewable energy in Britain. Solar produced a record 533 gigawatt hours (GWh) of power from June 21-28. Solar output topped 8 GW on each of the eight days, […]

  • THE BIG PICTURE: The Electric Vehicle Push

    Because the widespread adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) could ramp up demand for electricity and slash transportation-related emissions of carbon dioxide and other pollutants, a growing group of stakeholders, including power companies and trade groups, strongly advocate for an accelerated EV rollout. By mid-2018, several countries with potentially large EV markets had set EV deployment targets, as well […]

  • Innovative Narrowband Solution for SCADA Communications

    Great River Energy rolled out an extensive 700-MHz point-to-multipoint communications project within its 56,000-square-mile service area. Using high-order modulation, combined with full-duplex

  • Has Germany Paved the Way for the World’s Energy Transition?

    Germany is often touted as a leader in the global energy transition. Energiewende has been part of the country’s public discourse since the 1970s, stemming from an anti-nuclear movement prevalent at the

  • Human Factors: How Do Stress and Fatigue Affect Safety?

    Ergonomics—human-factors engineering—should be considered in all workplace improvement efforts. Feeling safe and staying clear of injuries can immensely contribute toward increased productivity by reducing

  • Russia Will Help Nigeria Develop Nuclear Plant

    Nigeria’s government joined with Russia’s State Atomic Energy Corp. (Rosatom) last year with a goal to develop the country’s first nuclear power plant, a plan that both sides confirmed and talked about

  • Equipment Showcase: Construction Equipment

    Successfully operating a power plant or other industrial complex depends on many things, including the vendors who supply equipment for construction of the facility, along with those who provide the materials

  • Hydropower Grows but Industry Is Changing

    New hydropower capacity installed worldwide plunged 36% in 2017 compared to 2016, but the sector remains optimistic about its future despite a transitioning role for hydropower away from baseload power and

  • Electric Vehicles—Subsidies for an Environmental Pretender

    On May 22, the Edison Electric Institute (EEI), the American Public Power Association (APPA), and two groups representing U.S. and foreign automakers sent a letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

  • Water-Capturing Cooling Tower Technology Makes Headway at MIT

    A cooling tower water recovery system designed by engineers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) could capture water from power plant fogs and plumes, potentially rendering them into a source

  • POWER Digest [July 2018]

    Renewable Projects Planned in Australia. CWP Renewables, a company based in Newcastle, New South Wales (NSW), Australia, on May 28 said it received a $700 million investment from Partners Group, a

  • Lubrication: Optimizing the Performance of Today’s Gas Turbines

    Modern gas turbines are designed to deliver more power and greater efficiencies. Several manufacturers, including GE, Siemens, and others, have established new marks for efficiency over the past year, reaching

  • How Will Interstate Natural Gas Pipeline Certification Change?

    The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on April 19 issued a Notice of Inquiry (NOI) to seek stakeholder input on how the agency should revise its 1999 Certificate Policy Statement regarding the review

  • Commitment, Teamwork, and Perseverance Pay Off as Nuclear Unit Wins Plant of the Year

    The Tennessee Valley Authority’s Watts Bar Nuclear Plant Unit 2 was the first new nuclear unit added to the U.S. fleet in more than 20 years. There were challenges along the way, but the colossal effort

  • More Efficient with Fewer Emissions: Cement Factory Finds Sugar-Based Biomass a Sweet Solution

    Environmental regulations and a need to reduce its fuel consumption provide the incentive for an Egyptian plant to change its manufacturing process. Energy companies constantly grapple with controlling the

  • Mirfa IWPP Doubles Water, Triples Power Capacity

    In the United Arab Emirates, demand for power and water are inextricably linked. One of its newer and larger plants, the Mirfa Independent Water and Power Plant—which has a power capacity of 1.6 GW and

  • NYPA’s iSOC: The Path to a Digital Utility

    The New York Power Authority’s Integrated Smart Operations Center (iSOC) is the first step in the public power utility’s goal to become the first end-to-end digital electricity system. And it’s a big

  • Sustainable from the Start: Tech Company a Model of Efficient Power Management

    OWC is known in the tech field for its computer hardware. It’s also known for its on-campus power generation, which sets it apart from others in the high-tech field, showcasing a commitment embraced by the

  • Advanced Microgrid a Natural Fit for Wisconsin Project

    Providing power for a nature preserve required not just progressive technology, but also the innovative approach needed to embrace the facility’s educational and environmental missions. Interest in ensuring

  • Trends and Obstacles in the Power Industry Workforce

    Baby boomers are retiring, unemployment is low, skilled craft workers are in short supply, and human resources in the workforce are a growing issue for power industry management. “Demography is destiny.”

  • Floating Solar Panel Industry Makes a Splash

    Floating solar panel technology has been gaining traction as a favorable and cost-effective alternative to land-based photovoltaic systems. Thriving on the cusp of a massive inclination toward renewable energy