News

Power generators and transmission system engineers have to rethink their planning strategies, and must continue to develop tools to allow more solar, wind, and other forms of renewable energy to populate the power grid. Integrating renewable energy resources such as solar and wind into the electric power grid involves addressing challenges, starting with the intermittent […]

Energy Vault Holdings, a company that provides sustainable, grid-scale energy storage solutions, on June 11 announced the successful completion and start of commercial operation of the 57-MW, two-hour Cross Trails battery energy storage system (BESS) in Scurry County, Texas. The project, which marks the first fully executed asset under Energy Vault’s “Own & Operate” growth strategy, was completed ahead of schedule and will be supported by a 10-year offtake agreement with Gridmatic, a leading AI-enabled power marketer.

Applied Digital, a builder and operator of next-generation data centers, has launched an infrastructure partnership with ABB at the company’s Greenfield 400-MW campus in North Dakota. TRhe collaboration will innovate fast, reliable, energy-efficient solutions to meet the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI).

Duke Energy intends to submit an application to South Carolina’s Public Service Commission (PSC) for approval to build a 1.4-GW gas-fired combined cycle plant with hydrogen capability in Anderson County. If approved, the project, which could come online in 2031, will mark the company’s first new generation proposal in the state in a decade. The […]

The president of Iran’s nuclear energy agency said officials in that country have signed an agreement with Russia for construction of at least eight nuclear power plants in Iran. Mohammad Eslami, president of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), confirmed the deal on June 9 during a visit by members of the Iranian parliament’s […]

Fervo Energy announced the successful drilling and logging of its Sugarloaf appraisal well, an operational achievement that the company said demonstrates the rapid advancement and scalability of enhanced geothermal systems (EGS). The well was drilled to a true vertical depth of 15,765 feet and is projected to reach a bottomhole temperature of 520F after full thermal equilibration.

Ohio regulators have approved construction of a 200-MW natural gas-fired power plant in Licking County, a project designed to provide electricity for an affiliate of tech company Meta.

Agilitas Energy, a developer and operator of renewable energy and energy storage systems, announced the commissioning of a 9.96-MW/22.4-MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) in Houston, Texas. The project marks the first distributed generation BESS interconnected to CenterPoint Energy’s distribution system and participating in Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT)’s wholesale delivery market.

Microgrids have grown in importance as the need for a reliable and resilient supply of power has grown. The technology has proven itself for a variety of commercial and industrial (C&I) enterprises, in both urban and rural areas where a source of off-grid—or in some cases grid-connected—energy is needed, whether a backup power or as a primary source of electricity.

Energy equipment group GE Vernova said it has commissioned the first of four 250-MW variable speed units at THDC India Limited’s Tehri Pumped Storage Hydropower Plant, part of the Tehri Hydropower Complex. The 1-GW expansion will increase the facility’s power generation capacity to 2.4 GW, making it the country’s largest hydropower plant.

The Southwest Power Pool (SPP) regional transmission organization (RTO) is joining with energy technology company Hitachi on development of what the groups say is an artificial intelligence (AI)-based solution to support power transmission reliability and flexibility challenges.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has approved NuScale Power’s uprated 77-MWe (250-MWth) small modular reactor (SMR) design, clearing the nuclear technology firm’s second standard design approval (SDA). The development marks a boost for ENTRA1 Energy, NuScale’s exclusive commercialization partner, which is in “various stages of discussions with potential customers” in the U.S. and abroad, the […]

Telecom giant AT&T has signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) for generation from a new solar power project in Texas. Enbridge, a Canada-based energy group, on June 4 marked the start of operations for the 130-MW Orange Grove Solar installation near Corpus Christi. The array is Enbridge’s first in Texas. The company on Wednesday said AT&T has a long-term virtual PPA for the project.

A hydrogen production company that develops the fuel using renewable energy is moving forward with plans for a $1.85-billion solar-powered manufacturing facility in California.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on May 13 of this year issued an order addressing the formula rate filings and requests for transmission rate incentives for the Valley Link Transmission Project Portfolio. The project is a $3-billion, 417-mile multi-state transmission initiative spanning Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia (collectively, Valley Link). While FERC approved several […]

The Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) abrupt termination of 24 previously awarded projects—including four prominent power-related carbon capture projects— will rescind $3.7 billion in financial assistance from its Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED). In a terse press release on May 30, the DOE cited “a thorough and individualized financial review” in its justification for canceling […]

Technology group Meta, the parent of Facebook and Instagram, has signed a 20-year power purchase agreement with Constellation Energy to take about 1.1 GW of electricity from Constellation’s Clinton Clean Energy Center in Illinois. Meta and Constellation on June 3 said the contract means the power plant will continue to operate beyond its expected closure in 2027.

National Grid in the UK has begun construction of a new Uxbridge Moor substation complex in Buckinghamshire, a project designed to connect more than one dozen new data centers to the electricity provider’s network.

Rolls-Royce said it will more than double its production of backup power generation systems for data
centers, and build a new facility in Minnesota, as part of a $24-million investment in U.S. manufacturing.

Perovskite solar cells are a high-efficiency, low-cost alternative to traditional silicon-based solar panels. With the perovskite solar cell industry expected to reach $1.2 billion by 2033, there’s enormous potential for this next-generation technology. The Basics of Perovskites Perovskites are a type of material, with a distinctive crystal structure described as ABX3 (Figure 1). These crystals […]

I have spent years in law firms and in-house legal departments counseling clients in the energy sector with respect to their contracts and the related process they utilize in papering their deals. What I have learned is that the pitfalls awaiting a company that isn’t effectively papering its deals and/or following a streamlined and clear […]

For engineering management and engineers, the total power market is rapidly changing globally. Consequently, North American district heating networks and industrial processors are taking note of key developments in the European power market today. Specifically, Finland has set one of the most advanced climate policies in the region, committing to carbon neutrality by 2035.

The world’s electricity grids are facing unprecedented strain as demand surges from electrification, data centers, and renewable energy integration, while aging infrastructure struggles to keep pace. Traditional approaches to grid expansion—building new transmission lines and substations—face mounting challenges including sometimes decade-long permitting processes, escalating costs that can reach billions per project, and growing public resistance […]

A startup company led by former executives with major technology and energy groups is betting on the use of natural gas and battery energy storage to provide data centers with on-site power, freeing those sites from reliance on the traditional power grid.

While many utilities are hardening power grid infrastructure by upgrading poles and wires—a necessary step—brute force solutions alone won’t be enough. To truly future-proof the grid, resilience must be rooted in intelligence via systems that anticipate, adapt, and respond dynamically.

Concentrated solar power (CSP) plants with thermal energy storage (TES) systems face significant material challenges. Specifically, industry-standard 347H austenitic stainless steel used in the manufacture of molten salt tanks can be subject to severe stress relaxation cracking (SRC). The results of a consortium project could have an answer for the problem. The findings suggest that […]

The Department of Energy (DOE) has issued an emergency order to delay the closure of Consumer Energy’s 1,560-MW J.H. Campbell coal-fired power plant in West Olive, Michigan, citing urgent reliability concerns for the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) grid as the Midwest braces for peak summer electricity demand.  The rare order, issued May 23 by Energy […]

Regulators in Wisconsin have approved We Energies’ plan to invest about $1.5 billion for construction of two new natural gas-fired power plants in the southeastern part of the state. The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin on May 22 said it backs the utility’s proposal for gas-fired facilities in Oak Creek in Milwaukee County, and Paris […]

ACCIONA Energía has announced the start of commercial operations at the company’s 280-MW Forty Mile Wind Farm in Alberta, Canada. The Forty Mile installation is one of Canada’s 10 largest wind farms and the largest facility of its kind that ACCIONA Energía has built to date in North America.

Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) and Smart Wires have announced a project to enhance grid reliability and meet energy commitments for data centers connecting in San Jose, California. North Carolina-based Smart Wires will deploy its advanced power flow control (APFC) technology to help PG&E mitigate thermal overloads, redirect power flow, and increase available capacity at its Los Esteros electric substation.