News
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Renewables
Pattern Energy Signs PPA for Quebec Wind Project
A leading renewable energy power transmission infrastructure company said it signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with a Canadian group for electricity from a wind farm project in Québec. Pattern Energy Group LP on June 18 announced a 30-year PPA with Hydro-Québec for the latter’s 150-MW Broughton Wind project, located in the municipalities of Saint-Pierre-de-Broughton, […]
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Hydrogen
Ensuring Electrical Safety in Hydrogen Operations
In this article we explore the current use of hydrogen in industrial processes, as well as its role in the ongoing global transition to a net-zero economy. We’ll provide insights into market opportunities and challenges, the latest processing technologies, and best practices in safety to help industry stakeholders as they face mounting pressure to scale […]
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Hydrogen
Japanese Firms Collaborate on Green Hydrogen Project in Hokkaido’s Chitose Area
Mitsubishi Corp. (MC), Takasago Thermal Engineering Co. Ltd. (TTE), Hokkaido Electric Power Co. (HEPCO), and Air Water Hokkaido Inc. (AWH) announced the signing of a joint development agreement to supply green hydrogen in Hokkaido’s Chitose area. Hydrogen can be produced by electricity and other sources of energy, and because it does not emit CO2 when […]
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Hydrogen
Green Hydrogen Delivered to French Salt Cavern Storage Facility for Testing
Lhyfe, a pioneer in the production of green and renewable hydrogen, delivered 350 kilograms of green hydrogen (Figure 1) to natural gas expert Géométhane, on June 13, for it to test injecting hydrogen into salt caverns at its Manosque site in the south of France. The injection, which was completed within the day, is a […]
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Renewables
NV Energy Adding 1 GW Each of Solar, Energy Storage in Nevada
Nevada-based utility NV Energy said it plans to add more than 1 GW of capacity from both solar power and battery energy storage to its generation portfolio by the end of 2027. The company, which includes Las Vegas in its service territory and is part of billionaire Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway conglomerate, unveiled the additional […]
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Nuclear
Kemmerer 1 Breaks Ground: A Look at TerraPower’s Natrium Fast Reactor Nuclear Power Plant
Bill Gates’ nuclear innovation firm TerraPower has broken ground on the non-nuclear portion of Kemmerer Unit 1, a 345-MW Natrium sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR) power plant. The groundbreaking on June 10 makes the federal demonstration project the first advanced nuclear reactor project to move from design into construction in the Western Hemisphere, the company noted. […]
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Commentary
It’s Time for Utilities to Back Smart Grid Optimization with the Right Tech
The utility industry is an unsung hero for nearly every community—until the power falters. A prime example is the extreme weather that passed through much of the central U.S. this spring. In Houston, where my company is based, we recently experienced severe storms that left around a million businesses and homes without power. These acts […]
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T&D
U.S. Power Distribution System Reliability Has Declined Over the Past Decade: How to Make It Better
SAIDI (System Average Interruption Duration Index) and SAIFI (System Average Interruption Frequency Index) are widely used reliability indices that measure the performance of power distribution systems. SAIDI represents the total duration of interruptions for an average customer over a given time period, typically a year. It is calculated by taking the sum of all customer […]
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Renewables
Michigan Utility Replacing Coal Plant With Large Energy Storage System
Michigan’s major electric utility said it plans to build one of the nation’s largest standalone battery energy storage projects at the site of a retired coal-fired power plant. Detroit-based DTE Energy on June 10 said it would convert part of the closed Trenton Channel power plant into a 220-MW energy storage facility. DTE retired Trenton […]
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Distributed Energy
Deloitte Report Details Intersection of Decarbonization With DER Adoption
Deloitte, a group providing a variety of services for business and industry, in a new report published June 12 notes the importance of distributed energy resources (DERs) to the future of power generation and consumption. The report, titled “DERstribution Transformation: Harnessing the power of the household to meet utility decarbonization and affordability goals,” says that […]
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Offshore Wind
Siemens Gamesa Reportedly Developing 21-MW Offshore Wind Turbine
The global race to build ever-larger offshore wind turbines may have another entrant, as Siemens Gamesa has reportedly told customers the company plans to produce a 21-MW model in the next few years. The Bloomberg news service on June 10, citing anonymous sources, said Siemens is involved in researching what would be the world’s largest […]
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Hydrogen
Advancing Ceramic Matrix Composites and Environmental Barrier Coatings for Hydrogen Turbines: Challenges and Opportunities
Decarbonization goals call for advancing high-impact energy technologies. The U.S. has pledged to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, a goal that presents both challenges and opportunities in the field of advanced materials. This ambitious goal requires a wide range of technological advancements to enable the shift from fossil fuel-based systems to more sustainable and low-carbon […]
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Distributed Energy
Communities Embrace Distributed Energy for Economic Uplift
Global communities increasingly turn to distributed energy resources (DERs) to boost their local economies and enhance energy resilience. Generating and managing power locally cuts energy costs and fosters sustainable development. Recent successes in various cities and towns showcase how DERs can drive significant economic growth. As a result, it has become a viable strategy for […]
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Offshore Wind
GE Vernova, Seatrium Will Build HVDC System for TenneT’s Dutch Offshore Grid Project
Global energy company GE Vernova and Seatrium Limited, a Singaporean state-owned group, said their consortium has been awarded a third contract by Dutch transmission system operator TenneT for construction of a 2-GW high-voltage direct current (HVDC) electric offshore transmission system in the Netherlands. The groups on June 10 said construction is set to begin this […]
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Wind
Group Produces Green Hydrogen Using Wind Turbines on Ships
An Oregon-based sustainable energy innovation group said it has successfully produced green hydrogen through the use of vertical wind turbines on an oceangoing vessel. ONESTONE HOLDINGS on June 3 said the project “represents a major leap forward in harnessing renewable energy sources at sea to create clean fuel.” The company in a news release said […]
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Nuclear
Dutch Government Supports Four New Nuclear Reactors
The incoming new government of the Netherlands reportedly will support construction of at least four new utility-scale nuclear power reactors, as part of a program to more than triple the amount of government money to fund nuclear projects. Dutch media reported that Silvio Erkens, a member of the center-right VVD (People’s Party for Freedom and […]
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Legal & Regulatory
GOP Lawmakers Aim to Protect Coal and Gas-Fired Power Plants from EPA Rules
Forty-three Republican senators (along with one Independent) introduced a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution of disapproval on June 5 to overturn emissions rules issued by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which they say target existing coal-fired power plants and new gas-fired plants. The action was led by U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Ranking Member […]
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Solar
U.S. Solar Sector Shows Record-Setting Growth
A new report from two leading energy industry groups said a record 11 GW of new solar power module manufacturing capacity entered service during the first three months of this year, representing the largest quarter of solar manufacturing growth in U.S. history. The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and Wood Mackenzie in their U.S. Solar […]
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Renewables
China Brings World’s Largest Solar Power Plant Online
The state-owned Power Construction Corp. of China has brought a 5-GW solar power plant into commercial operation, with the project taking over as the world’s largest operating photovoltaic (PV) facility. The solar park, which entered service on June 3, is located in a desert area of the northwestern China province of Xinjiang, near the provincial […]
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Sustainability
Michigan Coal Plant Eyes BECCS Retrofit: Could Become First U.S. Facility with ‘Carbon-Negative’ Power
CMS Energy’s subsidiary NorthStar Clean Energy has given Babcock & Wilcox (B&W) the green light to start initial work on converting a 73-MW coal-fired power plant in Michigan into a bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) facility that could send “carbon-negative” power to the grid. B&W on June 3 said the limited notice to […]
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Cybersecurity
Why the U.S. Government Should Fund Cybersecurity Efforts of Private Companies Protecting the Power Grid
FBI Director Christopher Wray, while speaking at the Vanderbilt Summit on Modern Conflict and Emerging Threats in Nashville, Tennessee, in April, warned that U.S. critical infrastructure is a prime target of the Chinese government. “The fact is, the PRC’s [People’s Republic of China’s] targeting of our critical infrastructure is both broad and unrelenting,” he said. […]
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Gas
New Gas-Fired Power Plants Proposed in Southeast Texas
Entergy Texas filed an application with the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) for approval to build two natural gas power plants—one in Jefferson County and the other in Liberty County. “The Legend and Lone Star Power Stations will address the critical need for increased power generation capacity, support increased economic activity throughout the region, […]
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Press Releases
Yokogawa Acquires BaxEnergy, a Provider of Renewable Energy Management Solutions
Proven results across 120 GW+ of renewable energy operations in over 40 countries Yokogawa Electric Corporation (TOKYO: 6841) announces that it has acquired BaxEnergy, a leading provider of renewable energy management solutions (REMS). This acquisition will provide Yokogawa with a proven range of solutions that have already been adopted by major power companies throughout Europe. […]
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Commentary
EPA’s No-Win Rule for the Electricity Grid
Recently, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a 1,020-page rule to control carbon dioxide emissions from existing coal-fired power plants and new natural gas-fired power plants. The rule is part of the administration’s plan to shut down coal-fired power plants in the U.S. and impose its will on the nation’s electricity system. This is the […]
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Solar
Colorado Co-op Tri-State Buying Two Solar Power Projects
Colorado-based electric cooperative Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association for the first time has purchased renewable energy projects that will provide power for its members. The co-op, a not-for-profit wholesale power supplier, on June 4 announced it was buying Axial Basin Solar, a 145-MW solar project in Moffat County in northwest Colorado near the Colowyo Mine, […]
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Renewables
Equinor Announces Offtake Deal for New York Offshore Wind Project
Equinor on June 4 announced its has finalized an agreement with New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) for the renewable power generated by the 810-MW Empire Wind 1 offshore wind project. The deal comes after NYSERDA in February announced that Equinor had been selected as a conditional winner in New York’s fourth […]
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Press Releases
New STLE White Paper Shares the Latest Advancements and Challenges Impacting Electric Vehicles
STLE examines the current and future state of e-mobility and technologies that impact the tribology and lubrication engineering field PARK RIDGE, Illinois, USA (June 4, 2024) – The Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers (STLE) — the premier technical society serving the needs of the tribology and lubrication engineering business sector — is pleased to […]
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Interview
The POWER Interview: The Best Use of Digital Construction in Electrical Engineering and MEP Design
Engineering firms are increasingly recognizing the importance of digital construction and its transformative impact on electrical engineering and MEP (mechanical, electrical, and plumbing) design. Leveraging digital construction tools enables firms to optimize design processes, enhance collaboration, and deliver more efficient and sustainable solutions for their clients. Rahul Mittal, senior electrical engineer at Arup, has been […]
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Gas
Filings Support 41 GW of New Gas-Fired Generation Across Texas
Texas’ plan to add more natural gas-fired power generation capacity, supported by money from a newly created energy fund, received a boost when several companies announced their intention to file applications to build new facilities under the program. Vistra on May 30 said it plans to add as much as 2 GW of gas-fired generation […]
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Gas
Mitsubishi Power Supplying Turbines for 1.6-GW Gas-Fired Plant in Brazil
Mitsubishi Power will supply its gas turbine technology to a new power plant in Brazil, a 1.6-GW facility considered among the largest electricity generation projects in Latin America. The company on May 31 said a consortium including Mitsubishi Power and CONSAG Engenharia signed an agreement with Portocem Geração de Energia S.A. and New Fortress Energy […]