News

  • Decommissioning Dilemmas: Navigating the End-of-Life Challenges in Clean Energy Sources

    Planning, building, operating, or overhauling power plants has long been an emphasis in the power sector—and an important one, given that the creation of new power capacity plays an outsized role in

  • Filling Vital Power and Industrial Process Steam Needs with Temporary Boilers

    There are many reasons why a temporary boiler might be needed at a power generating or industrial facility. For example, Nationwide Boiler Inc., a supplier of temporary and permanent boiler equipment, custom

  • POWER Digest [October 2023]

    Coal-Fired Plants Serving EV Battery Makers Could Get Special Financing. Otoritas Jasa Keuangan (OJK), which supervises and regulates financial services for Indonesia, in early September said it is considering

  • The Benefits of Fiber-Reinforced Polymer in Power Transmission

    Wood, steel, and concrete are commonly used materials for power poles. However, fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) offers a relatively lightweight, safe, and resilient alternative, which also offers a long service

  • Choosing the Right Distributed Energy Resource

    The decision on whether or not to invest in distributed energy resources is complicated. Evaluating all aspects, including cost, consumption metrics, resource availability, personal goals, and reliability

  • Realize the Opportunity from Advanced Air Inlet Filtration

    For maximum efficiency and operational flexibility, advanced gas turbines have rightly been optimized to the nth degree. However, there are big opportunities in important related components like the air inlet filtration systems too. The latest developments from Parker Hannifin show what can be achieved when a new approach is taken. Today’s advanced gas turbines are […]

  • The Added Value of Corrosion Protection for Pump and Valve Maintenance

    Power plants depend on hundreds of valves and many different pumps to carry out operations 24/7. Good maintenance procedures—including routine tasks and predictive maintenance—are critical to keeping these

  • Propane: A Clean Energy Solution for Tomorrow That’s Available Today

    Electrification is often presented as an optimal way to reduce carbon emissions, but it’s simply not practical to rely on electricity alone. No single energy source can solve the long-term environmental challenges the world faces. Why isn’t all electrification the answer? The infrastructure required to keep up with the electrification movement would take decades to […]

  • Engineering the Largest Post-Combustion Carbon Capture Plant

    As part of the UK’s Humber Zero initiative, VPI Immingham’s gas-fired combined heat and power (CHP) plant will be home to the world’s largest post-combustion carbon capture facility. The Humber region is

  • Equity in Energy: How Community Solar Is Involved

    In the U.S., there has always been a direct correlation between the disparity in income and the distribution of renewable resources. Equity in energy refers to fairness in the distribution of energy, benefits, and burdens among different people and communities. It was designed to rectify historical inequalities, recognizing the need to create a fair and […]

  • Germany’s Energy History Is at the Root of Its Current Challenges

    Over a year after the start of Russia’s attack on Ukraine, Germany is at the heart and center of current debate when it comes to energy dependence. Like most European countries, Germany did not have adequate time to wean off Russia’s rich and steady inflow of natural gas. But the impact of Russia’s abrupt supply […]

  • SPP Set to Become First RTO Straddling Eastern and Western Interconnections

    The Southwest Power Pool (SPP) is poised to become the first regional transmission organization (RTO) to provide coordinated operation across the Eastern and Western Interconnections, bridging a historic gap to potentially boost regional reliability, savings, and efficiencies. SPP, which has operated as an RTO since 2004, currently has 110 member companies in its Eastern Interconnection […]

  • California Group Inks Deal for Power from Massive New Mexico Wind Farm

    A California company that specializes in providing renewable energy to electricity customers has signed its largest procurement contract. Peninsula Clean Energy (PCE) on September 28 said it will receive 220 MW of wind power from Pattern Energy’s SunZia Wind installation in New Mexico, a 3.5-GW project that at present would be the largest wind onshore […]

  • Nucor and Helion Target 2030 for Utility-Scale Fusion Power Plant

    Nucor Corp., a manufacturer of steel and steel products, and Helion, a fusion energy company, are collaborating to develop a 500-MW fusion power plant to supply baseload electricity to a steelmaking facility. The companies are working together to set a firm timeline, saying they are “committed to beginning operations as soon as possible with a […]

  • Major Engineering Services Contract Launches Poland’s First Nuclear Power Project

    Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe (PEJ), Poland’s designated entity tasked with developing the country’s first nuclear plant in Pomerania, has signed an engineering services contract with a Westinghouse-Bechtel consortium, allowing site-specific work to begin on the AP1000 power plant. The companies announced the “historic” contract on Sept. 27, one week after nuclear technology giant Westinghouse and global […]

  • Major 2-GW Hydropower Station in Angola Now Fully Online

    Officials in Angola announced that the Laúca hydroelectric power station is now fully operational, with Austrian company Andritz wrapping construction of the final 70-MW environmental flow power station at the site on the Kwanza River. Andritz built and installed all the units at the 2,070-MW plant, located on the border between the Angolan provinces of […]

  • How Power Companies Benefit from Accurate Weather Forecasts

    It’s pretty easy to understand how the weather affects certain forms of power generation and infrastructure. Sunlight is obviously needed to generate solar power, wind is required to produce wind energy, and extreme storms of all kinds can wreak havoc on transmission and distribution lines, and other energy-related assets. Therefore, having accurate and constantly updated […]

  • Deloitte Report Details Importance of Energy Storage to U.S. Power Grid

    Energy industry analysts have said energy storage will be needed to support the integration of renewable energy into the U.S. power grid, and to provide grid flexibility and reliability. Energy storage, including the use of battery energy storage systems (BESS), also will support moves toward electrification and continued decentralization of U.S. power generation. A new […]

  • FERC, NERC Reveal Disturbing Details from Winter Storm Elliott Inquiry

    Incremental unplanned generation outages triggered during Winter Storm Elliott spiked to 90.5 GW—significantly more than the 61.8 GW during Winter Storm Uri in 2021—representing 13% of the U.S. portion of anticipated resources in the Eastern Interconnection. That finding, one of many disturbing details unveiled by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and North American Electric […]

  • TVA Exploring Carbon Capture Feasibility for Two Gas-Fired Power Plants

    The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is poised to study the feasibility of retrofitting two gas-fired power plants—a combined capacity of 1.8 GW—in Mississippi and Kentucky with post-combustion carbon capture technology to remove more than 90% of their carbon emissions.  The non-profit U.S. corporate agency and Canadian energy infrastructure firm TC Energy on Sept. 14 said they will […]

  • Should You Make the Switch to Digital Integrated Power Transformers?

    Are the benefits of digital integrated power transformers worth it? Smart transformers with exciting new technologies like Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI) are among the next generation of energy equipment hitting the market today. Many organizations are considering switching to these cutting-edge transformers, but are unsure about the pros and cons. What […]

  • The POWER Interview: Making the U.S. Nuclear Industry Great Again

    There are many reasons to be optimistic about the prospects for nuclear energy. As a carbon-free energy source, it is a great option for power generation in a world trying to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and stop climate change. The fact that nuclear reactors can operate at baseload with capacity factors regularly greater than 90% […]

  • Peak Shaving in Energy Storage: Balancing Demand, Savings, and Sustainability

    Energy consumption is continually escalating at a remarkable rate, with current statistics showcasing the gravity of the situation. Global energy demand has risen by approximately 50% over the past two decades, and projections indicate that this upward trajectory will persist. Additionally, concerns about climate change have reached a peak, solidifying the need for immediate and […]

  • Energy Is the Most-Targeted Sector for Cyberattacks: Here’s What to Do

    The energy sector recorded three times as many operational technology (OT) and/or industrial control system (ICS) cybersecurity incidents as the next closest vertical, according to a study conducted by the Cyentia Institute, a research and data science firm, and sponsored by Rockwell Automation, an industrial automation and information provider. “Energy, critical manufacturing, water treatment, and […]

  • Enhancing Energy Asset Performance: Confronting the Energy Challenges of the 21st Century

    The energy sector has been characterized in recent years by a crisis that affects the globe. As fossil fuel-based energy production decreases in popularity due to its negative effects on the environment and human health, other means of production are added to the grid. Nevertheless, the new methods, with emphasis on renewable energy forms, are […]

  • 12 Nuclear Reactors Operating in Japan After Takahama Unit 2 Restart

    Japan’s Kansai Electric Power has restarted another reactor at its Takahama nuclear power plant, the 12threactor to be returned to service in that country since the Fukushima disaster in March 2011 led to the idling of Japan’s entire nuclear fleet. Kansai on September 15 said the 826-MW Takahama No. 2, which originally entered service in […]

  • Hydrogen Is the Power of Tomorrow—but We Need to Start Small

    Sustainable, efficient, and powerful—many energy experts agree that hydrogen power has the potential to be a major force in the coming years. Hydrogen fuel provides all the convenience and power of fossil fuels (particularly of natural gas) without the carbon dioxide residue. Hydrogen doesn’t require soil-scarring mining projects or deep wells; it’s literally all around us, and can […]

  • DOD Inks Deal with Redflow for Microgrid Repowering at Air National Guard Base

    The U.S. Dept. of Defense (DOD), as part of the agency’s climate action plan and its strategy for sustainability, will deploy a prototype microgrid at a military installation in New York state. Redflow Limited, an energy storage group, and Ameresco on September 18 announced that Redflow has signed a $2.83 million contract with the DOD’s […]

  • DOD Advances X-Energy Mobile Nuclear Microreactor as Second Project Pele Design

    The Department of Defense (DOD) has moved to develop a second transportable microreactor under Project Pele, granting X-energy a contract option to advance the design of its mobile advanced nuclear microreactor prototype. The one-year contract option will continue to provide funding for X-energy’s nuclear technology development, allowing the firm to develop its design to meet […]

  • Palisades Nuclear Power Plant May Get a Second Chance with Holtec-Wolverine Agreement

    Holtec International, a diversified energy technology company, and Wolverine Power Cooperative, a not-for-profit power generation cooperative based in Michigan, announced that they have entered into a long-term agreement that will “pave the way” for the restart of the 800-MW Palisades Nuclear Power Plant in Covert Township, Michigan (Figure 1). The Palisades reactor was taken offline […]