News

  • The Future of the Utilities Workforce: Building Capabilities in the Digital Era

    The utility industry is facing a major challenge as it navigates the constantly evolving landscape of the electric grid. Managing the transformation brought about by the increasing popularity of electric vehicles, the rise of remote and hybrid work, and the growing reliance on renewable energy sources has become central to the industry. Operators must adapt […]

  • Emerging Risks in Renewable Energy: A Brief Overview of Solar, Wind, BESS, and Hydro Trends in Latin America

    Renewable energy technologies, including solar, wind, hydro, and battery energy storage systems (BESS), are at the forefront of the global energy transition. The U.S. and Latin America (LATAM) are witnessing significant advancements in these technologies, driven by geopolitical and economic trends. The International Energy Agency (IEA) projects a growth of electricity demand from 1,295 TWh […]

  • How Renewable Propane-Fueled EV Charging Solutions Can Significantly Cut Carbon Emissions

    Calculating and comparing air emissions from electric vehicles (EVs) and gasoline- or diesel-fueled vehicles is a complicated endeavor. While EVs, including hybrids, produce lower tailpipe emissions than conventional vehicles do—and zero tailpipe emissions when running only on electricity—tailpipe emissions are only one factor to consider in a vehicle’s lifecycle emissions. Gasoline and electricity fuel pathways […]

  • Ameresco, Colorado Co-op Collaborate on Energy Storage Project

    A Colorado electric cooperative said it has joined with energy integrator Ameresco on a battery energy storage system (BESS) project that will serve customers along the state’s northern Front Range. United Power, founded as rural electric co-op in 1938 and today serving some of the fastest-growing areas of Colorado, on July 10 announced it had […]

  • Mitsubishi Turbines Will Power New 1.6-GW Uzbekistan Gas-Fired Plant

    A new 1,600-MW natural gas-fired power plant project in Uzbekistan reached another milestone, with Mitsubishi Power announcing it received an order for two of the company’s M701JAC gas turbines for the combined cycle facility. The Syrdarya 2 plant is being developed in the Syrdarya region of Uzbekistan. Mitsubishi Power on July 10 said it has […]

  • Watertight AUMA actuators for underwater hydro turbine control

    An AUMA electric actuation solution ensures high-precision guide vane adjustment for a fully-submersible hydro turbine from Natel Energy at the Sauerbrunn hydropower plant near Graz, Austria, thus helping to boost green energy. California-based turbine manufacturer Natel Energy required an actuator that could operate continuously underwater, provide accurate positioning to optimally control the water supply to […]

  • Amazon, AES Partner on First Utility-Scale Wind Farm in Mississippi

    Amazon, the online retailer with a goal of powering its operations with 100% renewable energy by 2025, on July 7 announced a project that would be the first utility-scale wind farm in Mississippi. The 184.5-MW Delta wind farm, being built in Tunica County, is Amazon’s sixth renewable energy installation in that state, and will join […]

  • POWER’s 2023 Plant of the Year: Estrella del Mar III

    For more than four decades, POWER magazine has honored the top performers in the electricity-generating industry with annual power plant awards. Award winners are selected by the editors of POWER based on nominations submitted by industry insiders, including suppliers, designers, constructors, and operators of power plants. Winning POWER’s Plant of the Year in 2023 is […]

  • Italy Set to Scale Back Remaining Coal-Fired Fleet

    Italy could retire most of its remaining coal-fired power plants in the next two years, as government officials work to meet the European Union’s 2030 goal for lower emissions of carbon from the electricity and industrial sectors. Energy Minister Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, commenting on a government document released July 3, said Italy would end the […]

  • Estrella del Mar III, a Visionary Floating Power Plant, Is POWER’s Plant of the Year

    Winning POWER’s highest honor is Estrella del Mar III, a first-of-its-kind floating combined cycle gas turbine power barge that fulfills a remarkable assortment of modern power system demands. Nearly fully

  • Dania Beach Clean Energy Center: A Vital Power Resource for Southeast Florida

    Florida Power & Light’s Dania Beach site has been producing power for Fort Lauderdale, Miami, and surrounding communities for more than 95 years. With the latest modernization project, it’s destined to

  • Dominion Energy’s Reverse Osmosis Concentrate Recovery System Wins POWER’s Water Award

    Sustainability and corporate responsibility are hugely important to power companies and their stakeholders today. When employees take these initiatives to heart and implement innovative ideas, goals can be met

  • Space Solar Power Prototype Beams First Power to Earth

    California Institute of Technology’s (Caltech’s) first space-borne prototype launched into orbit has demonstrated the ability to wirelessly transmit power in space and beam detectable power to Earth. The

  • Clean Energy Transition Continues Despite Reliability, Supply Chain, and Financial Uncertainty

    Although there is a risk of energy shortfalls in parts of the U.S. if extreme summer temperatures materialize, there is no stopping the clean energy transition that is sweeping the nation. Energy storage

  • Integration of Hydropower and Hydrogen Gains Momentum

    In May, U.S. national laboratories Idaho National Laboratory (INL) and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) partnered with regulated utility Idaho Power to determine the viability of integrating

  • Interconnection Constraints Threaten Success of Clean Energy Projects

    Power projects are filled with risk. One of the biggest risks today for clean energy developers involves interconnection constraints. And according to Sarp Ozkan, vice president of Commercial Product at

  • POWER Digest [July 2023]

    Germany and Denmark Launch 3-GW Offshore Wind Project, First Cross-Border Collaborative Effort Under EU Directive. Germany and Denmark on June 1 signed a legally binding cooperation agreement to develop

  • Developing Coatings for Use in Harsh Biomass Combustion Environments

    Corrosion is a constant battle for infrastructure of all kinds—the natural response of materials like metals to their environment, causing damage to everything from turbines to oil pipelines and vehicles. The costs are vast. A National Association of Corrosion Engineers (NACE) IMPACT study published in 2013 claims that corrosion causes damage valued at $2.5 trillion […]

  • Electric Utility Protocols Can Mitigate Impacts from Wildfires

    As the frequency and intensity of wildfires continue to increase across the U.S., electric utilities face unprecedented challenges in maintaining a reliable power supply and keeping communities safe. In

  • Three Solutions to Fire Safety Challenges: Lessons from the Energy Storage Industry

    The world’s energy landscape is evolving rapidly, driven by the increasing demand for resilient, cost-effective, and net-zero sources of energy. Policymakers and regulators now can’t ignore the fundamental role that the energy storage industry is playing in the clean energy transition—stabilizing the grid as more renewable energy assets come online. This recognition is creating huge […]

  • Digitalization Is Now a Power Sector Imperative: Takeaways from Connected Plant Conference 2023

    Digitalization is now so firmly embedded in the power sector that if participants haven’t yet begun their digital journey, they’ve inherently fallen behind. That was a message repeated at the three-day 7th annual Connected Plant Conference (CPC), which took place this week in New Orleans, Louisiana. POWER magazine and Chemical Engineering magazine’s conference this year […]

  • UK Won’t Keep Contingency Coal-Fired Units Online

    The UK’s national grid operator has said that the country will not utilize coal-fired power generation even if needed this coming winter, issuing a statement on June 28 that said operators of possible contingency plants will not have them ready for service. The National Grid Electricity Systems Operator (ESO) earlier this month in its early […]

  • Finnish Group Touts Nuclear Reactor for District Heating

    A Finnish group announced construction of a reactor-based heating plant that would provide residential and district heating, saying the project would advance the district energy model and support decarbonization and electrification in Europe as more countries move away from the use of fossil fuels for energy. Steady Energy, a company spun out of the VTT […]

  • Siemens Energy Investigating Dark Web Ransomware Claim

    Siemens Energy and Schneider Electric, two industrial control system (ICS) vendors for critical infrastructure industries, have been reportedly listed as ransomware victims by cybercrime gang CL0P, though any targeted attacks are yet unconfirmed. The ransomware gang, also known as TA505, began exploiting a vulnerability in MOVEit Transfer, an internet-facing automated file transfer web application, starting […]

  • eschbach AI Team Garners Connected Plant 2023 Game Changer Award

    Shiftconnector Smart Search Accelerates Plant Floor Search Capabilities with AI Boston, MA – June 26, 2023 – Global software developer eschbach, provider of the Shiftconnector® enterprise software platform for process manufacturing, announces that its AI development team was awarded a 2023 Game Changer Award for its new Shiftconnector Smart Search functionality. The eschbach team was […]

  • First Phase of 100-GW China Hydro/Solar Project Enters Service

    Chinese officials on June 25 said the first phase of what is considered the world’s largest combined hydro and solar power plant has entered commercial operation. The Kela hydro/solar plant, part of an ambitious project anchored by the Lianghekou Hydropower Station on the Yalong River, is located in Yaijiang County in southwest China’s Sichuan Province. […]

  • Driving Decarbonization: Lessons Learned from Europe That Can Help Unlock the U.S. Clean Hydrogen Economy

    Environmental experts consider decarbonization to be among the most important keys to minimizing the effects of climate change. While the transition to a low-carbon economy may present challenges, it also offers opportunities for innovation, the creation of new jobs, and sustainable economic growth. Accordingly, the U.S., like Europe and other parts of the world, has […]

  • Essential Energy Lowers Costs and Carbon Footprint Across Australia’s Energy Sector

    OpenUtilities Enables Substation Intelligent Digital Design, Reducing Environmental Impact and Saving 50% in Costs With a network spanning 737,000 kilometers, covering approximately 95% of New South Wales, Australia, Essential Energy distributes electricity services to more than 870,000 homes and businesses in 1,500 regional, rural, and remote communities. Despite their large coverage area, Essential Energy has […]

  • Maine Lawmakers Back Transmission Project for Renewable Energy

    A project to build more than 100 miles of transmission lines, along with multiple substations, to enable the use of more renewable energy in Maine has received support from state lawmakers. LS Power Grid Maine, a subsidiary of New York-headquartered LS Power, on June 26 said the Aroostook Renewable Gateway effort has received the first […]

  • New Technologies Driving Electric Grid Modernization

    Over the past couple of decades, the expected growth in electricity usage unexpectedly flatlined, leaving utilities with stagnant revenue, but aging infrastructure in need of capital investment. Then came the technology revolution of the last five years, with electric vehicles (EVs) becoming more popular as governments worldwide mandate lower emissions, and microgeneration of electricity via […]