News

  • NuScale Power and Nucor Corporation Sign Memorandum of Understanding to Explore Deployment of Small Modular Nuclear Reactors to Power Nucor Electric Arc Furnace Steel Mills

    PORTLAND, Ore. – NuScale Power Corporation (NYSE: SMR) and Nucor Corporation (Nucor) today announced the two companies have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to explore co-locating NuScale’s VOYGR™ small modular nuclear reactor (SMR) power plants to provide clean, reliable baseload electricity to Nucor’s scrap-based Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) steel mills. The companies will also […]

  • NEI Head: ‘This Is the Biggest Moment for Nuclear Energy Since the Dawn of the Atomic Age’

    “Everywhere we look, we’re seeing demand surging,” Maria Korsnick, president and CEO of the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI), said. “When we talk about demand for nuclear, we’re talking about the future of our planet, the future that our children will inherit.” Korsnick spoke those lines on May 15 as part of her “State of the […]

  • Emerging Opportunities for Nuclear in the Energy Transition

    Nuclear has re-invented itself as a compelling pathway to achieving net-zero. It is said that everything is cyclical—where there are periods of expansions and contractions. Could this be true of nuclear energy? Can the benefits outweigh the fears and flip the switch from decommissioning to accelerated growth? In the late 1960s, federal nuclear energy programs […]

  • NRC Issues License for Holtec’s New Mexico Consolidated Spent Nuclear Fuel Storage Facility

    The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has granted Holtec International a license to build and operate a consolidated interim storage facility (CISF) for spent nuclear fuel in southeastern New Mexico, despite the state’s opposition. Granted on May 9 after an eight-year process, the NRC’s license allows Holtec to “receive, possess, transfer, and store” 500 canisters holding […]

  • X-Energy, Dow Unveil Texas Site for ARDP Nuclear Demonstration

    X-energy and Dow will site a proposed four-unit 320-MWe Xe-100 advanced nuclear reactor facility at Union Carbide Corp. Seadrift Operations, a sprawling Dow chemical materials manufacturing site in Seadrift, Calhoun County, Texas. The companies on May 11 said the small modular reactor (SMR) project, part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Advanced Reactor Demonstration […]

  • Carbon Capture Key to EPA’s New Power Plant Emissions Rule

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has unveiled new greenhouse gas (GHG) standards for the nation’s power plants, moving to require both existing and new facilities to capture emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) for the first time. The rule announced May 11, if implemented, would mean coal- and natural gas-fired power plants would have to […]

  • Microsoft Has Deal to Buy Fusion Power from Helion

    Software giant Microsoft on May 10 announced it has signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with nuclear fusion startup Helion Energy to buy electricity from Helion as soon as 2028. Andrew Holland, CEO of the Fusion Industry Association, said Microsoft’s deal is the first time a fusion company has signed a deal to sell electricity. […]

  • New York Group Acquiring More Than 2.1 GW of Texas Gas-Fired Capacity

    New York-based energy investment firm LS Power on May 8 said it has reached an agreement with Brazos Electric Power Cooperative to acquire 2,145 MW of natural gas-fired power generation in the ERCOT North region of Texas. The deal comes six months after a federal bankruptcy court judge approved Brazos’ reorganization plan, which includes a […]

  • Westinghouse Unveils the AP300—A Miniaturized AP1000 Small Modular Nuclear Reactor

    Westinghouse has officially unveiled the AP300, a “downsized” version of the company’s flagship AP1000 Generation III+ pressurized water reactor (PWR) technology. While the small modular reactor (SMR) will enter a nuclear market already rife with development, the AP300’s “nth-of-a-kind” basis positions it as a strong competitor, the company told POWER. The 300-MWe/900-MWth AP300, launched on May 4, […]

  • Hitachi, Quanta Will Build Major U.S. Transmission Line

    A massive wind power project in New Mexico will include a transmission line to deliver the installation’s electricity across the southwestern U.S. Pattern Energy Group, a California company that develops renewable energy projects globally, on May 4 said it has chosen Hitachi Energy and Quanta Services to build the SunZia Transmission and Wind project, which […]

  • Group: More Than 51 GW of U.S. Offshore Wind in Pipeline

    A coalition of companies working in the U.S. clean energy sector has released its latest report on the nation’s offshore wind market, noting projects totaling more than 51 GW of capacity are in a growing pipeline of expected installations. The Washington, D.C.-based American Clean Power Association (ACP) on May 4 said it is tracking projects […]

  • Technology Is Critical for Hedging and Trading in Energy Markets

    The world is currently going through a major shift toward clean energy, triggered by concerns over climate change, depleting resources, and energy security. The energy transition is a massive undertaking, requiring significant investment and a long-term vision. However, as with any transition, there are challenges and uncertainties, and this is where hedging and trading come […]

  • New Technology Offers Options for Floating Offshore Wind and Power-to-X Projects

    New technology is regularly being developed and enhanced to improve power delivery and incorporate more renewable energy into systems. ABB Energy Industries is among the companies investing in solutions to make future power systems better. Among its current focus areas are deploying subsea power distribution and conversion concepts to support the floating offshore wind industry, […]

  • Israel Adding Energy Storage to Support Grid Integration for Renewables

    Israel’s governmental energy agency said the country plans to build four major battery energy storage system (BESS) projects in the northern Gilboa mountain region. The Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure on May 2 said the projects are the first step in a “program of great importance for the energy sector.” The program is designed to […]

  • Our Carbon-Neutral Future Demands Disparate Renewable Energy Technologies

    Our global marketplace is certainly a competitive one but there is no reason why renewable energy technologies, whether they emanate from energy metals including lithium, uranium, zinc, cobalt, etc., or from the sun and wind or hydropower, should be competing for market dominance. Why shouldn’t renewable energy technologies compete for market dominance in the manner […]

  • Fusion Energy Reaches Prime Time

    Over the last three years, electricity generation from fusion has moved from the realm of science fiction to the brink of serious development. A lot has happened, but challenges remain before fusion arrives on

  • Searching for Advanced Nuclear Power Technology? Look to Idaho

    It might surprise many people to learn that nearly every operating reactor in the world has technological roots in Idaho. The fact is, the Idaho National Laboratory (INL), which was known as the National

  • Canada Starts Up First Geothermal ‘Co-Production’ Power Project at Active Legacy Oil Field

    A pioneering 21-MW power project that economically produces geothermal power with co-produced hydrocarbon fluids from an enhanced oil recovery (EOR) operation is now commercially operating in Alberta, Canada

  • Enduring Value: Entergy’s More Than 100-Year-Old Story

    One man’s ambition to electrify the Middle South and improve its economic outlook 110 years ago evolved from a handshake for steam from a boiler powered with waste sawdust into Entergy Corp., a

  • POWER Digest [May 2023]

    European Grid Operator Secures 22 GW of HVDC Projects. European transmission system operator (TSO) TenneT will lead a charge to install 11 2-GW high-voltage direct current (HVDC) systems by 2031. A long-term

  • Effects of Evolving NatCat Risks on Reliability and Insurability of Renewable Assets

    News on extreme weather events in the U.S. report an increase in both frequency and size over the last couple of years, including thunderstorms, tornadoes, convective storms, flash floods, hurricanes, and winter storms. This has a massive impact on a renewable energy asset’s reliability and insurability; there have even been cases where lenders won’t approve […]

  • Floating PV System Provides Smart Energy and Savings for Wastewater Plant

    Installing floating photovoltaic solar panels on a water reservoir provides Kelseyville Wastewater Treatment Plant with low-cost, clean energy, reduces algae growth, minimizes bank erosion, and lessens

  • Understanding Ultrasonic Examination in the Power Industry

    Nondestructive testing (NDT) refers to the inspection of materials to ensure their integrity and serviceability without damaging the components in the process. There are various NDT methods used by inspectors

  • Inventory Management Systems: How Automation Can Save Time and Reduce Costs for Power Companies

    Inventory management can provide significant operational benefits for power companies. From forecasting, fueled by real-time data, to automated replenishment and supply chain continuity, digital solutions are

  • Turbine Bypass Valve Challenges

    Turbine bypass valves are one of the most difficult applications in a power plant. Keeping these valves operating efficiently and avoiding unexpected failures is critical for plant operation. When engineers

  • Winter Demand for Coal, Gas Falls Across EU Despite Energy Concerns

    An analysis from an energy research group shows European Union (EU) countries burned less coal and natural gas for power generation than in prior years, despite an ongoing energy crisis driven by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. A study from Ember, a think-tank based in the UK, said coal-fired generation in the EU dropped 27 TWh […]

  • Arctic Circle Offshore Wind Farm Will Power Oil Exploration Platform

    Development of the first floating offshore wind farm in the Arctic Circle is moving forward, with three Norwegian companies releasing a project plan for the installation. The GoliatVIND project is envisioned as a 75-MW array installed in deep water northwest of Hammerfest, Norway, in the Barents Sea. The installation would be linked into the Goliat […]

  • EPRI Head: Duck Curve Now Looks Like a Canyon

    The “duck curve,” a concept that has become emblematic of the challenges associated with integrating variable renewables in the power system, now looks like a “canyon,” illustrating a paramount urgency for adequate flexibility, Arshad Mansoor, president and CEO of the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), has warned.  In a recent post on LinkedIn, Mansoor highlighted […]

  • GE Invests Heavily in Improving Gas Turbine Repair Processes and Combustor Performance

    On the east side of Greenville, South Carolina, sits a 413-acre site with more than one and a half million square feet of manufacturing space and another 70,000 square feet of labs. This is one of the locations where GE Gas Power is working to improve gas turbine technology and repair processes, among other things. […]

  • South Korean Companies Snap Up Opportunities to Advance Floating Nuclear, Nuclear Hydrogen, SMRs

    Days after Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) announced it would participate in a consortium to develop floating nuclear power plants, the owner and operator of South Korea’s 25 nuclear power plants joined forces with TerraPower to bolster the demonstration and commercialization of Natrium, TerraPower’s sodium-cooled fast reactor integrated energy system. The deals were announced […]