News
-
Press Releases
Alleviating Control Valve Erosion Crucial to Power Plant Uptime
Ongoing process steam leakage in power plant control valves due to erosion from wet steam must be addressed to maximise uptime at a critical time for industry, says a power industry expert. Continually rising gas prices caused by geopolitical events have put pressure on facilities to ensure continued, uninterrupted performance, and further heightened the impact […]
-
Press Releases
Duke Energy begins operating 207-MW Ledyard Windpower, its first wind project in Iowa
Verizon Communications has entered into a 180-megawatt virtual power purchase agreement Company awards $60,000 grant to support the Ledyard Fire Department CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions (DESS), a nonregulated commercial brand of Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), today announced it has placed into commercial operation the 207-megawatt (MW) Ledyard Windpower project in Kossuth County, […]
-
Press Releases
Tokamak Energy and Furukawa Electric Group strengthen relationship to progress commercial fusion energy
Tokamak Energy has signed an agreement with leading Japanese and United States companies to supply specialist high temperature superconducting (HTS) tape for its new advanced prototype fusion device, ST80-HTS. Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan and SuperPower Inc, New York, USA of Furukawa Electric Group, are expected to deliver more than several hundred kilometres of […]
-
Press Releases
German flow battery manufacturer CMBlu Energy enters the US market
Critical advances in the company’s carbon-based energy storage systems aim to accelerate long duration energy storage commercial deployments and US domestic production. Alzenau, Germany, January 10, 2023 – CMBlu Energy, a Frankfurt-area designer and manufacturer of long-duration Organic Solid-FlowT battery energy storage systems, announced plans today to work with electric utility and industrial customers to […]
-
Gas
TVA Will Build Gas-Fired Plant to Replace Coal-Fired Units
The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) has approved retirement of the Cumberland coal-fired power plant, with officials on Jan. 10 saying the utility will replace one of the plant’s two units with a 1,450-MW natural gas-fired combined cycle facility at the site. The TVA has held public meetings over the past few years amid much discussion […]
-
Solar
Construction Underway on South Dakota’s Largest Solar Project
A 128-MW solar energy project that will serve customers of a regional electric power cooperative is under construction in South Dakota, with the facility expected to enter commercial operation later this year. National Grid Renewables on Jan. 10 said work has begun on the company’s Wild Springs Solar Project in Pennington County. The array will […]
-
Gas
Renewable Natural Gas Projects Announced for South Dakota, Florida
More projects to increase the supply of renewable natural gas (RNG) have been announced in Florida and South Dakota, as investments continue in technologies to produce a low-carbon fuel that could replace diesel and other fossil fuels. OPAL Fuels, headquartered in White Plains, New York, on Jan. 5 announced it has completed the ramp-up period […]
-
Technology
NuScale Submits Standard Design Approval Application to NRC for Uprated SMR Design
NuScale Power has submitted a standard design approval (SDA) application to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) based on its six-module VOYGR-6 configuration, which will use uprated 250-MWth (77-MWe) modules. The step is crucial for the proposed construction of the 462-MWe Carbon Free Power Plant at an Idaho National Laboratory (INL) site. NuScale’s SDA application submitted […]
-
Press Releases
PG&E Teams With Energy Vault to Build and Operate the Largest Green Hydrogen Long-Duration Energy Storage System in the U.S.
Hybrid system will be capable of powering approximately 2,000 electric customers within PG&E’s Calistoga microgrid for up to 48 hours (293 MWh of carbon-free energy) during a planned outage This Long-Duration Energy Storage System is the first-of-its-kind and integrates a short duration battery system, for grid forming and black start capabilities, with a long duration fuel […]
-
Management
Womack Named CEO of Southern Company, Other Leadership Changes Announced
Southern Company’s Board of Directors announced on Jan. 5 that Chris Womack, who has served as president of its largest subsidiary, Georgia Power, since 2020, and as Georgia Power’s chairman, president, and CEO since 2021, has been appointed CEO of Southern Company effective immediately following the conclusion of the company’s 2023 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. […]
-
Press Releases
Jacobs to Plan Dismantling of Soviet-era Nuclear Reactors
Project in Lithuania could offer important lessons for U.K. power station cleanup DALLAS – A consortium comprising Westinghouse Electric Spain, Jacobs (NYSE:J) and the Lithuanian Energy Institute was selected to plan dismantling and waste management at the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant (INPP) in Lithuania. Soviet-designed Ignalina could be the first graphite-moderated reactor plant to be […]
-
Trends
Grid Infrastructure and Renewable Energy Projects Thrive, Workforce and Supply Chain Issues Continue in 2023
The Inflation Reduction Act will spur growth in clean energy and upgrades to grid infrastructure, but workforce shortages and supply chain constraints are likely to challenge power companies for at least the
-
Trends
10 Near-Term Global Power Sector Trends
While 2021 provided its own share of extraordinary energy debacles, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in early 2022 cascaded into full-blown energy turmoil. This year will begin with the world “in the midst of
-
Energy Security
Enhancing and Hardening the U.S. Power Grid
It’s no secret that the U.S. power grid needs some work. According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), nearly 70% of the nation’s grid is more than 25 years old. The DOE says the U.S. needs to expand
-
Nuclear
Being Pro-Nuclear Won’t Be Enough—Here’s Why
Nuclear energy—not just nuclear power—is seeing a burst of innovation unlike anything seen since the 1950s. While the strong momentum for the dispatchable zero-carbon energy source is promising, prominent pitfalls threaten necessary progress.
-
News
Egypt Uses COP27 to Announce Large-Scale Renewable, Hydrogen Projects
The recent United Nations (UN) COP27 climate conference in Egypt was host to several announcements of large-scale renewable energy projects, including one of the world’s largest wind farms, along with an
-
Renewables
Global Market for PPAs Supports Renewable Energy Projects
Large global corporate groups continue to buy stakes in major renewable energy projects and sign power purchase agreements (PPAs) designed to provide long-term electricity for their operations. Some
-
IIOT Power
Experts Explain: Digital Twins
In this fresh series, POWER’s editors choose a multifaceted topic that may have myriad applications or implications, and ask an array of key industry stakeholders for their perspectives. This month’s
-
Trends
POWER Digest [January 2023]
Brazil Formally Restarts Construction of Angra 3 Nuclear Reactor. Eletronuclear, a mixed-ownership subsidiary of Brazilian state-run power group Eletrobras, has resumed construction of Angra 3, a 1.4-GW
-
Commentary
Are We Headed for a Reliability Train Wreck?
So far, utilities have announced plans to retire some 93,000 MW (nameplate) of coal—almost half the existing coal fleet—by the end of this decade. Coal retirements combined with increasing penetration of
-
Workforce
Three Ways Power Companies Should Plan Ahead to Integrate, Activate, and Retain Top Talent
Workforce issues are top of mind at many power companies. As workers become harder and harder to find, it’s important for leaders to implement proven strategies for recruiting and inspiring qualified team
-
Renewables
Risk Mitigation: An Essential Prerequisite for Inflation Reduction Act Funding
The groundbreaking Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) will put hundreds of billions of dollars toward renewables. As the most comprehensive energy policy in recent years, the IRA is already having a profound impact
-
Hydrogen
Should We Really Use Renewable Electricity to Make Green Hydrogen? Not Always
There’s a growing belief that hydrogen will play a key role in lowering CO 2 emissions. However, there are several caveats in realizing that vision, and in some cases, hydrogen may not be the right choice
-
Research and Development
Enterprise Asset Management: Empowering Stronger Vision for Net-Zero Reality
Managers are constantly battling to improve efficiency and become more sustainable. Having effective asset management tools can help decision-makers visualize what’s working well and what isn’t, so fixes
-
Hybrid Power
China Breaks Ground on Massive 16-GW Solar, Wind, Coal Project
A massive, multibillion-dollar renewable and fossil-fuel energy project is underway in China. The installation, being built by China Three Gorges (CTG), includes wind, solar, energy storage and coal-fired power generation. Ground was broken for the first pilot of the Kubuqi Base project in Dalate Banner, Ordos, Inner Mongolia on Dec. 28, 2022, according to Chinese […]
-
Nuclear
Updates on Five Big Nuclear Energy Developments POWER Was Watching in 2022
In January 2022, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Nuclear Energy (NE) published a list of five nuclear energy stories to watch in 2022. Here’s an update on the items the NE felt were important for industry insiders to keep an eye on. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law The DOE noted in the January […]
-
Legal & Regulatory
Biden Administration Rolls Out ‘Durable’ WOTUS Definition in Final Rule
The Biden administration has rolled out in a final what it says is a “durable” definition of “waters of the U.S.” (WOTUS), potentially capping a legal and political battle that has raged for nearly two decades. The final rule issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of the Army on […]
-
Energy Security
Bulk Power System Deficiencies During Winter Storm Elliot Prompt Inquiries
Assessments are underway to pin down factors that prompted emergencies, tight grid conditions, and even load-shedding by major entities as Winter Storm Elliot bore down on the North American bulk power system (BPS) this past week. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), the North American Electric Reliability Corp. (NERC), and regional entities affiliated with […]
-
Legal & Regulatory
DOE Proposes New Distribution Transformer Standards as Crippling Shortages Persist
Almost all distribution transformers produced or imported into the U.S. could require amorphous steel cores starting in 2027 under new energy efficiency standards proposed by the Department of Energy (DOE). The measure, unveiled as industry grapples with a crippling shortage of distribution transformers, will serve a longer-term role in boosting grid resiliency as a “strategic […]
-
O&M
The 12 Most-Read POWER Global Monitor Articles of 2022
Every month, POWER magazine publishes several articles in its Global Monitor section covering topics important to the electric power generation industry. The articles typically feature interesting updates on progress made at notable projects around the world, big policy changes, or promising research and development (R&D) news. Short notes about major contracts are also touched on […]