News

  • CPS Energy Exploring Novel Geomechanical Pumped Storage Technology

    Texas-based CPS Energy, the largest municipally owned electric and natural gas company in the U.S., has entered into a 15-year commercial agreement to explore installing up to 15 MW of geomechanical pumped storage (GPS). The agreement will kick off with a pioneering 1-MW project that will pump water into drilled wells and store it under […]

  • Coal Use Rises, Prices Soar as War Impacts Energy Markets

    The war in Ukraine is having a global impact on energy prices, not only driving the cost of oil higher, but also sending coal prices to record levels as demand for the fuel grows during a period of diminished supply. The Newcastle (Australia) futures price of thermal coal for power generation hit $435/ton on March […]

  • How Data—with Context—Will Drive a More Secure Energy Future

    I’ve come to depend on the navigation system in my car. It predicts traffic jams, gives me the fastest route, informs me of store hours, and even tells me where to get a burger. To give me this experience, the navigation system draws on multiple data sources, puts it into context, and presents it through […]

  • GE Turbines Will Power New 2-GW Gas-Fired Plant in China

    A new 2-GW natural gas-fired power plant in China, being built to support the coming retirement of a large regional coal-fired complex, will feature three GE 9HA.01 gas turbines. GE Gas Power and Harbin Electric on March 7 announced that Chinese state-owned power utility Shenzhen Energy Group Corporation Co. has ordered the equipment for its Guangming […]

  • Ban on Russian Energy Imports Gains Bipartisan, Bicameral Steam in Congress

    Eighteen bipartisan U.S. Senators are backing a bill that would direct the president to declare a national emergency and prohibit imports of Russian energy commodities, including crude oil, petroleum products, liquefied natural gas (LNG), and coal. While the measure does not include Russian uranium, a senior Department of Energy official said addressing U.S. reliance on […]

  • The Connected Plant Conference Announces Southern Company as Host Utility Partner

    HOUSTON, TX, March 4, 2022 – The 6th Annual Connected Plant Conference is proud to announce Southern Company as the Host Utility Partner. The 2022 event will convene in-person at the Renaissance Waverly Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia, from May 23 to 26. Hosted by POWER and Chemical Engineering, the Connected Plant Conference will provide attendees with the […]

  • Ukraine’s Largest Nuclear Power Plant Taken by Russian Forces

    The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported on March 4 that Russian forces had taken control of the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) site, but that the reactors continued to be operated by the plant’s regular staff and there had been no release of radioactive material. “What we are telling you is confirmed information that […]

  • Conflict in Ukraine Threatens Nuclear Power Plants and Radioactive Waste Disposal Facilities; Operations Continue

    In its most recent update on the status of Ukrainian nuclear power plants (NPPs), issued to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on March 2, the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine (SNRIU) said it maintained communications with the country’s NPPs and that all units “continued to operate as before.” Of Ukraine’s 15 reactors, more […]

  • NRC Dramatically Reconsiders SLR Approvals, Sets New Conditions for Nuclear Life Extensions

    The Nuclear Regulatory Commission  (NRC) in a dramatic reversal on Feb. 24 threw out a key environmental review that staff applied to subsequent license renewal (SLR) approvals for units at Turkey Point and Peach Bottom nuclear plants in 2019 and 2020, deeming their applications “incomplete.” In a series of orders, the federal regulatory agency’s three […]

  • Kiewit Chosen as EPC Lead on Massive Nevada Solar Project

    Equipment suppliers and construction partners have been chosen for the $1.2 billion Gemini solar-plus-storage installation in Nevada, which when complete will be among the largest solar projects in the U.S. Oakland, California-based Primergy Solar, part of Australia-based Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners and Gemini’s developer, owner, and operator, on March 3 said it has chosen Kiewit Power […]

  • The Hydrogen Rainbow Is So 2021—It’s Time to Get Over It

    When it comes to hydrogen energy, the industry typically differentiates the final product in classes that correspond to the carbon intensity with a focus on “the colors of the rainbow,” such as gray, green, purple, and blue. According to The New York Times, the oil and gas industries are promoting blue hydrogen because (at the […]

  • Xcel Energy Considering Nuclear Operator Role at Idaho NuScale SMR Plant

    Xcel Energy is exploring a role as operator of the 462-MWe Carbon-Free Power Project (CFPP), potentially becoming a key member of the first-of-its-kind small modular reactor (SMR) power plant that is under development at an Idaho National Laboratory (INL) site in Idaho Falls. The development is another sizable step for the six-module NuScale Power VOYGR project. […]

  • Charah Solutions Places Final 20% of All Real Property Acreage at Former TMPA Gibbons Creek Steam Electric Station Under Contract

    In Less than One Year Since Acquisition, Environmental Risk Transfer Services Leader Has Successfully Executed Contracts for the Sale of 100% of Real Property Acreage and Demolition of Power Plant; Remediation of Existing Ash Ponds and Landfills Underway Proven Environmental Risk Transfer Services Model Benefits Utility Partners, Shareholders, Local Communities and the Environment LOUISVILLE, KY […]

  • New Realms for Gas Power Technology

    Gas power technology developers are exploring new roles and applications to ensure gas power will remain relevant as power markets embrace decarbonization. At the end of 2020, about 1,600 GW of gas turbines

  • Repowering Provides New Purpose for Existing Plants

    The benefits of repowering—cost savings from upgraded performance, and utilizing existing infrastructure—make it an important part of the energy landscape. Repowering is occurring in both thermal and

  • Power Industry People: Finding Top Talent in the Military

    Last month, POWER published an article written by Senior Associate Editor Darrell Proctor that detailed the challenges power companies have been facing when trying to attract high-quality recruits in the increasingly competitive labor market for engineers and other workers with technical backgrounds (see “Groups Grapple with Labor Logistics as Energy Evolves” in the February 2022 […]

  • Sweden’s Government Approves Construction of Spent Nuclear Fuel Repository 

    Sweden’s government in late January gave radioactive waste management company Svensk Kärnbränslehantering AB (SKB) the green light to proceed with a deep geological repository (DGR) for spent nuclear fuel (SNF) at a site near Vattenfall’s 3.2-GW Forsmark nuclear power plant. The milestone, which wraps up a planning process that has taken more than 40 years, makes Sweden only the second country, after Finland, to take active steps on building a permanent SNF repository.

  • Brazil Looks at Nuclear Power as Demand for Electricity Grows

    A government agency that supports research into Brazil’s energy sector has forecast a significant jump in demand for electricity within the country over the next several years. Empresa de Pesquisa

  • Accelerated Decommissioning of Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station: A Progress Report

    Holtec is decommissioning the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station. The company has a fairly aggressive schedule that could see site restoration work completed in 2027. This article provides a current-day status

  • Market Transitions: The MOPR Merry-Go-Round

    The PJM Interconnection’s Minimum Offer Price Rule (MOPR) was introduced in 2006 as a floor to bar new generators from artificially depressing capacity auction clearing prices through below-cost bids.

  • Low-Cost Long-Duration Energy Storage at a Natural Gas Pipeline

    An energy storage project based on Compressed Natural Gas Energy Storage (CNGES) technology is being studied at the Abbott Power Plant in Illinois. This article presents an overview of CNGES technology

  • District Heating Supply from Nuclear Power Plants: Technical and Economic Aspects

    In the February 2022 issue of POWER, an overview of existing district heating systems that utilize nuclear power for their energy source was presented and best practices of successful installations were

  • Composite Insulator Application and Design for a Growing and Evolving Transmission Grid

    The need to integrate renewable energy resources, and prepare for increased demand for power as electrification takes hold in transportation and other sectors, creates challenges for an aging grid. Some

  • 2022 CTOTF Innovation Excellence Award Winners Announced

    The Combustion Turbine Operations Technical Forum (CTOTF), in association with POWER, is excited to announce the recipients of its annual Innovation Excellence Awards. Winners were selected through a judging process performed by an independent panel of recognized utility industry experts. Selections were made in five categories: maintenance, environmental stewardship, safety process, operational, and management and […]

  • Harnessing the Benefits of Energy Storage to Reshape Sustainable Operations

    In today’s challenging business environment, it is paramount for organizations of all disciplines to reduce operating expenses while creating processes to meet strict greenhouse gas emissions standards. There is a worldwide focus on utilizing the full power of renewable energy and distributed assets to help organizations become more sustainable and decarbonized. Energy consumers, producers, utilities, […]

  • SCOTUS Hears Arguments on EPA’s Purview Over Power Plant GHG Emissions

    The U.S. Supreme Court is hearing arguments on a landmark case that could determine whether the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has the authority to broadly interpret the Clean Air Act (CAA) to establish carbon emission standards for coal, oil, and gas-fired power plants. Arguments in West Virginia v. Environmental Protection Agency (No. 20-1530) presented to […]

  • Well-Constructed Solution: Geothermal to Power Bitcoin Mining

    The mining of cryptocurrency, or bitcoin, is an energy-intensive process, and entrepreneurs are looking at several technologies—including innovative geothermal energy techniques—to power their operations. Among the latest is a service from a California-based renewable energy group, RenewaBit, which has joined with CeraPhi Energy, a Houston, Texas-based company, to produce geothermal energy with integrated crypto mining […]

  • Transmission & Distribution Summit Will Be Held in Boston, Massachusetts, April 4–6, 2022

    We are thrilled to announce that the 21st Transmission & Distribution Summit returns this April 4-6 in Boston, MA, USA and brings leading transmission & distribution executives and innovative suppliers and solution providers together at an exquisite location, Encore Boston Harbor. The summit focuses on key topics that have occupied the discussion by industry stakeholders […]

  • GE Digital’s CIMPLICITY 2022 Monitors and Controls Industrial Operations with Centralized, Remote, and Mobile Innovation

    SAN RAMON, Calif. – FEBRUARY 24, 2022 —  GE Digital today announced the availability of the latest version of its industry-leading CIMPLICITY 2022 HMI/SCADA software. A proven, secure-by-design automation platform, CIMPLICITY® provides true client/server visualization and control – from single machines to plant locations spanning the world – helping industrial companies manage operations, enable the connected worker, and achieve […]

  • Solar Developer Has Plan to Turn Oil Wells Into Energy Storage

    A California developer of concentrated solar power (CSP) systems has announced an innovation that it says combines the company’s technologies to turn existing oil wells into energy storage sites that can provide clean energy. Hyperlight Energy on Feb. 24 said it was launching Tectonic Sun, an electricity generation technology that when paired with the company’s […]