O&M

Brazil’s Belo Monte hydropower project includes a complex of dams, numerous dikes, and a series of canals supplying two different power stations with water. With a rated capacity of 11,233 MW, it will be the

On May 16, 2014, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is scheduled to release its long-delayed final 316(b) rule for existing facilities. The rule—which was supposed to have been issued Apr. 17 after

With the growing need for operational flexibility across the power industry, the combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) fleet is increasingly being subjected to load-following and cyclic operation. This change in

All power plants must continually strive to control operating expenses, but it is particularly important for coal-fired facilities to cut costs these days to stay competitive while meeting ever-more-stringent

Todd Hillman As hurricane season begins this year, utilities across the Gulf Coast will have a new partner as they work to keep the lights on after extreme weather events. Starting in late 2013, the

With 4.4 million customers and nearly 46 GW of generating capacity, Atlanta-based Southern Co. has doubled the size of its supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system in the past three years and

Many coal-fired power plants in operation today do not have a fire-extinguishing medium installed in their coal storage silos. CO2 injection would generally be the preferred method, and is used in many plants, but what do you do when your plant was left without this option after construction? Wet or just plain “hot” coal making […]

A report released on May 5 by staffing firm Manpower suggests that utilities are under a “double squeeze”—a shortage of skilled workers at both the entry and senior level—caused by an aging workforce, advances in technology, and a breakdown in the educational system. In its report, “Strategies to Fuel the Energy Workforce,” Manpower noted that […]

It’s no secret that equipment requires maintenance. Just as your personal vehicle needs an oil change periodically, a power plant needs to shut down regularly for a tune-up to take care of all those little

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) on Tuesday issued a final rule that revises a 42-year-old construction standard for electric power line work to make it more consistent with general industry standards.  The final rule, which is scheduled to be published in the Federal Register on April 11 and becomes effective 90 days after that, […]