Renewables

  • The POWER Interview: Emerson Exec Talks Hybrid Facilities

    More companies are providing software and automation technology to the power generation sector, particularly as newer forms of electricity production increase their market share. Emerson is among those groups, with its technology providing a single, integrated, secure platform that is independent of plant type or the equipment originally installed at a generation facility. James Fraser, […]

  • Mitsubishi Power Will Build New Geothermal for Indonesia

    Mitsubishi Power is expanding its geothermal infrastructure in Indonesia. The company has received an order from PT Pertamina Geothermal Energy (PGE), a subsidiary of the state-owned oil and gas group PT Pertamina, for construction of a 55-MW unit at the Lumut Balai Unit 2 geothermal power station. The order is for a steam turbine, generator, […]

  • Hybrids Combine Technologies to Enhance Electricity Production

    Solar + wind, solar + storage, wind + storage—even fossil fuels combined with renewable energy—are supporting the growth of hybrid power plants that are breaking the norms of traditional power generation

  • Major Energy Players Seal Big Deals for Renewables

    The world’s oil and gas majors, along with some of the largest utility companies, continue to invest in renewable energy as they develop diversified power generation project portfolios. Among the latest is

  • Projects Underway as Part of UK’s Hydrogen Plan

    The UK has a broad plan to develop a hydrogen economy as a feature of its commitment to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Energy analysts have said hydrogen not only could fuel the country’s

  • Large Hydro Station Wins POWER’s Highest Honor, 21 Additional Outstanding Projects Recognized in 2022

    It’s always difficult to select winners from the field of nominations submitted to POWER for its annual awards, and this year was no exception. The Wudongde Hydropower Station was the big winner, while

  • Tracker Configurations for Bifacial Modules Support Distributed Generation Sites

    Industry trends toward bigger and heavier modules, along with greater adoption of bifacial technology, are changing the way designers of solar power sites are thinking about tracking systems. Distributed

  • Labor Department Shuns Trump-Era ‘Anti-ESG’ Measures

    The Biden administration has reversed a controversial Trump-era rule that barred plan fiduciaries from considering climate change and other environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors when choosing retirement investments and exercising shareholder rights, such as proxy voting.  A final rule issued by the Department of Labor (DOL) on Nov. 22 removes restrictions issued in two […]

  • Fish Friendly Hydro: Natel Energy Is Proving It’s Possible

    Hydropower projects frequently face resistance from environmental groups for a variety of reasons. One of the more common objections to hydro is the high turbine-induced mortality of fish. The passage of fish through hydroelectric turbines can quickly prove fatal—a danger that increases with the size of the fish. Furthermore, if several hydropower plants are located […]

  • Sustainable hydropower collaborates with other renewables on climate change

    The sustainable hydropower sector is at the heart of two new initiatives that aim to accelerate the clean energy transition, both announced at COP27 today. Planning for Climate Commission aims to accelerate hydropower and other renewables The Planning for Climate Commission is a new global forum focused on speeding up planning and approvals for the massive […]

  • ‘Largest’ Floating Offshore Wind Farm Comes Online in North Sea

    An installation that at present is considered the world’s largest floating offshore wind farm has produced its first power, providing electricity for oil and gas exploration operations in the North Sea. Hywind Tampen on Nov. 13 began powering Equinor’s drilling at the Gullfaks oil and gas field. The wind farm is located about 87 miles […]

  • U.S., Others Tout $20 Billion Plan to Move Indonesia Away from Coal, Toward Renewables

    The U.S. and other countries have announced a $20 billion financing plan to help Indonesia more quickly shutter the country’s coal-fired power plants and decarbonize its power generation sector. “We’ve built a platform for cooperation that can truly transform Indonesia’s power sector from coal to renewables and support significant economic growth,” U.S. Special Envoy on […]

  • How Rural Communities Can Benefit from the Energy Transition

    Economic development can be a challenge for leaders in rural communities. Often, it’s hard to attract businesses to rural areas because the local workforce may not have the skills or numbers required to meet companies’ needs. But opportunities that haven’t been widely available in the past exist today for rural communities due to the energy […]

  • Webinar Brief: Clearing the Air with GE Digital

      Daniel Hynum discussed operational challenges that utilities face as the power grid shifts to renewables, and how GE Fleet Orchestration can help address those challenges. KEY TAKEAWAYS Market shifts create challenges for vertical integration of utilities’ operations. There is a major energy transition taking place in power grids around the world. As the market moves toward […]

  • Fulcrum 3D sheds light on solving U.S. solar industry’s underperformance

    U.S. solar developers can address a number of crucial underperformance issues identified in kWh Analytics’ Solar Risk Assessment: 2022 through the adoption of pre-build resource assessments that utilize site-based measurement campaigns, according to Fulcrum 3D. kWh Analytics’ Solar Risk Assessment: 2022 report called on the U.S. solar industry to identify new solutions to issues causing underperformance across the industry. Despite […]

  • Idiot or Maniac: Where Does Your Power Company Fit in the Discussion?

    It’s kind of exciting to be able to write that events are back in full swing. In case you missed it, POWER hosted the co-located Experience POWER, Distributed Energy Conference, and HydrogeNext events, Oct

  • Investment Bank ‘Mobilizing’ up to $115 Billion for Renewables, Energy Storage and More in EU

    The European Investment Bank Group (EIB Group) said it will support an initial investment of €30 billion ($30.2 billion) in loans and equity financing to move the European Union (EU) away from fossil fuels and toward cleaner forms of energy over the next five years. The EIB board of directors on Oct. 26 said a […]

  • Flowserve Valtek® TX3 Molten Salt Triple-offset Butterfly Valve

    For use in concentrated solar power plants DALLAS, Oct. 26, 2022 – Flowserve Corporation (NYSE: FLS), a leading provider of flow control products and services for the global infrastructure markets, announced the Valtek® TX3 Molten Salt triple-offset butterfly valve. Flowserve designed the Valtek TX3 Molten Salt triple-offset butterfly valve to provide concentrated solar power (CSP) […]

  • Inflation Reduction Act: Increased Electrification and Resulting Utility Implications

    While the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) provides steps in the right direction by expanding renewable energy development and electrification incentives, it may also lead to a worsening duck curve and a larger proportion of variable power sources in the generation mix—putting significant pressure on utilities’ ability to maintain reliability. U.S. utilities need to be proactive […]

  • U.S. Announces First Sale of Rights for California Offshore Wind Development

    The U.S. government has announced the first-ever sale of offshore wind development rights off the California coast. The Dept. of Interior (DOI) on Oct. 18 said it would hold the event on Dec. 6, in an effort to spur industry growth in the waters of the Pacific Ocean. The agency said the sale will include […]

  • TC Energy, 3 Rivers Energy Partners to develop renewable natural gas production facility at Jack Daniel Distillery

    CALGARY, Alberta, Oct. 17, 2022 – TC Energy Corp. announced today a $29.3 million investment in a renewable natural gas (RNG) production facility near the Jack Daniel Distillery in Lynchburg, Tennessee. Owned by Lynchburg Renewable Fuels LLC, the facility will produce RNG with a carbon intensity score that is 50% lower than traditional natural gas, […]

  • BP Buying Leading RNG Production Group in $4.1 Billion Deal

    British oil major BP is continuing to diversify its energy portfolio, announcing a deal to acquire a company considered an industry leader in production of renewable natural gas (RNG). BP on Oct. 17 said it was buying Houston, Texas-based Archaea Energy for $3.3 billion in cash, or $26 a share, along with $800 million for […]

  • Battery Energy Storage Returns Set to Decline

    Sponsored by:
    Enverus

    In certain markets, battery energy storage systems are approaching critical mass as they make significant impacts on operations and pricing for certain services. Market frameworks, volatility and decarbonization efforts have drawn developers en masse to California and Texas, in particular (Figure 1). Focusing on Texas (ERCOT), Enverus shows that battery energy storage systems generate the […]

  • The IRA Puts Us on a Path to Net Zero—What’s the Catch?

    In mid-August, President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) into law, marking this country’s most ambitious climate legislation to date. I applaud Congress and the President for working to pass the IRA and taking an important step toward net zero. The passage of this bill is a monumental achievement for everyone who cares about […]

  • How Green Hydrogen Can Solve Our Biggest Decarbonization Challenges

    October 8th is National Hydrogen Day—chosen in a delightfully nerdy fashion as a nod to the atomic weight of hydrogen: 1.008. And while perhaps only the most devoted scientists are hosting parties, there is much to celebrate this year. Thanks to innovative industry partnerships and legislative action, green hydrogen projects all over the country are […]

  • Balancing the Scales: Disparities in Decommissioning Practices for Renewable and Non-Renewable Energy

    There have been historic initiatives within the U.S. to create a sustainable energy economy and to address major environmental concerns created by fossil fuels. The Inflation Reduction Act contains $369 billion in climate and energy provisions, which will have a meaningful impact on climate change. Meanwhile, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law seeks to remedy environmental issues […]

  • How Bitcoin Mining Can Help Power Companies Optimize Generation Assets

    Bitcoin mining is the process used to generate new coins and verify new transactions. The process involves vast, decentralized networks of computers around the world that verify and secure blockchains, the virtual ledgers that document cryptocurrency transactions. In return for contributing their computing power, miners are rewarded with new coins. The process ultimately requires a […]

  • A New Breed of Energy Security: HO Clarke Power Plant

    WattBridge, a relatively new independent power producer that evolved out of a non-OEM aeroderivative gas turbine solutions provider, completed its first power facility based on a standardized LM6000 plant

  • The Big Picture: Power Plant Additions Over the Decades [Infographic]

    The deployment of new power plants in the U.S. over the past 14 decades has hinged on policies, markets, technologies, and new industry players. Every decade has presented its own state of multidimensional, multivariate complexity. The ongoing “energy transition,” which has been characterized by the addition of smaller, carbon-free resources, marks another pivotal period in […]

  • History of Power: The Evolution of the Electric Generation Industry

    POWER magazine was launched in 1882, just as the world was beginning to grasp the implications of a new, versatile form of energy: electricity. During its 135-year history, the magazine’s pages have