Renewables
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Instrumentation & Controls
Burns & McDonnell Selected by NYPA for Major Control System Modernization Project at One of Largest Hydropower Facilities in North America
KANSAS CITY, Missouri — Burns & McDonnell will serve as engineer-procure-construct (EPC) contractor for an extensive $134 million electrical control system upgrade and modernization project for the New York Power Authority’s 2,525-megawatt (MW) Robert Moses Niagara Power Plant. The control system project is a crucial component of a recently announced $1.1 billion Next Generation Niagara […]
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News
Coal Is Out as APS Sets Carbon-Free Goal
Arizona Public Service (APS) announced Jan. 22 that it plans for all its power generation to be carbon-free by 2050, and also said it plans to produce nearly half its power from renewable sources by 2030. APS joins other U.S. utilities who have put forth similar goals in recent years. APS, which has been criticized […]
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News
Qatar Will Boost Middle East Solar with 800-MW Project
Qatar’s energy minister on Jan. 19 said the country will build an 800-MW solar power project that will push the country far beyond its announced goal for solar energy. That goal of 100 MW of solar generation was established when Qatar in December 2010 was awarded rights to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup tournament. […]
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Press Releases
Small business, big impact: E.ON extends 100% renewables-backed electricity offer to small business customers
January 20, 2020 — E.ON today announced it would be extending its 100% renewables-backed electricity supply to eligible small business customers across Britain – committing to source electricity matched with wind, solar and other sources for 100,000 or more small businesses over the next 12 months. E.ON already provides its residential customers electricity supply backed […]
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News
Wisconsin PSC Backs Construction of Gas-Fired Plant
Construction of a $700 million natural gas-fired power plant near the Wisconsin-Minnesota border was authorized by Wisconsin regulators on Jan. 16, over the objections of environmental groups who have said the plant is not needed. Dairyland Power Cooperative and Minnesota Power would jointly own the 625-MW Nemadji Trail Energy Center, which on its current timeline […]
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News
Report: Investment in Renewables Hit Record High in 2019
Financial support for installations of offshore wind projects helped investment in renewable energy capacity hit a record high in 2019, according to data from research company BloombergNEF (BNEF) released Jan. 16. The group said worldwide investment in renewables was $282.2 billion last year, up 1% from $280.2 billion in 2018. Financing of offshore wind projects, […]
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News
EIA: Renewables Will Surge Past Coal, Nuclear to 22% of U.S. Power Mix in 2021
The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) in its first forecast for 2021 suggests the share of renewables in the utility-scale U.S. power generation mix will surge to 22%, up from 17% last year, while coal and nuclear’s shares will be further diminished. According to the agency’s latest Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO), released Jan. 14, coal’s […]
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Press Releases
Ceremonial Groundbreaking Kicks Off Construction Of Sunpin Solar’s 98 MW Titan Solar 1 Project
IRVINE, Calif., Jan. 14, 2020 — Sunpin Solar, a California-based solar developer, held a groundbreaking ceremony on January 10th, 2020, celebrating the start of construction on its 98 MW Titan Solar 1 Project in Ocotillo Wells, California. This is Sunpin Solar’s second large utility-scale solar project in California, following the successful completion of the 96.75 […]
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Press Releases
Ballard Signs ESAs for Fuel Cell Stacks to Support Backup Power Systems at German Radio Towers
VANCOUVER and HOBRO, Denmark, Jan. 14, 2020 — Ballard Power Systems today announced that it has signed Equipment Sales Agreements (ESAs) for the provision of an initial 500 FCgen®-1020ACS fuel cell stacks to adKor GmbH (“adKor”; www.adkor.de/en/) and SFC Energy AG (“SFC Energy”; www.sfc.com/en/), to be integrated into adKor’s Jupiter backup power systems for deployment at […]
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News
Tri-State Will Close Its Last Coal Units in Colorado, New Mexico
Colorado-based power cooperative Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association on Jan. 9 announced it will retire its lone New Mexico coal-fired unit by the end of this year, and cease operations of its remaining Colorado coal units, and the company’s coal mine, by 2030. Tri-State, which said the closures will impact about 600 workers, said state […]
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Renewables
New York Is Fertile Ground for Clean Energy
When many people are asked which state is leading the U.S. toward a renewable energy future, California is the first that comes to mind. And while California is worthy of such distinction, it’s not the only state with a progressive clean-energy agenda. New York should also be part of the conversation. On Jan. 8, New […]
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Markets
PJM Stakeholders at Odds on Timing for Next Capacity Auction
PJM Interconnection will not run a base residual auction (BRA) until the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approves recalculated Minimum Offer Price Rule (MOPR) floor prices for new and existing resources as directed by the federal entity’s ground-shaking Dec. 19 capacity market order. But when that will occur is still highly uncertain. In a presentation […]
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Press Releases
ACWA Power expands its geographic footprint by entering the Azerbaijan market
Azerbaijan, Baku, 09 January 2020: ACWA Power signed today an implementation agreement with the Ministry of Energy of Azerbaijan for developing, building and operating a 240 MW wind power project. The power purchase agreement (PPA) of the project spans over a period of 20 years on a Build Own Operate (BOO) basis. The ceremony was […]
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News
Deal Announced to Close Louisiana Coal Unit
The Arkansas Public Service Commission has approved a plan to retire the Dolet Hills power plant, a coal-fired unit in Mansfield, Louisiana that serves part of the state. The decision, reached in December and announced Jan. 8 by the Sierra Club, came as part of a settlement agreement in a recently concluded Arkansas rate review, […]
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Wind
Siemens-Gamesa Bags Deal for Mammoth 2.64-GW Virginia Offshore Wind Project
Dominion Energy’s proposed 2.64-GW Virginia Offshore Wind project—the world’s largest single offshore wind project proposed to date—will likely feature turbines supplied by Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE). A Jan. 7-announced preferred supplier agreement signed by the two companies could give the wind turbine maker a stronghold in the burgeoning offshore wind U.S. market. While the […]
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Commentary
2020 – A New Energy Era Begins, and Storage is Key
This last year of the decade proved to be a pivotal year for energy storage technology, as major developments underscored why it is so vital for energy markets. Events such as widespread power outages and transmission issues on a global scale have led to the precipitous rise in energy storage deployments. The energy industry has […]
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Press Releases
Solar Installations to Grow by Additional 142 GW in 2020 – Seven Times the World’s Total Solar Installations a Decade Ago
LONDON (January 7, 2020) – Global solar installations will continue double-digit growth rates into the new decade, according to the new 2020 Global Photovoltaic (PV) Demand Forecast by IHS Markit (NYSE: INFO), a world leader in critical information, analytics and solutions. New annual installations in 2020 will reach 142 gigawatts (GW), a 14 % rise […]
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Press Releases
Battery research group heralds 100th global member
Global battery research group, the Consortium for Battery Innovation, is celebrating its 100th member company, Surrette Battery Company, a north American battery manufacturer providing batteries for a range of applications, including renewable energy storage for remote wind and solar farms. Surrette, based in Springhill, Nova Scotia in Canada produces deep cycle lead batteries under the […]
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News
Feds Back Construction of Largest U.S. Solar Farm
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) on Dec. 30 released a final environmental impact statement (EIS) for the Gemini solar project, a planned 7,100-acre installation outside Las Vegas, Nevada, with a proposed generation capacity of 690 MW. The $1 billion project would be the largest U.S. solar farm in terms of generation, and includes […]
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IIOT
Technology’s Role in Shaping 2020—and Beyond
In the year 2020, the energy sector will continue to undergo major changes. From doubling-down on alternative energy sources—as the world places more importance on sustainability—to the large number of workers retiring in droves, there will be substantial shifts in the way energy companies, including power generators and oil and gas producers, prioritize in the […]
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News
Enel Starts Operations at Two Renewable Energy Plants in the U.S.
The projects include the first 252 MW phase of the Roadrunner solar project in Texas and the 66 MW Whitney Hill wind project in Illinois. With this announcement, Enel has started operations at three new renewable energy plants in the US totalling nearly 800 MW with another 1 GW of renewable energy under construction. BOSTON, […]
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News
THE BIG PICTURE [Infographic]: Solar’s Explosive Growth
According to the International Energy Agency’s (IEA’s) World Energy Outlook 2019, solar photovoltaic (PV) is set to become the largest source of installed electrical capacity in about 2035, if countries pursue policies as planned. By 2040, solar could make up 24% of global installed capacity—up from 7% in 2018—but its share of generation could hover […]
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Hydrogen
Is Hydrogen the Power Industry’s Holy Grail?
Some power industry insiders believe hydrogen offers a solution to large-scale energy storage problems. The concept generally revolves around utilizing electricity generated by renewables when supply is high
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News
10 Power Sector Insights from the IEA’s World Energy Outlook 2019
The International Energy Agency’s (IEA’s) November 2019–released World Energy Outlook 2019 (WEO2019) is studded with interesting findings about emerging trends in the power sector. Here are 10 from the
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News
Obrador Administration Rolling Back Energy Reform in Mexico
The future of energy in Mexico is being shaped by the administration of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who wants state-owned energy companies to have more influence over the country’s power
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News
POWER Digest [January 2020]
Engie Will Close 1 GW of Coal Generation; Adding Solar, Wind. French energy group Engie in mid-December said it will close 1 GW of coal-fired power generation assets in Peru and Chile over the next five years
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Technology
Power Industry Disrupters: Gas, Renewables, and Storage
The power industry is experiencing significant changes. Natural gas, wind, solar, and battery storage seem to be the wave of the future. What’s compelling the transformation? Some people point to
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Commentary
Structural Effects of Climate Change on the Utility Business
Developers and other sellers of electricity have traditionally viewed utilities as creditworthy counterparties. Utilities are longstanding institutions that provide a public service and receive a regulated
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News
Evolution of the Smart Grid at Forefront of Transformative Change
The power industry is in the midst of a shake-up, a revolution in how electricity is generated and distributed. Smart grid technology is changing the way utilities and customers interact, and providing support
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Hydro
Hydraulic Stability of Surge Tanks
When needed, surge tanks can provide a critical feature to the hydraulic design of hydropower projects. Principally, they can mitigate the overpressure effects of pressure transients or water hammer and allow