Renewables
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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
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Coal
Electric Power Generation: Coal Is Currently a Vital Component
Over the past decade, there has been a significant change in the U.S. system of power generation in the lower 48 states. The major factors that resulted in these changes were the discovery of new natural gas
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Gas
Why America Must Let Go of Coal and Avoid Renewable Subsidies
The 2019 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP25), held in December in Madrid, Spain, showcased politicians and activists vying for the title of the world’s climate savior. In particular, youth
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News
Equipment Showcase: Diesel and Gas Generators
The need for reliable and resilient power generation, including backup power, means the market for mobile and smaller-scale power generation continues to grow. Commercial and industrial sites are using
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History
Why the 2010s Were a Definitive Decade for Power
Every one of the 13 decades that POWER magazine has been in print has been definitive for electric generation technology, policy, and business in some significant way, but few have been as transformative as the 2010s. The decade opened just as the global economy began to crawl toward recovery from a historically unprecedented downturn that […]
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News
UAE Set to Start First Nuclear Plant; Sweden, Germany Shut Units
The first nuclear power plant in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) reportedly will come online in early 2020. The report comes one day after Sweden on Dec. 30 shut down one of four reactors at the nation’s largest nuclear plant, closing Unit 2 at the Ringhals facility after more than 40 years of operation. Germany […]
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Water
Good Water Treatment Systems Need Both Equipment and Chemistry [PODCAST]
Proper water treatment is vital to successful power plant operation. The water treatment system must be designed appropriately, implementing a suitable water chemistry program, and operated and monitored correctly. Having adequate training and utilizing the services of a knowledgeable partner can be invaluable. Three water industry experts from U.S. Water, a Kurita company, were recent […]
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News
Mixed Reactions to FERC’s Recent MOPR Order from Power Generators
On Dec. 19, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) directed PJM Interconnection to dramatically expand its Minimum Offer Price Rule (MOPR) to nearly all state-subsidized capacity resources, including renewables backed by state portfolio standards. It’s the latest of a series of dramatic revisions to the grid operator’s rule, which essentially functions to provide a minimum […]
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Markets
The Significance of FERC’s Recent PJM MOPR Order Explained
A divided Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued a long-awaited order on Dec. 19 in which it directed PJM Interconnection to dramatically expand its Minimum Offer Price Rule (MOPR) to nearly all state-subsidized capacity resources. The order will have a significant impact on PJM’s capacity market. While it was no surprise that the decision immediately […]
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News
Minnesota Court Blocks Construction of Gas-Fired Plant
A Minnesota court on Dec. 23 said a proposed natural gas-fired power plant in neighboring Wisconsin needs more environmental review before construction can proceed, reversing an earlier decision by the state’s Public Utilities Commission (PUC) that approved the facility. The state Court of Appeals on Monday said state regulators must look at whether the Nemadji […]