Safety

Dropsafe aids expansion into a wider variety of operating environments in multiple industries with XE & ME models Hong Kong, 23rd April – Global leader in Drops prevention, Dropsafe, has announced today that it is expanding its Barrier range to meet industry demand for robust Drops prevention solutions across all environments. Industries such as power generation and […]

How companies respond to the COVID-19 pandemic will determine their public reputations, and those of their leaders and key employees, for years if not decades. This, along with public safety, is why “Priority Number One” for the CEOs of power producers, utilities, and grid operators is to make sure critical employees, such as control room […]

The latest version of the Electricity Subsector Coordinating Council’s (ESCC’s) resource guide to assess and mitigate COVID-19 suggests the U.S. power sector continues to grapple with key concerns involving control center continuity, power plant continuity, access to restricted and quarantined areas, mutual assistance, and supply chain challenges. In its fifth and sixth versions of the […]

Will Provide Turnkey Environmental Liability Transfer Services to Repurpose Former B.C. Cobb Ash Ponds LOUISVILLE, KY (April 20, 2020) – Charah® Solutions, Inc. (NYSE: CHRA) (the “Company”), a leading provider of environmental and maintenance services to the power generation industry, today announced that it will close the B.C. Cobb Generating Facility’s Ash Ponds previously owned […]

The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) has asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to delay the implementation of seven reliability standards that relate to cybersecurity, training, disturbance monitoring and reporting, generator relay loadability, and coordination of protection systems for performance during faults. In an April 6 filing to FERC, NERC noted the rules […]

The U.S. power sector is rallying together to implore state and local governments to treat sector-wide “mission-essential employees” with higher priority and ensure they have top-level access to testing and personal protective equipment (PPE) amid the intensifying COVID-19 pandemic. In a four-page April 2 white paper presumably addressing federal leadership, the Electricity Subsector Coordinating Council […]

SEDALIA, MO (April 3, 2020) – National blood supplies are at an all-time low across the United States. While the American Red Cross sponsored blood drives continue to be cancelled amid the coronavirus outbreak, ProEnergy answered the call by making the decision to step up and sponsor an employee blood drive to combat the emergency need. A March 17, […]

Industry responses to a Level 2 alert on contingency planning issued by the North American Electric Reliability Corp. (NERC) early last month suggest the “vast majority” of registered participants in the North American bulk power system are well prepared for the COVID-19 crisis.  NERC, the interconnected bulk power system’s Electric Reliability Organization (ERO), has underscored […]

When a storm hits or the worst of weather conditions blow through, you’re there. The community of linemen is like no other because when the power goes out, you get to work. How do linemen remain prepared to

As one of the U.S.’s premier energy companies, Southern Company is committed to providing a safe work environment for employees. It regularly implements best-in-class safety procedures to ensure compliance

In Part 1 of this series, published in the March 2020 issue, POWER explored how existing reactors may leverage advances in nuclear fuel to boost power generation safety and economics. This installment surveys

Drive one hour south of Birmingham and you will find the not-so-small town of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, county population of more than 207,000. Known as the home of the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa is rich in history, arts, young professionals, rooted families, and famous Southern hospitality. At the heart of this college town is a culture […]

Allentown, PA.: ASGCO® “Complete Conveyor Solution’s” unveils two new products in our line of Safe-Guard® safety conveyor products. Designed to secure the belt for safe repair, the BC6 (6 Tons) and BC8 (8 Tons) Safe-Grip™ Belt Clamps were created for maximum grip! Capable to handle more weight and work in any condition, they replace the […]

The Combustion Turbine Operations Technical Forum (CTOTF) recently announced the winners of the 2nd annual CTOTF/POWER Innovation Excellence awards, which recognize outstanding performance in various

Power plants require regular maintenance outages to stay in top condition, but shutdown periods can be stressful. New tools are available that can save time, reduce labor costs, and improve safety. The

Prior to placing newly installed natural gas piping and valves in service, systems must be properly cleaned to remove potentially damaging foreign material that is inherently left behind during construction

Innovation in worker safety may not be a top priority for some companies, given all the other business concerns managers must focus on, but a culture of listening to workers and identifying ongoing

Digitization in the power generation sector continues to expand. Its goal in simple terms—providing easy access to data for power plant operators and engineers, enabling the use of advanced analytics to improve equipment performance and efficiency—has resulted in reduced operating costs for utilities, and also has enhanced plant safety. POWER’s upcoming Connected Plant Conference, set […]

The past week saw interesting developments worldwide for nuclear new builds, small modular reactors (SMRs), and advanced nuclear fuel. Highlighted here: A third U.S. utility will use Framatome’s ATRIUM 11 fuel design; Barakah 1 in the United Arab Emirates is on the cusp of startup; South Africa’s Eskom said it wants to dispose of PBMR […]

Catastrophic wildfires have devastated California in recent years. This article seeks to outline a plan wherein neighboring utilities can send energy to support a utility that has shut down critical paths during wildfire mitigation efforts. On the morning of Nov. 8, 2018, the Camp Fire erupted 90 miles north of Sacramento, California (Figure 1). This fire […]

When I see estimates of premature deaths attributable to coal-fired power plants, I usually take the data with a grain of salt. It’s not that I don’t trust researchers to do their best to calculate the

Power plant engineers have loaded 18 mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel assemblies in Unit 4 at the Beloyarsk nuclear power plant in Sverdlovsk Oblast, Russia. Distinct from traditional nuclear fuel with enriched uranium, MOX fuel pellets are based on the mix of nuclear fuel cycle derivatives, such as plutonium oxide bred in commercial reactors and uranium oxide […]

Power companies are turning to external suppliers and contractors now more than ever. Utilities are getting help with tasks ranging from the relatively simple, such as vegetation management and the handling of customer calls, to the complex, including turbine repair and large infrastructure projects. Although the benefits of utilizing contractors are often obvious, the dangers, […]

JOHNSTON, R.I., USA—As part of its continuing commitment to cyber risk assessment, prevention and control, FM Global, one of the world’s largest commercial property insurers, has become one of the first insurance carriers to offer industrial control systems (ICS) evaluations at client locations as part of its routine engineering site visits. The ICS evaluation will […]

Global Nuclear Fuel (GNF), a GE-led joint venture with Hitachi Ltd. that supplies boiling water reactor fuel and fuel-related services around the world, said lead test assemblies utilizing its ARMOR-coated zirconium cladding and IronClad Accident Tolerant Fuel solutions have been installed at Exelon’s Clinton nuclear plant in Illinois. “We continue to work with our customers […]

The WoW project has proven the concept effectiveness and developed a practical guide to assist other training centers on their initiatives to better leverage Vocational Education and Training (VET) for businesses Porto Salvo, 20 December 2019 – As materials and technologies quickly evolve, welders are required to step up their skillset, as they must perform […]

Tradeswoman offers women in the trades enhanced comfort and fit RED WING, Minn. (Dec. 19, 2019) — Red Wing Shoe Company has unveiled the Tradeswoman (models 2328, 2329, 2345, 2346), a new work boot designed for women in the trades, available now. Designed for women in construction, light manufacturing and warehouse or distribution industries, Tradeswoman work […]

Terrestrial Energy’s Integral Molten Salt Reactor (IMSR), a 195-MWe Generation IV nuclear technology, and NuScale’s small modular reactor (SMR) may be the focus of the first joint technical review by U.S. and Canadian nuclear regulators in a bid to boost their regulatory effectiveness as more advanced reactors and SMRs trundle toward commercialization.  Rumina Velshi, president […]

Marking a major milestone for the U.S. nuclear power sector, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has for the first time issued license renewals that authorize nuclear reactor operation beyond 60 years and up to 80 years.  The regulatory body on Dec. 5 issued subsequent license renewals (SLRs) for Units 3 and 4 at Florida Power […]

The safety of workers and equipment is an important consideration for power generation facilities, just as it is for other worksites. Power plants feature multiple pieces of complex machinery that can present