Safety
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O&M
Transforming Mission-Critical Utility Operations with Field Service Management Technology
Utilities operate in high-stakes environments where operational resilience, infrastructure reliability, and workforce efficiency are essential for maintaining uninterrupted service. Cutting-edge field service management technology enhances field operations, improves safety, and streamlines emergency response with scalable automation, seamless geographic information system (GIS) integration, and predictive field service intelligence, ensuring efficiency and reliability in even the most […]
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Hydrogen
Delivering Decentralised Hydrogen Safely
By their very nature, all chemical fuels contain energy that needs to be released easily and are therefore inherently flammable. However, if that release is not sufficiently controlled, it presents a significant injury risk both to people and property through explosions and fires. Hydrogen, of course, is especially flammable. Counterintuitively, when it comes to safety, […]
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Trends
Meet the Tools Helping Power Companies Separate Threats from Noise
As threats to power companies rise—from cyberattacks to theft and vandalism—many utilities are rethinking how to secure facilities and critical infrastructure. Outdated systems that constantly trigger false alarms from wind, weather, or wildlife are draining resources—making it imperative for utilities to modernize their security to improve response, cut costs and reduce reliance on armed personnel. […]
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Press Releases
World’s First Fleet of 100 5G-A Autonomous Electric Mining Trucks Launched at Yimin Mine
A fleet of 100 Huaneng Ruichi autonomous electric mining trucks, the first of its kind in the world, has officially entered operation at the Yimin open-pit mine in Inner Mongolia, China. Powered by a 5G-Advanced (5G-A) network, the mine became the world’s first open-pit mine to achieve large-scale vehicle-cloud-network synergy, which has greatly improved production […]
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Commentary
An Under-Appreciated Threat from Airborne Attacks on Large Nuclear Power Plants
Most of the 440 operable nuclear power plants (NPPs) currently deployed worldwide have long been recognized as potential targets for attack by enemy military forces or terrorists. Such an attack could not only destroy the power-generating capacity of the plant but also release a large plume of radioactive material having the potential to cause long-term […]
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Energy Storage
Fire Suppression in Battery Energy Storage Systems: Why Immersion Cooling Offers a Safer Future
Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) are revolutionizing our power grids, dramatically enhancing resilience, and facilitating greater integration of renewable energy sources like solar and wind. This technological evolution promises a cleaner, more sustainable energy future, but it also introduces significant new risks, particularly fire safety challenges. High-profile incidents involving lithium-ion battery systems highlight critical gaps […]
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Commentary
Funding the Power Surge: Navigating the Trillion-Dollar Investment in the U.S. Power Sector
The U.S. power sector stands at a juncture, facing a confluence of factors that are poised to trigger an era of unprecedented growth and necessitate a large influx of capital. Driven by the increasing demand from data centers, the reshoring of manufacturing, and electrification across transportation, heating, and industry, the demand for electricity is rising at a pace unseen in recent decades.
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Commentary
Why We’re Suing the Nuclear Regulatory Commission—and Still Believe in Nuclear Regulation
At Deep Fission, we’re taking a radically different approach to nuclear energy: smaller, safer, faster to deploy—and located a mile underground. By placing reactors deep beneath the Earth’s surface, we use the natural containment of billions of tons of bedrock to dramatically improve safety and cut costs. COMMENTARY Liz Muller, CEO and co-founder of Deep […]
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T&D
Heathrow Airport Transformer Fire Prompts Urgent Inquiry, Exposes Cracks in Grid Resilience
One week after a catastrophic fire at the North Hyde electrical substation plunged the UK’s flagship Heathrow Airport into chaos, questions are mounting about what went wrong—and what the incident reveals about the vulnerabilities in Britain’s aging power infrastructure. A massive explosion and fire that erupted around 8:20 p.m., on Thursday, March 20, at the […]
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Data Centers
Constellation Races to Revive Crane Nuclear Plant Amid Tight Timelines, Market Shifts
Constellation Energy’s ambitious plan to restart the Three Mile Island Unit 1 as the Crane Clean Energy Center (CEC) is proceeding ahead of schedule, shooting for a 2028 start date, despite a new report that suggests Microsoft may be re-evaluating its data center strategy. Just five months after Constellation announced a landmark 20-year power purchase […]
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Legal & Regulatory
NRC Proposes Deep Fee Cuts for Advanced Nuclear
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has proposed to sharply reduce its hourly service fees—by more than 50%—for advanced nuclear reactor applicants and pre-applicants in a move designed to incentivize innovation and accelerate the deployment of next-generation nuclear technologies. In a proposed rule published in the Federal Register on Feb. 19, the regulatory body moved to […]
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O&M
The Evolving State of Power Plant O&M
As power plants confront aging infrastructure, surging demand, and the sweeping changes of rapid electrification, operations and maintenance (O&M) are being redefined to tackle unprecedented challenges and
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O&M
Software, Hardware, Innovation All Needed to Upgrade the Power Grid
Enhancing the transmission and distribution of electricity is a priority to ensure a reliable and resilient power supply, as demand increases and grid challenges mount. Providing more electricity to meet
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O&M
POWER Magazine February 2025 Operations and Maintenance Special Report Preview
POWER is the one brand that addresses all electric power generation and related technologies and fuels across North America and around the world, providing insight into this increasingly complex industry. Established in 1882, it is dedicated to providing its global audience with exclusive analysis of the latest trends, best practices, and power generation and related […]
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Energy Storage
Building a Safer Storage Industry After the Moss Landing Fire
The recent fire at the Moss Landing battery storage facility in California, operated by Vistra, has raised concerns in the energy industry, raising critical questions about the safety and future of this burgeoning technology. The recent fire was the latest in a series of incidents at the site since it opened in 2020. The lessons […]
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Commentary
DeepSeek Launch Should Prompt AI Security Reviews Across the Nuclear Industry
The new artificial intelligence (AI) model from China called DeepSeek created a stock market meltdown on Monday, with the Nasdaq composite dropping 3% and the S&P 500 falling 1.5%. Beyond hammering the share prices of the world’s most valuable companies, DeepSeek has potential implications on vast swaths of America’s innovation industries—including energy. COMMENTARY While U.S. technology companies […]
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Nuclear
War and Nuclear Energy: Risks Are Enormous for Power Industry and World
Nuclear power can be a highly important component of a country’s energy security strategy. This is true for several reasons. Nuclear plants provide consistent baseload power that is not dependent on weather
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O&M
Marnie Surfaceblow: Know What You Know and Know What You Don’t
Not everyone has to be an expert. Having a goal to do the right thing, listening to your team, and seeking experienced help often results in an expert solution. Wayne Fritz, the manager of a struggling ammonia
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Connected Plant
How Successful SCADA Implementation Improves Efficiency, Uptime, and Safety
Boiler systems play a crucial role across industrial, institutional, commercial, and other large-scale facilities. The systems are often complex and require meticulous oversight to ensure optimal performance and safety. This is where supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems are vital in supporting the management of boiler rooms. SCADA platforms are advanced systems used to […]
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Data Centers
Understanding Uptime Institute’s Tier III Standard: A Guide to Data Center Electrical System Design
The Uptime Institute’s Tier standard is a globally recognized framework that classifies data centers into four tiers based on their infrastructure’s reliability, redundancy, and fault tolerance. These tiers—Tier I through Tier IV—provide a benchmark for data center performance, ranging from basic infrastructure (Tier I) to fully fault-tolerant systems (Tier IV). Each tier reflects specific design […]
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O&M
Explosion at Coal Power Plant in South Africa Injures Nine
A transformer explosion at Eskom’s coal-fired 3.6-GW Matla Power Station in Mpumalanga, South Africa, on Dec. 12 injured nine employees, including one critically. The incident, caused by a ruptured high-pressure steam pipe, has underscored challenges faced by Eskom’s generating fleet, even as the state-owned maintains its suspension of load-shedding. The incident, reported at 5 p.m. […]
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Nuclear
Russia Advances REMIX Fuel Trials in Boost for Closed Nuclear Fuel Cycle
Russia has launched its third cycle of testing innovative uranium-plutonium REMIX fuel at the Balakovo Nuclear Power Plant in Saratov Oblast, a key step that advances the closed nuclear fuel cycle technology. Designed to recycle spent nuclear fuel (SNF), the REMIX assemblies could significantly expand the raw material base for nuclear energy while reducing radioactive […]
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T&D
Transformer Safety: Fire Barriers as Essential Protection for Electrical Infrastructure
Flammable insulating fluids and electrical faults pose significant fire and explosion risks to transformers. These hazards can result in catastrophic damage, disrupt business continuity, and cause extensive
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Nuclear
Enhancing Nuclear Plant Safety, Efficiency, and Compliance Through Video Borescope Inspections
This article explores the role video borescopes play in nuclear plant inspections, emphasizing the value they bring in terms of safety, efficiency, and long-term plant integrity. Nuclear power plants operate
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Coal
How to Improve Remediation of Coal Ash Pond Water
Many power companies face significant risks from coal ash ponds. New solutions based on water flow physics are showing promise in preventing the spread of hazardous particulate matter. Existing coal plants are
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Energy Storage
Fire Suppression for Battery Energy Storage Systems
As demand for electrical energy storage systems (ESS) has expanded, safety has become a critical concern. This article examines lithium-ion battery ESS housed in outdoor enclosures, which represent the most
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Trends
Nuclear Fuel: The Unseen Barrier Ahead
As global nuclear ambitions surge, the industry’s fuel supply chain faces critical gaps. Can advanced fuels like HALEU (high-assay low-enriched uranium) and TRISO (TRi-structural ISOtropic particle fuel)
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Trends
How Nuclear O&M Is Evolving for the Emerging Power Paradigm
In its quest to drive down costs while boosting safety, the nuclear industry has ramped up efforts to streamline operations and maintenance (O&M). New approaches target efficiency and resilience. If there
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POWER Podcasts
Kingston Coal Ash Spill: Cleanup Workers Were the Unfortunate Losers
On Dec. 22, 2008, a major dike failure occurred on the north slopes of the ash pond at the Tennessee Valley Authority’s (TVA’s) Kingston Fossil Plant. The failure resulted in the release of approximately 5.4 million cubic yards of coal ash spilling onto adjacent land and into the Emory River. The Kingston spill is considered […]
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Legal & Regulatory
The Other Side of Safety—Litigation and the Expert Witness
What happens when you suffer a catastrophic injury at work and can’t continue in your career? Workers compensation begins. Those payments last until you reach the maximum medical improvement point. How long will you receive those benefits? It varies from state-to-state. In California, for example, benefits pay up to 104 weeks for most injuries and […]