Safety
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T&D
The Benefits of Fiber-Reinforced Polymer in Power Transmission
Wood, steel, and concrete are commonly used materials for power poles. However, fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) offers a relatively lightweight, safe, and resilient alternative, which also offers a long service
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Nuclear
Major Engineering Services Contract Launches Poland’s First Nuclear Power Project
Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe (PEJ), Poland’s designated entity tasked with developing the country’s first nuclear plant in Pomerania, has signed an engineering services contract with a Westinghouse-Bechtel consortium, allowing site-specific work to begin on the AP1000 power plant. The companies announced the “historic” contract on Sept. 27, one week after nuclear technology giant Westinghouse and global […]
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Connected Plant
Energy Is the Most-Targeted Sector for Cyberattacks: Here’s What to Do
The energy sector recorded three times as many operational technology (OT) and/or industrial control system (ICS) cybersecurity incidents as the next closest vertical, according to a study conducted by the Cyentia Institute, a research and data science firm, and sponsored by Rockwell Automation, an industrial automation and information provider. “Energy, critical manufacturing, water treatment, and […]
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Energy Storage
Extending the Cycle Life of an Industrial Battery: What Makes a Battery Last?
In the fast-evolving world of industrial lithium batteries, extending cycle life—the number of charge and discharge cycles a battery can endure before significant degradation occurs—is one of the key advantages over the incumbent lead-acid technology. A battery management system (BMS) plays a pivotal role in supporting the long cycle life of a lithium battery. Low-priced […]
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Nuclear
Planning Is Key to Successful Nuclear Refueling Outages
U.S. nuclear power plants typically refuel every 18 to 24 months. Refueling outages normally occur in the spring and fall of the year when demand for electricity is at its lowest. The Energy Information
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Gas
Austin Energy Power Production Cable Defects
Between 2022 and 2023, Sand Hill Energy Center encountered two serious defects in cabling, one of which resulted in an arc fault. These were surprises and have led the team to consider inspections and testing
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Trends
Lessening the Impacts of Extreme Weather—How Utilities Should Be Preparing
Climate change is a threat multiplier. Clean-up costs are ballooning and natural disasters are growing more expensive. In 2022 alone there were 18 natural disasters that caused more than $1 billion in damage, up from only three events in 1980. These are taking a bigger bite out of the energy sector’s operating costs and profits, […]
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Energy Security
Thermal Power Plants in Cuba Struggle to Meet Demand
Since 2021, Cuba has been going through a complex situation in its national electrical system. Blackouts have been increasing, with higher incidence in recent months. Although projections predicted an
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Connected Plant
How Utilities Can Achieve Automated, Condition-Based Grid Maintenance to Boost Safety and Grid Reliability
Site safety, equipment reliability, and a balanced budget from smooth operations are the cornerstones of a successful power grid. Today’s utility companies face immense challenges with current equipment monitoring practices, such as failures from aging electrical equipment, the need to extend the life of critical assets, and carrying out ongoing lifecycle management that is essential […]
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Nuclear
How to Achieve a Thriving Nuclear Power Industry in the U.S.
There are many reasons to be excited about the U.S. nuclear power industry and its potential for growth. For activists focused on climate change, its carbon-free attribute makes it a viable long-term power resource. Additionally, its around-the-clock generating capability makes it a vital option in a world increasingly filled with intermittent renewables. Furthermore, new technology […]
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Commentary
The Future of Substation Security: Embracing AI-Powered Solutions for Utility Companies
A modern town without power—shuttered stores, empty parking lots and useless traffic lights—can resemble an eerie, dystopian future where residents struggle to get what they need. This is the short-term reality for localities that have been victims of targeted substation attacks, which have been rising steadily for the past decade. COMMENTARY At best, these widespread […]
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Press Releases
Magnashear™ Motor Brakes Eliminate Pitch Drive Maintenance
Fairfield, OH – Maintaining yaw and pitch drives is a challenge because of the inherent time that it takes for maintenance personnel to ascend to the nacelle. But foregoing maintenance can lead to costly failures and even more downtime. The Magnashear™ motor brake from Force Control Industries eliminate pitch drive maintenance by eliminating the root […]
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Energy Security
Estrella del Mar III, a Visionary Floating Power Plant, Is POWER’s Plant of the Year
Winning POWER’s highest honor is Estrella del Mar III, a first-of-its-kind floating combined cycle gas turbine power barge that fulfills a remarkable assortment of modern power system demands. Nearly fully
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Commentary
Three Solutions to Fire Safety Challenges: Lessons from the Energy Storage Industry
The world’s energy landscape is evolving rapidly, driven by the increasing demand for resilient, cost-effective, and net-zero sources of energy. Policymakers and regulators now can’t ignore the fundamental role that the energy storage industry is playing in the clean energy transition—stabilizing the grid as more renewable energy assets come online. This recognition is creating huge […]
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Trends
Digitalization Is Now a Power Sector Imperative: Takeaways from Connected Plant Conference 2023
Digitalization is now so firmly embedded in the power sector that if participants haven’t yet begun their digital journey, they’ve inherently fallen behind. That was a message repeated at the three-day 7th annual Connected Plant Conference (CPC), which took place this week in New Orleans, Louisiana. POWER magazine and Chemical Engineering magazine’s conference this year […]
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Nuclear
NRC Completes Safety Review for Kairos Nuclear Test Reactor Within 18 Months
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has wrapped up a final safety evaluation for Kairos Power’s 35-MWth Hermes “non-power” demonstration reactor, which the firm has proposed to build at the East Tennessee Technology Park Heritage Center site in Oak Ridge, and plans to begin operating by 2026. The NRC’s review, which concluded “no safety aspects that would […]
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Press Releases
Det-Tronics Drives Innovation in Ultra-High-Speed Flame Detection and Release Systems and Fire Safety for Renewable Energy Facilities
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – June 15, 2023 — Det-Tronics, a global leader in fire and gas safety systems, has formally announced the launch of the Eagle Quantum Premier® ULTRA-FDRS (Ultra-High-Speed Flame Detection & Release System). Committed to setting a new standard in flame and gas detection and mitigation, Det-Tronics will be discussing the product during NFPA […]
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Connected Plant
Four Ways to Protect the Energy Sector from Cybersecurity Threats
It’s been two years since the historic Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack shut down one of the largest and most vital oil pipelines in the U.S. While this hasn’t been the nation’s only attack on power infrastructure, it’s the largest publicly disclosed and, at $4.4 million, it was also the most-costly. Since then, we’ve learned that […]
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Safety
Strategies for Operating Safely within Power Construction Zones
Temporary work zones are often required when constructing or rehabilitating power generation facilities and infrastructure. Safety is the essential factor in any industrial setting, and this is especially true when it comes to activities that disrupt normal operations. The introduction of vehicles, equipment, materials, and personnel to any environment can necessitate new strategies for keeping […]
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Trends
Dynamic Innovation in Power Sector Digitalization
The power industry’s rapid adoption of digitalization is a striking example of its dynamic innovation—the continuous development and introduction of new ideas, products, or processes to meet shifting
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Coal
A Long Time Coming: Rawhide Unit 1 Is Coal Users’ Group Plant of the Year
After years of upgrade and retrofit projects, and a keen focus on safety and continuous improvement, the Coal Users’ Group board of directors selected Platte River Power Authority’s Rawhide Unit 1 as the
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T&D
Improving the U.S. Electric Power Grid: Mitigating Vulnerabilities and Enhancing Operation
The U.S. power grid has many vulnerabilities, but power companies, with additional support from the government, are investing in the system and enhancing its operation through new innovative technology. The
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IIOT Power
New Technologies Are Making Nuclear Energy Safer and More Efficient
It’s been nearly seven decades since the first nuclear power station began operating. Thanks to digital transformation, this form of energy generation has never been safer—or more efficient. While the
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Energy Security
Rethinking Energy Reliability with Modern Power Systems
As the energy transition to inverter-based resources continues, reliability risk increases and requires additional investment to mitigate threats. But what measures should be put in place, what are the
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Nuclear
New Steam Generators Help Extend Operation of Surry Nuclear Power Plant
Dominion Energy will replace the steam generators at its Surry Nuclear Power Station in Virginia. The project further supports the company’s Subsequent License Renewal (SLR) program to extend the long-term operation of Surry Units 1 and 2 through 2052 and 2053, respectively, when the units’ current licenses expire. Westinghouse Electric Co. will design and manufacture […]
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O&M
Understanding Ultrasonic Examination in the Power Industry
Nondestructive testing (NDT) refers to the inspection of materials to ensure their integrity and serviceability without damaging the components in the process. There are various NDT methods used by inspectors
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Gas
GE Invests Heavily in Improving Gas Turbine Repair Processes and Combustor Performance
On the east side of Greenville, South Carolina, sits a 413-acre site with more than one and a half million square feet of manufacturing space and another 70,000 square feet of labs. This is one of the locations where GE Gas Power is working to improve gas turbine technology and repair processes, among other things. […]
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Sustainability
How Low-E Valves Can Reduce Costly Fugitive Emissions
Though discussions of fugitive emissions are not new in power and processing facilities, they remain a focal point of most plants’ operational plans because they can harm profitability if they are not addressed. As governmental agencies like the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) aim to curb fugitive emissions, it becomes ever more important to make […]
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Energy Security
How an EMP or GMD Could Destroy the Power Grid and Create Chaos
Perhaps the most devastating thing that could happen in any developed country would be widespread catastrophic damage to its electric power grid. Nearly everything in an industrialized nation relies on electricity to function. Without it, normal water supplies, sewer systems, and communication services are cut off. Furthermore, things like food and transportation are quickly affected […]
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Gas
Optimizing Combined Cycle Power Plant Operations
Cogentrix Energy and Siemens Energy have partnered to optimize 8000H-class gas turbine reliability and outage planning. Under Cogentrix’s management, the Patriot site successfully upgraded one of its