Solar

Retiring coal plants and increasing renewables key to company’s clean energy transition MINNEAPOLIS, May 22 /CSRwire/ – Xcel Energy is a step closer to achieving one of the most aggressive carbon-reduction goals in the industry. Today, the company announced it cut carbon emissions 35 percent, according to its newly released Corporate Responsibility Report. This puts Xcel […]

The U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA’s) latest report on the nation’s power generation inventory expects 32 GW of new capacity will enter commercial service this year, the most in at least at decade. And for the first time in five years, renewable energy sources will not make up the majority of that new generation. Nearly […]

All-Energy 2018 Glasgow, the UK’s largest renewable and low-carbon energy exhibition and conference, began on May 2 having broken a record even before the doors opened. For the first time in the show’s history, four government ministers were scheduled to speak with Scotland’s First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon MSP, delivering the keynote in the opening plenary […]

Dominion Energy plans to build eight new natural gas-fired power plants and speed the pace of its renewable energy efforts, according to the utility’s integrated resource plan (IRP) filed with Virginia regulators on May 1. The company also said its future plans focus on regulations on carbon emissions in part because Virginia is considering joining the […]

It’s not a secret that the North American power mix is changing. Renewable energy and natural gas are picking up market share while coal-fired generation shrinks and nuclear power remains stagnant at best

Nevada law has included net metering provisions for more than 20 years. Net metering is an arrangement that allows energy generated by a customer’s leased or purchased solar system to offset monthly power bills. It also permits excess energy supplied to the grid to earn credits, which are then automatically applied to future billing periods […]

The growth in power generation from renewable energy sources, along with the continued shift from coal-fired generation to natural gas, is expected to drive the global market for turbines over the next several years, according to a report released by international business analysts Research and Markets. The Dublin, Ireland-based company in an April 25 news […]

More and more people are finding distributed energy solutions are the answer for their power resource challenges. Distributed energy comes in many forms. Renewables such as solar and wind are top-of-mind when most people think of distributed resources, but natural gas-fired generation is often a good fit too, because it adds reliability to the system […]

PEORIA, ILL. (April 11, 2018) – Caterpillar Inc. today announced that Cat dealer Altorfer has commissioned a 500-kW solar photovoltaic (PV) utility-scale demonstration project in St. Charles, Ill., as part of a 20-year power purchase agreement with the Illinois Municipal Electric Agency (IMEA).  Featuring more than 4,800 Cat solar panels, the 2.3-acre facility is located […]

MIYAGI, Japan (April 11, 2018) —GE Power recently successfully delivered and commissioned its Brilliance Solar Inverters to Pacifico Energy Osaki GK for the 40.32-megawatt alternating current (AC) mega-solar project in Furukawa, Japan. GE’s Brilliance Solar Inverters meet the customer’s requirements both for reliability and cost competitiveness. Along with the inverters, GE also supplied ring main units […]

A report from groups including the United Nations environmental arm and Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) shows renewable energy installations were responsible for 61% of the world’s net power capacity additions in 2017, more than double the new-builds from fossil fuel-powered generation. The Global Trends in Renewable Energy Investment 2018 report, compiled by BNEF, the […]

A transformation is underway in the energy sector where utility grid infrastructure is evolving to produce more energy from renewable sources and incorporate new advanced grid technologies. Technology concepts such as microgrids, and distributed and district energy help to localize our energy supply and allow us to generate, store, and consume energy in the places […]

Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) CEO Bill Johnson in an exclusive interview with POWER suggested that the power industry continues to face an uncertain future.  Johnson said that during his 40-year career, he has seen more change in the last five years than in the previous 35 combined. Several indicators imply that will continue going forward. […]

Data from regional transmission organization (RTO) PJM Interconnection shows about 630 MW of power generation will be taken offline in the grid operator’s territory in April, with more than 3,600 MW scheduled to be retired this year, according to the organization’s website. This month’s deactivations are scheduled to begin April 16. Last week, Ohio power […]

Duke Energy Florida will commission both units of its new 1,640-MW Citrus gas-fired combined cycle power plant (Figure 1) by the end of 2018. The company on April 3 said the 820-MW Unit 1 will come online in September, with a second 820-MW unit entering service in November. Construction of the $1.5 billion plant began […]

The generating fleets owned by some of the largest companies in the U.S. (ranked here by capacity in 2017) have transformed over the past four years, in some cases dramatically, as total revenues fluctuated. Sources: Fidelity Investments (revenue data standardized by S&P Capital IQ); EIA-860 detailed data; SEC 10-K filings, and company websites. —Copy and artwork by Sonal Patel, a […]

Technology is being incorporated into operations and maintenance schemes at an ever-increasing pace. New digital tools are helping optimize assets, improve performance, and reduce overall costs. Big Data Best

Williamson College of the Trades’ Power Plant Technology program provides hands-on training for learners within its student-run power plant—known as the “Energy Island.” Through the program, students

As another hurricane season approaches, the lessons learned by energy companies that have repaired power infrastructure in Haiti, Puerto Rico, and other areas provide a path forward for reducing the impact of

JUNO BEACH, Fla. and SHANGHAI (March 30, 2018) — Two global solar energy leaders, U.S.-based NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE) and China-based JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd. (NYSE: JKS), today announced one of the largest solar panel supply deals in history. NextEra Energy announced that it is the counterparty to a major supply agreement that was […]

TOKYO (March 27, 2018) — Kyocera President Hideo Tanimoto and Tokyo Century Corporation President & CEO Shunichi Asada announced today that Kyocera TCL Solar LLC has started operation of Japan’s largest 13.7-megawatt floating solar plant this month. Located on the Yamakura Dam reservoir in Ichihara, Chiba Prefecture, the Company held a completion ceremony on March 20 […]

Joe Grimes, executive vice president of generation with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), gave the keynote presentation during the ELECTRIC POWER Conference and Exhibition, which was held March 19–22 in Nashville, Tennessee. His presentation focused on steps TVA is taking to diversify its generation portfolio in order to reduce risks and keep costs as low […]

HELSINKI, Finland (March 20, 2018) — The technology group Wärtsilä today announced that it has delivered the world’s largest solar hybrid power plant. Wärtsilä will provide a reliable and sustainable supply of round-the-clock energy which is essential in operating the off-grid gold mine and demonstrate the enormous potential of integrating renewables as the baseload electricity. Wärtsilä […]

Burdened by a trade case, unpredictable policy-making, interconnection delays, and other market factors, the U.S. installed 30% less solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity in 2017 compared to a record-breaking 2016. However, the 10.6 GW of new PV capacity added last year represents 30% of all new generating capacity added to the U.S. grid, more than any […]

State regulators in Arizona want the state’s investor-owned utilities to source more of their electricity from renewable sources, and develop more energy storage options, rather than rely on new natural gas-fired generation in the future. State senators, however, voted March 14 to give utilities a way to get around any voter-supported mandates for renewables. The […]

HELSINKI, Finland (March 8, 2018) — The technology group Wärtsilä has been the pioneer to promote flexibility in energy systems to enable greater use of solar and wind power. The company’s Smart Power Generation solution was launched ten years ago in recognition of growing environmental awareness within the industry, and in anticipation of increasing adoption of […]

The CEO of Texas-based CPS Energy said March 6 that the utility wants to generate at least 50% of its power from renewable sources by 2040, part of a plan that includes the addition of 550 MW of battery storage, as it looks to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels. But the city-owned San Antonio […]

SINGAPORE (March 6, 2018) — Modern Energy Management (MEM), a specialist in sourcing, developing, building and operating renewable energy projects in the emerging markets has announced it has been appointed to provide development support at two project sites, totalling 290 MW, in the Philippines and Thailand respectively.  MEM will act as technical and commercial advisor […]

Florida regulators on March 1 approved Florida Power & Light’s (FPL’s) plan to build a new $888 million natural gas-fired power plant, replacing an existing gas- and oil-fueled plant on the same site in Dania Beach that is being retired this year. The utility on Thursday also announced the opening of four new solar power […]

The private sector is traditionally known as a driver of innovation, so it may be surprising to some people that many businesses have only recently begun to consider advanced energy technologies. Looking at