Technology

Energy equipment group GE Vernova said it has commissioned the first of four 250-MW variable speed units at THDC India Limited’s Tehri Pumped Storage Hydropower Plant, part of the Tehri Hydropower Complex. The 1-GW expansion will increase the facility’s power generation capacity to 2.4 GW, making it the country’s largest hydropower plant.

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 Outdated systems that constantly trigger false alarms from wind, weather, or wildlife are draining resources—making it imperative for utilities to modernize their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. […]

The Southwest Power Pool (SPP) regional transmission organization (RTO) is joining with energy technology company Hitachi on development of what the groups say is an artificial intelligence (AI)-based solution to support power transmission reliability and flexibility challenges.

A hydrogen production company that develops the fuel using renewable energy is moving forward with plans for a $1.85-billion solar-powered manufacturing facility in California.

National Grid in the UK has begun construction of a new Uxbridge Moor substation complex in Buckinghamshire, a project designed to connect more than one dozen new data centers to the electricity provider’s network.

Rolls-Royce said it will more than double its production of backup power generation systems for data
centers, and build a new facility in Minnesota, as part of a $24-million investment in U.S. manufacturing.

Perovskite solar cells are a high-efficiency, low-cost alternative to traditional silicon-based solar panels. With the perovskite solar cell industry expected to reach $1.2 billion by 2033, there’s enormous potential for this next-generation technology. The Basics of Perovskites Perovskites are a type of material, with a distinctive crystal structure described as ABX3 (Figure 1). These crystals […]

The world’s electricity grids are facing unprecedented strain as demand surges from electrification, data centers, and renewable energy integration, while aging infrastructure struggles to keep pace. Traditional approaches to grid expansion—building new transmission lines and substations—face mounting challenges including sometimes decade-long permitting processes, escalating costs that can reach billions per project, and growing public resistance […]

A startup company led by former executives with major technology and energy groups is betting on the use of natural gas and battery energy storage to provide data centers with on-site power, freeing those sites from reliance on the traditional power grid.

While many utilities are hardening power grid infrastructure by upgrading poles and wires—a necessary step—brute force solutions alone won’t be enough. To truly future-proof the grid, resilience must be rooted in intelligence via systems that anticipate, adapt, and respond dynamically.

Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) and Smart Wires have announced a project to enhance grid reliability and meet energy commitments for data centers connecting in San Jose, California. North Carolina-based Smart Wires will deploy its advanced power flow control (APFC) technology to help PG&E mitigate thermal overloads, redirect power flow, and increase available capacity at its Los Esteros electric substation.

New York-headquartered Plug Power said the company’s hydrogen plant in Woodbine, Georgia, produced 300 metric tons of liquid hydrogen in April of this year, the facility’s highest monthly output to date and a new benchmark for the U.S. hydrogen industry.

A battery energy storage system (BESS) described as the largest deployed to date in the European Union (EU) has been commissioned in Bulgaria. Officials with the country’s Ministry of Energy said the 124-MW/496.2-MWh BESS, also the largest in the Balkans, supports the stability of Bulgaria’s power grid along with its transition to the use of more renewable energy resources.

The speed of decision-making at the grid edge has become critical for maintaining stability, preventing cascading failures, optimizing efficiency and integrating intermittent renewable resources. With the proliferation of distributed energy resources (DERs), electric vehicles and smart loads, grid edge intelligence has moved from a luxury to a necessity.

Vistra Corp. has agreed to acquire seven natural gas power plants totaling 2,557 MW from Lotus Infrastructure Partners for $1.9 billion, as part of a strategy to meet surging U.S. electricity demand and expand its competitive generation portfolio. The deal, announced on May 15, is valued at approximately $743 per kilowatt and includes five combined […]

The Kerrville (Texas) Public Utility Board has selected MAN Energy Solutions to supply six 18V51/60G gas engines for a new 124-MW power plant. The facility, which will be built adjacent to the existing 51-MW Sky Global Power One in Colorado County, Texas, will leverage the site’s existing power transmission infrastructure. It will be designed as a peaker plant that will support the power grid during periods of high demand for electricity.

Technology group Wärtsilä will supply power generation equipment for a new 30-MW power plant being set up on Victoria Island in Lagos by Victoria Island Power Ltd. (VIPL), a Nigerian independent power producer. Wärtsilä, acting as the engineering, procurement, and construction lead for the project, also will operate and maintain the power plant for a period of five years.

AES Corp. announced the company has entered into two long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs) to support tech company Meta’s data centers. The deal announced May 21 is for 650 MW of generation from solar projects that AES is bringing online in Texas and Kansas, serving the Southwest Power Pool market.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC’s) 2025 Summer Energy Market and Electric Reliability Assessment has forecast higher wholesale electricity prices this summer in most regions. The assessment, published May 15, notes that if normal operating conditions prevail, all regions of the country will have adequate generating resources to meet expected summer demand and operating reserve […]

As the world transitions toward renewable energy sources, geothermal power has emerged as one of the most promising, yet underutilized, options in the clean energy portfolio. Unlike solar and wind, geothermal offers consistent baseload power generation capacity without intermittency challenges, making it an increasingly attractive component in the renewable energy mix. The geothermal sector has […]

Fluence Energy, a global group that delivers intelligent energy storage systems, services, and asset optimization software, announced the start of production at a new manufacturing facility in Goodyear, Arizona. The facility that opened May 20 will produce enclosures made with U.S. steel and battery management system (BMS) hardware for Fluence’s grid-scale energy storage systems.

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 […]

TESCO Metering is proud to announce its recognition as one of the first manufacturers to achieve certification in the National Electrical Manufacturers Association’s (NEMA’s) new Make It American program. As a pilot partner in the program, TESCO is helping set the benchmark for domestic manufacturing compliance under the Build America, Buy America Act (BABA)—reinforcing its longstanding […]

Microgrids have proven their role in enhancing the reliability, resilience, and sustainability of the modern power system. Kirk Edelman, CEO of SolMicroGrid, provided POWER with several lists detailing the technologies behind microgrids, the companies that can benefit from deployment, and the services the systems can provide for their end-users.

Why microgrids with hydrogen for backup power will create significant benefits for consumers and utilities. The energy grid in the U.S., particularly in regions like California, Texas, and the Northeast, is overstretched and increasingly unable to meet modern demands. California’s grid, for instance, is facing unprecedented strain with the sale of more electric vehicles (EVs), […]

Modern power plants have many critical demands, including the need for more efficient energy management, enhanced safety and security, and reduced power consumption. Integrating a smart boiler system is essential to meeting these challenges. These advanced systems enable precise temperature control, optimize energy usage, and offer unparalleled operational convenience that transforms how power facilities manage […]

Today’s energy resilience toolkit includes a growing array of technologies, including diesel generators, natural gas systems, lithium-ion battery storage, solar-plus-battery microgrids—and now, a new class of hydrogen-based solutions that generate clean electricity from moisture in the air. No single option is universally ideal, but understanding their strengths and applications can help communities build more robust and flexible emergency energy strategies.

Advanced Distribution Management Systems (ADMS) and Distributed Energy Resource Management Systems (DERMS) are crucial grid management technologies in today’s modern power delivery system. ADMS integrates multiple utility operational systems into a unified control platform. It combines functions like outage management, supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems, and distribution automation (DA) to provide operators with […]

Ontario’s provincial government has given Ontario Power Generation (OPG) the green light to begin construction on the first of four  BWRX-300 small modular reactors (SMRs) at its Darlington New Nuclear Project (DNNP) site in Clarington, Ontario. “This represents the first new nuclear build in Ontario in more than three decades,” the utility noted. The province […]

Abundance Energy, sonnen, and Energywell Technology Licensing on May 6 said they will work together on development of behind-the-meter, battery-enabled VPPs. The program is designed to support retail energy customers of Texas-based Abundance Energy, while also providing support for the state’s power grid.