Technology
-
Connected Plant
A Blueprint for Quantum-Safe Utility Communications
Managing risk is nothing new to utilities. Providing the safe utility services like electricity, water, sewer, and wastewater management that everyone relies upon is hard work. Critical infrastructure assets are prime targets for bad actors looking to use cyberattacks to cause high-impact disruptions. As utilities adopt software-centric, data-driven operations, they will continue to work diligently […]
-
Connected Plant
Logical Data Management for the Energy and Utility Industries
By now, with the most devastating effects of the pandemic behind us, it’s important to remember the key takeaway—there’s no such thing as “business as usual.” As a result, companies have learned that to be able to thrive are those that quickly adapt to sudden, unforeseen changes is essential. This is especially true for energy and […]
-
Electrification
Unlocking the Benefits of Virtual Power Plants with Digital Technology
Most people, when they imagine a power plant, picture equipment like smokestacks that stretch hundreds of feet into the sky, massive, spinning turbines and the hum of electric transmission lines that deliver power into the bulk electric grid. As power demand increases beyond current power plant capacities and clean energy goals are accelerated, power generation […]
-
Energy Storage
Sinovoltaics Launches BESSential Quality Control Service to Reveal and Correct Battery Pack Defects
A global group that provides quality assurance for the battery energy storage system (BESS) and solar photovoltaic (PV) industries has launched a battery pack review service designed to improve detection and correction of capacity imbalance issues. Sinovoltaics on July 11 said it has launched its BESSential analysis service, offering 100% battery pack review. The service, […]
-
Nuclear
Group Selected to Develop Pilot Nuclear Fusion Plant
A global professional services and project management company headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, announced it has been chose to develop the pre-concept design for a nuclear fusion pilot plant (FPP). The pilot, announced by Canada-based Canada-based AtkinsRéalis on July 10 as part of Type One Energy’s FusionDirect program, will be a commercial-scale FPP. It will use […]
-
Wind
Clearway Begins Repowering of Texas Wind Farm
Clearway Energy Group on July 8 said it has closed financing and begun a repowering project for the California-based company’s Cedro Hill wind farm in Webb County, Texas. Clearway said the repowering will boost the wind farm’s generation capacity to 160 MW, from its current 150 MW. Workers will replace the blades and nacelle with […]
-
Solar
Sulzer Will Deliver Hot and Cold Molten Salt Pumps for China Solar Project
A major concentrated solar power (CSP) project in China selected Sulzer, a global fluid engineering company, to supply both the hot and the cold molten salts pumps for the installation. The planned 100-MW solar project will feature technology designed to deliver electricity from solar energy 24 hours a day. Molten salts have been used in […]
-
Top Plant
Morrow Reinvented: HL-Class Gas Turbine Powers a Coal Plant’s Rebirth
The Morrow Repower Project, winner of POWER’s 2024 Reinvention Award, exemplified a strategic coal-to-gas conversion at a brownfield site that masterfully combined cutting-edge advanced technology with a
-
Top Plant
Epasa Breakthrough Transforms Heavy Fuel Oil Sludge into Resource Stream
Brazilian independent power generator Epasa faced significant environmental and operational challenges with heavy fuel oil sludge. Through innovative engineering and problem-solving, the company developed a
-
Renewables
Hydropower Remains Renewable Leader Despite Climate Challenges
As the oldest renewable energy resource, hydropower is well-established as a reliable source of dispatchable energy. Yet, it is often overlooked and taken for granted. It’s commonly believed that hydro’s
-
Gas
Mexico Increases Reliance on Natural Gas to Support Electricity Demand
Mexico is ramping up its use of natural gas for power generation, with several plants coming online in recent years, and at least 10 more (Table 1) expected to come online this year, next year, or in 2026. The
-
Combined Heat and Power
The Heating Sector: A CO2 Headache or a Hidden Treasure?
The combination of combined heat and power plants with thermal energy storage and industrial heat pumps provides a sustainable and efficient heating sector option. In recent years there has been a growing
-
Solar
Optimizing Solar Panel Manufacturing Efficiency and Reliability
Whether you’re a longtime solar panel maker or just embarking on a business plan, it’s easy to overlook some key business considerations. Perhaps you need to design a new warehouse and develop support
-
O&M
Next-Gen Geospatial, AI, and Other Tech Is Critical for Utilities to Mitigate Wildfires
The danger of wildfires has risen dramatically over the past two decades as more extreme temperatures and more volatile weather patterns have increased the frequency and intensity of fires. The most prominent examples of this have been in the western U.S. and Canada, but wildfire risks are rising in every geographic area of North America. […]
-
O&M
Rugged Mobile Devices Enhance OPPD Operations
Many power companies have turned to digital technology to streamline operations and improve worker efficiency. One example is Omaha Public Power District (OPPD), the 12th-largest public power utility in the U.S. OPPD recently decided to deploy hundreds of semi-rugged TOUGHBOOK 55 devices across multiple units, including meter technicians, troubleshooters, line crews, and system protection and […]
-
Coal
Tri-State Advances ERP With Unopposed Settlement Filing
Colorado electric cooperative Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association is proposing aid to coal communities in its service territory as part of an unopposed comprehensive settlement of the first phase of the group’s recent Electric Resource Plan (ERP). The company on June 27 said the filing is an important milestone in the energy transition of the […]
-
Press Releases
Mobideo revolutionizes turnaround planning at Delek’s El Dorado refinery with the launch of its Digital Twin, powered by R2S
Houston, June 26, 2024: Mobideo, a global technology leader specializing in the digital transformation of industrial workforces, announces the launch of the Mobideo Digital Twin, powered by R2S. The innovative Shutdown, Turnaround and Outage (STO) planning platform, designed for asset-intensive industries went live at Delek’s refinery based in El Dorado, Arkansas on June 24, 2024. […]
-
T&D
Strengthening America’s Electric Power Grid: How the Government and Industry Are Improving T&D Systems
The U.S. transmission and distribution (T&D) network is reliable and well-maintained, but as renewable energy continues being added to the grid, and demand increases due to growing data center needs and the electrification of transportation and manufacturing processes, work is necessary to keep up with the changing times. The U.S. government understands the need for […]
-
News
GE Vernova Building Synchronous Condenser Sites to Support New York Grid
GE Vernova said it has been awarded a contract by National Grid’s upstate New York business to supply and construct two separate 115 kV synchronous condenser sites at the company’s Coffeen and Taylorville substations. GE Vernova on June 26 said it will install three synchronous condenser machines, including Prolec GE generator step-up (GSU) transformers, at […]
-
Nuclear
First-Ever Additively Manufactured Debris-Filtering Bottom Nozzles Installed at Farley Nuclear Plant
Southern Nuclear, a subsidiary of Southern Company and operator of more than 8.2 GW of nuclear power capacity, said it has completed the installation of lead test assemblies with additively manufactured debris-filtering bottom nozzles (AMBN) at Alabama Power’s Joseph M. Farley Nuclear Plant. The AMBN assemblies are a new technology manufactured by Westinghouse Electric Co. […]
-
Energy Security
Mitigating EMP and GMD Risks for Power Grid Resilience
Risks posed by geomagnetic disturbance (GMD) and electromagnetic pulse (EMP) events add challenges to an already complex power system environment. But they remain crucial to address. How prepared is the power grid to withstand these powerful natural and man-made disturbances? On the evening of May 10, grid operator PJM Interconnection activated a rare geomagnetic disturbance […]
-
T&D
Building a Better Grid—Infrastructure Upgrades Require Ingenuity, Innovation, and Investment
The need for more reliability and resilience of power delivery, both in the U.S. and worldwide, has utilities and grid operators looking for solutions to the challenge of bolstering the electricity supply. Electric grid infrastructure, both in the U.S. and other parts of the world, needs an upgrade. Increased power demand from energy-intensive industries such […]
-
Distributed Energy
Microgrids Take Major Role for Reliability, Resiliency
An array of technologies, both thermal and renewable, are being used in the design of microgrids, supporting distributed power generation across several sectors. The use of microgrids to provide reliable power for critical infrastructure is growing, and these off-grid installations also are becoming more prevalent as part of commercial and industrial (C&I) enterprises and residential […]
-
T&D
High-Voltage Power Transmission Projects Are Booming Around the World
High-voltage power transmission systems are more important today than ever before because power generated at renewable energy sites in remote locations must often be transmitted to distant load centers. Several state-of-the-art projects being done around the world are reviewed below. The majority of major electric power transmission lines in the U.S. are 115-kV, 230-kV, or […]
-
T&D
Planning for a Reliable and Resilient Electric Power Grid
In the U.S., regional transmission organizations (RTOs) and independent system operators (ISOs) are responsible for overseeing the reliable operation of the high-voltage transmission system within their respective regions. In other countries, transmission system operators (TSOs) perform similar roles. In most cases, the primary objectives of these entities are to ensure the reliable and efficient operation […]
-
T&D
What Does It Take to Bring Stability to a Renewable-Focused Grid?
As coal, gas, and nuclear plants are retired, and wind and solar resources are added to the power grid, stability can become a problem. Understanding the solutions that are available to help manage potential issues is important for decision-makers so they can select the best options for their system. Grid stability and system strength have […]
-
Legal & Regulatory
The ADVANCE Act—Legislation Crucial for a U.S. Nuclear Renaissance—Clears Congress. Here’s a Detailed Breakdown
The U.S. Senate has passed the Accelerating Deployment of Versatile, Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy (ADVANCE) Act, sweeping legislation that seeks to promote U.S. nuclear leadership, accelerate advanced nuclear technology development while preserving existing nuclear generation, bolster national security measures, and enhance regulatory efficiency to support new nuclear deployment. The Senate passed the bill on […]
-
T&D
DLR Is More Than Optimizing Capacity; How Can Utilities Ensure Safety and Reliability?
Dynamic line rating (DLR) enables utilities to unlock up to 40% additional capacity from existing infrastructure, allowing grid operators to rapidly increase energy throughput. This capability is crucial in today’s energy landscape, where the proportion of renewable energy sources is quickly expanding, and the existing aging infrastructure cannot support this growing demand. Operating power lines […]
-
T&D
NVIDIA CEO: AI Will Impact the Future of Energy
The future of energy may depend on technology with roots in the video game industry, by a company founded more than 30 years ago that wanted to use accelerated computing to improve the look and feel of the gaming experience. Jensen Huang, NVIDIA’s CEO and president since co-founding the Santa Clara, California-based company in 1993, […]
-
Nuclear
Kemmerer 1 Breaks Ground: A Look at TerraPower’s Natrium Fast Reactor Nuclear Power Plant
Bill Gates’ nuclear innovation firm TerraPower has broken ground on the non-nuclear portion of Kemmerer Unit 1, a 345-MW Natrium sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR) power plant. The groundbreaking on June 10 makes the federal demonstration project the first advanced nuclear reactor project to move from design into construction in the Western Hemisphere, the company noted. […]