Technology

This year, many of us watched with audible gasps as high temperatures shattered records and extreme weather destroyed homes and displaced people across the globe. These uncontrolled events have undoubtedly strained our old, antiquated electric grids, causing outages and downtime. The Biden administration has stepped up with $167 Million in energy grid resilience funding to assist in modernizing these […]

Despite its ongoing war with Russia, Ukraine in early November gave state nuclear operator Energoatom the green light to operate Unit 1 of the South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant for 10 more years. The approval

Have you noticed more electric vehicles (EVs) driving around your neighborhood? According to Kelley Blue Book’s “Electric Vehicle Sales Report Q3 2023,” EV sales volume in the U.S. set a new record in

Despite a dismal outlook for coal, countries with substantial coal fleets are intensifying efforts to develop new technologies and operational capabilities to improve coal power’s environmental impact

Power companies need precise weather forecasts for a variety of reasons. Several companies specialize in providing the type of weather information utilities need to accurately predict resource availability and

Obtaining real-time operating data on power plant and substation equipment has never been easier. The sensors, transmitters, and systems needed to monitor important parameters are readily available and highly

A New Zealand utility is piloting two software solutions to gauge their efficacy at handling grid constraints. Raglan is a beachside community of just under 4,000 people, about a two-hour drive from Auckland

People know a storm can disrupt the electrical grid and cause a wave of complications across the region or country very quickly. But now, for those charged with grid reliability and keeping the lights on

A pioneering 3.5-MW enhanced geothermal system (EGS) in northern Nevada that demonstrated the ability to drill, complete, and operate horizontal wells is now operational. Project Red, co-developed by Fervo Energy and Google under a partnership forged in 2021 under the “world’s first corporate agreement to develop an enhanced geothermal power project,” is supplying power to […]

Mitsubishi Power has successfully demonstrated partial load and full load combustion of a fuel blend with 30% hydrogen (by volume) in a grid-connected J-series Air-Cooled (JAC) gas turbine. The achievement closely follows the completion of a combustion test on an ammonia single-fuel burner for coal firing by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), Mitsubishi Power’s parent company. […]

We’ve come a long way since the first waterwheel in 200 BC. Renewable energy sources now make up about 30% of the world’s generated power and are set to more than double as governments and utilities aim to meet their net-zero emission targets by 2050. That’s a tall order, especially for utilities with an aging […]

Westinghouse’s first customer for its eVinci microreactor—a flagship 5-MWe/13-MWth “nuclear battery”—is poised to be the Saskatchewan Research Council (SRC), Canada’s second-largest research and technology organization. SRC—a Saskatchewan government Treasury Board Crown Corporation that serves as a commercial laboratory to provide research and development (R&D) for Saskatchewan industries—on Nov. 27 said it plans to pilot an […]

Idaho National Laboratory (INL) has fabricated roughly two dozen commercial-grade fuel pellets of high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) uranium dioxide (UO2), the Department of Energy (DOE) revealed on Nov. 20. The milestone demonstrates the national laboratory’s “unique ability” to provide customized nuclear fuel for industry and government partners, the DOE said. INL said researchers at the […]

The Department of Energy (DOE) has initiated a new “enabling” pathway to achieve and sustain a dramatic transformation of the nation’s evolving grid—through its power electronics fabric, with the realization of advanced semiconductor materials, devices, and power module technologies. The agency on Nov. 21 unveiled the agency’s first awards—$42 million for 15 projects across 11 […]

The effort to electrify vehicles is a growing trend sweeping through America. The task is expensive enough to keep it from ever being quick. Still, funding is available from numerous sources and the commitment to accomplish what would once have seemed impossible is obvious. One of the largest vehicle fleets in the country is the […]

Entergy’s Grand Gulf 1—the largest single-unit nuclear power plant in the U.S.—has thrived for four decades by cultivating a culture of continuous improvement, achieving record-breaking performance

Rooted in the birth of the UK’s energy industry, National Grid’s operations have traversed critical periods of the energy industry’s tumultuous history. While it is today one of the world’s largest

When it comes to energy storage, most people are quite familiar with lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries. They are, of course, commonly used to power cell phones, electric vehicles (EVs), power tools, and many

Selective catalytic reduction (SCR) is an important emissions control technology utilized at many coal, biomass, waste-to-energy, and gas-fired power plants. Many items must be considered when designing SCR

The Lijiaxia Hydropower Station No. 5, one of the world’s biggest hydropower plants in a dual-row turbine layout, completed its 72-hour trial run and became officially operational on Oct. 10. Completion of

A landmark utility-scale wind project is now operational in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), despite previous concerns that large-scale wind energy is not viable owing to the region’s low wind speeds. Abu

Canada Commits CA$3B to Complete Romania’s CANDU Nuclear Construction. Canada will loan CA$3 billion in available export financing to Nuclearelectrica S.A. (SNN), Romania’s state-owned operator of the

In the ever-evolving landscape of workplace safety and compliance, effective asset management has emerged as a powerful ally for managers and operators. This strategic approach not only ensures adherence to health and safety regulations but also fosters streamlined operations and cost savings. In a world where doing more with fewer resources is becoming the norm, […]

Nondestructive testing (NDT) blends quality assurance and materials science. It is used to inspect and evaluate materials, components, and assemblies without destroying their serviceability. In the power

Ariege Biomasse Cogeneration, situated in Saint-Paul-de-Jarrat, Ariege, France, is a biomass cogeneration plant that derives electricity and heat from locally sourced wood. The facility was commissioned in

Valves in production plants are exposed to incredibly hazardous operating conditions each day, which are further magnified by pressurized and erosive wet steam. Proper valve specification and maintenance are

In light of the widespread integration of renewable energy resources to the power grid, the imperative of ensuring optimally efficient, safe, and reliable energy storage infrastructure cannot be overstated

The riskiest position for a company to take when it comes to its cyber governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) practices is the attitude that “it could never happen to us.” The truth is, risk is everywhere

Southern Nuclear, Southern Company’s nuclear power plant operations business, announced in late September that it had received “first-of-a-kind approval” from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to use advanced fuel—accident tolerant fuel (ATF)—exceeding 5% enrichment of uranium-235 (U-235) in Plant Vogtle Unit 2. The fuel is expected to be loaded in 2025 and will have enrichments […]

Singapore-based Sembcorp Industries, GE Vernova, and Japanese heavy industry firm IHI Corp. will jointly examine potentially retrofitting two GE 9F gas turbines at an 815-MW gas-fired combined cycle power plant in Singapore with ammonia capabilities. The companies on Oct. 25 revealed they signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding (MoU) to assess ammonia combustion capabilities at […]