Technology

Utilities and other companies in the electric power sector are using data to solve the dilemma of decarbonizing the power grid while also diversifying their generation resources. Utilities and power generators know that collecting data is critical to their operations. The process has grown in importance as the power grid diversifies, with more renewable energy […]

The use of remote monitoring is enabling operators in the electric power sector to gain better insight into the real-time performance of equipment and systems. Owners and operators of power generation equipment are working in a challenging environment, as more technologies are used to produce electricity, more generation facilities are sited in rural areas, and […]

The power sector’s relentless pursuit of an increasingly connected power paradigm amid an escalating cyber threat landscape demands an urgent, multifaceted strategy for cybersecurity. Recently, the sector has embarked on innovative methods to tackle inherent challenges in its evolving quest for a robust cybersecurity posture. In 2022, a third party alerted industrial control systems (ICS) […]

The digital age is upon us and the power industry is a key participant in this exciting time. Significant work routines and asset management processes have already been transformed. Power plant operations are among the areas where advanced technology has had a big impact. Power plant lifecycles are complex. Power companies spend significant time and […]

I am fortunate in my position to have the opportunity to attend a handful of conferences and trade shows every year. I’ve been doing this for more than 10 years now, so I’m sure I’ve been to at least 40 events. Most are very worthwhile and I can’t recall ever feeling like an event had […]

EnergyAustralia has begun operations at the 320-MW Tallawarra B gas-fired power station in New South Wales (NSW)—Australia’s first peaking power plant capable of operating on a natural gas and hydrogen fuel blend. The project’s start on Feb. 19 also marks GE Vernova’s first deployment of a hydrogen-capable dual-fuel 9F gas turbine. The $300 million ($196 […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has granted Global Nuclear Fuel—Americas (GNF) the regulatory body’s first-ever authorization to produce nuclear fuel with uranium-235 (U-235) enrichments up to 8% for commercial power generation. GNF, GE Vernova’s nuclear fuel arm, on Feb. 15 said the NRC approved a license amendment that will allow its nuclear fuel fabrication facility […]

North American electric utilities continue to grapple with the challenge of managing behind-the-meter distributed energy resources (DERs), according to the results of a survey of utility decision-makers published Feb. 15. A study of 100 leaders from utilities in the U.S. and Canada, commissioned by Siemens and done in partnership with Oxford Economics, found that “limited […]

A Texas-based energy company has announced plans to build a 1.2-GW natural gas-fired power plant in Lee County, Texas, with construction expected to begin in 2025. Sandow Lakes Energy Co. on Feb. 12 said it would build the plant on property owned by the company. The facility, which would be powered by two SGT6-9000HL turbines […]

Many countries are promoting renewable energy sources, encouraging sustainable transportation, and adopting innovative technologies to achieve their energy efficiency goals, mitigate climate change, and contribute to a more sustainable future. The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG 7) aims to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all by 2030, with […]

A third gas-fired unit planned at a power plant in Uzbekistan will use equipment from Mitsubishi Power, the company announced on Feb. 13. Mitsubishi said the 600-MW Navoi 3 facility is expected to come online in 2026. The plant will supply both electricity and industrial steam and district heating for the Navoi Free Economic Zone […]

The decarbonization of power generation is fostering research and development of new energy technologies, and some companies are reimagining what’s possible when it comes to power plant design. That includes pairing nuclear power with solar power, in a system that could repurpose a brownfield site—for example, a closed or soon-to-retire thermal power plant with transmission […]

Ontario Power Generation (OPG) will refurbish four units at the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station, Canada’s first major commercial generation plant— marking a major turnaround for the 3.1-GW plant slated to close by 2025. Officials from Ontario’s government and OPG on Jan. 30 announced plans to refurbish Units 5–8 at the massive power plant east of […]

It seems everywhere you go, both inside and outside of the power industry, people are talking about hydrogen. Last October, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced an investment of $7 billion to launch seven Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs (H2Hubs) across the nation and accelerate the commercial-scale deployment of “low-cost, clean hydrogen.” Hydrogen is undoubtedly […]

Collaboration was the main success factor in the deployment of an all-carrier enterprise distributed antenna system (DAS) for a Midwest power plant. The Problem A power plant in the Midwestern U.S. (Figure 1) faced a formidable situation: The obsolescence of 3G cellular technology meant that the plant soon would lose its already unreliable cellular coverage, […]

Battery technology powers many aspects of our modern world. It’s an invention that’s ubiquitous, yet often overlooked. In the 1970s, the need for alternative energy sources emerged following the peak of American oil production, and lithium-ion batteries revolutionized energy consumption. Although most commercial applications still use them today, the battery industry, including those in government […]

Over the past week, the UK government stepped up its nuclear agenda, doling out a £33.6 million grant under its Future Nuclear Enabling Fund to support GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH)’s BWRX-300 while also announcing a substantial £1.3 billion investment in the proposed 3.2-GW Sizewell C nuclear project. The developments, aimed at potentially tripling the […]

GE Vernova will collaborate with Japanese integrated heavy industry group IHI Corp. to develop a retrofittable 100% ammonia-capable gas turbine combustion system that would be compatible with GE’s 6F.03, 7F, and 9F models, targeting a potential commercially available product by 2030. The companies on Jan. 24 signed a joint development agreement (JDA) that formally launched […]

Customization is what we expect from our coffee order, not something we associate with an electricity plan. But like other industries influenced and motivated by the Internet of Things (IoT) age, the energy industry is having a renaissance that is changing customers’ relationship with power. Customers want their electricity to do more than keep the […]

Westinghouse has revealed it is designing a transportable nuclear power plant (TNPP) featuring an eVinci microreactor with Canadian firm Prodigy Clean Energy, aiming to deliver a first project in Canada by 2030. The project will potentially integrate a single or multiple 5-MWe eVinci microreactors within a Prodigy Microreactor Power Station—a purpose-designed floating facility that will […]

A demonstration project led by Caterpillar at a Wyoming site showed that large-format hydrogen fuel cells could be used to supply backup power to a data center. Caterpillar on Jan. 19 announced the project, done in collaboration with Microsoft and Ballard Power Systems, provided insights into the use of hydrogen fuel cells to support energy-intensive […]

A bipartisan group of 12 U.S. senators on Jan. 18 introduced a bill that could freeze the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) implementation of updated energy efficiency standards for distribution transformers. The Distribution Transformer Efficiency and Supply Chain Reliability Act of 2024 (S.3627) would establish new limitations on federal efficiency rules for specific distribution transformers. Several […]

The Department of Energy (DOE) has selected a consortium that will work to foster demand for commercial clean hydrogen at seven regional hydrogen hubs (H2Hubs), which the agency in October 2023 selected to receive $7 billion in federal funding. The Hydrogen Demand Initiative (H2DI) consortium will be tasked with designing and implementing demand-side support mechanisms, […]

X-Energy Reactor Co. LLC, a developer of advanced small modular nuclear reactors and fuel technology for clean energy generation, reported on Jan. 17 that it has successfully completed milestones in the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission’s (CNSC’s) pre-licensing Vendor Design Review (VDR). The company submitted the design of its Xe-100 advanced small modular reactor (SMR) to […]

Ontario Power Generation (OPG) and North American power producer Capital Power Corp. will jointly examine the feasibility of developing small modular reactors (SMRs) in Alberta, including possible ownership and operating structures. The companies on Jan. 15 announced they signed a two-year commitment agreement to assess the feasibility of jointly owning and operating SMRs in Alberta […]

Most countries will not meet zero-goals by 2050 based on current trajectories. It’s an unfortunate situation that needs to be taken seriously. While there are many factors delaying decarbonization efforts, the lack of clean energy-powered electric grids is perhaps the most significant barrier for nations. The United States is not exempt—despite the recent influx of […]

A roadmap released by the UK government on Jan. 11 aimed at quadrupling the country’s nuclear power capacity by 2050 sets out a series of goals and actions that could enable the delivery of 3 GW to 7 GW every five years from 2030 to 2044. In its 78-page Civil Nuclear Roadmap, the UK lays […]

A UK-based nuclear energy group is working with an Italian technology company to support decarbonization of the chemical industry, including hydrogen production. The agreement announced Jan. 10 between newcleo, a developer of small modular reactors (SMRs) and producer of MOX (mixed oxide) fuel, and two subsidiaries of Italy’s MAIRE will enable development of a conceptual […]

A report published by the Pueblo Innovative Energy Solutions Advisory Committee (PIESAC) says the closure of Comanche Unit 3, a coal-fired power plant capable of generating about 800 MW gross, will have “devastating impacts on the economy of Pueblo unless the community, Xcel Energy, and other stakeholders begin planning now for replacement of the highly […]

The UK may be poised to become the first European country to launch domestic production of high-assay, low-enriched uranium (HALEU). New funding announced by the country’s government this week signifies global momentum to establish a reliable supply of the specialist fuel that will be required for advanced nuclear reactors. The UK’s Department for Energy Security […]