Technology
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Energy Security
How an EMP or GMD Could Destroy the Power Grid and Create Chaos
Perhaps the most devastating thing that could happen in any developed country would be widespread catastrophic damage to its electric power grid. Nearly everything in an industrialized nation relies on electricity to function. Without it, normal water supplies, sewer systems, and communication services are cut off. Furthermore, things like food and transportation are quickly affected […]
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Legal & Regulatory
EPA Moves to Significantly Tighten Mercury and Air Toxics Standards
A proposed rule unveiled by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on April 5 could considerably tighten the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) for power plants, with specific repercussions for coal- and oil-fired generation. The proposed rule seeks to significantly update the 2012–finalized National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for Coal- and Oil-Fired […]
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Interview
The POWER Interview: How a Canadian Small Reactor Will Support Industrial Decarbonization
The nuclear power industry is banking on development of small modular reactor (SMR) technology to support global growth. Canada is at the forefront of the SMR market, with at least four Canadian provinces involved in a joint strategic plan to advance the deployment of SMRs. ARC Clean Technology Canada recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding […]
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Geothermal
EGS, AGS, and Supercritical Geothermal Systems: What’s the Difference?
The spectrum of geothermal technologies is quickly evolving. This supplement to POWER’s April 2023 feature, “Startups Are Shaking Up Geothermal Power’s Potential,” briefly explains the differences between some engineered geothermal systems. Conventional geothermal energy is largely produced by hydrothermal systems, which consist of hot water circulated in deep-seated permeable rocks. Resource temperature ranges from high (greater […]
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Nuclear
The Future Looks Bright for Nuclear Power—Dare We Use the ‘R’ Word Again?
The term “nuclear renaissance” was very popular in the early 2000s. Nuclear power plant operators had substantially improved existing plant performance, and many new plants were being considered around the
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Coal
India Commissions First Supercritical Coal Plant Equipped with Air-Cooled Condenser
NTPC, India’s largest energy conglomerate and its largest coal generator, in March commissioned the country’s first supercritical coal-fired plant equipped with an air-cooled condenser (ACC). The effort
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O&M
Considerations for Automatic Filtration of Cooling Tower Water Systems
Waste reduction and process efficiencies are key for companies wanting smoother operations. As various industries, including power generation, seek ways to improve operational efficiency, cooling water
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Instrumentation & Controls
Instrumentation and Control for Reliability, Efficiency, and Pollution Control
High-tech instrumentation and state-of-the-art modeling tools are helping power plant operators achieve best-in-class performance, meet pollution targets, and better predict failures. Calibration management
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Offshore Wind
Entergy, RWE Partner to Assess Offshore Wind Prospects in Gulf of Mexico
U.S. utility Entergy and global power giant RWE are partnering to jointly assess the best means to develop an offshore wind market in the Gulf of Mexico. The two companies on March 30 unveiled a memorandum of understanding (MoU) under which they will analyze the Gulf of Mexico offshore wind market and define an optimal […]
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Press Releases
Schneider Electric to Equip Choice Hotels International Franchisees with AI-Assisted Technology to Help Reduce Environmental Footprint
LOUISVILLE, KY, March 27, 2023 – Schneider Electric, the global leader in the digital transformation of energy management and sustainability, has been chosen by Choice Hotels International, one of the largest and most successful lodging franchisors in the world, to provide AI-assisted technology to help more than 6,000 franchisees in the United States autonomously track […]
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Press Releases
Cummins and Leclanché S.A. to collaborate on lower-emissions solutions for use in marine and rail applications
Columbus, Indiana, March 29, 2023 —Global power and technology leader Cummins Inc., and leading provider of energy storage solutions Leclanché S.A, today announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The collaboration represents a significant step forward in providing customers with a broader portfolio of integrated power solutions. The MOU enables Cummins and Leclanché to […]
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Offshore Wind
The Tremendous Potential—and Challenge—of Offshore Wind Energy
Wind turbines must move farther offshore to gain greater efficiency. But the challenges associated with doing so are significant. At the Dutch village of Den Oever, just north of Amsterdam, the A7 motorway extends onto the Afsluitdijk, a 32-kilometer dike that separates IJsselmeer Lake and the North Sea. Near the midway point, approaching the village […]
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Nuclear
Last Energy Secures PPAs for 34 SMR Nuclear Power Plants in Poland and the UK
Last Energy, a U.S.-based micro modular nuclear technology firm and project developer, has secured power purchase agreements (PPAs) for 34 PWR-20 small modular reactor (SMR) units with four industrial partners in the UK and Poland. The deals, which represent a combined $18.9 in power sales, mark “the largest pipeline of new nuclear power plants under […]
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Power
Microgrids Provide Reliable Power During Emergencies and Help Decarbonize the Grid
Microgrids are localized power grids that can be disconnected from the traditional grid to operate autonomously. Because they are able to operate while the main grid is down, microgrids can strengthen resilience and help prevent grid disturbances. They also function as a reliable resource for faster system response and recovery. Microgrids enable the integration of […]
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Commentary
Minimizing Talent Risk Critical to Success of Cleantech 2.0
“Deploy, deploy, deploy” is a mantra coined by Jigar Shah that’s gaining momentum as the climate tech and energy industries seek to scale their operations to meet the 2030 net-zero goals. With this Decade of Action in full swing, the urgency to implement carbon reductions in corporate and government operations is (finally) palpable and intensifying. […]
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Power
Enel and Newcleo Agree to Partner on New Gen-IV Small Modular Reactors
The Enel Group and nuclear technology company newcleo signed an agreement under which they will work together on Generation-IV (Gen-IV) nuclear technology projects. Under the deal, Enel will collaborate with newcleo by providing “specialized expertise” through the sharing of “a number of the company’s qualified personnel.” newcleo, for its part, will secure an option for […]
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Press Releases
Emerson Selected by Lodestone Energy to Automate New Zealand’s First Large-Scale Photovoltaic Solar Power Project
Unique renewable energy project will support the national effort to decarbonize New Zealand’s energy sector AUSTIN, Texas (March 14, 2023) – Global technology and software leader Emerson (NYSE: EMR) will provide advanced automation solutions to help ensure the safety and reliability of New Zealand’s first large-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) power project. Emerson’s renewable power generation […]
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Press Releases
Voith Hydro and STRUCINSPECT advance monitoring of hydropower civil structures
Voith Hydro and STRUCINSPECT advance monitoring of hydropower civil structures Strong partnership between experienced equipment supplier and successful corporate start-up from Austria. Digital inspections lead to state-of-the-art digital infrastructure and lifecycle management. First hydropower facility monitoring currently underway in Scotland. HEIDENHEIM/VIENNA. Hydropower is the world’s largest source of renewable energy. In order to make the […]
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Press Releases
New Mobile Capability for Mechanical Integrity Application Helps Meet Energy Transition Demands with Agility and Efficiency
Integrity Mobile enables improved and safer field inspections, connecting data collected to operations decisions. The Integrity Mobile interface gathers all relevant information and recommendations in a single dashboard, helping to improve outcomes and facilitating regulatory compliance across the enterprise. SAN RAMON, Calif. – March 13, 2023 – GE Digital, an integral part of GE Vernova’s […]
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Press Releases
Valmet to replace turbine automation at Statkraft’s gas power plant in Emden, Germany
Valmet will deliver a turbine automation system to Statkraft’s gas power plant in Emden, Germany. The new system will replace an obsolete third-party turbine controller on a gas turbine. Modern automation will ensure the future availability of the gas turbine to produce peak energy to the local grid. The order was included in Valmet’s orders […]
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Nuclear
Vogtle 3 Reaches Initial Criticality, Marking Pivotal Nuclear Startup Milestone
Vogtle 3, one of two 1,117-MW Westinghouse AP1000 nuclear reactors Southern Nuclear Operating Co. is building in Georgia, has reached initial criticality. The event marks a pivotal milestone for the Generation III+ pressurized water reactor (PWR)—the first of its kind built in the U.S. “Initial criticality is a key step during the startup testing sequence […]
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Press Releases
Honda’s Zero Emission Stationary Fuel Cell Provides Back Up Power to a Data Center
– Stationary fuel cell (FC) on American Honda campus in Torrance, Calif. is a first step toward future commercialization of zero-emission backup power generation – In the coming years, Honda will begin applying stationary FC power station technologies to Honda manufacturing facilities and data centers around the world – Honda is advancing hydrogen fuel cells […]
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Hydrogen
Entergy Picks EPC Team for Massive Hydrogen-Capable CCGT Project in Texas
A 1.2-GW hydrogen-capable combined cycle power project that Entergy Texas has proposed to build in Orange County, Texas, will be spearheaded by an engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) consortium led by Mitsubishi Power, Sargent & Lundy, and TIC. Construction of the $1.19 billion Orange County Advanced Power Station (OCAPS), which received the Public Utility Commission […]
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Nuclear
Novel UAMPS-NuScale SMR Nuclear Project Gains Participant Approval to Proceed to Next Phase
Despite a steep hike in the project cost estimate for the proposed 462-MWe Carbon-Free Power Project (CFPP), 26 of 27 public power entities have voted to continue development of the first-of-its-kind six-module NuScale Power VOYGR-6 small modular nuclear (SMR) plant. The 26 project participants—subscribers who could eventually offtake portions of the project’s power—lodged financial commitments […]
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Energy Storage
The POWER Interview: DC-Coupled Storage Optimizing Solar PV Systems
Asset owners want to get the most out of their solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, which is why many today are adding energy storage to an installation or upgrading a project through repowering. Companies working in the space recognize that both new and older solar power systems can be optimized, thanks to innovative technologies and new […]
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News
X-energy and Dow Will Deploy a 320-MWe Xe-100 Nuclear Facility at Gulf Coast Site
X-energy will demonstrate its four-unit 320-MWe Xe-100 advanced nuclear reactor facility under the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (ARDP) at a Dow site in the U.S. Gulf Coast region by the end of the decade—not in Washington State as originally planned. The shakeup stems from a joint development agreement (JDA) the nuclear […]
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Trends
A Complex Landscape for the Future of Combined Heat and Power
Few power-generating resources present the combination of workhouse abilities that combined heat and power (CHP) does. But, powered predominantly by fossil fuels, will CHP find its unique footing within the
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Hydro
Trial Operation of Innovative Horizontal Pelton Hydropower Turbine Underway in Austria
A pioneering horizontal, six-nozzle Pelton turbine developed by Voith Hydro at the 326-GWh Gerlos 1 pumped storage facility in the Ziller Valley, Austria, is setting new benchmarks for the 140-year-old
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Commentary
America—and the World—Needs More Nuclear Power
Nuclear energy is making a comeback—at home in America and worldwide. The 118th Congress presents new opportunities to make sure America leads the world on this crucial clean energy technology. The drumbeat
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Infographics
THE BIG PICTURE: U.S. Combined Heat and Power and Microgrids
As of December 2022, the Department of Energy (DOE) CHP Installation Database recorded 4,674 combined heat and power (CHP) installations in the U.S., with a combined capacity of 80.4 GW. Installations were all sizes, from large industrial systems that are hundreds of megawatts to small commercial microturbine and fuel cell systems that are tens of […]