Technology
-
Nuclear
U.S. Utility Survey Suggests Industry Mulling Additions of 90 GW of New Nuclear
A Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) survey suggests U.S. utility members expect to add up to 90 GW of new nuclear generation by the 2050s, including more than 300 new small modular reactors (SMRs) in the U.S. over the next 25 years. The nuclear industry group’s survey, unveiled on July 29, sought to gather input from […]
-
T&D
A New Approach for Gas-Insulated Substations
For decades, gas-insulated substations (GIS) have been used primarily in densely populated metropolitan areas. They take up only 10% of the footprint of outdoor or air-insulated substations and provide reliable medium- and low-voltage service where space needed to service areas for industrial locations, hospitals, and housing may be limited. However, as rural environments become desirable […]
-
Press Releases
Ignitis Gamyba Chooses GE Digital’s OPM Production Planning Software to Accurately Forecast Day-Ahead Electricity Trading
OPM Production Planning can help to ensure secure, stable power while maximizing margins and managing risk with accurate capacity predictions and decision support Software also helps Ignitis Gamyba to automate data transmission for more optimal planning of natural gas procurement and process organization SAN RAMON, Calif. – AUGUST 9, 2022 — GE Digital today announced that […]
-
Press Releases
Framatome to deliver neutron instrumentation system solution at South Carolina nuclear plant
August 9, 2022 – Framatome announced it has been selected by a U.S. utility to provide a wide range neutron flux monitoring system at a South Carolina nuclear plant. The company will provide the system to all three units of the plant along with a spare system. The project will help enable owners of the […]
-
Coal
Group: EPA’s Coordinated Regulatory Assault on Coal Power Could Push Retirements Beyond 86 GW by 2030
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is readying a regulatory sweep targeting more stringent limits on traditional pollutants that could accelerate coal power plant closures. A coal trade group estimates that even without new rules, 86 GW of coal generation is slated to retire by 2030. While the U.S. Supreme Court in June curtailed the EPA’s […]
-
Nuclear
Vogtle 3 Gets NRC’s Approval to Begin Operation in Significant Regulatory Milestone for U.S. Nuclear Industry
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has given Southern Nuclear Operating Company (SNC) the green light to load fuel and begin the operation of an AP1000 nuclear reactor at Vogtle Unit 3. The authorization moves Vogtle 3 out of the NRC’s construction reactor oversight program and into the operating reactor oversight process—effectively making Vogtle 3 the first […]
-
Press Releases
PROENERGY Kicks Off Nearly $30 Million Advanced Manufacturing Initiative
Rare and State-of-the-Art Hybrid 3D Printing Machine Represents First Milestone Toward Fortified Supply Chain and Enhanced Energy Security SEDALIA, Mo., Aug. 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — PROENERGY announced today a $28.8-million investment on an advanced manufacturing initiative, starting with the recent acquisition and proven application of a 3D hybrid printing machine. As part of the company’s […]
-
Coal
A Japanese Project Demonstrates a Carbon Neutrality Pathway for Coal Power
Osaki CoolGen Corp.’s complex three-phase demonstration project in Hiroshima Prefecture seeks to achieve highly efficient coal-fired power generation with near-zero emissions by integrating carbon
-
History
Southern Company: A History of a Prolific Power Technology Pioneer
Atlanta-based energy giant Southern Co. has rapidly evolved to keep in step with the evolution of power. As part of its corporate growth, the company has notably pioneered technologies that have reshaped
-
Coal
Holtec Unveils Green Boiler Designed to Repurpose Coal Plants
Holtec International, an equipment provider that specializes in the design and manufacture of parts for nuclear reactors, in May unveiled a “green boiler” technology that is designed to repurpose existing
-
Technology
Innovating Grid Resilience from the Outside In
Operational innovation—creating new ways of performing core business functions like grid asset management—can provide reliable, relatively low-cost transformation for electric utilities. One area for
-
Technology
The Role of Videoscopes in Gas Turbine Inspections: Insights from the Field
Traditional gas turbine inspections can be time-consuming and expensive. However, a remote visual inspection can be an effective alternative to tearing equipment apart to get a look inside. Advanced
-
Waste to Energy
Waste-to-Energy Plants Suffer from Unplanned Shutdowns Caused by Boiler Failure
A 2021 Prewin Network unplanned shutdown survey revealed that equipment failures in waste-to-energy (WtE) and biomass plants were responsible for a total of 22.9 days of unplanned shutdowns in 2021. It also found that 43% of equipment failure classifications were boiler related (Figure 1). Furthermore, boilers alone were responsible for an average of 9.9 days […]
-
Waste to Energy
Small-Scale Biodigesters Are Getting a Big Improvement in Thermal Control
As the world looks to increase the usage and production of renewable energy, improving efficiency while lowering energy costs is vital to the adoption of renewable sources. Biodigesters (also known as anaerobic digesters) are a source of renewable energy and act as both an effective waste management solution and a source of biogas, a methane-dense […]
-
Connected Plant
How Private Wireless Solutions Enable Digital Power Plants’ Transformation
Digital transformation is key to making industries more agile, resilient, and sustainable. These are essential qualities if businesses are not only to survive but thrive in the Industry 4.0 era—and the energy industry is no exception. With price volatility set to continue in the natural gas and carbon energy markets, and growing pricing pressure coming […]
-
Nuclear
NRC Moves to Issue Final Design Certification for NuScale Nuclear Module
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has indicated it will certify NuScale’s 50-MWe (160 MWth) small modular reactor (SMR) design, marking another definitive milestone for the reactor vendor and its technology prospects. The NRC on July 29 said it directed staff to issue a final rule that certifies the standard SMR design, for which NuScale submitted […]
-
Press Releases
EnergyHub Launches Electric Vehicle Grid Management Solution for Utilities
(New York) July 26, 2022 — Today, EnergyHub announced EnergyHub EV, an offering for utilities that delivers electric vehicle demand flexibility coupled with a powerful EV data management system. EnergyHub EV is built on the core of EnergyHub’s Mercury DERMS platform, the most widely deployed grid-edge DERMS. EnergyHub works with over 60 leading utilities and […]
-
IIOT Power
Putting AI to Work for Better ESG Data
Environment, social, and governance (ESG) reporting has never been easy—and with pressures rising from investors, corporate leaders, and the government, organizations are struggling to meet the needs of all stakeholders. Facility managers must grapple with reaching and documenting progress toward ESG goals that align with the desires of sustainability-minded investors while boards and corporate leaders […]
-
Connected Plant
Here’s How Utilities Are Primed to Lead America’s Race to Clean Energy
The U.S. will rely on utility leaders to scale smart grid infrastructure and reduce carbon emissions. Climate change has captured the world’s attention for decades. We’ve seen countless intergovernmental summits, worldwide protests, and documentaries on global warming over the years. Although momentum has been building across the public and private sectors, leaders are preparing for […]
-
Engineering
Ferris State University’s Construction Management Program Expands Its MEP Courses
The Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing (MEP) trades make up a significant portion of a construction project’s budget, and MEP scope continues to grow in complexity and size as we get further into the 21st century. Depending on the type of project, the MEP scope can account for upwards of a third of an overall project’s […]
-
Nuclear
Kairos Commissions Molten Salt Coolant Production Plant for High-Temperature Nuclear Reactors
Kairos Power, an advanced nuclear reactor developer, has commissioned a molten salt purification plant (MSPP) that will produce “large quantities” of a high-purity coolant for reactors based on its fluoride salt-cooled, high-temperature reactor (KP-FHR) technology. The MSPP, one of the largest of its kind, is located at materials supplier Materion Corp.’s campus in Elmore, Ohio. […]
-
IIOT
Digitalisation and Cyber Resilience: Why the Energy and Utilities Sector Is a Top Target for Cybercrime
The energy and utilities sector is not just the lifeblood of the world’s economy, but fundamental to society’s existence as a whole. Yet, recent events have highlighted just how volatile and unpredictable it can be. Output is influenced by everything from weather patterns to war, and no business, consumer, or household is immune from the […]
-
Press Releases
Introducing Aurora Solar’s AI Solutions to Drive Solar Adoption and Accelerate a Clean Energy Future
Built on the platform delivering over 100,000+ projects a week, Aurora’s AI solutions simultaneously evaluate HD map imagery and LIDAR data to generate 3D models in 30 seconds July 19, 2022 – SAN FRANCISCO – Aurora Solar, a cloud-based platform trusted by solar professionals across marketing, sales, design, and operations, today unveiled new artificial intelligence […]
-
Press Releases
TAE Technologies Exceeds Fusion Reactor Performance Goals By 250% As Company Closes $250 Million Financing Round, Totaling $1.2 Billion To Date
Following scientific milestones with current fusion reactor, Norman, TAE receives investments from long-term partner Google, as well as Chevron, Sumitomo Corporation of Americas, and others to fund the construction of the company’s sixth-generation research reactor that will demonstrate the viability of net energy from TAE’s approach Foothill Ranch, Calif., July 19, 2022 – After achieving […]
-
Trends
Europe May Need Temporary Coal, Oil Power Increase to Ready for ’Hard’ Winter, IEA Warns
European leaders should minimize gas use in the power sector and temporarily ramp up coal- and oil-fired generation while accelerating low-carbon sources to guard against energy market turmoil that has grown “especially perilous,” the head of the International Energy Agency (IEA) said on July 18. “I’m particularly concerned about the months ahead,” wrote IEA Executive […]
-
Solar
IEA Calls for More Diverse Solar PV Supply Chains
The International Energy Agency (IEA) is urging the development of more diverse solar PV supply chains, suggesting the sector’s heavy reliance on China has led to imbalances that pose risks to its future growth. A dedicated study of the world’s solar PV supply chain issued by the Paris-based autonomous intergovernmental organization on July 7 acknowledges that government […]
-
Coal
Plant Bowen Will Showcase Largest Coal Ash Beneficial Use Project in the U.S.
Georgia Power will harvest 9 million tons of coal ash landfilled at its 3.4-GW Plant Bowen station in Bartow County, Georgia, and beneficially use it in concrete for major regional construction projects. The project, announced on June 29, will be the “ single largest beneficial use project of its kind in the U.S., and the largest […]
-
Top Plant
Harnessing Cooling Tower Plumes to Provide Purified Water
A novel technology that is surprisingly simple in principle promises to significantly reduce water consumption in evaporative cooling tower systems by capturing water from cooling tower plumes. Sonal Patel
-
T&D
Advanced Power Grid Sensors and Switches Reduce Downtime and Improve System Reliability
A Fault Isolation Service Restoration module, part of an Advanced Distribution Management Solution, has improved grid reliability, and reduced outages and outage durations, for customers of PPL Electric
-
Hydrogen
RWE to Take Over Vattenfall’s 1.4-GW ‘Hydrogen-Ready’ Dutch Gas-Fired Plant
German energy giant RWE will in September acquire Vattenfall’s 1.4-GW Magnum combined cycle gas-fired power station, a project in the Netherlands where work is underway to explore converting one of the three