Technology

Utilities function in the present but must always plan for the future. That’s even more true today, as the rapid pace of change with power generation technologies, and the transition to cleaner forms of energy, means utilities—whether they deal with electricity, natural gas, water, transportation, or are a municipality that pays attention to all those […]

The first geothermal power plant built in more than three decades within the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) balancing authority has come online. Mammoth Pacific Geothermal, an Ormat Co. subsidiary, declared the 30-MW Casa Diablo IV (CD4) commercially operational on July 20. CD4 is located on public land two miles east of the Town of […]

Ultra Safe Nuclear Corp. has opened a pilot fuel manufacturing facility that will produce TRi-structural ISOtropic (TRISO) coated fuel particles and the company’s proprietary fuel for use in its high-temperature gas reactor (HTGR). The Pilot Fuel Manufacturing (PFM) facility, located at the East Tennessee Technology Park (ETTP) in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, is one of the […]

The Polish company FAKOP – world-renowned for high-quality steam boilers for more than a hundred years – uses a towering CMT cladding system from Austrian welding technology specialist Fronius for the cladding of twelve-meter-high membrane walls. The plant has two welding elevators and can accommodate two huge membrane walls, each 1.6 meters wide. Welding is […]

Chemical Plants, Electric Power Generation, Oil/Gas Refineries and More San Marcos, CA–August 24, 2022–In high-temperature industrial environments, engineers responsible for optimizing the up-time and the safety of process flow networks will find the FLT93 Series Flow Switch from  Fluid Components International (FCI) provides a reliable early warning alert to cooling tower pump dry-running conditions, which […]

Chair of House Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development Observes Fusion Experiment and Speaks with Early Career Scientists San Diego, August 18th – Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), Chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, visited General Atomics (GA) and toured the DIII-D National Fusion Facility. While at DIII-D, Rep. Kaptur met […]

There are no boundaries in cyberspace. That fact has accelerated sharing of threat intelligence across the defenders, but it exponentially raises the threat of cyberattacks. This reality is underscored by the war in Ukraine, “the first major conflict involving large-scale cyber operations,” according to the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency (CISA). A major concern is […]

When reflecting on recent years, the exacerbating climate crisis has resulted in a paradigm shift where attitudes and actions are concerned. Rather than being a subject of ongoing debate and divided opinions, global warming has instigated radical reform throughout Middle Eastern society, inspiring nations to introduce abatement imperatives, enact meaningful change, and embark on a […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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

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

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

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

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

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

(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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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. […]

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 […]