Technology

  • The 470-MW Floating Powership That Buoyed Ghana

    Karpowership’s 470-MW floating power plant deployed at two locations in Ghana demonstrated how robust an impact the innovative “plug-and-play” electricity delivery model can have on a power-hungry country’s economy and society.

  • Gearing Up for Grid Integration

    The growing adoption of distributed energy resources presents another challenge for utilities and grid operators as they design and plan for how electricity is produced and delivered. The past few years have

  • A High Energy Potential: Power-to-Heat

    Though a lesser discussed power-to-x solution, power-to-heat technologies are already mature, commercially available, and market competitive. And they are already making an impact on the power sector. Much

  • Philippines Taking New Look at Nuclear Power

    It’s been nearly 35 years since the Philippines mothballed the country’s only nuclear power plant, declaring the 621-MW Bataan facility would not be commissioned despite the country spending $2.3 billion

  • How to Conduct Steam Blowing Procedures with Remote Personnel

    Many power projects have been disrupted due to COVID-19. However, managers at Larsen & Toubro Ltd. found a way to complete steam blow requirements in spite of the pandemic, using secure internet

  • An ‘Everything as a Grid’ Approach to Energy Production

    Commercial and industrial businesses can get a boost from their electrical infrastructure by making their systems more dynamic, enabling new capabilities and control. What do you need your electrical

  • The POWER Interview: Are DERs an Opportunity, or Threat?

    Distributed energy resources (DERs) are physical and virtual assets that are deployed across the power distribution grid. They are typically close to load, and though they initially began as behind-the-meter assets, today may be as likely to be deployed in front of the meter. DERs include renewable energy, and are the key component in microgrids, […]

  • Vistra Shuttering More Coal, Adding Solar and Storage

    Vistra has announced seven new renewable energy projects that will add about 1,000 MW of solar and energy storage to the company’s generation fleet. The company also said it would retire its coal-fired power plants in Illinois and Ohio as part of an effort to reduce carbon emissions as it established new long-term emissions reduction […]

  • Versatile Test Reactor Moves into Engineering Design Phase

    The Versatile Test Reactor (VTR), a planned experimental fast neutron reactor that the Department of Energy (DOE) says is crucial to support domestic advanced nuclear reactor research and development has cleared “Critical Decision 1,” paving the way for the engineering design phase to begin. Critical Decision 1—also known as “Approve Alternative Selection and Cost Range”—is […]

  • Leaders in the Smart City Movement

    What is a “Smart City”? According to one definition, it’s an urban area that uses different types of electronic methods and sensors to collect data, with insights gained from that data used to manage assets, resources, and services efficiently. Clint Vince, chair of Dentons’ U.S. Energy Practice and co-chair of Dentons’ Global Energy Sector, was […]

  • Power Sector, Federal Entities Scramble to Close Supply Chain Security Gaps

    Marking another major federal effort to address potential supply chain risks to the bulk power system (BPS), the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on Sept. 17 sought industry’s perspective on a number of important considerations, including possible actions the regulatory body could take to address security gaps. The U.S.-based power sector, meanwhile, has moved quickly […]

  • Entergy Moves Heavily on Hydrogen for Gas Turbines, Nuclear

    Entergy Corp., an integrated energy company with a 30-GW power generating fleet, took a bold step toward decarbonization on Sept. 23, announcing it would join forces with Mitsubishi Power to integrate green hydrogen into utility businesses in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas.  Entergy will focus on developing hydrogen-capable combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) facilities and […]

  • Former SpaceX Engineers Tout New Microreactor

    A California company is gathering funding for development of a portable nuclear microreactor, designed for use in areas where other forms of power generation are not practical. Radiant, founded by former SpaceX engineers, on Sept. 22 said it has raised $1.2 million from angel investors as it designs what the company calls a “clean energy […]

  • Hitachi ABB Power Grids launches open and scalable ecosystem for digitalization of transformers

    September 21, 2020 — Hitachi ABB Power Grids is delighted to launch the TXpert Ecosystem for  digitalization of transformers. The ecosystem is designed to drive data-driven intelligence and decision making in the operations and maintenance of transformers and power grids. It is a complete suite of products, software, services and solutions that work together and […]

  • Improve Wind Turbine Safety with a Piston Accumulator Retrofit

    Wind turbines are designed to maximize power production based on the predicted wind speeds found at the plant site. However, excessive wind speeds are experienced at times, so it is crucial to limit power generation at those times to avoid spontaneous runaway turbine situations that may cause damage to the turbine rotor or other parts […]

  • Cyber Risks Are Top of Mind Throughout the Power Sector

    The electric power sector in the United States has a long history of facing threats to our infrastructure—whether they are natural or man‐made. While cyberthreats are indeed much more complex, particularly when you consider that some of our cyber adversaries are nation states, the industry has a strong foundation of preparedness, resilience, and response. Though […]

  • The Past, Present, and Future of Powerline Inspection Automation

    “Tedious.” If you ask electric utilities for one word on powerline inspection, that would probably be it. “Time-consuming” and “expensive” would probably also feature. Yet, “vital” would be just as valid: there is no way to safely operate a transmission and distribution network without inspecting lines for damage or risk from factors such as vegetation. […]

  • Extensible Energy Releases DemandEx for Microgrids

    Berkeley, Calif. September 14, 2020 – Extensible Energy has released DemandEx for Microgrids™, an AI load flexibility software that integrates with a microgrid controller to manage and optimize energy usage when off-grid or on-grid. With DemandEx for Microgrids, businesses can move beyond the traditional critical loads panel and utilize dynamic, intelligent software to power more […]

  • Virtual Peaker Partners with Fermata Energy to Bring V2G Bidirectional Vehicle Charging Technology to Utilities

    Louisville, KY and Charlottesville, VA–Virtual Peaker and Fermata Energy have announced a partnership to integrate Fermata Energy’s vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology with Virtual Peaker’s cloud-based residential energy demand response platform used by utilities across the country. The joint venture will make it easier for utilities and their customers to combat climate change by seamlessly managing two-way […]

  • AES Announces Smart Operations Center in Ohio

    The center will lead a new era in innovative global energy solutions DAYTON, Ohio, Sept. 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Dayton Power & Light Company (DP&L), a subsidiary of The AES Corporation (NYSE: AES), today marks the announcement of its Smart Operations Center in Ohio, the first of its kind in the United States, opening a […]

  • Is Carbon Capture Technology a Viable Solution?

    Carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS) is widely viewed as a necessary technology to facilitate the continued use of fossil fuels in light of climate change concerns around the world. One company that has been highly focused on CCUS research and development, as well as deployment of the technology, is Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI). Tiffany […]

  • National Grid expands DER portfolio with EnergyHub to manage commercial and industrial resources

    BROOKLYN, N.Y., 16 September, 2020: National Grid is now managing commercial and industrial (C&I) demand response through EnergyHub’s Mercury DERMS platform, extending a multi-DER portfolio that includes thermostats and residential batteries. With EnergyHub, National Grid can rely on a single platform to manage multiple classes of DERs to provide critical grid services. EnergyHub provides National Grid with enrollment, […]

  • Flexible Small-Scale Generation Empowered by Once-Through Boiler Technology

    Distributed generation integrated with intermittent renewable generation responds to the growing need for highly flexible small-scale (less than 100 MW) power generation resources. The limiting factor facing plant designers is that the conventional heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) does not enable fast-acting power generation demanded by modern grid systems. John Cockerill Energy’s vertical once-through boilers […]

  • GE, CTCI Score 6.5-GW Gas Power Contract Win in Taiwan

    General Electric International Inc. (GE) and consortium partner Taiwanese engineering services firm CTCI have bagged a multi-billion-dollar engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract for five combined cycle gas-fired power units in Taiwan.  The consortium will build three new units at the 3.9-GW Hsinta Power Plant and two new units at the 2.6-GW Taichung Power Plant. […]

  • GE Hitachi, TerraPower Team on Nuclear-Storage Hybrid SMR

    GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH) and Bill Gates’ nuclear innovation startup TerraPower are ready to demonstrate a “cost-competitive” advanced nuclear reactor system that will integrate a 345-MWe sodium fast reactor (SFR) with a molten salt energy storage system under a unique energy system architecture. The advanced nuclear technology developed under a joint development agreement is […]

  • New Fuel Cell Power Plants Deployed in South Korea and California

    Two new fuel cell-based electricity generation facilities have been “powered on” in the Gyeonggi province of South Korea. The new installations use Bloom Energy’s solid-oxide fuel cells. One of the power plants—a 19.8-MW installation—is located in Hwasung. It is the largest Bloom Energy project in South Korea, and the company’s second-largest in the world. The […]

  • Mitsubishi Power Snags Hydrogen Integration Contracts for 2 GW of New Gas Power

    Three major gas-fired power projects—a total of 2.1 GW—in Eastern competitive markets that are slated to come online between 2023 and 2025 have chosen hydrogen pathways to ensure their long-term viability as states increasingly emphasize energy system decarbonization.  The plants, which represent a total investment of $3 billion, will adopt integrated green hydrogen solution packages […]

  • Sustainable Building at Heart of Collaborative Project

    The South Landing project in Spokane, Washington, has been called “the five smartest city blocks in the world.” The development is said to feature “the most sustainable large building in North America.” Known as the Catalyst Building, it is intended to anchor a planned “innovation hub.” The five-story, 150,000-square-foot building features two wings around a […]