Technology

  • Shakeup for 720-MW Nuclear SMR Project as More Cities Withdraw Participation

    At least eight cities have now dropped shares in the Carbon Free Power Project (CFPP), a 720-MWe NuScale Power small modular reactor (SMR) project proposed by Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems (UAMPS). Despite the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Oct.16–announced $1.4 billion, 10-year award to fund one-time costs for the first-of-a-kind project, four Utah cities withdrew […]

  • Fusion Power May Be Closer Than You Think

    Fusion research and development have been ongoing for decades, and many people probably believe a fusion power system will remain out of reach for decades longer. But the truth is that more than 100 tokamaks have been constructed and the science behind fusion is well-understood. What has been elusive is generating net energy from a […]

  • WPD Becomes First in UK to Install Outage-Mitigation Device

    CHICAGO, October 27, 2020 – S&C Electric Company, a leading grid innovator improving power reliability and delivery worldwide, and Western Power Distribution (WPD), a U.K.-based electricity distribution network operator serving 7.9 million customers throughout Wales and England’s Midlands and South West regions, have completed the installation of the first S&C TripSaver® II Cutout-Mounted Recloser in […]

  • Technology for Advanced Asset Inspections

    Netze BW GmbH is the largest distribution system operator (DSO) in Baden-Württemberg, which is the third-largest state in Germany. Netze BW is responsible for high-, medium-, and low-voltage networks across the state. Its power lines stretch over 100,000 kilometers (more than 62,000 miles), and like all power utilities, it faces a constant challenge of monitoring, […]

  • Developing a Safer Lithium-Ion Battery

    Most consumers know that lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries can get hot. People experience the phenomenon in devices such as cell phones and laptop computers. In extreme circumstances, the heat can cause fires with catastrophic consequences. One company that is working to remedy the problem is Burlington, Washington-headquartered LAVLE. The company’s COO Morten Pedersen and CTO Ben […]

  • Harvesting Near-Ground Winds with Advanced Compact Turbines

    Compact (H-type) vertical-axis wind turbines (VAWTs) are not as familiar as their horizontal-axis, propeller-type cousins. The two have their origins in the windmills of the 12th century, and even earlier, but the former has lacked financing, and research and development resources that have been poured into the latter to produce some of the lowest-cost energy […]

  • The future of SGRE turbine performance tests offshore and onshore is the ZX TM nacelle Lidar

    Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE) statement of testing and approval of nacelle based wind Lidar ‘ZX TM’ from ZX Lidars for the purpose of Power Performance Testing on Siemens Gamesa wind turbines released In connection with a power curve campaign, Siemens Gamesa has tested a new technology together with the well-known company ZX Lidars. Based […]

  • Schneider Electric Releases ArcFM Mobile 11.2.1

    FORT COLLINS, Colo. (Oct. 13, 2020) – Schneider Electric, the industry leader in Geographic Information System (GIS) solutions for utilities and communication providers, announced the latest release of ArcFM Mobile XI, the utility-scale mobile GIS solution designed for field crews. ArcFM Mobile 11.2.1 now supports a full digital design-construction workflow in the ArcFM XI ecosystem […]

  • Natrium, Xe-100 Are DOE’s Picks for Advanced Nuclear Reactor Demonstrations

    TerraPower and X-energy will each receive $80 million in initial federal funding under the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (ARDP) to build their two distinct advanced nuclear reactors and begin operating them within seven years.  Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette made the much-awaited announcement about the first ARDP awards in a brief Twitter […]

  • The Energy-Sector Threat: How to Address Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities

    Electric-power and gas companies are especially vulnerable to cyberattacks, but a structured approach that applies communication, organizational, and process frameworks can significantly reduce cyber-related risks. In our experience working with utility companies, we have observed three characteristics that make the sector especially vulnerable to contemporary cyberthreats. First is an increased number of threats and actors […]

  • DOE Has Chosen Advanced Nuclear Reactor Demonstration Winners

    The Department of Energy (DOE) on Oct. 7 notified Congress that it has chosen recipients for its Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (ARDP) and will make its selections public “next week.” The ARDP program, which the DOE officially launched on May 14, will essentially focus DOE and non-federal resources (through cost-shared agreements with industry) to enable […]

  • Taking Lithium-Ion Batteries to the Next Level

    Although the first lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery was conceived more than 50 years ago, the technology continues to be refined and improved today. Scientists and engineers are constantly modifying and testing electrolytes, anodes, and cathodes in an effort to make Li-ion batteries more energy-efficient, cost-effective, and safer. Chicago, Illinois-based NanoGraf Technologies is one company working to […]

  • ABB digitalizes process safety lifecycle management

    ABB has launched ABB Ability™ SafetyInsight™ a suite of digital software applications that support companies across the energy and process sectors throughout the entire lifecycle of process safety management (PSM).   Operating as a central source of information the software digitalizes early Engineering Technology (ET) data to create a process safety digital twin, using this […]

  • In Boost to Canada’s Nuclear Roadmap, OPG Advances Work with Three SMR Developers

    Ontario Power Generation (OPG) took another step to bolster plans to deploy small modular reactors (SMRs) in Ontario, announcing it is advancing engineering and design work with three major advanced nuclear reactor developers: GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH), Terrestrial Energy, and X-energy. The announcement on Oct. 6 stems from a “due diligence” process OPG held […]

  • InEight Reimagines Capital Project Document Management with All-New InEight Document

    InEight simplifies document management and collaboration for capital projects with new capabilities and a streamlined user experience available now with InEight Document  SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – October 6, 2020 – InEight Inc., a global leader in capital project management software, today unveiled the all-new InEight Document featuring a host of new capabilities as well as a ground-up […]

  • Mixed Reactions on Looming DOE NOPR for Bulk Power System Security

    The Department of Energy (DOE) will issue a notice of proposed rule-making (NOPR) to implement President Trump’s broad bulk power system (BPS) security executive order (EO) “later this fall,” a DOE official confirmed to POWER on Oct. 5. Though the NOPR is delayed beyond the 150-day timeframe set by the EO, various BPS stakeholders are […]

  • Microgrids Increase Reliability, Resiliency

    Increasing the reliability and resiliency of the electricity supply is a focus of today’s power generation industry. In concert with that, more and more utilities, companies, and institutions are establishing internal clean energy goals, wanting to reduce their carbon footprint while ensuring a consistent supply of power for their operations. An (date) session of Experience […]

  • A Holistic Model for Industrial Gas Power: Dearborn Central Energy Plant

    DTE’s new Central Energy Plant will energize a flexible and high-tech revamp of Ford Motor Co.’s Research and Engineering campus in Dearborn, Michigan. Because it goes beyond the envelope of modern

  • 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 […]