Technology
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Technology
How Digital Tools Are Transforming Safety Compliance in Power Generation
Ensuring compliance in power generation projects is non-negotiable—and it’s no longer a box to tick at the end of a project. It now demands continuous oversight, code alignment, and documentation from the very first planning meeting to final handover. For project teams in the energy sector, this shift comes at a time of tighter National […]
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Cybersecurity
Power Grid Security in the AI Era: Why Energy Dominance and Cybersecurity Can’t Be Separated
In a special edition of The POWER Podcast, released in collaboration with the McCrary Institute’s Cyber Focus podcast, POWER’s executive editor, Aaron Larson, and Frank Cilluffo, director of the McCrary Institute for Cyber and Critical Infrastructure Security and Professor of Practice at Auburn University, discuss the evolving power grid and cybersecurity challenges. Specifically, they highlight […]
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Commentary
Beyond Co-Location: The Emerging Opportunity for Vertically Integrated Utilities in the Data Center Boom
The explosive growth of hyperscale data centers is reshaping the power sector at unprecedented speed. In just a few short years, load requests from data center operators have gone from occasional filings to a full-on wave of gigawatt-scale development across North America. While much attention has been paid to the trend of co-locating data centers […]
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Press Releases
Pavegen Chosen for Cyberport 5 Smart City Expansion in Hong Kong
Pavegen, a UK-based clean technology company pioneering energy and data generation, on July 29 announced it has been selected to deliver a flagship installation at Cyberport 5, part of the HK$3.7 billion ($472 million) expansion of Cyberport, Hong Kong’s government-owned Innovation & Technology (I&T) hub. Installation is scheduled for September, ahead of the site’s full […]
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Electric Vehicles
Enhancing Grid Resilience and EV Charging Efficiency Through Advanced Technology
XCharge North America (XCharge NA) is a provider of high-power electric vehicle (EV) charging and battery-integrated solutions designed to strengthen the North American electrical grid. Since its inception in 2022, XCharge NA has developed a suite of products designed to enhance the efficiency and accessibility of EV charging, most recently launching its GridLink product in […]
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Energy Storage
Making Battery Degradation Measurable: Why Cost-Aware Operation Is Essential
As renewable energy becomes the foundation of electricity systems around the world, the importance of stationary battery storage is no longer in question. Lithium-ion batteries are being deployed at unprecedented rates to support grid reliability, integrate variable generation, defer infrastructure upgrades, and provide flexible capacity across multiple electricity markets. These systems are now considered critical […]
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Smart Grid
At a Time of Accelerating Change, Utilities Need to Build Flexibility into Their Strategy for Load Growth
The past few years have brought decades worth of change to electric utilities. An increasing fraction of supply is coming from intermittent sources like solar and wind. Energy storage technology has become economically viable and has seen widespread deployment. And the industry as a whole is grappling with what seems like insatiable new demand from […]
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Hydrogen
Black & Veatch Completes FEED Study for UK Hydrogen Project
Infrastructure developer Black & Veatch announced the company has completed execution of a front-end engineering design (FEED) study for the Whitelee Green Hydrogen Project near Glasgow, Scotland. Whitelee is a proposed development by owner ScottishPower Energy Retail Limited. The contract was awarded to Black & Veatch in October 2024. The first phase of the project, […]
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Commentary
Virtual Power Plants: How to Power the Energy Economy by Stretching Today’s Grid
The challenge posed by surging demand for electricity from data centers and high-performance computing facilities presents an ideal time for innovative energy solutions that efficiently improve grid reliability and increase the availability of clean, affordable electricity. Not only does the U.S. risk missing more than $100 billion of artificial intelligence (AI) market growth over the […]
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Trends
GM, Redwood Materials Pursue Use of Vehicle Batteries for Energy Storage
General Motors (GM) has signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding with Redwood Materials, an agreement meant to accelerate deployment of energy storage systems using both new U.S.-manufactured batteries from GM, and second-life battery packs from GM electric vehicles (EVs). This collaboration, announced July 16, marks a significant step toward taking GM’s advanced battery technology beyond […]
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Cybersecurity
OT Under Siege: Why Grid Control Systems Need a New Kind of Cyber Defense
At a remote substation in the Midwest, I watched recently as a team of cybersecurity specialists gathered not to fix a breach but to simulate one. The substation—a medium-impact test site built by one of the nation’s largest utilities—has become a proving ground for the future of grid security. Before the North American Electric Reliability […]
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Cybersecurity
Securing the Power Grid: Cybersecurity Strategies for Smart Energy Systems
As the backbone of modern energy systems, smart grids and digital substations promise efficiency and sustainability—but they also open the door to escalating cyberthreats. This article dives into a layered cybersecurity strategy that blends integrated vulnerability assessments, robust protocols, and defense-in-depth tactics. Packed with practical insights and a look at breakthrough technologies, it empowers utilities […]
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gas turbines
“We’re Writing a New Chapter”: Mitsubishi Power CEO Bill Newsom on AI, Gas Turbines, and the Path to Decarbonization
The U.S. power sector seems to be increasingly pulled in two directions. While trundling toward rapid electrification, it is seeking to hold its ground on recent decarbonization triumphs. And while utilities and power companies are racing to add generation capacity, their prospects are limited by aging infrastructure and upended by supply chain constraints that have […]
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O&M
Transforming Mission-Critical Utility Operations with Field Service Management Technology
Utilities operate in high-stakes environments where operational resilience, infrastructure reliability, and workforce efficiency are essential for maintaining uninterrupted service. Cutting-edge field service management technology enhances field operations, improves safety, and streamlines emergency response with scalable automation, seamless geographic information system (GIS) integration, and predictive field service intelligence, ensuring efficiency and reliability in even the most […]
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Gas
GE Vernova Brings First 1.3-GW Block of Taiwan Gas-Fired Plant Online
GE Vernova said the first of three blocks of a major natural gas-fired power plant in Taiwan is now online. The company on July 7 said the first 1.3-GW unit of the Hsinta power station is operating, part of the facility’s transition from burning coal to using natural gas.
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Plant of the Year
A Transformative Dawn: South Fork Wind Leads America’s Offshore Reboot
Winning POWER’s highest honor, South Fork Wind—the first commercial-scale offshore wind farm in U.S. federal waters—stands as a beacon for the power sector’s ambition to forge new industries in the
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Top Plant
Academic Undertaking: Upgrade Project Provides Uninterruptible Power Supply
A diesel-powered rotary flywheel is at the heart of an innovative backup power system for the campus at the University of Washington. The University of Washington needed to bring new life to its 1960s-era
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Power
Taiwan’s Tech Industry Driving Country’s Energy Demand
Taiwan is among several countries experiencing an energy crisis, with its supply of power struggling to keep up with demand from a rapidly growing high-tech sector. The country has long depended on imported
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Hydro
Flow State: The Connected Future of Hydropower Generation
As aging infrastructure meets rising demand, hydro plants are embracing modern control systems to unlock data, streamline operations, and power a more resilient, connected future. Hydro generation has been a
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O&M
How an Advanced Air Gap Measurement Tool Streamlines Hydroelectric Generator Maintenance
An air gap is the distance between the rotor and stator of a large-scale hydroelectric generator. This gap is a very small distance in relation to the size of the rotor. Its measurement to tight tolerances is critical to prevent damage to and maintain efficiency of the generator. Static measurement of the air gap (Figure […]
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Technology
NASA Empowers Energy Projects by Providing Global Earth Observation Data
NASA strives to understand the universe, whether that be the stars above us or Earth around us. One way NASA focuses on the Earth is through satellite, ground, and airborne Earth observations and modeling. NASA’s Earth Science projects work to further understand the Earth and its systems to better help humanity now and in the […]
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Fuel
The Science Behind Propane: How It’s Made and Why It’s Still Relevant
Most people are familiar with propane. Large silver-colored tanks are often used to store propane intended to heat rural homes and propane is a common fuel used in backyard cooking grills. But behind these
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O&M
The Role of Lubricants in Wind Turbine Gearbox Applications
As the renewable energy sector continues to grow, so does the complexity of technology and equipment such as wind turbines, solar arrays, and transmission infrastructure. Gear oils and lubricants are crucial for the reliable operation of gearboxes, enabling wind turbines to run smoothly and efficiently.
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Commentary
Data Is the New Diesel: Understanding the Role of Telematics in the EV Transition
The fleet industry is approaching a pivotal juncture, with electrification increasingly positioned as a potential path forward for businesses working to reduce emissions and operating costs. Yet, during this period with evolving expectations and uncertain environmental regulations, the direction and pace of this transition remain fluid. While momentum is building around the shift from traditional […]
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Nuclear
Westinghouse, ITER Sign $180-Million Contract to Advance Nuclear Fusion
Westinghouse Electric Co. and officials with the ITER project in France signed a contract for $180 million for the assembly of the vacuum vessel for the fusion reactor. This is a key milestone in the construction of the ITER reactor, leading the way toward the use of fusion as a practical future source of reliable carbon-free energy.
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O&M
Outage and Grid Alerts Catalyst for Replacing Obsolete Valves, Actuators
When an electric utility with a power plant in the southwestern U.S. prepared for a planned, major outage on its two Siemens 501D turbines, the plant’s manager requested a repair quote for two directional control valves and two gas valves attached to each turbine. “We had a problem with one of our controllers that lead […]
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Legal & Regulatory
DOE Pilot Program Targets Three Nuclear Test Reactors for 2026 Criticality Under Department Authorization
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has launched a novel pilot program that will allow private developers to build and operate full-scale advanced nuclear test reactors outside of the national laboratory system, without a license from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Through a new authorization model grounded in the Atomic Energy Act and a Trump-era […]
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Nuclear
Understanding TerraPower’s Natrium Reactor Design and Demonstration Project Progress
In the proverbial shadow of the Naughton Power Plant, a station in Kemmerer, Wyoming, that will stop burning coal at the end of this year, TerraPower is constructing what it calls “the only advanced, non-light-water reactor in the Western Hemisphere being built today.” The project represents more than just a new power source—it’s a symbolic […]
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O&M
Eaton, TVA Turning Retired Bull Run Coal Plant into Critical Grid Asset
Intelligent power management company Eaton is working with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to repurpose the utility’s retired Bull Run Fossil Plant in Clinton, Tennessee, into a critical asset supporting reliable and clean energy. The two groups on June 25 noted the importance of maintaining grid stability as more electricity comes from variable renewable energy […]
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Data Centers
The Overlooked Contributor to AI’s Climate Impact: Cooling Fluids
Artificial intelligence is evolving rapidly, and so is the demand for the infrastructure behind it. From the explosive growth of generative models to the rise of AI-driven data analytics, companies are scaling up data centers at an unprecedented pace. But for the sustainably-conscious, this rapid growth sparks a real “down the rabbit hole” question, “what […]