Technology

  • How to Position Your Power Company for the Future

    Faced with the challenge of making the right moves to accommodate a swiftly changing energy ecosystem, one question draws into sharp focus for generators and the entire power and utilities industry: What will their role become in the years ahead, considering evolving portfolio mixes and changing industry dynamics? Leaders know there’s a very real possibility […]

  • A Fine Couple They Are (Wind and Solar Power)

    The pairing of wind and solar is emerging as a smart strategy to implement renewable energy sources with better economic feasibility. The pairing of wind and solar power is an advantageous complement; the two benefit each other. The synergistic combination is an emerging trend in renewable energy and power generation as costs drop. The pairing […]

  • POWER Digest [July 2019]

    Taishan-2 EPR Achieves Criticality. A second EPR unit in China’s Guangdong province attained a sustained chain reaction on May 28, marking another major milestone for Framatome, EDF, and China General

  • Chile Presents a Coal Exit Plan

    Chile, a country that relied on coal for about two-fifths of its power generation in 2016, in June announced it would mothball eight coal plants, totaling 23 GW, of its existing 28-plant coal fleet over the

  • Japan Will Explore New Avenues for Energy Self-Sufficiency

    Japan’s government this June adopted a new energy white paper that suggests the country must rely on a larger share of nuclear and renewables to slash its carbon emissions and meet its target of a 26%

  • Ultrasonic Testing for the Power Generation Industry

    Ultrasonic nondestructive testing, also known as ultrasonic NDT or simply UT, is a method of characterizing the thickness or internal structure of a test piece using high-frequency sound waves. The

  • PVD Coatings Extend Life of Gas and Steam Turbine Components

    Industrial gas turbine (IGT) manufacturers and maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) personnel are continually seeking new ways to improve the performance and longevity of critical components. High-value

  • Egypt Megaproject: An Expedited Power Transformation

    Winning POWER’s highest honor is a set of three gas-fired power plants and related infrastructure—the Egypt Megaproject—which was the single biggest order ever in Siemens’ long history. Completed in a

  • Dogged Determination Brings Innovation to Renovation

    A group of project managers and engineers overcame a host of challenges to help an iconic Minnesota power plant complete its switch from coal-fired power to natural gas. Converting a coal-fired power plant to

  • FPL Uses Smart Technology to Build a Stronger Grid

    Facing Florida’s daunting weather issues, Florida Power & Light consciously set out to improve its outage restoration and grid resilience performance. The company turned to increasingly smart

  • Port’s Microgrid Could Be Sea Change for Industry

    A new microgrid in California, at the nation’s second-busiest seaport, takes an innovative approach to providing reliable, resilient, and sustainable power, providing a glimpse at the future of such

  • Distributed Energy Award Goes to Unique Hog Farm Microgrid

    Power from pig manure is not a public relations stunt, but rather, it’s an innovative solution to several farm challenges. Installing lagoon covers not only reduces odors and eliminates rainwater ingress

  • Bringing the APR1400 Reactor to Market

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission conducts an extensive evaluation of reactor technology before approving and ultimately licensing nuclear power plants. Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co. Ltd. began the

  • Hydropower Is Vital to Africa’s Future

    Africa has a number of power supply challenges, many of which can be overcome with renewable energy. Foremost among the options is hydropower. While large projects can meet stiff resistance in the development

  • Drivers for Advanced Distribution Management Systems

    There are many reasons for utilities to invest in Advanced Distribution Management Systems, particularly as more renewable resources are utilized and integrated, and the need for reliability and resilience of

  • Equipment Showcase: Construction Equipment

    Successfully operating a power plant or other industrial facility depends on many things, including the vendors who supply equipment for construction of the facility, along with those who provide the materials

  • The EU’s Power Provisions: Is Texas a Reliable Indicator?

    What does the 21st century power market look like? That is the question the European Union (EU) is attempting to answer with the new electricity regulation and revised electricity directive passed at the end

  • China, Russia Looking to Build Nuclear Plants in Argentina

    Argentina, the first Latin American country to adopt nuclear power when the Atucha I plant began operation in 1974, has plans to expand its nuclear generation, with Russia and China vying to implement their

  • Charah Solutions to Open Third Facility Using New Grinding Technologies for Natural Pozzolan

    Facility Will Expand Charah Solutions’ Byproduct Sales Footprint Throughout Southern California LOUISVILLE, KY (June 27, 2019) – Charah® Solutions, Inc. (NYSE: CHRA) (the “Company”), a leading provider of environmental and maintenance services to the power generation industry, today announced that it will open a third facility using new patented grinding technologies to create supplementary cementitious […]

  • Long-Delayed EPR Nuclear Plants Face Further Holdups

    Teollisuuden Voima Oyj (TVO), owner of the Olkiluoto 3 EPR (European Pressurized Water Reactor) nuclear unit that is under construction in Finland, has said fuel will not be loaded in the reactor before the end of August, while it awaits completion of a schedule review being conducted by the construction consortium. Meanwhile, EDF, which is […]

  • As Renewables Surge Ahead of Coal, Lawmakers Introduce National Renewable Standard 

    A bill introduced by Senate Democrats on June 26 establishes a national electricity standard that would require large retail suppliers to source at least 1.5% of their power from renewables by 2020 and gradually grow that share through 2035.  The measure comes a day after the Energy Information Administration (EIA) revealed monthly generation from renewable […]

  • BrandSafway introduces BrandTech™ Power Distribution

    Innovative, new PDU revolutionizes circuit breaker design and reduces equipment costs by up to 40 percent Kennesaw, Georgia, USA, June 26, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) –BrandSafway is introducing the new BrandTech™ Power Distribution Unit, an Underwriters Laboratories (UL)/Canadian Standards Association (CSA) International-listed power distribution unit (PDU) with circuit breaker (CB) and ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI). It […]

  • How to Monitor and Predict Operational Performance with Digital Analytics [PODCAST]

    Power plants are capturing operational data in ever-increasing amounts. However, analyzing all the data can be challenging. A number of tools are available that can help. In this episode of The POWER Podcast, two experts from one technology provider explain how big data can be analyzed to identify trends and create actionable information to solve […]

  • California Wildfires Will Only Get Worse—Clean Energy Microgrids Can Help

    Six of the 10 most-destructive wildfires in California’s history have occurred over the past two years, and the state’s aging electrical infrastructure is a big part of the problem. According to a report from Gov. Newsom’s Strike Force, equipment owned by California’s three largest investor-owned utilities has ignited more than 2,000 fires (about 1.5 fires […]

  • Deep Isolation Announces Memorandum of Agreement with Bechtel

    Deep Isolation, Inc. and Bechtel National, Inc. have announced a cooperative agreement on sales, product development, and the deployment of Deep Isolation’s patented technology. BERKELEY, Calif., June 24, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Deep Isolation, Inc., a leading innovator in nuclear waste disposal solutions, and Bechtel National, Inc., part of the largest engineering and construction company in the […]

  • New Jersey’s First Offshore Wind Farm Will Be a Mammoth 1.1-GW Ørsted Project

    Danish renewables firm Ørsted’s 1.1-GW Ocean Wind project is the winner of New Jersey’s first award for offshore wind, the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) said on June 21.  Ørsted, with support from Public Service Enterprise Group’s (PSEG’s) non-utility affiliate, vied for the award with two other offshore wind developers that submitted bids […]

  • Nrby Announces New Features to Enhance and Drive Disaster Recovery Scenarios

    Nashua, NH, June 20, 2019 — Nrby, the only mobile workforce collaboration platform powered by SmartPins, today announced an upgrade designed to enable broadband service providers, telco’s and utility companies to get services back online in a faster and safer manner following a natural disaster, or related event. “When disasters occur, getting teams mobilized and organized […]

  • New Record for Solar PV Installations

    More than 2 million new solar PV installations were installed in the U.S. in the first three months of 2019—a new record for the first quarter of the year—according to the Wood Mackenzie/Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) U.S. Solar Market Insight report, which was released this week. Utilities led the way, installing 1.6 GWdc of […]

  • Apagón: A Blackout Sweeps South America

    Authorities have initiated a far-reaching investigation into an unprecedented blackout that on June 16 hit a wide swath of South America—most of Argentina and Uruguay, and parts of Paraguay—affecting tens of millions of people.  The massive blackout—apagón—is thought to have originated in a disturbance that affected two high-voltage lines, Colonia Elia Y Mercedes and Colonia […]

  • How Energy Companies Can Attract (and Keep) the Best Tech Professionals

    The digital revolution is transforming the way that many sectors work and the energy industry is on its way to becoming one of the biggest benefactors of this change. Although there’s no doubt it’s yet to be exploited to its full potential, new innovations and improved processes will see a far greater take-up as organizations […]