Technology

  • Vistra to Acquire 2.6 GW Gas Fleet for $1.9B, Citing Surging U.S. Power Demand

    Vistra Corp. has agreed to acquire seven natural gas power plants totaling 2,557 MW from Lotus Infrastructure Partners for $1.9 billion, as part of a strategy to meet surging U.S. electricity demand and expand its competitive generation portfolio. The deal, announced on May 15, is valued at approximately $743 per kilowatt and includes five combined […]

  • MAN Energy Gas Engines Will Power New Texas Peaker Plant

    The Kerrville (Texas) Public Utility Board has selected MAN Energy Solutions to supply six 18V51/60G gas engines for a new 124-MW power plant. The facility, which will be built adjacent to the existing 51-MW Sky Global Power One in Colorado County, Texas, will leverage the site’s existing power transmission infrastructure. It will be designed as a peaker plant that will support the power grid during periods of high demand for electricity.

  • Wärtsilä Supporting New Nigerian Gas-Fired Power Plant

    Technology group Wärtsilä will supply power generation equipment for a new 30-MW power plant being set up on Victoria Island in Lagos by Victoria Island Power Ltd. (VIPL), a Nigerian independent power producer. Wärtsilä, acting as the engineering, procurement, and construction lead for the project, also will operate and maintain the power plant for a period of five years.

  • AES, Meta Sign PPAs for 650 MW of Solar Power in Kansas and Texas

    AES Corp. announced the company has entered into two long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs) to support tech company Meta’s data centers. The deal announced May 21 is for 650 MW of generation from solar projects that AES is bringing online in Texas and Kansas, serving the Southwest Power Pool market.

  • FERC Anticipates Higher Energy Prices This Summer

    The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC’s) 2025 Summer Energy Market and Electric Reliability Assessment has forecast higher wholesale electricity prices this summer in most regions. The assessment, published May 15, notes that if normal operating conditions prevail, all regions of the country will have adequate generating resources to meet expected summer demand and operating reserve […]

  • Modular Geothermal Power: Gradient’s Scalable Solution for Oil and Gas Sites

    As the world transitions toward renewable energy sources, geothermal power has emerged as one of the most promising, yet underutilized, options in the clean energy portfolio. Unlike solar and wind, geothermal offers consistent baseload power generation capacity without intermittency challenges, making it an increasingly attractive component in the renewable energy mix. The geothermal sector has […]

  • Fluence Expands U.S. Manufacturing Footprint with New Arizona Facility

    Fluence Energy, a global group that delivers intelligent energy storage systems, services, and asset optimization software, announced the start of production at a new manufacturing facility in Goodyear, Arizona. The facility that opened May 20 will produce enclosures made with U.S. steel and battery management system (BMS) hardware for Fluence’s grid-scale energy storage systems.

  • World’s First Fleet of 100 5G-A Autonomous Electric Mining Trucks Launched at Yimin Mine

    A fleet of 100 Huaneng Ruichi autonomous electric mining trucks, the first of its kind in the world, has officially entered operation at the Yimin open-pit mine in Inner Mongolia, China. Powered by a 5G-Advanced (5G-A) network, the mine became the world’s first open-pit mine to achieve large-scale vehicle-cloud-network synergy, which has greatly improved production […]

  • TESCO Recognized as Pilot Partner in NEMA’s ‘Make It American’ Program, Reinforcing Commitment to U.S. Manufacturing and BABA Compliance

    TESCO Metering is proud to announce its recognition as one of the first manufacturers to achieve certification in the National Electrical Manufacturers Association’s (NEMA’s) new Make It American program. As a pilot partner in the program, TESCO is helping set the benchmark for domestic manufacturing compliance under the Build America, Buy America Act (BABA)—reinforcing its longstanding […]

  • The POWER Interview: Microgrids Include a Long List of Technologies—and Benefits

    Microgrids have proven their role in enhancing the reliability, resilience, and sustainability of the modern power system. Kirk Edelman, CEO of SolMicroGrid, provided POWER with several lists detailing the technologies behind microgrids, the companies that can benefit from deployment, and the services the systems can provide for their end-users.

  • Microgrids with Hydrogen: Supporting Energy Systems for the 21st Century

    Why microgrids with hydrogen for backup power will create significant benefits for consumers and utilities. The energy grid in the U.S., particularly in regions like California, Texas, and the Northeast, is overstretched and increasingly unable to meet modern demands. California’s grid, for instance, is facing unprecedented strain with the sale of more electric vehicles (EVs), […]

  • Benefits, Challenges of Integrating Smart Boiler Systems at Modern Power Plants

    Modern power plants have many critical demands, including the need for more efficient energy management, enhanced safety and security, and reduced power consumption. Integrating a smart boiler system is essential to meeting these challenges. These advanced systems enable precise temperature control, optimize energy usage, and offer unparalleled operational convenience that transforms how power facilities manage […]

  • Rethinking Emergency Power: Hydrogen and the Future of Disaster Resilience

    Today’s energy resilience toolkit includes a growing array of technologies, including diesel generators, natural gas systems, lithium-ion battery storage, solar-plus-battery microgrids—and now, a new class of hydrogen-based solutions that generate clean electricity from moisture in the air. No single option is universally ideal, but understanding their strengths and applications can help communities build more robust and flexible emergency energy strategies.

  • How ADMS and DERMS Are Delivering Smarter Solutions for Utilities and Customers

    Advanced Distribution Management Systems (ADMS) and Distributed Energy Resource Management Systems (DERMS) are crucial grid management technologies in today’s modern power delivery system. ADMS integrates multiple utility operational systems into a unified control platform. It combines functions like outage management, supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems, and distribution automation (DA) to provide operators with […]

  • Ontario Authorizes OPG to Start Construction of First Commercial Nuclear SMR

    Ontario’s provincial government has given Ontario Power Generation (OPG) the green light to begin construction on the first of four  BWRX-300 small modular reactors (SMRs) at its Darlington New Nuclear Project (DNNP) site in Clarington, Ontario. “This represents the first new nuclear build in Ontario in more than three decades,” the utility noted. The province […]

  • Sonnen, Energy Groups Join for Major Texas VPP Project

    Abundance Energy, sonnen, and Energywell Technology Licensing on May 6 said they will work together on development of behind-the-meter, battery-enabled VPPs. The program is designed to support retail energy customers of Texas-based Abundance Energy, while also providing support for the state’s power grid.

  • The Next Five Years Will Define U.S. Nuclear’s Fate

    The U.S. stands at a critical juncture. We’re experiencing electric load growth for the first time in decades, as fierce global competition reshapes the energy landscape. Nuclear power, both the resurgence of fission and the promise of fusion, could secure our energy future and position the U.S. as the global leader in energy technology for […]

  • Innovation Continues to Drive Growth in Solar Power Sector

    Energy experts think solar power still has a bright future, even as challenges impact the industry. Power generation from solar photovoltaic (PV) technology has increased dramatically over the past few years thanks to the need for less-costly power, and for cleaner forms of energy.

  • Hydrogen’s Power Play: What Comes After the Hype

    As hydrogen production scales up, power professionals must weigh where—and when—it fits into a decarbonized grid. For now, experts say real progress may depend on addressing structural bottlenecks: project

  • How PG&E Is Supporting EV Growth Without Expensive Grid and Home Upgrades

    As electric vehicles (EVs) surge in popularity, many American homeowners are discovering a hidden obstacle to the EV transition: the aging electrical infrastructure of the nation’s housing stock. While

  • Groups Collaborate on Projects for Fusion Energy in Germany

    Government officials in Germany are supporting development of a nuclear fusion pilot plant. Officials have said they want nuclear fusion to be a priority of the country’s energy agenda, barely two years after the country decommissioned its last three operating nuclear power plants in April 2023 at the direction of then-chancellor Angela Merkel.

  • POWER Digest [May 2025]

    Major German BESS Project Closes Financing. Energy transition bank NORD/LB announced it has closed an €87 million ($94 million) financing package with Nofar Energy for construction of a 104.5-MW/209-MWh

  • Power in Unity: Strengthening OT Cybersecurity Through Collaboration

    Cooperation across teams, technology, and institutions is the key to securing the world’s critical infrastructure. As the global industrial cybersecurity market grows toward a forecasted $41.4 billion in

  • Delivering on the Promise of Smart Grid — Transforming Grid Operations with Improved Intelligence and Action

    Smart Grid technology arrived with a bang more than two decades ago, but the first implementations often overpromised and underdelivered. Smart Grid 2.0, however, integrates new technologies to provide

  • The Solar Industry Is Getting Smarter About Storm Defense

    Stowing capabilities, tougher modules, and real-time data are the new frontline in solar’s fight against extreme weather. Alex Roedel and Jyoti Jain, Nextracker The global climate crisis is reshaping the way we think about energy resilience. As extreme weather increases, utility-scale solar projects face a new era of challenges. Advanced solar tracker systems, control and […]

  • The POWER Interview: Innovation, Market Incentives Can Drive Electrification

    Electrification is about offsetting energy coming directly from fossil fuels with electrons. And it’s a key strategy to support decarbonization across sectors. Depending on the generation mix providing the electrons, the amount of decarbonization may vary. But wherever a customer has electrified their energy usage, they stand to benefit from future deployments of clean generation resources.

  • Aggreko Expands Data Center Solutions with Liquid-Cooled Load Bank

    Aggreko said it has launched a 500-kW liquid-cooled resistive load bank, purpose-built for liquid-to-liquid data center commissioning and testing for North American customers. The energy solutions group said the load bank enables the testing of data center liquid cooling systems to ensure they will keep server racks within their optimal operating parameters, a key part […]

  • Solar and Steel Offer Resilience Against Breakage, Tariffs, Supply Chain Woes

    The commercial solar industry, now more than 50 years old, is facing a pivotal moment. Years of rapid growth—driven by exponentially falling costs and rising demand—are running up against global supply chain instability, geopolitical tensions, and structural vulnerabilities in the latest module designs.

  • Modernizing Hydropower to Maximize Its Potential

    As wind and solar dominate global investment in renewable energy, hydropower’s potential to enhance grid resilience and expand energy supply remains largely untapped, and that potential is only expanding with the integration of advanced technologies like artificial intelligence (AI).

  • New Radio Modules Boost Energy Data Acquisition

    Camille Bauer Metrawatt AG, a member of the GMC-Instruments Group, extends the functionality of its mains analyzers, introducing the new PME radio modules 3P and 3PN, which make full-fledged energy centers out of all SINEAX AM, SINEAX DM5000, CENTRAX CU, or LINAX PQ units. The radio modules transmit over 10 meters on 2.4 GHz as […]