Power
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Nuclear
Vogtle Unit 3 Enters Commercial Operation: First ‘Newly Constructed’ U.S. Nuclear Power Plant in Decades
Georgia Power declared Plant Vogtle Unit 3 commercially operational on July 31, 2023, making it the first “newly constructed” nuclear power unit to be added to the U.S. fleet in decades. “Today is a historic day for the State of Georgia, Southern Company, and the entire energy sector, as we continue transforming the way we […]
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Hydrogen
Making Green Hydrogen’s Potential Come True
Electric utilities are looking to green hydrogen as a tool to help alleviate over-congested grids and renewable energy curtailment. But what makes hydrogen “green?” The U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will soon issue its much-anticipated guidance on what qualifies for the new green hydrogen tax credits in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) passed last year. The […]
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Sustainability
Creating More Resilient Data Centers to Navigate Energy Volatility and Extreme Weather
An astonishing surge of heat across the globe shattered temperature records and marked three days of July 2023 as likely the hottest in Earth’s modern history. When temperatures rise dramatically, data centers also struggle to keep their servers cool. As the effects of climate change become more pronounced, energy market volatility is expected to persist. […]
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Hydrogen
Hydrogen Offers a ‘Multi-Billion-Dollar Opportunity’ This Decade for Innovative Companies
Hydrogen demand throughout the world reached 94 million metric tons in 2021, according to the International Energy Agency’s (IEA’s) Global Hydrogen Review 2022, an annual report issued by the IEA in late September last year. Demand for new applications grew to about 40,000 metric tons (up 60% from 2020, albeit from a low base). Notably, […]
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News and Notes
Busy Week: News and Notes from the Power Industry (July 27, 2023)
A number of companies in the power industry revealed new projects and other interesting developments this week. The following are some the more noteworthy announcements that POWER has been monitoring. BWXT to Provide Nuclear Reactor Engine and Fuel for DARPA Space Project BWX Technologies Inc. (BWXT) announced on July 26 that its reactor and fuel […]
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Commentary
Transmission for Transition: Solving the South African Energy Crisis Through Logistics
South Africa is in the midst of an energy crisis characterized by electricity shortages, blackouts, and lack of new infrastructure investment. Eskom, the state-owned utility supplying more than 90% of the nation’s electricity, has suffered from operational failures, maintenance issues, and breakdowns at aging, poorly maintained power stations, leading to steady declines in the energy […]
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Nuclear
France Chooses Site for Two New EPR Nuclear Units
Officials in France have announced the existing Bugey nuclear power station near Lyon will be the site of two new EPR reactors. The government of President Emmanuel Macron last year said the country could add more than a dozen new reactors to the country’s energy mix over the next several years. Agnès Pannier-Runacher, the minister […]
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Energy Storage
Energy Storage Projects Commissioned to Serve New York City
A Virginia-headquartered group said it has brought online the first two of the company’s four planned energy storage systems (ESS) designed to support and stabilize the New York City power grid. Summit Ridge Energy on July 25 said the projects, located across Brooklyn and Staten Island, ultimately will provide 58 MWh of generation to the […]
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O&M
Hot Weather: How to Maintain Power Plant Readiness and Reliable Operation
Extreme temperature and weather events have become more prevalent in the past decade. In fact, July 2023 is shaping up to be “the hottest single month on Earth on record, and possibly in more than 100,000 years,” according to an article published by The Washington Post. The article, published on July 20, says, “Every day […]
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Connected Plant
How Utilities Can Achieve Automated, Condition-Based Grid Maintenance to Boost Safety and Grid Reliability
Site safety, equipment reliability, and a balanced budget from smooth operations are the cornerstones of a successful power grid. Today’s utility companies face immense challenges with current equipment monitoring practices, such as failures from aging electrical equipment, the need to extend the life of critical assets, and carrying out ongoing lifecycle management that is essential […]