Power
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O&M
Best Practices in Boiler Field Services
The field servicing of boilers is challenging. Often there are tough deadlines to meet, limited outage windows, severe space constraints, and many other difficulties to overcome. Here are some key best practices Rentech has gleaned from servicing hundreds of boilers (Figure 1) over the years. Know-How from the Start Projects usually arrive via a call […]
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Commentary
The Renewables Revolution: Overcoming New Roadblocks
Singapore stands at a pivotal juncture in its journey toward sustainability, with renewable energy (RE) emerging as a beacon of hope in the fight against climate change. Post-COP 28, many countries, including
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Legal & Regulatory
How Local Opposition Can Thwart Renewable Energy Projects
Two-thirds of Americans say that they support the development of alternative energy sources such as wind, solar, and hydrogen power. At least that’s what the Pew Research Center found in a nationwide survey
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Instrumentation & Controls
Next-Gen O&M Solutions: Transforming the Landscape of Power Plant Productivity
The power generation industry has undergone a remarkable transformation over the past several years, with the shift from regulated monopolies to a competitive landscape introducing new complexities and
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Solar
Space-Based Solar Power for U.S. Energy Independence
Space-based solar power (SBSP) could prove transformative to global energy demand by providing price-efficient, continuous clean energy from orbit (Figure 1). Recent developments, including low-cost space access, mass-produced satellites, robotics, and other commercial-led innovations, will unlock this capability within the next 10 to 20 years. While both U.S. allies and adversaries are rapidly advancing their […]
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Nuclear
DOE Finalizes $1.52B Palisades Loan for First-Ever U.S. Nuclear Plant Recommissioning
Marking the first-ever revival of a nuclear power plant in the U.S., the Department of Energy (DOE) on Sept. 30 finalized a $1.52 billion loan guarantee to Holtec International to support the recommissioning of the 800-MW Palisades nuclear plant in Covert Township, Michigan. Separately, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) awarded electric cooperative Wolverine Power […]
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Solar
VPPA Deal Signed for Illinois Solar Project
BayWa r.e. Americas has signed an aggregated virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA) with several groups for a renewable energy project in Illinois that is designed to support decarbonization efforts in the region. The deal announced September 26 includes Sustainability Roundtable (SR) Inc.’s Net Zero Consortium for Buyers (NZCB), along with Akamai Technologies, Teradyne, and Wayfair […]
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Power
Project Pele, DOD’s HTGR Mobile Nuclear Microreactor, Breaks Ground
Groundbreaking has kicked off at Idaho National Laboratory (INL), where Project Pele—the Department of Defense’s (DOD’s) full-scale transportable microreactor prototype—will be placed for testing in 2026. When operational, the reactor will become the “first-ever Generation IV nuclear reactor to generate electricity in the U.S.,” the DOD said on Sept. 24. Project Pele, developed under a […]
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Hydro
DOE Group Awards $34.5 Million For PG&E Hydropower Projects in California
The Dept. of Energy’s (DOE’s) Grid Deployment Office has awarded $34.5 million to California utility Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E). The funding will support 19 hydropower projects across PG&E’s territory. The utility on September 24 said the money is part of the DOE’s Maintaining and Enhancing Hydroelectricity Incentive program. The Grid Deployment Office in early […]
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Solar
Construction Begins on New York City’s Largest Solar Array, Covering Terminal Roof at JFK Airport
More than 13,000 solar panels will be installed on the roof of the New Terminal One project at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York City. The consortium chosen to build the project, led by AlphaStruxure, on September 24 said construction is underway. The announcement came Tuesday during Climate Week NYC, an annual […]
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Nuclear
Google Could Use Small Nuclear Reactors to Power Data Centers
Google’s top executive confirmed the company is working on large-scale data centers that would use more than 1 GW of power. Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and Alphabet, in a speech last week at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh said small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) could possibly be used to generate the needed electricity. Pichai […]
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Legal & Regulatory
Gray Skies for U.S. Power Generation? Uncertainty and Turmoil on the Horizon
The Supreme Court’s landmark decision this past summer in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo marks a significant shift in administrative law by overturning the long-standing principle of Chevron deference, which was established in Chevron U.S.A. Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council Inc. in 1984. The Loper ruling from earlier this year is poised to have […]
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News
Data Centers Might Be Catalyst for Modernizing U.S. Power Grid
Rapid growth in the U.S. data center market is ushering in a new era of power demand and testing the ability of electric utilities to keep pace with this surging growth. Data center energy use has doubled over the past three years and is expected to continue climbing as more hyperscale data centers leveraging power-hungry […]
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Hydrogen
Spanish Group Injecting Hydrogen Into Natural Gas Network
A Spanish infrastructure company said it has achieved a “historic milestone” for Spain’s energy industry. Madrid-headquartered Redexis announced has begun injecting hydrogen produced with renewable energy into the country’s natural gas supply via Spain’s first hydrogen pipeline. The company said the project, inaugurated on September 20, is believed to be the first fully commissioned renewable […]
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Legal & Regulatory
Evolution of Decommissioning Requirements in Renewable Energy
With legislative momentum around clean power generation and net-zero emissions policies rapidly building, the U.S. is seeing rapid increases in installed wind and solar capacity each year. At the same time, older generations of renewables are facing a new challenge: obsolescence. The first utility-scale wind and solar projects in the U.S. were developed in the […]
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Legal & Regulatory
Unlocking America’s Clean Hydrogen Potential: Navigating Policy, Challenges, and Market Opportunities
The U.S. clean hydrogen sector is poised for significant growth, driven in part by its potential to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in hard-to-abate industries such as transportation and chemical production. The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) have catalyzed this momentum, providing production tax credits (PTCs) and billions in funding to […]
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Nuclear
Microsoft Would Restart Three Mile Island Nuclear Plant to Power AI
Microsoft has announced a deal to restart the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania. It’s the latest move by a technology company to use nuclear power to provide electricity for energy-intensive data centers and support the use of artificial intelligence (AI). The agreement announced September 20, if approved by regulators, would allow Microsoft […]
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Energy Security
U.S. in a Race with China to Develop Commercial Fusion Power Technology
Fusion energy is a promising form of power generation that aims to harness the same process that powers the sun and stars. Fusion involves combining two light atomic nuclei to form a heavier nucleus, releasing a large amount of energy in the process. This is the opposite of nuclear fission, which splits heavy atoms apart. […]
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Technology
New AI Partnership to Invest in Data Centers and Supporting Power Infrastructure
$100 billion investment potential will enhance American competitiveness in artificial intelligence (AI) while meeting the growing need for energy infrastructure to power economic growth The drive to develop more powerful AI capabilities will require significant infrastructure investment to support it. BlackRock, Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), Microsoft, and MGX announced on Sept. 17 the Global AI […]
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Power
Carbon Capture Projects at Gas-Fired Cane Run 7, Coal-Fired Four Corners Get Federal Awards
Significant carbon capture projects—at Cane Run 7, PPL Corp.’s 691-MW gas-fired unit in Louisville, Kentucky, and Four Corners, a 1.5-GW coal-fired power plant in New Mexico—have separately secured federal awards from the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED). OCED has allocated $4.9 million to PPL Corp. subsidiary Kentucky Utilities Co. under […]
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News
Experience Shows Wet Compression Is Safe to Use on Gas Turbines
Back in the early 2000s, some controversy emerged about the practice of spraying large amounts of fog directly into the compressor. Some claimed that this led to blade erosion, pitting, and scaling. So, is it safe to use wet compression on gas turbines by pumping water droplets into the compressor inlet? The answer is yes—provided […]
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Energy Storage
GE Vernova Integrating Energy Storage for Australia Data Center Complex
GE Vernova said it has been chosen by investment manager Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners to integrate 250 MW/1,000 MWh of battery energy storage into a major data center complex in Queensland, Australia. Quinbook, with U.S. headquarters in Houston, Texas, and offices in the UK and Australia, is a specialist investment manager focused on the energy transition […]
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Energy Storage
Turning Energy Storage From an Idle Backup Into a Money-Making Asset
Battery energy storage systems (BESS) can be the key to tackling any number of issues your grid or business may be facing, such as a need to support more renewables, ensuring a resilient backup, or cutting energy costs. You may believe that a BESS will resolve your issues, but do you have full buy-in from […]
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Renewables
Impact of the IRA on U.S. Renewable Energy Manufacturing and Supply Chains
The Inflation Reduction Act was designed to enhance domestic manufacturing and secure domestic supply chains. The act, signed by President Biden in 2022, was sponsored by Sens. Chuck Shumer (D-NY) and Joe Manchin (D-WV), with the legislation also drawing from House Bill HR5376 sponsored by Rep. John A. Yarmuth (D-KY 3). According to a White […]
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Renewables
U.S. Solar Manufacturing Generates More Than Electricity
As government incentives continue to accelerate investment, new manufacturing facilities are driving community resurgence, economic development, and job growth. That was the message from panelists during a session at the recent RE+ event, the largest renewable energy trade show in North America, held Sept. 9-12 in Anaheim, California. In order for U.S. economic policy to […]
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Energy Storage
IHI Terrasun Will Integrate SK On BESS Systems in U.S.
IHI Terrasun Solutions announced it has been selected as the integrator of choice for battery energy storage system (BESS) projects by SK On, a subsidiary of global conglomerate and South Korea-based SK Group, and the fifth-largest manufacturer of batteries for electric vehicles globally. The two companies signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on September 10 […]
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Wind
GE Vernova Expands European Onshore Wind Presence with Romania Deal
GE Vernova announced what it called a milestone agreement for onshore wind in Europe, announcing a deal with Public Power Corporation Renewables (PPC R) to supply, install, and commission 23 of GE Vernova’s 6.1-MW 158-meter turbines for a wind farm in Vaslui County, Romania. The deal, which was booked by GE Vernova in the second […]
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Offshore Wind
California Confirms Strategy for Centralized Offshore Wind Procurement
Following more than three years of planning and analysis, California has established an offshore wind goal of 7,600 MW, with procurements starting as early as 2027. Through its central procurement efforts, California intends to bring about a “market transformation” to help reduce the costs of particular technologies, like offshore wind, allowing them to be developed […]
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Interview
The POWER Interview: How Unified Endpoint Management Can Help Secure the Power Grid
Digital technology poses critical challenges for the power sector. As the backbone of modern society, any disruption to power infrastructure can have far-reaching consequences. To learn steps leading power companies can take to protect their systems, POWER interviewed Apu Pavithran, founder and CEO of Hexnode. Hexnode’s award-winning Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) platform has empowered organizations […]
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Legal & Regulatory
Net Metering Reform: Premature or Long Overdue?
The growth of distributed energy resources (DERs) has significantly increased over the past decade as the U.S. moves to decarbonize the electric grid. Growth has been possible by incentivizing the transition to clean energy; states and federal legislation, such as the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), have used tax credits and other programs to accelerate deployment. […]