Power
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Legal & Regulatory
DOE Eases Requirements in Final Transformer Efficiency Standards Amid Supply Chain Strain
The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) final energy efficiency standards for distribution transformers appear to strike a compromise with industry, softening the agency’s stance on steel requirements for essential transformer components and extending compliance deadlines to five years. The DOE’s final standards issued on April 4 seek to reduce losses in three types of distribution […]
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Gas
Mitsubishi Power Supports New Gas-Fired Unit in Hong Kong
Mitsubishi Power, a division of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), announced the company has received an order for gas turbine combined cycle (GTCC) power generation system equipment for Lamma Power Station’s Unit 13. The unit will be built in Hong Kong by The Hongkong Electric Co., Ltd., known as HK Electric. The new turbine has an […]
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Nuclear
Molten Salt Reactor Technology Solves Several Nuclear Industry Problems
Molten salt reactors (MSRs) represent a fascinating intersection of nuclear history and modern innovation. The concept of using molten salts as both a coolant and fuel carrier dates back to the 1950s, with the pioneering work of Alvin Weinberg and his team at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). In 1965, ORNL successfully operated the Molten […]
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Coal
GE Will Support Major South Korean Coal-to-Gas Conversion
A coal-fired power plant in South Korea will use equipment from GE Vernova’s Gas Power business as the facility switches to burn natural gas as soon as 2027. GE Vernova on April 8 said it would supply a 7HA.02 gas turbine and a H65 generator for Korea Western Power Co.’s (KOWEPO’s) power station in Gongju-si, […]
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Commentary
Management Strategies Needed as Power Sector Faces Increasing Risk
Owners and operators of thermal and renewable energy infrastructure are navigating new and emerging risks due to digitization of the grid, an uncertain regulatory landscape, and changing environmental and weather patterns. These factors and others are forcing risk management stakeholders to increase preparation and resilience of their organizations. As digital transformation accelerates in the power […]
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T&D
Utility’s Grid Modernization Efforts Leverage Community’s Investment in Fiber-to-the-Home Network
Tantalus Systems, a grid modernization technology company focused on helping utilities harness the power of data, said Bolivar Energy Authority (BEA) selected its Grid Modernization Platform (TGMP) to modernize the utility’s distribution grid. BEA serves Hardeman County and parts of Fayette, Chester, and Madison counties in Tennessee and part of Benton County in Mississippi. TGMP […]
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Press Releases
OPSWAT Enhances its OT Security Solution with Improved Capabilities for Control and Visibility
OPSWAT has enhanced its MetaDefender OT Security solution, empowering organizations with enhanced visibility and control over their Operational Technology (OT) environments. In today’s increasingly complex industrial landscape, industrial and OT teams require complete asset visibility without disrupting OT networks and devices. MetaDefender OT Security addresses these challenges head-on, offering a purpose-built cybersecurity solution tailored to […]
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Commentary
Nuclear Energy Seeing a Resurgence Unlike Any Other
Nuclear energy is surging back in a big way. Case in point: Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm’s comments last week on plans to restart the Palisades nuclear power plant in Michigan. To bolster the effort, she announced a $1.5 billion conditional loan guarantee to cover work required to restart the plant after a two-year shutdown. And […]
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Interview
ACWA Power: Crossroads for Exponential Growth in Power and Water
In 2002, the government of Saudi Arabia moved to step up the private sector’s role in the kingdom’s economy by opening the production of power and desalinated water. Saudi firms Abunayyan Trading Co., Abdulkadir Al Muhaidib & Sons Co., and MADA Group for Industrial and Commercial Development sensed a tremendous opportunity, forming ACWA Power Projects […]
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Commentary
What FERC Order 2023 Means for the Interconnection Queue
In recent years, concerns about the lengthy interconnection queue have dominated headlines. This queue has emerged as a major obstacle to adding new generating facilities to the U.S. power grid. It is primarily caused by grid congestion, permitting issues, extensive infrastructure project delays, and the traditional interconnection study approaches used in many states. To address […]
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Coal
TVA to Replace Iconic Kingston Coal Plant With 1.5-GW Modern Complex
The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) has moved to retire its iconic 1.3-GW Kingston Fossil Plant in Tennessee in 2027 and replace it—with notable urgency—with a 1.5-GW modern complex featuring a combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) plant, aero-derivative turbines, 100 MW of battery storage, and up to 4 MW of solar generation. The nation’s largest public […]
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Renewables
Major Offshore Wind Project Part of Swedish Renewable Energy Surge
A Sweden-based renewable energy developer, in partnership with the investment arm of Ingka Group–the biggest IKEA retailer–has been issued a permit for construction of a 5.5-GW offshore wind project that would be built in the Baltic Sea. OX2 AB and Ingka Investments on April 3 said officials in Gotland, Sweden, gave the companies a Natura […]
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T&D
ATXI Chosen to Develop Grid Reliability Project in Northern Missouri
Ameren Transmission Company of Illinois (ATXI), a subsidiary of St. Louis-based Ameren Corp., has been selected by the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO), the regional transmission operator for large parts of the central U.S., to develop a $273 million transmission project across northern Missouri. “We are proud to have won this vital project that will […]
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Solar
Virtual Power Plant Network Supports the Grid and Compensates Customers
Sunnova Energy International Inc., an adaptive energy services company, announced continued investments and expansion to its virtual power plant (VPP) network, providing increased reliability, reduced emissions, and lower costs. With its VPP investments, Sunnova is boosting accessibility in California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, and Texas to enable customers to rapidly access […]
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Trends
A Bold Beginning: GE Vernova Charts Course for Electrification and Decarbonization in Market Debut
Marking the completion of its spin-off from GE, GE Vernova began trading on the New York Stock Exchange on April 2 as an independent company “singularly focused” on accelerating the energy transition. The measure, approved by GE’s Board on Feb. 29, effectively establishes GE Vernova as a giant purpose-built firm that will leverage its technology […]
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Energy Storage
Improving Lithium-Ion Batteries with Silicon Anode Technology
From the beginning of the electrification evolution, the U.S. has struggled to keep up with the Chinese battery giants, and has also fallen behind Europe in some battery production and adoption areas. Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries are not only important for electric vehicles (EVs), but also for energy storage to accommodate intermittent renewables, such as wind […]
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Hydrogen
Gas Turbine and Hydrogen Technologies Grow Together
The future of gas turbines and hydrogen are intricately intertwined. Gas turbine manufacturers know that they need their equipment to be ready to operate on higher levels of hydrogen as electrolysis technology
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Geothermal
Delving Deeper: New Optimism for Enhanced Geothermal Systems
Enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) have long held promise. New developments suggest dramatic progress may be on the horizon. Can innovation feasibly overcome technical and economic hurdles that have
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Energy Storage
BESS Projects Boost Clean Energy in Europe
Portugal has a goal to produce at least 80% of its electricity from renewable energy resources by 2050. Several companies are investing in the country’s power infrastructure, including Powin, an
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Power
AI Is Not Only a Thing of the Future, It’s Also a Thing of the Present
Artificial intelligence (AI)-based platforms have taken the world by storm. Perhaps the best known of these is ChatGPT. OpenAI, the company that developed the innovative chatbot, released the tool widely to
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Nuclear
Long-Awaited Milestone: Fuel Loading Begins at India’s Prototype Fast Nuclear Reactor
India in March began fuel loading at a 500-MWe/1,250-MWth prototype fast-breeder reactor (PFBR) located at Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu, marking a crucial phase for the second stage of the country’s ambitious
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Connected Plant
Modern Control Systems Provide Insights for Power Sector
As power generation embraces digitization, and looks for more reliability and flexibility, the need for advanced instrumentation and control systems grows. Power plant operators know the importance of
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Hybrid Power
POWER Digest [April 2024]
GA Drilling, ZeroGeo Energy Collaborate on Deep Geothermal Power Project. Geothermal drilling technology company GA Drilling and ZeroGeo Energy GmbH in February announced the companies have a memorandum of
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Legal & Regulatory
Distributed Power, EAAS—New Ways to Join the Clean Energy Transition
The first image that likely comes to mind when the average energy consumer thinks about renewable energy is some kind of vast (utility-scale) solar or wind farm, or a massive battery project, usually pictured
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Engineering
How to Get the Most Out of EPC Contracts
Engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contracts are agreements in which a contractor is given major project responsibilities under a single contract established with an owner or developer. A
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Commentary
Balancing Essential Utility Infrastructure Investment with Customer Affordability
Electric utilities are entering an era of growing investment opportunities following a decade of low load growth. However, there is increasing evidence that regulators are growing more concerned about the
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Connected Plant
AI-Powered Computer Vision Is Transforming Utility Inspection and Maintenance
Employing artificial intelligence (AI) in the power industry may seem like a futuristic concept, but the truth is that it’s available in several innovative applications today. Power companies that tap into
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News
Digital Solutions Provide Great Benefits for Cooperative Utilities
Although cooperatives may not have the financial resources of large investor-owned utilities, valuable digital solutions are still within their grasp. Because they have fewer resources to employ, co-ops may
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Energy Storage
Battery Energy Storage Systems: Solutions for Shorter and Longer Durations
As renewable energy capacity increases on power grids, battery energy storage systems become more and more important. While lead battery technology is not new, it is evolving. Advanced lead batteries offer a
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O&M
Critical Importance of Annual Turbine Oil Analysis
Turbines are by far the single most-costly piece of equipment for many energy businesses, which highlights the importance of lubrication for these assets. Although turbine oil could last for more than a