Power

  • Cold Weather: How to Maintain Power Plant Readiness and Reliable Operation

    Extreme temperature and weather events have become more prevalent in the past decade. The December 2022 Christmas freeze in the southeast U.S. saw many areas experiencing single-digit temperatures. The February 2021 Texas freeze saw temperatures in Dallas reach as low as –2F. Meanwhile, the January–February 2019 Midwest Arctic Polar Vortex saw temperatures plunge as low […]

  • India Extends Emergency Operation Order for Plants Using Imported Coal

    India’s government has issued an emergency order that extends the operation of coal-fired power plants using imported coal, as the country grapples with a shortage of domestic coal and continued high demand for electricity. The order, which came from the power ministry on Oct. 23, asks coal-fired power plants using imported coal to operate at […]

  • The POWER Interview: Nuclear Set to Energize, Decarbonize Industry

    A variety of industries are looking at nuclear power as a way to reduce their carbon footprint and provide a reliable source of electricity. Technology companies, along with industries such as mining and shipping, are exploring the use of nuclear energy as a way to cut emissions and electrify their operations. Tech companies such as […]

  • DOE Picks Nuclear Designs for First Microreactor Experiments at INL’s New Test Bed

    The Department of Energy (DOE) has unveiled three nuclear microreactor developers that will design the first experiments at Idaho National Laboratory’s (INL’s) new Demonstration of Microreactor Experiments (DOME) test bed, which repurposes the Experimental-Breeder Reactor-II (EBR-II) containment structure.  Westinghouse, Radiant Nuclear, and Ultra Safe Nuclear Corp. (USNC) will receive a combined $3.9 million to further their […]

  • Siemens-Led Group Completes Test of 100% Renewable Hydrogen in Gas Turbine

    A consortium that includes power industry giants Siemens Energy and ENGIE said it completed what the group called the world’s first operational test of a gas turbine fueled with 100% renewable hydrogen. Siemens Energy on Oct. 13 said the HYFLEXPOWER consortium conducted the test using a gas turbine at Smurfit Kappa, a paper packaging company […]

  • Constellation Planning Significant Nuclear-Powered Hydrogen Facility at LaSalle

    Constellation Energy will use a portion of newly announced federal funding for the Midwest Hydrogen Hub (MachH2) to build “the world’s largest nuclear-powered clean hydrogen facility” at its 2.3-GW LaSalle Clean Energy Center in Illinois. The company on Oct. 16 said it plans to leverage a $1 billion award announced by the Department of Energy (DOE) last […]

  • Process Pumps in Power Generation: Choosing the Right Equipment for Optimal Performance

    Generating electrical power takes on many forms—hydroelectric, solar, fossil fuel, renewable, biofuel, nuclear, and geothermal, all of which are made up of many internal processes that together produce the power we rely upon. For those internal processes that handle fluids, pump performance is a major contributor to overall plant efficiency, making pump selection a critical […]

  • 5 Ways Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Help Solve the Power Load Challenge

    The nation’s energy infrastructure is in dire need of change. Electricity demands are rising, but aging infrastructure, understaffed energy organizations, and shifting trends make it challenging to fulfill those needs. Power load balancing will be crucial in changing these circumstances, but conventional approaches aren’t sufficient. The answer lies in artificial intelligence (AI). AI and its […]

  • Major Solar-Plus-Storage Project Online at Retired Gas-Fired Power Plant

    A California-headquartered energy company announced the start of commercial operation of one of the nation’s largest solar-plus-storage hybrid power plants. Officials with Clearway Energy Group, along with California Gov. Gavin Newsom, on Oct. 18 said the Daggett Solar + Storage project in San Bernardino County is now online. The installation features 482 MW of solar […]

  • AI Revolution Could Drive Clean Energy Future

    Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming a ubiquitous part of our lives, impacting much of what we do at work and home. AI’s growth trajectory is expected to skyrocket, with new potentials identified to help address and solve today’s challenges and tomorrow’s opportunities. AI advances have been remarkable, but so far relatively little attention has been […]

  • Mitsubishi Continues Coal-to-Gas Transition in Oklahoma, Also Adds Gas Turbine at Thailand Plant

    Mitsubishi Power Americas will install a second 500-MW simple-cycle gas turbine at the Grand River Energy Center in Oklahoma, part of the Grand River Dam Authority’s (GRDA’s) plan to switch the Chouteau-based power plant from coal-fired to natural gas-fired generation. GRDA and Mitsubishi in 2017 replaced one coal-fired unit at the plant with a 500-MW […]

  • Five Key Transformations Required to Achieve Net-Zero in the U.S.

    During President Biden’s first year in office, his administration published a document titled “The Long-Term Strategy of the United States: Pathways to Net-Zero Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 2050.” The document says all viable routes to net-zero involve five key transformations. They are: Decarbonize electricity. Electrify end uses and switch to other clean fuels. Cut energy […]

  • ‘Incredible Milestone’ Reached on MARVEL Microreactor Enables Project to Proceed

    The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) MARVEL microreactor achieved 90% final design, a key step that will allow the project to move forward with preparation for fabrication and construction. “This is an incredible milestone for the Department of Energy,” John Jackson, national technical director for DOE’s Microreactor Program headquartered at Idaho National Laboratory (INL), told […]

  • TVA, Origis Announce Three Solar-Plus-Storage Projects for Mississippi

    A renewable energy development group said it has started work on the first of three planned solar-plus-storage projects in Mississippi that will serve both residential and industrial customers. Origis Energy, headquartered in Miami, Florida, on Oct. 11 said the three installations will have total solar power capacity of 550 MW, along with a total of […]

  • First Power Flows from World’s Largest Offshore Wind Farm

    The massive Dogger Bank Wind Farm, which will be the world’s largest offshore wind installation when completed, has begun sending power to the UK grid. GE officials on Oct. 10 said the first of the company’s turbines at the site is now operational. Dogger Bank, located about 130 kilometers (81 miles) off the northeast coast […]

  • Vermont Group Offers Customers Energy Storage to Avoid Blackouts

    A Vermont utility has filed a plan with state regulators that would enable the power company to offer more customers battery energy storage to keep the lights on during outages. Green Mountain Power (GMP), which has about 270,000 customers, said it wants to have its plan in place by 2030. GMP on Oct. 9 asked […]

  • Texas Utility Plans to Add New Gas-Fired Generation

    A Texas utility that expects to bring another 228 MW of natural gas-fired power generation online in December also plans to begin operating an additional four gas-fired units over the next several years, according to regulatory filings. El Paso Electric (EPE), which provides energy to areas in west Texas and southern New Mexico, plans to […]

  • NiSource Announces Blending Project with Hydrogen, Natural Gas

    An Indiana-based utility said it has launched a multi-phase hydrogen blending project, a move that supports one of the first such installations in the U.S. to mix hydrogen and natural gas at precise levels to achieve optimal performance. NiSource said its project uses a blending skid in a controlled setting to mix hydrogen and natural […]

  • Bipartisan Support Makes Backing Nuclear Power an Administration-Proof Investment

    Maria Korsnick, president and CEO of the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI), the policy organization of the nuclear technologies industry, suggested a bipartisan majority in Congress recognizes the importance of nuclear energy and has supported the industry with unprecedented levels of funding. As an example, Korsnick pointed to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which provided a $6 […]

  • NuScale Gets a Win with SMRs for Data Centers in Ohio and Pennsylvania

    Standard Power, a provider of infrastructure as a service to advanced data processing companies, has chosen NuScale Power’s small modular reactor (SMR) technology to power two facilities it plans to develop—one in Ohio and the other in Pennsylvania. ENTRA1 Energy, an independent global energy development and production company, will support Standard Power’s two projects. “We […]

  • Germany Restarts Coal-Fired Generation to Support Winter Power Supply

    Government officials in Germany have approved a plan to bring some shuttered coal-fired power plants back online in an effort to avoid energy shortages this winter. Cabinet members on Oct. 4 said they would support putting on-reserve lignite-fired power plants back online from now until the end of March 2024. It’s another move related to […]

  • Corrosion Research Leads to Material Improvements and More Reliable Systems

    Fossil-fueled power plants are billion-pound investments that businesses (as well as whole nations themselves) around the world can’t afford to simply discard. Yet, the combinations of old plant, new fuels, and new operating conditions lead to corrosion, faults, downtime, and inefficiencies for plant operators and manufacturers. But these kinds of bridging technologies—between the “black” and […]

  • Reducing Carbon Intensity with Renewable Propane

    Most propane used in the U.S. today is produced as a byproduct of natural gas processing and crude oil refining, which are not considered “green” technologies. However, renewable propane availability is growing. Renewable propane, like its conventional brother, is commonly made as a byproduct of other fuel production, in its case, often renewable diesel and […]

  • UK Shortlists Six Nuclear Designs in SMR Competition, Intends to Award Contract by Summer 2024

    Six nuclear designs will advance to the next phase of the UK’s Small Modular Reactor (SMR) competition, a fast-track measure that could result in a government contract within the next 10 months as part of a strategy to deliver operational SMRs by the mid-2030s. EDF, GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH), Holtec Britain, NuScale Power, Rolls Royce SMR, […]

  • Melaka: Malaysia’s 2.2-GW Cutting-Edge Combined Cycle Gas Power Plant

    The Edra Melaka Power Plant (EMPP), the world’s second GE 9HA.02 gas turbine power plant, is the largest combined cycle gas-fired power plant currently in operation in Malaysia. A POWER Top Plant winner, the

  • Successful Green Hydrogen Demonstration Project Is a Step Toward a Carbon-Free Future

    The New York Power Authority (NYPA) is leading the way in New York by piloting new technologies that can help accelerate the state’s clean energy transition. Among its accomplishments is a hydrogen

  • Nuclear Power Is Making a Comeback: What Will It Take to See Meaningful Growth?

    There are many reasons for the nuclear power industry to feel optimistic about the future. For example, the entry of Vogtle Unit 3 into commercial operation on July 31 was a significant milestone and one worth

  • 10 New Reactors Discussed as Sweden Looks to Expand Nuclear Power

    Sweden has joined the growing list of countries discussing nuclear power as part of a strategy to produce more electricity while also decarbonizing power generation. Lawmakers in June adopted new targets as

  • Filling Vital Power and Industrial Process Steam Needs with Temporary Boilers

    There are many reasons why a temporary boiler might be needed at a power generating or industrial facility. For example, Nationwide Boiler Inc., a supplier of temporary and permanent boiler equipment, custom

  • China’s Pingshan Phase II Sets New Bar as World’s Most Efficient Coal Power Plant

    Pingshan Phase II, a cutting-edge 1.4-GW ultrasupercritical coal-fired unit, achieves a remarkable net efficiency of 49.37%—making it the world’s most efficient coal-fired power plant. The state-of-the-art