Power

  • Storage Is Key to CSP’s Future, CEOs Say

    The global concentrating solar power (CSP) sector, criticized by some observers for high costs and uncertain technology, is poised for significant growth and a key role in the power mix—provided markets are structured to properly value their ability to store and dispatch renewable energy, three senior CSP executives said on Sept. 16. Speaking at the […]

  • U.S. and China Advance Clean Coal Agreement

    The U.S. and China on Tuesday finalized a memorandum of understanding that will allow them to jointly advance carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) and other clean coal technologies for commercial use.  The agreement between the Department of Energy (DOE) and China’s National Energy Administration (NEA) was set up on Aug. 26 during the U.S.–China […]

  • Alstom Offers Discount to Seal GE Acquisition Deal

    As part of a remedy package to appease the European Commission, Alstom will accept $331 million less than the original $13.63 billion purchase price offered by General Electric (GE) to close the deal.  The much-anticipated deal has come under close scrutiny by the European Commission, which opened a full-scale antitrust investigation into the deal on […]

  • Navigating Legal Implications of Power Industry Regulations

    Learn about the advantages and pitfalls of being an early mover, recent legal challenges to regulations and what they mean to your operations, and the legal implications of compliance with the latest new regulations, including the Clean Power Plan. Hear from and network with the experts during POWER’s conference, December 7 in Las Vegas. Please […]

  • House Subjects EPA Ozone Rule to Twofold Probe

    The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) proposed ozone rule came under scrutiny in two U.S. House of Representatives hearings held during the past week.  The House Committee on Energy and Commerce’s subcommittee on energy and power on June 12 heard testimony on the rule from Janet McCabe, the EPA’s acting assistant administrator for the Office of […]

  • LDC Gas Forums – 8th Annual Canada Forum

    Join us in Toronto November 9-11 for a conference centered on bringing the best networking and insights in the Natural Gas Industry. Hear from experts on the latest forecasts and newest projects.

  • LDC Gas Forums – 11th Annual Rockies & West Forum

    With over a decade of knowledge and experience in the Western markets, Los Angeles is the place to be this October 5-7! For discussions on everything from pipeline projects to supply analysis and networking opportunities unlike any other, you won’t want to miss this conference!

  • LDC Gas Forums – 27th Annual Mid-continent Forum

    Come to Chicago September 14-16 for one of the longest-standing conferences in the Natural Gas Industry. Hundreds of Natural Gas Industry leaders and pioneers will gather to network and do business, while hearing exclusive industry updates. Don’t miss it!

  • Famous Last Words: “It’s Never Happened to Us!”

    Don’t wait until after an incident to make improvements and correct problems in coal handling systems: That was the message delivered to attendees at the best practices workshop during the Powder River Basin Coal Users’ Group (PRBCUG) Annual Meeting, which began on April 20. The event—being held in Rosemont, Ill., in conjunction with the 17th […]

  • Executive Roundtable Discusses Looming Power Sector Changes

    If there was one thing that the panelists at Wednesday’s Executive Roundtable at the ELECTRIC POWER 2015 Convention and Exhibition in Rosemont, Ill., agreed on, it was that change—spurred by new regulations, cheap gas, and the spread of distributed generation—is coming to the power sector. Beyond that, the executives of five highly influential power companies—Dynegy, […]

  • DOE Highlights Carbon Capture Milestone

    Carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects backed by the Department of Energy (DOE) have captured 10 million metric tons of carbon dioxide, the agency said in an announcement highlighting the milestone.  The projects contributing to the 10 million tons captured milestone are part of DOE’s Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership (RCSP) Initiative and the Industrial Carbon […]

  • New Nuclear Reactor Plant Designs: One NRC Review Begins, One Is Suspended

    The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) announced on Mar. 4 that, after completing an acceptance check, it has concluded that an application to certify the Advanced Power Reactor 1400 (APR1400) reactor design for use in the U.S. is complete enough to begin a full design certification review. The application—submitted collaboratively by Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power […]

  • Texas Leads the Nation in Power Sector CO2 Emissions

    The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) released state electric power sector CO2 emissions data on Mar. 4 exposing Texas facilities as the largest emitters of CO2 gases in the country—more than twice the total of Pennsylvania, which ranked second. The most recent data was from 2012 and showed that electric power plants in Texas released […]

  • DOE Backs Four Gasification Research Projects

    Four industry-led projects will each receive about $16 million in federal funding to help them to significantly reduce the cost of producing hydrogen-rich syngas derived from fossil fuels and advance the gasification process for power generation and syngas production, the Department of Energy (DOE) announced on Nov. 6. “Gasification plants have the potential for greater […]

  • New Grid Vulnerabilities Demand New Technology

    Quick, the grid is down—what do you do? If your procedures are like most, you rely on a combination of static restoration plans, emergency management system protocols, and operator experience and intuition. But today’s grid is increasingly complex and is subject to new vulnerabilities. Physical security is a critical concern, especially in the wake of […]

  • POWER Digest (October 2014)

    Kemper County Combined Cycle Unit Begins Commercial Operation. Mississippi Power on Aug. 14 marked a significant milestone and started commercial operation (on natural gas) of the combined cycle unit at the

  • Environmental Groups to Sue Dominion for Alleged Virginia Coal Ash Leaks

    Five coal ash ponds at a Dominion power plant in Virginia have discharged coal ash pollutants into waterways for decades, environmental groups allege in a notice.  The Southern Environmental Law Center, representing the Potomac Riverkeeper and the Sierra Club, on Sept. 17 told Dominion and the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) that it will sue […]

  • Nuclear Plant Deals with Water Shortage Emergency

    On Aug. 28, the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) approved an emergency order allowing Florida Power & Light (FPL) to divert water from the district’s L-31E Canal system to help moderate unusually high temperatures and salinity that are occurring in the Turkey Point cooling canal system (CCS). The CCS—an approximately 5,900-acre network of unlined […]

  • NRC Issues Safety Finding to Wolf Creek Nuclear Plant

    On July 2, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued a “white” inspection finding to the Wolf Creek Generating Station in Burlington, Kan., in response to a deficiency identified during an emergency preparedness exercise conducted last year. Inspectors observed the biennial exercise on Nov. 5, 2013, to assess if the drill adequately tested elements of the […]

  • Russia, China Ink Major Gas Supply Deal

    Ending a decade of often-contentious negotiations, Russia and China on May 21 signed a 30-year, $400 billion deal that will initially send around 38 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas per year to Chinese markets, with plans to later expand that to 60 bcm/yr as pipeline capacity expands. The agreement was finalized by Chinese President Xi […]

  • 59-MW Fuel Cell Park Opening Heralds Robust Global Technology Future

    The 59-MW Gyeonggi Green Energy fuel cell park (Figure 3) in South Korea’s Hwasung City—one of the world’s largest fuel cell facilities—began operation in February. The five-acre facility built by

  • Report: GE in Talks to Buy Alstom

    General Electric (GE) is in talks to buy Alstom, with the deal being announced as soon as next week, according to a report from Bloomberg News. Citing unnamed sources, the report claims GE may offer more than $13 billion for the French company, which would be about 25% above its current market value. Alstom manufactures […]

  • EIA: 70% of U.S. Coal Fleet Is Ready for MATS

    At least 70% of U.S. coal-fired generating capacity has already installed environmental control equipment to comply with the Mercury and Air Toxics (MATS) Standards, the Energy Information Agency (EIA) reports.  The Environmental Protection Agency’s rule will require coal generators of more than 25 MW to incorporate the maximum achievable control technologies (MACT) to control the […]

  • Solar Farm Completed on EPA Superfund Site

    A first-of-its-kind, utility scale solar project has been completed on an active Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Superfund site. The 10.86-MW Maywood Solar Farm is located on 43 acres of the Reilly Tar and Chemical Superfund site in Indianapolis, Ind. Superfund is the name given to the environmental program established to address abandoned hazardous waste sites. […]

  • Japan’s Energy Policy Still Murky Three Years After Fukushima

    The administration of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in late February announced details of its first draft energy policy since the Fukushima crisis three years ago, and it suggests that nuclear power

  • 3D-Printed Turbine Replacement Parts Could Cut Repair Times by 90%

    3D metal printing is still an experimental process in nearly all industries, used primarily for prototypes and test products. But if Siemens and GE have their way, it will soon become a standard means of

  • 3D Visualization Could Benefit Plant Inspection Programs

    Taking a cue from the petrochemical sector, power plants may be on the cusp of applying high-fidelity 3D models of the as-built plant environment to streamline flow-accelerated corrosion (FAC) and other

  • Obama Approves Nuclear Agreement with Vietnam

    On Feb. 24, President Obama approved a proposed agreement with Vietnam, which would allow for cooperation between the two countries concerning peaceful uses of nuclear energy. The agreement has been in the works for some time and will now undergo a 90-day Congressional review period. Secretary of State John Kerry originally signed the deal with […]

  • Let There Be (LED) Light

    You’ve no doubt heard that U.S. power plant emissions have been dropping overall and that one of the reasons has been decreased thermal generation resulting from essentially flat demand. As of Jan. 1 this

  • Using Neural Network Combustion Optimization for MATS Compliance

    The Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS), promulgated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Dec. 21, 2011, set maximum achievable control technology (MACT) emission standards for specific classes