Workforce

Getting proper sag between power line towers can be time-consuming. However, a new surveying tool allows workers to make adjustments in real-time. The method saves time and money, while also providing

With many challenges facing both fossil fuel and nuclear power generation facilities, training and workforce development has never been more important. Establishing a culture of continuous improvement is

Conferences and exhibitions are a valuable way for power professionals to share ideas and network, gain up-to-date training, further education, understand regulatory or policy changes, and access the latest products and technologies. POWER‘s editors compiled this helpful list of events in 2019 that cater to the power industry.  FEBRUARY ARC Industry Forum February 4-7 Orlando, […]

Dominion Energy’s bid to purchase SCANA Corp. and its South Carolina Electric & Gas (SCE&G) utility, approved by South Carolina regulators on Dec. 14, could bring some stability to SCANA. Shareholders hope that’s the case; they’re excited about swapping their devalued SCANA shares for more valuable Dominion stock. Workers, though, remain uncertain about their futures, […]

The two-unit Vogtle expansion in Georgia faces major challenges that are poised to derail its schedule and ramp up costs—and the project is already behind schedule, a consulting firm tasked with construction oversight of the project told regulators. In revealing testimony filed with the Georgia Public Service Commission’s (PSC’s) public interest advocacy staff on November […]

Twelve students from across the globe have spent the last six months, five days a week for eight hours a day in Kalamazoo, Michigan at the nation’s leading training program for wind turbine technicians. Friday, December 14, the 11 men and one woman will walk the stage at Kalamazoo Valley Community College’s Groves Center as […]

Endress+Hauser opens state-of-the-art calibration and training center Endress+Hauser has invested roughly three million euros in a modern, state-of-the-art calibration and training center in the industrial city of Jubail, Saudi Arabia, thus strengthing direct contact with customers in the Middle East while supporting the country’s economic development. Saudi Arabia wants to expand the private business sector […]

November 2018 – West Chester, PA – Metabo Corporation, a leading international manufacturer of professional grade cordless and corded hand-held power tools and accessories, announces two new tools; 18V Impact Driver (SSD 18 LTX 200 BL) and 18V High Torque Impact Wrench (SSW 18 LTX 300 BL). “We are excited about these strong additions to […]

Replacing two 40-year-old feedwater heaters at a plant of Oconee Nuclear Station’s size and age was fated to be a complicated project, but through meticulous modeling and planning, and seamless

Advanced technology now makes it possible for computers to do many of the monitoring and diagnostic tasks that used to require seasoned experts. Artificial intelligence and machine learning tools are being

Test Your Knowledge The quizzes provided here offer an easy way to test your knowledge of various power-related subjects. If you want to learn more about the quiz topics, follow links to articles from the POWER archive, which are provided on each individual quiz webpage. Competitive Maintenance Strategies Quiz https://www.powermag.com/test-your-knowledge-competitive-maintenance-strategies/ Scaffold Safety Quiz https://www.powermag.com/test-your-knowledge-scaffold-safety/ Monitoring and Treatment of Closed-Loop […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has issued key safety and design approvals for the Advanced Power Reactor 1400 (APR1400), a South Korean third-generation nuclear reactor design.  The U.S. regulatory body on September 28 issued a final safety evaluation report and a standard design approval (SDA) for the APR1400, which is designed by South Korean state-owned […]

New drawn arc welding technology increases productivity and quality Kennesaw, Georgia, USA, Oct. 03, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Industrial Specialists, a BrandSafway company and a member of the American Welding Society, is introducing BrandTech™ Precision Welding, a modular-welding system with built-in technology, which allows for one or two welding guns to be used at the […]

FREDERICTON (N.B.) – Starting today, users can experience Kognitiv Spark’s powerful industrial worker support tool for free by downloading the trial in the Microsoft app store. Their platform, called RemoteSpark, leverages mixed reality technology and interactive 3D intelligence to deliver significant productivity gains for industrial clients. The platform is currently designed for the Microsoft HoloLens […]

GE announced that H. Lawrence Culp Jr. has been named chairman and CEO of the company replacing John Flannery effective immediately. GE’s board of directors voted unanimously on the decision, and it also appointed Thomas W. Horton as lead director. In a press release, GE specifically cited weak performance in the GE Power business for […]

Safety should be the top priority on any job site and goes hand in hand with operational excellence. Risk mitigation and safety are exceptionally important for power plants due to the nature of the industry

Innovative welding techniques can produce consistently better-quality joints. Special alloys, appropriate pre- and post-weld heat treatment, and proper weld procedures can all help prevent catastrophic failure

Siemens on September 24 said it would cut about 2,900 jobs, mostly from its Power and Gas division in Germany, as it continues restructuring to achieve cost savings amid a tough global market for turbine manufacturers. Siemens on Monday said the cuts will save the company about €270 million ($318 million) and is part of […]

Xcel Energy on September 12 launched a drone to inspect electric power lines near Fort St. Vrain Generating Station in Platteville, Colorado—marking the first flight by a U.S. utility beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) during ongoing inspections. Xcel on Wednesday launched a 35-pound drone that is equipped with two cameras, as local, state, and federal […]

South America’s first and only geothermal power plant, the 48-MW Cerro Pabellón project, sits at an elevation of 4,500 meters above sea level in Chile’s harsh and remote Atacama Desert. Building and

Several milestones have been reached at nuclear power plant construction sites around the world including on the Leningrad II-2, Novovoronezh II-2, Barakah, and Plant Vogtle projects. Russian Progress At the Leningrad site, Rosatom—the Russian state atomic energy corporation—reported on August 7 that the main turbine equipment installation for Phase II Unit 2 was completed. The […]

It is safe to say that every power plant in the world uses scaffolding in some way, shape, or form. It is a critical component for many maintenance activities where permanently installed access is not possible or practical. Therefore, the dangers associated with scaffolding should not be overlooked by the industry. Often, plant maintenance personnel […]

An aluminum smelter in Odisha, India, built a 900-MW coal-fired captive power plant for its own power consumption. Though the plant features new generation turbogenerator sets, it was completed on time and on

Dry Fork Station began commercial operation as a swath of older, less-efficient U.S. coal plants contemplated retirement amid a flood of environmental rules. Designed with foresight, this quintessential modern

As the electric power industry moves forward with new technology, the workforce that is needed to design, build, and manage the next generation of systems will undergo an equal if not greater transformation

Across the country, energy and utility companies are adopting and using drone technology to increase their business operations and improve overall safety of their workforces. Many companies are also discussing the risks and rewards of implementing new safety technology on job sites. With workplace fatalities in the transportation, warehousing, and utilities sectors comprising 17.3% of […]

Successfully operating a power plant or other industrial complex depends on many things, including the vendors who supply equipment for construction of the facility, along with those who provide the materials

Baby boomers are retiring, unemployment is low, skilled craft workers are in short supply, and human resources in the workforce are a growing issue for power industry management. “Demography is destiny.”

Ergonomics—human-factors engineering—should be considered in all workplace improvement efforts. Feeling safe and staying clear of injuries can immensely contribute toward increased productivity by reducing

Puerto Rico’s energy infrastructure must be redesigned and rebuilt with an emphasis on resilience—and that will require wide-ranging, long-term efforts, the Department of Energy (DOE) says in a new report. In its June 20 report, “Energy Resilience Solutions for the Puerto Rico Grid,” the agency lists a number of recommendations for the government of the […]