In This Issue
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CommentaryA new day in power generation
The recently published Long-Term Reliability Assessment from the North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC) found that several areas of the U.S. and Canada risk falling below minimum capacity target levels within three years, as demand continues to outpace new supply. This risk of supply shortages requires action. In addition to the usual solutions of more […]
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PowerHere’s to you
TIME magazine’s selection of a Person of the Year often is unusual enough to be covered in other publications. In most years, the pick has been fairly predictable: a high-profile foreign or domestic politico playing high-stakes poker with our collective futures. In others, TIME has stretched the definition of “person”—such as in 1982 (the computer), […]
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CoalGlobal Monitor (January 2007)
DOE walks the clean coal talk / For Swedish nuke, a case of mistaken identity / Siemens completes big CHP plant / E.ON bets big on coal / BP Solar expands Maryland plant / GE scores big turbine deals / PSNH switches from coal to wood / EPRI tests solid-state current limiter / POWER digest
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O&MFocus on O&M (January 2007)
Mandatory standards advance / To drain or not to drain / Practical aspects of burning landfill gas / Time management
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Legal & RegulatoryBarriers continue to crimp natural gas supplies
U.S. demand for natural gas is projected to increase by more than 50% by 2020. Companies are building—and the public is opposing—receiving terminals on three coasts that would increase imports of liquefied natural gas. The pros and cons of “opening up” Alaska, coastal waters, and federal lands to drilling are still being debated. These politically […]
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CoalInvestment in generation is heavy, but important needs remain
Forecasting the direction of the U.S. electric power industry for 2007, much less the distant future, is like defining a velocity vector; doing so requires a direction and speed to delineate progress. In this special report, POWER’s first stab at prognostication, the editors look at current industry indicators and draw conclusions based on their more than 100 years of experience. To borrow verbatim the title of basketball legend Charles Barkley’s book: I May Be Wrong but I Doubt It.
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Coal
Near-term capital spending in the North American power industry
Following the money invested in projects is a viable way to compare growth trends for power projects using the four major generation types: coal, natural gas, nuclear, and renewable.
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NuclearTow nuclear power I&C out of the "digital ditch"
One expert has called it the "digital delta"—the seemingly endless challenges in refurbishing U.S. nuclear plants with digital instrumentation and controls. But it appears more like a deep ditch, where even those seeking to license new reactors could get stuck. Here’s the latest on the issues, experience, and results—plus recommendations for getting the industry out of the mud and back on the road.
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O&MAdvanced sonar revolutionizes underwater structure inspections
Ongoing maintenance is critical to the performance and longevity of underwater structures such as cooling water intake tunnels. Commercial divers or robotic vehicles can do the needed inspections, but such manual methods require a costly plant shutdown and provide only qualitative results. ASI Group Ltd. has designed and built an advanced, dual-axis sonar system that works in fast-moving water and can deliver quantitative data about the extent and location of debris buildup on submerged assets.
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BusinessPut the dynamics of the workforce supply chain to work for you
A healthy and productive workforce is one that has been thoughtfully recruited and properly trained. Understanding the role and relationships of those and other attributes in the overall workforce supply chain is an essential management function. Here’s a roadmap for your consideration.