In This Issue
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Business
POWER Digest (July 2012)
UK Unveils Draft Energy Reform Bill. A draft energy bill unveiled by the UK’s Department of Energy and Climate Change on May 22 seeks to attract £110 billion ($168 billion) of investment to build new nuclear, renewables, and carbon capture and storage (CCS) plants to replace nearly a fifth of the country’s total power capacity, […]
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NewsFlue Gas Analyzer
Emerson has launched the latest solution for combustion flue gas analysis, the Rosemount Analytical 6888 in-situ oxygen analyzer. The 6888 analyzer provides accurate measurement of oxygen remaining in flue gases coming from combustion processes such as boilers, incinerators, kilns, process heaters, and industrial heating furnaces. By maintaining the ideal level of oxygen in the flue […]
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Hydro
FERC Rule 1000: What Does It Mean?
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has the responsibility for ensuring just and reasonable rates and preventing undue discrimination by public utility transmission providers. Last year FERC defined a new framework for public utilities and regional transmission organizations planning new transmission networks. The framework is provided in Order No. 1000—Transmission Planning and Allocation by Transmission Owning and Operating Public Utilities. The Final Rule was issued on July 21, 2011, and reaffirmed by Order No. 1000-A on May 17, 2012.
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NewsUpgraded Thermal Imaging Camera
IDEAL INDUSTRIES released an upgraded version of its popular HeatSeeker handheld thermal imaging camera. The new model features twice the resolution of legacy models and a wider field-of-view to improve troubleshooting efficiency. Engineered with a powerful 320 x 240 2MP sensor that captures 76K pixels, the new HeatSeeker 320 can be used for a wide […]
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CoalSafety Implications of Coal and Biomass Fuel Mixes
Practically everyone would agree that the energy policy of the U.S. is in a great state of flux. Not since the introduction of commercial nuclear power some five decades ago has our country come to such an energy crossroads. No matter what your political ideology, no one can refute that conventional coal-fired power plants are being paralyzed by recent and potential U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations designed to cut the nation’s reliance on coal.
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NewsPortable Video Camera for Borescopes
The new Luxxor Portable Video Camera quickly and easily attaches to any Hawkeye Rigid or Flexible Borescope, and most other major borescope brands as well, transforming them into a videoscope. Designed and manufactured by Gradient Lens Corp., the new Luxxor camera allows users to view internal visual inspection images on portable or benchtop video monitors, […]
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O&MImproving Slurry Knife Gate Valves in FGD Applications
The primary considerations in slurry valve selection are reliability in function and design, abrasion resistance, and ease of maintenance. In addition, valves with a straight-through, unobstructed flow minimize the effect of abrasion and therefore reduce the need for maintenance.
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NewsFlame-Retardant Clothing
ESAB Welding & Cutting Products introduced a new addition to the Weld Warrior line of personal protection equipment. The company’s FR Line of flame-retardant clothing is designed to give maximum protection to the professional welder while providing comfort in the most demanding environments. The new FR Line includes The Jersey—a lightweight pullover that is perfect […]
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Legal & Regulatory
When Successful Procurement Policies Fail
California is approaching a tipping point with respect to the near-term economic viability of existing non-utility generation. The procurement policies and practices implemented in response to the statewide energy crisis over a decade ago have evolved into market conditions that do not offer “uncontracted” existing resources with sufficient and stable enough revenue streams to recover going-forward costs. Continued adherence to these policies will subject such resources to an increasing risk of economic retirement, threatening long-term reliability and potentially costing electric consumers billions of dollars.
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Commentary
Incentives Provide Boon to Hydropower Industry
The U.S. hydropower industry has undergone a renaissance in recent years. One of the major drivers of the industry’s growth, the establishment of the production tax credit (PTC) for hydro, has seen strong policy support from our elected officials in Washington, D.C. More than any other federal policy, tax incentives, particularly the PTC, have sparked a level of growth in the industry not seen in nearly two decades.