Power

Monthly Issue | August 15, 2007

Fueling around
Fueling around

Europeans didn't know that corn existed before Columbus "discovered" America. It had been cultivated by indigenous North Americans for thousands of years before the Italian brought home what was to…


Global Monitor (August 2007)
Global Monitor (August 2007)

PG&E mounts tidal power project Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E), the city and county of San Francisco, and Golden Gate Energy Co. have agreed to undertake a comprehensive study…


Marmy’s loose rivets
Marmy’s loose rivets

Watching the submarine Nautilus come up the Hudson River from my 26th-floor window put a few mental gears into motion. For one thing, I was suddenly back at sea again.…


Retrospective
Retrospective

August 1886 POWER reported on one of the first twin-cylinder "Otto" natural gas–fired engines that had recently appeared in the U.S. power market. The report notes that "engines of 100…


Focus on O&M (August 2007)
Focus on O&M (August 2007)

PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE Stop valves from leaking money Testing valves for leakage costs little but can save a lot. Energy drops across many valves exceed 1,250 Btu/lb, and leakage rates can…


Is ratepayer funding of utility R&D outdated?
Is ratepayer funding of utility R&D outdated?

Southern California Edison Co. (SCE) is requesting regulatory approval to recover over $50 million from ratepayers to analyze the feasibility and cost of a "commercial-scale" clean hydrogen power generation (CHPG)…