In This Issue
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Legal & RegulatoryTHE BIG PICTURE: Trump’s Regulatory Targets
President Trump campaigned on a promise to reduce regulation and control regulatory costs. One of his first actions after taking office was to issue an executive order calling for the elimination of two existing regulations for every one new regulation issued. Toward that end, the Trump administration has acted or sought to reverse more than […]
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O&MSelect Boiler Chemistry in the Design Phase of Project Life
On many combined cycle projects, the major decisions about boiler chemistry are left until after the plant has been designed, equipment is procured, and construction is well underway. However, the best time to make these chemistry decisions is in the design phase of the project. That enables the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractor to […]
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O&MIncrease Condenser Efficiency with Latest-Generation Vacuum Pumps
State-owned Korea Midland Power Co. (KOMIPO) operates the Shin Boryeong Thermal Power Plant (TPP), a two-unit, 2,000-MW ultrasupercritical bituminous-coal-fired power plant. Shin Boryeong TPP is an extension
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SolarChina Puts Online Pioneering Large-Scale CSP Project
China completed its first large commercial-scale parabolic-trough concentrated solar power (CSP) plant at the end of June. The 50-MW Delingha project built by CGN New Energy, a subsidiary of China General
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T&DA Wind Experiment: The Hornsdale Wind Farm
Along with producing power from 99 turbines, the 309-MW Hornsdale Wind Farm in South Australia has helped trial new technologies that could ramp up power system security and reliability. At first glance, the
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Connected PlantTesla Virtual Power Plant Takes Shape in Australia
Tesla in July released more details of its virtual power plant (VPP) project in South Australia (SA), outlining the initiative as well as its resources and the benefits it will bring to the region. The company
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RenewablesCerro Pabellón: Taking Geothermal Power to New Heights
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
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RenewablesLet the Sun Shine In: Where Is Solar Power Headed?
The Solar Energy Industries Association, the national trade association for the U.S. solar industry, reports that solar power has grown in the U.S. at a compounded annual rate of 59% since the solar investment
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RenewablesAustralia Braces for Power System Transformation, Disruptions
The inaugural integrated system plan (ISP) released by Australia’s Energy Market Operator (AEMO) in mid-July warns that the country is in the midst of a “transformative and unprecedented” rate of change
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RenewablesEgypt Brings New Natural Gas and Wind Power Plants Online
New natural gas-fired power plants and wind farms are part of Egypt’s strategy to increase the country’s power generation by at least 50%. It began delivering on that plan in July as it brought three
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IIOT PowerMoving from Preventive to Predictive Maintenance with Advanced Analytics
Predictive maintenance is preferred over preventive maintenance for critical assets, but the correct application of advanced analytics is required to realize full value. Power plants of all types have a host
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RenewablesAward-Winning Pumped-Storage Hydro Facility a Modern Marvel
The Frades II pumped-storage hydro project in Portugal took advantage of existing dams to incorporate a scheme that includes the largest variable-speed reversible units installed in Europe. The facility
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RenewablesRenewed Vision Shines Light on Dormant Nuclear Site
The framework of a cooling tower. Weathered concrete walls, with empty holes as windows. The remains of what might have been provide the backdrop for what is—a solar farm that’s boosting economic
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IIOT PowerA Reimagined Power Future Enabled by Digital Technologies
The power industry is changing and leading companies are turning to digital technologies to revolutionize their operations. Monitoring and diagnostics centers are leveraging vast amounts of data from around
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RenewablesHydro Project Overcomes Physical, Social Obstacles
Hydropower is Brazil’s major source of electricity. The country is moving toward more generation from solar and wind, and away from so-called “mega dams,” but what could be a final mammoth hydro project
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O&MThe Technology Behind One of the World’s Longest Pipe Conveyors
Long-distance conveyors are a reliable and energy-efficient method of bulk material transport. Pipe conveyors—fully enclosed material handling systems—offer additional environmental protection and more
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RenewablesPOWER Digest [September 2018]
Israel Embarks on a Major Electricity Reform. Under a law passed on July 19, Israel will break up a monopoly held by state-owned Israel Electric Corp. (IEC) and open the country’s electricity sector to new
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Connected PlantDigital Tools Help Increase Output, Reduce Costs at Palo Verde
Palo Verde is the largest nuclear-generating site in the U.S. It has three of the five largest nuclear units in the country, with each pressurized water reactor licensed at almost 4,000 MWth. Like many plants
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RenewablesIt’s Time for a Macro-Grid Overlay in the U.S.
The U.S. power system is separated into three major components—the Western Interconnection, the Eastern Interconnection, and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas. The three operate almost independently
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RenewablesMeyGen Array Sets Global Records for Harnessing Tidal Power
Though tidal energy is still considered by many to be in its nascent stages, power generated from turbines harnessing fast tidal flows in the same way wind turbines catch the wind has entered the commercial
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CommentaryPower Industry Should Wholeheartedly Support Electric Vehicles
Electric vehicles (EVs) have the potential to realign the transportation sector and present an opportunity for the power industry to transform and reinvent itself in fundamental ways. But whether this
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O&MEquipment Showcase: Pumps
Pumps and pumping systems have multiple applications in power plants and can be located in several locations throughout a facility. These pumps are generally centrifugal and positive displacement pumps
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CommentaryPower Struggle: Cannabis Growers Face High Energy Costs in New Jersey
New Jersey is yet another state expanding public access to cannabis for medical purposes and is poised to legalize access for recreational use. This means energy service providers and public utilities will