In This Issue
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NuclearFrance Moves to Bid Adieu to Nuclear Dependency
France, which counts on nuclear energy for roughly 75% of its power needs and is a leading nuclear technology exporter, has embarked on an energy transition to substantially diminish its reliance on nuclear
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CoalReforms on the Horizon for India’s Beleaguered Coal Sector
Recent months have seen a violent shakeup of India’s coal supply sector and may result in the end of a 40-year-old government monopoly on mining and selling coal. The development could be a boon for
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CoalAustralia’s Direct Action Plan Set to Replace Carbon Trading Scheme
Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s Direct Action Plan, the policy mechanism proposed to replace the coal-rich country’s now-defunct carbon trading program, cleared the Senate despite staunch
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SolarFloating Solar Arrays Take Shape in the UK, Japan, and India
Solar power has taken many forms in recent years—from giant concentrated solar power installations and solar towers spread out across deserts worldwide, to rooftop photovoltaic (PV) installations in urban
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O&MInspecting Aberrant P91 Components for Integrity
Many utilities around the world have been discovering abnormal or aberrant P91 base and weld metal microstructures in their plants, leading to, or with a potential to lead to, early cracking and failure in
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RenewablesTop Plant: Agua Caliente Solar Project, Yuma County, Arizona
The western Arizona desert has become a popular location for constructing large solar projects. The sunshine is plentiful and there are large tracts of non-prime farmland available that make building
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RenewablesTop Plant: Ashta Hydropower Plant, Shkoder, Albania
Like many small countries, Albania is dependent on a specific generation type for the majority of its electricity. In the case of this mountainous nation of 3 million people, it’s hydropower. Roughly 98% of
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RenewablesTop Plant: Hometown BioEnergy, Le Sueur, Minnesota
We’ve all heard the phrase “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” Hometown BioEnergy (HTBE) offers a case in point. The plant uses vegetable-processing waste and livestock manure in an
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RenewablesTop Plant: London Array Offshore Wind Farm, Outer Thames Estuary, UK
In 2001, the year that the world’s largest offshore wind farm was conceived, the outlook for offshore wind was foggy. A paltry 95 MW of capacity had been installed worldwide—mostly in Denmark—and a
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RenewablesTop Plant: Solana Generating Station, Maricopa County, Arizona
The Solana Generating Station ( solana in Spanish means “sunny spot”) is built on a 1,920-acre site near Gila Bend, about an hour’s drive west of Phoenix. According to Abengoa, which owns the facility
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O&MWind Turbine Generator Maintenance: What to Expect and Why
Over the past few years, wind generation projects have become prominent features of the North American landscape and of the utility infrastructure. In spite of their variable production load onto the grid
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O&MCoal-Fired Power Plant Heat Rate Improvement Options, Part 2
In recent years several EPRI projects have explored different aspects of heat rate improvements. This article, following Part 1 in the November 2014 issue of POWER , reviews results of implementing heat rate
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Nuclear
Nuclear Power’s Present and Future
William D. Magwood, IV, formerly head of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy and commissioner at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and current director-general of the Organisation
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O&MAssessing and Prioritizing Structural Repairs to Material-Handling Systems
Material-handling systems at coal-fired power plants operate nearly continuously in harsh conditions for decades. Temperatures, moisture, overload conditions, and collisions from equipment can take a toll on
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Commentary
The NRC’s Collision Course
When Allison MacFarlane, the outgoing chairman of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), abruptly announced her retirement in mid-October—leaving with almost four years left on her term—her stated
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CoalTricky Business: Taking Down Old Coal Plants
Austin, Texas, is one of the hottest real-estate markets in the U.S. One of the prime new properties in the Texas capital is Seaholm, a $130 million project on some eight acres of prime downtown land
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Commentary
Nuclear Power Pivot Points
“Pivoting” is a popular business buzzword, particularly in the context of startups, which often quickly change strategic direction. The global nuclear industry isn’t exactly a startup, but it is at or
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CoalConstruction Considerations Are Key in Closure Planning for Coal Ash Ponds
Closure and remediation solutions for coal ash ponds, or impoundments, vary greatly. Assuming the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) promulgates the expected proposed Subtitle D regulations, technical
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Business
POWER Digest (December 2014)
EU Adopts Energy, Climate Targets for 2030. European Union (EU) leaders on Oct. 23 endorsed a binding target that will require all of the bloc’s 28 members to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by at
