Latest

  • GE Debuts First 7HA.03 Gas Turbines at 1.3-GW Plant in Florida

    The first two GE 7HA.03 machines—the largest 60-Hz heavy-duty gas turbines in the world and the most efficient in GE’s fleet—are now operational at Florida Power & Light’s (FPL’s) newly inaugurated 1,260-MW Dania Beach Clean Energy Center (DBEC) in Broward County.  FPL officially declared the Dania Beach Clean Energy Center near Fort Lauderdale, Florida, commercially […]

  • Biden Pausing Solar Tariffs, Pushes for U.S. Production

    The White House is moving to support the solar power industry, including U.S. manufacturing of solar panels and other equipment, by pausing tariffs on imported solar panels from four Southeast Asian countries. The 24-month moratorium announced June 6 will exist while U.S. officials continue to look at the practices of Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam, […]

  • The POWER Interview: Solving Issues in the Solar Sector

    The U.S. Dept. of Energy (DOE) for the past few years has talked about the importance of “building a strong solar manufacturing sector and supply chain in America” to support the nation’s economy, and to help “keep pace with rising domestic and global demand for affordable solar energy.” Recent events, including further disruption of global […]

  • Two Killed in Collapse of Coal Pile at Colorado Power Plant

    Two employees of a company that manages coal-handling operations for Xcel Energy’s Comanche Generating Station in Colorado were killed June 2 when they were trapped in a coal pile that collapsed at the power plant. The collapse happened Thursday morning about 8:30 a.m. Mountain time, according to officials. Rescue crews located the victims Thursday afternoon. […]

  • Zinc Batteries Power Stationary Energy Storage

    As solar, wind and other renewable resources play a larger role on the power grid, renewables’ essential partner—energy storage—must keep pace to provide power at peak hours when the sun doesn’t shine, and the wind doesn’t blow. Rechargeable zinc batteries offer an ideal energy storage solution; they can release power back to the grid for […]

  • France’s NUWARD SMR Will Be Test Case for European Early Joint Nuclear Regulatory Review

    The French Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN), the Czech State Office for Nuclear Safety (SUJB), and Finland’s Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK) have picked France’s NUWARD small modular reactor (SMR) design as a test case for an early joint regulatory review for SMRs. The development marks a notable step by European regulators to align practices in a […]

  • California Drought Could Severely Limit Hydropower This Summer

    Drought in California could nearly halve the state’s hydroelectric generation this summer, pushing up wholesale power prices in the West, and forcing the state to rely on natural gas generation and out-of-state imports, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) projects in a new analysis. The EIA suggests in a supplement to its May 2022–released Short-Term Energy Outlook […]

  • Security of Cyber-Physical Systems

    “Cyber-physical systems” are the next generation of closely integrated physical and cyber systems. Several critical systems such as the power grid, autonomous transportation systems, and process control systems are examples of cyber-physical systems. They are liable to be attacked by malicious agents who can compromise the sensor measurements being used to control them. Indeed, there […]

  • Much-Watched Reciprocating Engine Hydrogen Pilot Kicks Off at Michigan Power Plant

    A landmark project to test fuel blends of up to 25% volume of hydrogen mixed with natural gas in reciprocating internal combustion engines (RICEs) has launched at WEC Energy Group’s 56-MW A.J. Mihm power plant in Michigan. If successful, the pilot—one of the first of its kind in the U.S.—could provide key insight into how […]

  • The Fourth Industrial Revolution and the Energy Trilemma

    The Fourth Industrial Revolution is arriving in a most timely manner to help resolve the world’s energy trilemma—the transition to net-zero, energy security, and energy affordability. For many years, the World Economic Forum (WEF) has been at the forefront of discussions on climate change and the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Below, I outline our key takeaways […]