Latest
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Microgrid
Greenhouses and Microgrids Should Grow Together
As consumer preferences continue to shift toward purchasing locally sourced and organic produce, demand is growing for commercial greenhouses, or controlled environment agriculture (CEA), as the industry is labeled. This shift in preference to locally grown food is changing the way supermarkets and restaurants source their fruits and vegetables. COMMENTARY Many restaurants throughout the country […]
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Energy Storage
Large-Volume, Long-Duration Power and Water Storage Project Taking Shape in Idaho
Cat Creek Energy, developer of a 1.1-GW “tribrid” renewable power and water storage project planned near Mountain Home, Idaho, has picked Voith Hydro to design and manufacture equipment for the project’s 720-MW ternary pumped storage component. The development announced on April 29 marks a major milestone for the Cat Creek Energy and Water (CCEW) project. […]
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POWER Podcasts
Serious Power Transmission Without Wires Is Closer Than You Think
Most people are aware that wireless charging technology is available today for small electronic devices, such as cell phones and watches, but when it comes to larger-scale power systems, the concept of wireless transmission of electricity probably seems like science fiction. The truth, however, is that systems have been developed and are being tested that […]
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T&D
Heavy Push by Industry, Biden Administration to Jumpstart Transmission Expansion, Grid Modernization
Bolstering the Biden administration’s recently announced initiatives to modernize the nation’s grid and improve its resilience, the Department of Energy (DOE) on April 27 made up to $8.25 billion in loans available to expand transmission capacity nationwide, while the Department of Transportation (DOT) offered new guidance to help speed the siting and permitting of transmission […]
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News
$8 Billion Proposals Could Bring New Gas-Fired Plants to Texas
An energy investment group told Texas regulators the company has a plan to help solve some of that state’s electricity reliability issues, proposing a plan similar to one put forth by billionaire Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Energy in March. Starwood Energy Group on April 23 sent the state’s Public Utility Commission a proposal to build […]
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News
Engineering on Flexible Green Hydrogen Generation Facility Design Complete
Engineering and construction firm McDermott International and pipeline technology developer New Energy Development Co. have wrapped up engineering for two modular 50-MW hydrogen energy projects that they said could enable “grid-scale” hydrogen blending with natural gas pipelines as well as potentially integrate existing or new power plants with energy storage. The “Green Hydrogen” facilities, which […]
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Connected Plant
Automated Powerline Inspection: How Preparation Is the Key to Combating Wildfires During the Off Season
2020 was a catastrophic year for wildfires across the U.S. The National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) reported that almost 60,000 fires ran rampant across more than 9 million acres in the U.S. last year, nearly 1.5 times the 10-year average of 6.6 million acres. Not only this, California saw its first-ever “gigafire,” a devastating single […]
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Connected Plant
3 Ways Remote Assistance Can Limit Power Downtime
Innovation and power generation have always gone hand in hand. For almost 140 years, the industry has evolved through a steady stream of emerging technologies, shifting policies, infrastructure investments, and an assortment of crises. The power industry has weathered a lot over this time and been forced to adapt. The latest example: COVID-19. Over the […]
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News
Vogtle Unit 3 Starts Hot Functional Testing; Eyes December In-Service
Georgia Power has announced more milestones for its Vogtle nuclear power plant expansion project, including the start of hot functional testing for Unit 3 at the facility in Waynesboro, Georgia. The utility also said it could bring the reactor online as soon as December of this year, despite continued construction delays due in part to […]
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News
More Coal Cuts—AEP, Mississippi Power Detail Closures
American Electric Power (AEP), which in 2019 reached an agreement to close Unit 1 of the two-unit, 2.6-GW coal-fired Rockport power plant in Indiana, has now announced a plan to close Unit 2 of the facility. Both units at Rockport are now expected to be shuttered by year-end 2028. AEP, the parent of Indiana Michigan […]