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  • China Group Develops Plan to Turn Biomass Into Low-Carbon Natural Gas

    Researchers in China have published the results of a study that the group said provides an efficient catalytic approach to directly transfer solid biomass into natural gas, while enabling the gas to have a low-carbon footprint. The researchers said bio-natural gas produced from the hydrogen combined with lignocellulosic biomass could be used at power plants, […]

  • The POWER Interview: Protection Testing Paradigm—How Utilities Can Adapt to the Digital Era

    The digital transformation in the power generation industry touches several areas, encompassing engineering, monitoring and control, asset performance, and operations optimization, among others. Power plant operators know the digital era has been a perfect fit for their industry, enabling digitization to reduce risk, save costs, optimize performance, and speed crisis response. Doble Engineering is a […]

  • Winter Freeze Testing Texas Power Grid Reforms

    Parts of Texas have suffered localized, distribution-level power outages as an Arctic outbreak sent temperatures plummeting across the state, but its heavily scrutinized grid is largely prepared to weather the storm, state entities said. Frigid temperatures stemming from a large dome of Arctic high pressure are sending temperatures into the single digits and below zero […]

  • CAISO Plan Calls for $30.5 Billion for Transmission—and More Renewable Energy

    California’s power grid continues to evolve and will look much different by 2040, according to a 20-year draft transmission plan released by the California Independent System Operator (CAISO). The plan calls for significant additional renewable energy resources, along with a $30.5-billion build-out of the transmission grid.  The outlook, developed by the grid operator along with […]

  • Nuclear Field Activities Completed for Idaho NuScale SMR Project

    The 462-MWe Carbon-Free Power Project—the first six-module NuScale Power VOYGR-6 power plant—has completed field investigation activities at its Idaho National Laboratory (INL) site in Idaho Falls, Idaho. The achievement announced on Feb. 3 marks a major milestone for CFPP LLC, the entity Utah state energy services interlocal agency Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems (UAMPS) established […]

  • Nuclear, Natural Gas Included in EU Taxonomy—With Potentially Problematic Conditions

    Handing a muted victory to proponents of nuclear and gas, the European Commission (EC) on Feb. 2 adopted a measure that labels some nuclear and gas energy activity as climate-friendly investments. However, it set out strict, potentially limiting technical screening criteria for those activities to qualify, prompting pushback from the nuclear and gas industries. The […]

  • Former FERC Commissioner Says ‘Market Design Problem’ Was a Leading Cause of February 2021 Texas Power Crisis

    In February 2021, a severe cold weather event, known as Winter Storm Uri, caused numerous power outages, derates, or failures to start at electric generating plants scattered across Texas and the south-central U.S. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), which manages the power supply for about 90% of the load in Texas, ordered a […]

  • Infrastructure, Renewables, ESG Initiatives Lead Trends for 2022

    The Biden administration has made clear its intention to promote the transition to clean energy, setting ambitious goals like carbon neutrality for the power sector by 2035 and for the entire country by 2050. A critical step toward these goals was congressional passage of the $1 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), which President […]

  • Georgia Power Plans to Retire All Coal Units by 2035

    Georgia Power plans to shutter most of its coal fleet by 2028 and completely exit coal-fired power by 2035, according to the utility’s latest integrated resource plan (IRP) filed with state regulators on Jan. 31. The Southern Co. subsidiary on Monday said it would make more investments in natural gas-fired generation, along with renewable energy, […]

  • New Era for NextEra: A Utility Spotlight

    Since its inception as Florida Power & Light Co. in 1925, NextEra Energy has transformed into the world’s largest utility company. The company’s history is symbolic of the growth and uncertainty that has characterized the history of power.