Latest
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T&D
Rural Electric Cooperatives Get Big Money to Improve Infrastructure
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said it will provide loans and loan guarantees to rural electric cooperatives and utilities to build or improve infrastructure in 21 states. The funding was announced on June 22 and amounts to more than $1.6 billion, including nearly $386 million for investments in smart grid technology, which uses digital […]
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Renewables
Infrastructure Plan Supports Solar Power, Energy Storage
Energy industry analysts have said government support will be needed to help the sector recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, and Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives have introduced legislation that includes measures to help the solar and energy storage industries. The $1.5 trillion infrastructure bill introduced in the House on June 22, known as […]
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Offshore Wind
Big Lift for Newly Launched Siemens Gamesa 14-MW Offshore Wind Turbine
Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE) has conditionally received an order for 100 units of its newly launched SG 14-222 DD offshore wind turbine model—one of the largest wind turbine models ever introduced to date. The 14-MW units are to be installed at innogy’s proposed 1.4-GW Sofia Offshore Wind Farm in the UK starting in 2024. […]
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Technology
Big Data: The New Age of ‘Fortune Telling’ Requires Human Collaboration More Than Ever
Ancient Chinese fortune tellers used heated metal pokers to create cracks in bones or empty turtle shells. By reading the patterns in the cracks, they attempted to calm the unease that comes with the innate uncertainty of the world—especially the ancient world. They predicted the future and doled out advice that affected the fate and […]
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IIOT Power
How AI is Making Virtual Home Energy Audits a Reality
One of the most dramatic lifestyle and business outcomes of the pandemic has been the acceleration of digitalization and online engagement. Tasks and interactions once predominantly conducted in-person have moved online, and digital and virtual lifestyles are normalizing. For utilities and energy retailers, this evolution has sparked the need to drive a more resilient approach […]
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News
Judge Approves PG&E Bankruptcy Exit
A federal judge in California has approved Pacific Gas & Electric’s plan to exit bankruptcy, clearing the way for the utility to compensate victims of a series of wildfires in the state that left more than 100 people dead in 2017 and 2018. The action by U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Dennis Montali on June 20 authorized […]
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Fuel
Analysis Supports Coal-Like Fuel for Power Plants
A British company that manufactures a fuel that it says mimics coal said it “has received a significant endorsement” for the use of its product in the power generation sector. An analysis by Uniper Technologies said Helvellyn Group’s alternative fuel, known as SERF, “is technically suitable for use in large scale thermal power plants in […]
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News
Siemens Gamesa Has New Head After Terminating CEO
Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE) has announced Andreas Nauen, who has led the growth of the company’s offshore wind power business, is taking over leadership of the company after the board of directors and CEO Markus Tacke “mutally agreed to terminate” Tacke’s contract. SGRE made the announcement June 17, saying Nauen immediately will assume the […]
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Gas
GE’s 7F Gas Turbine Turns 30 with New Plant Commissioned in Mexico
The first GE 7F gas turbine began commercial operation 30 years ago this month. Since coming on the market, more than 950 7F machines have been commissioned, including four 7F.04 units that entered service recently at Techint’s Norte III combined cycle power plant in Mexico. The 907-MW Norte III facility is located in the municipality […]
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News
Colorado Utility Will Close Coal Plant 16 Years Early
A Colorado-based electric utility owned by the four communities it serves announced it will close its remaining coal-fired plant by the end of the decade, a facility that had a planned retirement date of 2046. The Platte River Power Authority on June 16 said the 280-MW Unit 1 at its Rawhide Energy Station near Fort […]