Latest

  • Pennsylvania Plant Agrees to Phase Out Coal

    In a move designed to resolve a Sierra Club lawsuit before it was even filed, Talen Energy agreed to operate its Brunner Island Steam Electric Station, a 1,411-MW plant located in York Haven, Pennsylvania, only on natural gas during the ozone season beginning in 2023 and to cease coal operations altogether by the end of […]

  • DOE Establishes Office Dedicated to Cybersecurity, Energy Security, Emergency Response

      A newly established U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) office dedicated to cybersecurity, energy security, and emergency response may be a signal that it is elevating its focus on emerging grid threats. The Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response (CESER) will use $96 million in funding included in President Trump’s Fiscal Year 2019 budget […]

  • Growth in Renewables Matching U.S. Nuclear Generation

    A business group geared toward sustainable energy says renewable sources of energy for the first time are generating nearly as much power as the entire fleet of U.S. nuclear reactors. The Business Council for Sustainable Energy (BCSE), along with Bloomberg New Energy Finance, on February 15 released the sixth edition of its Sustainable Energy in […]

  • Network Monitoring is Key for Public Power Utilities

    Network monitoring can provide key cybersecurity insights into an organization’s netflow activity and rapidly detect unusual behavior.

  • Trump Budget Backs Nuclear, Coal; Cuts Funding for Renewables

    The Trump administration’s fiscal year 2019 budget request released February 12 asks for more money to support fossil fuel-based power systems, but seeks funding below current levels for other energy initiatives, including renewable energy and energy efficiency. The energy funding is part of a $4.4 trillion budget that features large increases in military spending, along […]

  • Nuclear Power, Carbon Capture Winners in New Budget Deal

    The budget bill passed by Congress and signed by President Trump in the early hours of February 9 extends a host of tax credits for energy technologies, including provisions to help the Vogtle nuclear expansion in Georgia as well as U.S. carbon-capture projects. The legislation also provides support for renewable energy, including for small wind […]

  • Test Your Knowledge: Gas Turbine Failure Modes

    The number of gas turbines operating around the world is growing steadily. In this environment, the number of power sector workers new to gas turbines is also expanding, and a review of what can go wrong with this equipment is useful. Although gas turbines vary, all have a common set of operational challenges. Knowing what […]

  • Microgrid Deployment Continues to Grow Worldwide

    Microgrid deployment is rapidly taking hold worldwide, a new report from Navigant Research suggests. As of the fourth quarter of 2017, the research group’s Microgrid Deployment Tracker had identified 1,869 projects—representing a total capacity of 20.7 GW—operating, under development, or proposed across 123 countries worldwide. That compares to 18 GW of microgrid capacity identified in […]

  • Direct-Use Power Generation to Outpace Retail Sales Through 2050

    After decades of lethargic power demand—and negative growth in 2017—U.S. electricity use is expected to grow steadily through 2050, driven by a healthy economy and increasing efficiency, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) projects in its Annual Electricity Outlook 2018 (AEO2018). However, during that period, direct-use generation will outpace growth in retail sales as more […]

  • NRG Sells Renewables Assets, 3.6 GW of Louisiana Coal and Gas Power Plants

    NRG Energy, in a bid to shed $7 billion in consolidated debt, is selling the bulk of its renewable assets and development platforms along with several coal and natural gas power plants worth 3.6 GW tied to its South Central Generating business. The independent power producer, which recently relinquished bankrupt wholesale generator GenOn Energy to […]