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  • Texas Coal Plant Wins Tax Appraisal Case, Property Value Cut 60%

    The Sandy Creek coal-fired power plant—a 900-MW facility in Riesel, Texas—won a major victory in court on August 19 when a McLennan County jury agreed that the plant was appraised at a much higher value than justified by market conditions. The appraisal district had suggested the plant be valued at $900 million in 2014 and […]

  • First U.S. Offshore Wind Farm Nearing Operation

    It’s only 30 MW, but it’s a start. The Block Island Wind Farm, the first offshore wind farm in the U.S., completed installation of its five wind turbines in the waters off Rhode Island on Aug. 18 (Figure), setting the stage for full operations in a few weeks, owner Deepwater Wind said.     The […]

  • Carbon Emissions from Natural Gas to Exceed Coal’s in 2016

    By the end of this year, energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from natural gas could surpass emissions from coal for the first time in nearly 45 years, according to projections by the Energy Information Administration (EIA). The EIA’s latest Short-Term Energy Outlook notes that consumption of natural gas in the U.S. between 1990 and 2005 […]

  • Sulzer expands facility capability with new lathe

    Industrial gas turbines are increasing in size. As a result of this, repair facilities that overhaul and repair these machines must keep pace. One of the key tools is a large lathe. As one of the leading industrial gas turbine and rotor repair providers in the world, Sulzer has recently upgraded its service center in

  • New Mexico Clears Hurdle to Provide Power to Facebook Facility

    A unanimous vote by New Mexico’s Public Regulation Commission (PRC) today determined that Public Service Co. of New Mexico (PNM) will be allowed to provide new renewable capacity to a proposed Facebook facility through a special service agreement.

  • Support Wanes for Coal Industry Lobbying Groups

    The downturn in the U.S. coal industry isn’t just hurting coal mining and coal-heavy power companies; it’s also having a devastating effect on the groups formed to help promote the industry—coal lobbyists. Three of the most prominent coal lobbying groups have seen high-profile supporters drop off of their membership lists in recent years, and with […]

  • WEC Inks Deal for Gas Plants to Replace Presque Isle

    WEC Energy Group, parent company of We Energies, signed a deal with mining firm Cliffs Natural Resources that will support two natural gas engine plants in the Upper Peninsula (UP) region of Michigan and replace power currently supplied by the coal-fired Presque Isle Power Plant, due to retire in 2020 (Figure 1).   The deal […]

  • Warming Climate Likely to Have “Minor” Impact on Power Plant Output

    According to a Duke University study, future climate warming will likely cause only minor reductions in power output at most U.S. coal- and gas-fired power plants.

  • Pioneer PSEG Improves Performance

    PSEG is faced with providing economic and reliable power as demand and fuel prices fluctuate, while maintaining a profitable business.

  • Massive Fire Forces DTE Energy’s St. Clair Power Plant Offline

    A massive fire broke out at DTE Energy’s St. Clair Power Plant in the early evening on August 11. Firefighters reportedly received the call for assistance at around 6:30 p.m. and fought the blaze well into the following morning. Video taken during the incident shows flames in several spots on the north end of the […]