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California Gov. Jerry Brown and members of the California legislature have agreed on a package of “sweeping” reforms designed to overhaul the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), increase transparency, and change how the CPUC conducts much of its business. The changes come in the wake of repeated disclosures of illegal ex parte meetings and communications […]

The second World Nuclear Exhibition (WNE) began on June 28 in Le Bourget, just outside Paris, with the usual mixed messages about the need for and challenges of nuclear power globally. During the opening ceremony, Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), noted that the event was being held in the same […]

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, nuclear power has accounted for about 20% of electricity generated in the U.S. each year since 1990. In fact, the U.S. nuclear fleet out produced France—the country with the next highest nuclear generation—by more than two to one in 2012. Russia was a distant third, generating less than […]

Although it’s not widely publicized, a majority of the energy used to generate electricity is wasted in the form of heat discharged to the environment. For better or worse, that’s just the way a typical thermal power plant works. Fuel, such as coal, biomass, natural gas, or uranium (in the case of nuclear plants), is […]

Enrico Viale, head of global thermal generation for the Italian energy company Enel, kicked off an international power industry event yesterday with a keynote presentation describing the “needs” of utilities in the future.

Painting Shop Management: Exploring Wet Scrub vs. Dry Scrub Options—Part 1
Having options usually means weighing positives vs. negatives, benefits vs. costs. When it comes to paint shop management for large-scale operations, we provide two unique and comprehensive cleaning and maintenance options. Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) encounter two common issues during their automotive production: paint overspray

The first operational rules finalized by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for routine commercial use of drones could have major implications for utilities and power companies, which are increasingly using them for operations and maintenance. The new rules (Part 107 of the Federal Aviation Regulations) that apply to unmanned aircraft systems (UAS)—or drones—weighing less than […]

Diablo Canyon, the two-reactor nuclear power plant on the central California coastline, will be permanently shuttered by 2025 under a renewables-boosting initiative announced today by its owner, Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E). The company on June 21 unveiled a “joint proposal” with labor and environmental groups that seeks to increase investment in energy efficiency, energy […]

Florida Light and Power (FPL) wants to buy and phase out another coal-fired power plant in Florida, a move it says will save its customers an estimated $129 million when new gas-fired infrastructure is built in the state. The NextEra subsidiary on June 20 filed a petition for the Florida Public Service Commission’s (PSC’s) approval […]

Guinness World Records recognized GE’s HA gas turbine for powering the world’s most efficient—up to 62.22%—combined cycle power plant. The first unit equipped with an HA turbine officially began operation on June 17 at EDF’s plant located in Bouchain, France. “Today we are making history with this power plant for the future,” said Steve Bolze, […]