GAS POWER Direct

The shift toward greater reliance on natural gas for power generation is not just a story of greater efficiency and lower emissions. There are also lurking risks to reliability unless the natural gas and electricity industries can plan carefully for the future.

Duke Energy’s once coal-heavy fleet is making a big transition to gas. Two new advanced combined cycle plants, and a third set to start up later this year, are a key part of the North Carolina–based firm’s drive to modernize its portfolio.

>Gas-fired power has a growing and well-established niche in providing load-following for wind farms. But two recent reports suggest the demand on these plants may be greater than anticipated, as long-term output from wind may be falling short of original projections.

>Finding ways to deliver the gas for the next generation of gas-fired power plants is perhaps the biggest challenge facing the power sector in the coming decade.

Why do some HRSG economizers and feedwater preheaters seem to suffer tube failures more frequently than others? If frequent failure is your problem, the cause may not necessarily be your heat exchanger’s design or how often you cycle your plant. Don’t forget to carefully check your feedwater controls—they may be cycling more than your HRSG.

Not everyone is thrilled to have a power plant go up in their neighborhood, but residents of a Michigan town in need of jobs and investment are celebrating theirs.

Increased cycling is now a fact of life for many combined cycle power plants, even those once used for baseload. The shift in regime can have many associated costs, not all of which are obvious.

Shale gas production continues to surge as demand for cheap gas grows. But will state and federal regulation and a wave of local bans choke off the boom?

The shale gas boom is expected to add considerably to the world’s energy mix in coming decades. But this energy-intensive industry is also going to need its own power. How much? Try at least 100 GW worldwide.

The fourth quarter of 2012 saw continued growth in gas power development, with at least 8 GW of new projects announced for the U.S. alone.