POWER
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News
New Abrupt Arched Expansion Joint
The new Garlock 204 EPS (extreme pressure service) abrupt arched expansion joint is now available for applications where necessary rated pressures exceed those of the Garlock Style 204 and 204 HP designs. Fully customizable and available in concentric or eccentric designs, the expansion joint features a seamless tube to ensure a reliable seal from flange […]
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Gas
Europe Embraces Shale Gas
Several European governments have so far this year bucked a reluctance to extract shale gas via hydraulic fracking even as the practice continues to be strongly opposed in countries like France and Bulgaria.
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News
Versatile Boiler Inspection Light
Larson Electronics announced the release of a boiler inspection light with folding boom designed to provide versatile deployment capabilities and high-output illumination. The WALBL-2X1000WMH Boiler Light features a right-angle extension arm, wheeled base, and a pair of 1,000-W metal halide lamps for effective illumination during the servicing and maintenance of boilers and tanks. The boiler […]
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Business
Bulgarian PM Quits Over Power Price Protests
Protests in more than 20 cities by tens of thousands of Bulgarians over January electricity bills that averaged more than €100 ($130) forced the country’s prime minister, Boyko Borissov, and his center-right government to resign in mid-February.
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News
PV Panel Surge Protection Devices
The ABB Low Voltage Products division released a line of OVR PV UL 1449 3rd Edition, pluggable DC DIN Rail surge protection devices (SPD) specifically designed for photovoltaic (PV) applications. The new SPDs protect solar panels from damage from direct and indirect lightning strikes, which solar panels are especially susceptible to because of their large, […]
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Business
THE BIG PICTURE: Subsidy Tug-of-War
Government decisions to subsidize renewable power to increase its capacity for environmental and security reasons have spurred investments but also increased cross-border tensions. Increasingly, legal actions that seek to settle international trade disputes allege unfair subsidization.
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Commentary
The Pacific Northwest’s Wind Fleet Integration Struggles
Mae West said, “Too much of a good thing can be taxing.” The Pacific Northwest has a good thing—plentiful, carbon-free power from its huge wind and hydroelectric fleets. But wind’s huge variability can be taxing. The Northwest’s scramble to integrate growing wind generation, and the resulting litigation melee, underscore the importance of quickly solving the variable resource integration puzzle.
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O&M
Battling White Rust
Does your power plant use a chiller for combustion turbine inlet air cooling or other processes that reject heat? If so, there is a good chance you also have an auxiliary cooling tower or a wet surface air cooler to cool these systems.
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Legal & Regulatory
Filling the Hole in California’s Capacity Procurement Plan
In February, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) yet again missed an important opportunity to correct structural flaws that have plagued the state’s wholesale generation market in the wake of the 2001 energy crisis.
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O&M
TVA’s Paradise Unit 2 Sets New Continuous Operations Record
Paradise Fossil Plant Unit 2’s record-setting performance of 259+ days of continuous operation for a cyclone-fired boiler is attributed to excellence in plant operations and maintenance processes, a diligent and well-trained staff, and leadership that places high value on both. The Paradise experience proves that plants can’t help getting older, but they don’t have to get old.