POWER
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O&M
Design Tomorrow’s Combined Cycle Power Plant Using Previous Lessons Learned
Today’s construction boom in the combined cycle/cogeneration sector is great news for suppliers of gas turbines (GTs), heat recovery steam generators (HRSGs), and engineer-procure-construct (EPC) services. But before this boom advances from artist’s sketches (Figure 1) to first fires, the designers of all those next-generation combined cycles should pause to reflect on the lessons learned […]
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Infographics
THE BIG PICTURE: Nuclear Financial Meltdown
Cheap natural gas, stagnant power demand, and power prices that have fallen significantly since 2008 have jeopardized the economics of about two-thirds of the nation’s 100-GW nuclear capacity, according to a working paper from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research. About 21 GW in merchant deregulated markets are […]
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Coal
South Korean President Details Phase-out of Coal, Nuclear Power
During his electoral campaign, South Korean President Moon Jae-in vowed to end the country’s reliance on coal and also said the nation would move away from nuclear energy. He took a major step in that
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O&M
The Importance of Maintaining Fly Ash Hopper Bin Level Monitoring
The power industry has a critical need to measure the bin level inside fly ash hoppers under electrostatic precipitators (ESPs). The inherent problem associated with these hoppers is that they are usually
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Commentary
Baseload Regulation in a Post-Clean Power Plan World
The relationship between affordable and reliable electric power and the economy, standard of living, and physical well being of Americans is beyond doubt. In the past several years, the burden of environmental
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O&M
Capturing Carbon and Seizing Innovation: Petra Nova Is POWER’s Plant of the Year
Winning POWER’s highest honor, the U.S.’s first and world’s largest commercial post-combustion carbon capture system at a power plant is distinctively both a globally significant environmental
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O&M
Flexibility, Efficiency, and Low Emissions Make Repowered Facility a Success
The Glenarm Power Plant has been keeping the lights on around Pasadena, California, for more than 110 years. The historic site has expanded over time and has included a total of 17 different power generation
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O&M
Closed Circuit Reverse Osmosis System Squeezes Money Savings Out of Water Management
In water-strapped California, managing power plant water usage is more important than ever. Southern California Edison implemented novel closed circuit reverse osmosis systems at five of its gas-fired
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O&M
Ameren’s TAC Microgrid Seamlessly Integrates Distributed Energy Resources
The microgrid installation at the Ameren Illinois Technology Applications Center (TAC) near the University of Illinois campus in Champaign—designed, engineered, and constructed by S&C Electric Co. of
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O&M
Collaboration and Innovation Produce a Powerful Microgrid Solution
The challenge was to take a facility that was far off the grid, and move it forward as an energy self-sufficient complex while also turning an idea into a commercially viable product. That was the impetus
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History
Microgrids: An Old Concept Could Be New Again
Self-contained, small islands of electric generation, storage and distribution inside the existing grid–microgrids–could be the next big thing in electricity. But some argue they may be just another
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Coal
Market Dynamics Are Complicated as Coal Battles Natural Gas
Several factors favor natural gas when it comes to the future of U.S. power generation. But other forces, such as power demand, energy efficiency, and the impact of renewables, make it a complex fray. Let’s
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Commentary
Is Natural Gas Threatening Grid Reliability?
If you’ve been paying attention to the power markets in recent years, you know that merchant coal and nuclear power plants are struggling to compete against natural gas-fired generation and renewable
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O&M
Stepping Up Cybersecurity: Power Producers Move Ahead
The energy sector has been hit with almost one-third of the cyberattacks against U.S. industrial facilities in recent years. It is among the top issues, along with reliability, environmental regulations, and
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Renewables
China Connects Panda-Shaped Solar Plant to the Grid
In late June, Panda Green Energy Group Limited connected the first-ever panda bear-shaped solar plant to the grid. The plant, which is currently in its testing phase, is only the beginning. “This is the
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O&M
A Proactive Program to Mitigate Coal Dust Reduces the Risk of Explosions
Coal, by its very nature, is a dusty fuel. That poses a serious risk at coal-fired power plants, because coal dust can be highly explosive. However, actions can be taken to reduce the risk. Implementing strict
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O&M
Three Companies Evaluate Natural Gas Unit Conversion to Hydrogen for Carbon Capture
Three major firms want to evaluate the possibility of converting a natural gas–fired power plant in the Netherlands into a hydrogen-powered plant to possibly capture its carbon emissions. Statoil
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O&M
3-D Laser Scanning of Nuclear Plant Piping Systems Reduces Radiation Exposure
It’s no secret that high-radiation areas are scattered throughout nuclear power plant facilities. The challenge is getting work done in those areas while keeping exposure to workers as low as possible. On
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Gas
Iran Puts CHP Plant, Transmission Line into Service
Iran on July 12 began operating its first combined heat and power (CHP) plant, a 14.4-MW facility in the Yazd Province in central Iran. The managing director of Yazd Regional Electricity Co., Mohammad Hassan
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Commentary
The Impact of Alternative Energy on Electricity Pricing
The rise of some sources of alternative energy such as renewables, storage, energy efficiency, and demand response, and decline in others—specifically nuclear—will continue to impact regional gas and
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Coal
Canadian Carbon Price Hits a Wall in Saskatchewan
If the province of Saskatchewan does not join Canada’s carbon pricing scheme, it will be unable to benefit from the nation’s recently announced Low Carbon Economy Fund. Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall said
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Renewables
POWER Digest (August 2017)
Rosatom Gets Approval to Proceed with Turkish Reactors. Turkey’s energy watchdog EPDK in mid-June gave Russia’s state-owned nuclear entity Rosatom the green light to proceed with construction of the $20
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Coal
Retrofitting Electrostatic Precipitators to Meet Current Emission Limits
Electrostatic precipitators (ESPs) offer a tried-and-true technology for particulate matter control. However, existing ESPs can be challenged to meet the latest regulatory requirements. Retrofitting power
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Infographics
Humboldt Bay Generating Station: A Case Study in Emissions Control Troubleshooting
It can be a challenge to keep emissions in check while operating dual-fuel reciprocating engine technology during low-load conditions. However, doing so is especially important under California’s strict
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Infographics
New Capture Technology Holds Key to Reaching Carbon Emissions Targets
Some naysayers have argued that developing carbon capture technology for use on fossil-fueled power plants is pure folly. But research and pilot tests have continued nonetheless, and various solutions have
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Legal & Regulatory
Particle Sizing in Emissions Samples by Scanning Electron Microscopy
With low particulate loading common in stack emissions these days, particulate matter measurement can be difficult using traditional techniques. Microscopical measurement of particle-size distributions offers
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Infographics
Technological Advancements in Cooling Water Treatment
Regulatory agencies are becoming more and more critical of phosphorus-based water treatment chemicals because they can have a negative impact on lakes and waterways. In the past, treating cooling water with
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Commentary
The Future Looks Bright for Natural Gas-Fired Power Generation but Price Volatility Is a Wild Card
The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) earlier this year reported that the power sector was poised to add 11.2 GW of new natural gas–fired capacity in 2017. If that forecast proves accurate, it
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Renewables
MISO: Avoiding the Mess Facing Other Wholesale Competitive Electric Markets
The Midcontinent Independent System Operator’s (MISO’s) geographic footprint extends down the middle of the U.S. Because of the structure of its market, MISO has artfully avoided some nasty policy and