POWER
-
Legal & Regulatory
Power in the Shadows: Energy and Environment in the Shadow Docket
In three front-page rulings this summer, the U.S. Supreme Court made sweeping changes to the ways that federal judges will review future agency actions—including a rejection of its longstanding Chevron
-
Energy Storage
Fire Suppression for Battery Energy Storage Systems
As demand for electrical energy storage systems (ESS) has expanded, safety has become a critical concern. This article examines lithium-ion battery ESS housed in outdoor enclosures, which represent the most
-
Energy Storage
Lessen Risk for Battery Energy Storage with Analytics Software
Battery energy storage systems (BESS) have emerged as a crucial technology for storing and dispatching energy when needed. However, the rapid expansion of BESS has been accompanied by safety and risk management challenges. Most BESS units use lithium-ion batteries, which require particular care to avoid fire concerns. Though lithium-ion BESS is overall a safe and […]
-
Energy Storage
How Energy Storage Can Turn Oversupply into Opportunity
Renewable energy intermittency isn’t only a challenge when the sun isn’t shining or the wind isn’t blowing. For many regions, oversupply of renewable electricity during sunny and windy periods with low grid demand creates its own economic and operational challenges. In California, more than 2.7 TWh of renewable energy—primarily solar—was curtailed last year during such […]
-
Nuclear
Solid Leadership and Experience Are Keys to Successful Nuclear Plant Construction Projects
One of the biggest challenges the nuclear power industry faces is building plants on time and on budget. Having an experienced project team with the right leaders driving the bus, so to speak, can mean the
-
Nuclear
Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant Cuts Nation’s Reliance on Natural Gas-Fired Electricity Generation
In a strategic move to reduce its heavy dependence on Russian natural gas, Belarus has successfully completed its first nuclear power plant (NPP). The Belarusian NPP, featuring two VVER-1200 reactors, now
-
Nuclear
Artificial Intelligence Has Entered the Nuclear Industry and Its Early Benefits Are Just the Tip of the Iceberg
A collaboration between startup Atomic Canyon and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory allowed construction of a sentence-embedding model using 53 million pages of Nuclear Regulatory Commission documents
-
Nuclear
Financing the Nuclear Renaissance
At the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, last December, 25 countries underlined the role of nuclear energy in their climate strategies by issuing a
-
Nuclear
Mobility, Flexibility, Scalability: SMRs Forging Nuclear’s Future
The need for emissions-free power generation, along with the ability to provide more power when and where it’s needed, is driving research and development of smaller nuclear reactors. Energy industry
-
Trends
Can Nuclear’s Big Recent Wins Propel a True Global Revival?
While the past year has marked stunning triumphs for nuclear energy, experts caution that high costs, regulatory bottlenecks, and the need for market alignment remain major hurdles on the path to a true
-
Nuclear
Tear It Down or Start It Back Up? Plant Owners Weigh Options Around Retired Reactors
Nuclear power plants are still being dismantled, and the business of decommissioning remains strong, but the need for more baseload power and emissions-free generation has some companies ready to restart idled
-
Trends
Nuclear Fuel: The Unseen Barrier Ahead
As global nuclear ambitions surge, the industry’s fuel supply chain faces critical gaps. Can advanced fuels like HALEU (high-assay low-enriched uranium) and TRISO (TRi-structural ISOtropic particle fuel)
-
Nuclear
Idaho Digital Twin Project Trailblazing for Nuclear
In 2023, Idaho National Laboratory (INL) and Idaho State University unveiled the industry’s first near real-time digital twin of a nuclear reactor. The virtual replica of the 5-Wth AGN-201 research reactor
-
Trends
How Nuclear O&M Is Evolving for the Emerging Power Paradigm
In its quest to drive down costs while boosting safety, the nuclear industry has ramped up efforts to streamline operations and maintenance (O&M). New approaches target efficiency and resilience. If there
-
Commentary
Nuclear Energy Comeback Action Is at the State Level
This is indeed an extraordinary time to be in nuclear energy. Case in point: Over the past few months, we have seen an announcement between Microsoft and Constellation Energy to restart the Three Mile Island
-
Nuclear
Continued Excellent Nuclear Power Plant Performance Bodes Well for Future Prospects
The carbon-free attributes and consistently high fleet performance have led to increasing momentum behind nuclear power. With ambitious plans to triple global nuclear capacity by 2050, the nuclear industry is
-
Engineering
Jackson Generation Pioneers North America’s First M501JAC Gas Turbines
The Jackson Generation plant, a 1.2-GW combined cycle power plant in Elwood, Illinois, debuted North America’s first M501JAC gas turbines. Developed by J-POWER USA, the facility has emerged as a model for
-
Gas
Ohio Facility Supports PJM Power Supply in Heart of Major Shale Plays
Caithness Energy’s Guernsey Power Station, which features GE Vernova equipment, is an important gas-fired facility helping replace retired coal-fired generation in the PJM Interconnection territory
-
Gas
Innovative Gas-Fired Power Station Supports Taiwan’s Need for More Energy
A GE Vernova-led project, completed in just 10 months, is helping Taiwan’s efforts for a more reliable power supply, along with supporting the integration of renewable energy resources in the country. Taiwan
-
Top Plant
SEIL Energy India: A Coal Plant Model for Performance and Sustainability
SEIL Energy India Limited, the only coal plant to win a POWER Top Plant award this year, stands out for its advanced supercritical technology, exceptional operational performance, and commitment to
-
Business
Attarat Power Plant Unlocks Domestic Energy Source for Jordan
Oil shale doesn’t fuel a lot of power plants around the world, but in Jordan, it’s a vital option, offering energy security and independence. The success of the Attarat Power Plant in capitalizing on this
-
Hydrogen
THE BIG PICTURE: Hydrogen Cofiring at U.S. Gas Power Plants (Infographic)
While natural gas power accounted for 43% of total U.S. power generation in 2023, several state and federal policies aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions are bolstering interest in hydrogen cofiring. These policies include the Environmental Protection Agency’s recently finalized Carbon Pollution Standards, federal production tax credits, and the federal hydrogen hub program. However, only […]
-
Workforce
Best Places to Work in the Power Industry 2024
Earlier this year, POWER partnered with Best Companies Group (BCG), an organization dedicated to identifying and recognizing outstanding workplaces across various industries, to launch our Best Places to Work
-
Gas
Diversification Key to Finland’s Goals Around Energy and Environment
Finland has a diversified energy mix, comprised mostly of renewable energy resources and nuclear power. Recent power generation project announcements highlight this diversification, which has led to industry
-
Energy Storage
Italy to Debut Industrial Sand Battery
Italian firm Magaldi Group, a specialist in ultra-high-temperature material handling, is poised to deploy its first large-scale application of a novel thermal energy storage system that uses a fluidized bed of
-
O&M
Minimize Risks with Robotic Generator Inspections and Comprehensive Testing
Historically, generator inspections require rotor removal (Figure 3). There’s a significant level of risk during this process due to possible generator damage during the disassembly, and it also requires
-
Biomass
Marnie Surfaceblow: It’s Ghostbusting Time … Again
Everything happens for a reason, and fantastic events often have mundane causes. Two women silently waited in their rental car next to a guard hut, sheltered under spreading banana tree leaves. Sunlight
-
News and Notes
POWER Digest [October 2024]
China Completes World’s Largest Pumped Storage Facility. China has completed the 3.6-GW Fengning Pumped Storage Power Station, in Hebei province. Operated by the State Grid Corp. of China (SGCC), the
-
Business
The Queensland SuperGrid Marries the Old and the New
The Australian state of Queensland is in the midst of a rapid changeover from coal to renewables. From 70% coal generation today, it is switching to 70% renewables by 2032. This means phasing out 8.1 GW of coal and some of its 3 GW of gas generation, while simultaneously building at least 25 GW of […]
-
Full Coverage
Powering Performance with an Integrated Approach to Cooling Water
Power plant managers know that optimizing cooling water operations will improve efficiency. Using an integrated approach that combines advanced chemistry, digital technologies, such as deposit sensing, and