POWERnews

The growth in renewable energy, along with new forms of power generation not dependent on transmission via the traditional grid, has created new business opportunities for both legacy generators and start-up power producers. BOND, a Massachusetts-based company founded in 1907, is today a fifth-generation construction management and civil and utility general contracting firm, providing services […]

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) gas is produced as a result of the microbial breakdown of organic materials in the absence of oxygen. It can be found in tanks, vaults, voids, and other confined spaces at industrial facilities including power plants. Besides being flammable and corrosive, H2S is also colorless and toxic, even in relatively low concentrations, […]

Declaring a national emergency over threats to the U.S. bulk power system (BPS), President Trump in an executive order (EO) on May 1 issued a sweeping ban on transactions by U.S. persons for electric equipment sourced abroad if the U.S. government determines they pose undue security risks. Because foreign adversaries are “increasingly creating and exploiting […]

Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE) on May 6 said delays to its renewable energy projects, in part due to supply chain disruptions from the coronavirus pandemic, will continue to negatively impact the company’s earnings this year. The company reported its fiscal second-quarter earnings on Wednesday and said the COVID-19 outbreak “had a direct negative impact […]

General Electric (GE) on May 4 said it plans to cut as many as 13,000 jobs from its Aviation unit this year, or about 25% of the division’s total workforce, as the company continues to feel the impacts of the global coronavirus pandemic. The cuts include a 10% reduction to its U.S. workforce previously announced […]

POWER Magazine   Jobs   White Papers  Webinars   Events   Store   April 30, 2020 Featured GE Reports $1 Billion Hit to Cash Flow General Electric (GE) on April 29 reported a steep drop in first-quarter revenue, with the industrial giant—like many companies—taking a major hit from the coronavirus pandemic. The company reported a… […]

General Electric (GE) on April 29 reported a steep drop in first-quarter revenue, with the industrial giant—like many companies—taking a major hit from the coronavirus pandemic. The company reported a year-over-year revenue decline of 8%, with posted revenue of $20.524 billion, and noted a $1 billion negative impact to cash flow during the quarter. The […]

U.S. power plant operators continue to change procedures at their facilities, including pushing back scheduled maintenance, due to lockdowns and quarantines associated with the coronavirus pandemic. The changes are impacting companies such as General Electric (GE) and Siemens, which are major service providers to power plants, at a time when these global companies already are […]

While scientists and health professionals huddle with public officials to determine the best course forward to combat COVID-19 and relax social distancing, more of our leaders must address the need to quickly create high paying, sustainable jobs—lots of them. COMMENTARY Frankly, the need has never been greater. Regardless of political ideology, our politicians must put […]

One of the two remaining operating reactors at the Indian Point Energy Center in Buchanan, New York, will close for good on April 30, shutting down early as part of an agreement between Entergy, the plant’s operator, the state of New York, and environmental groups who had pressured officials to close the plant. The 1,020-MW […]

Flagship power plant and equipment firm Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems (MHPS) plans to change its name to “Mitsubishi Power” once it receives approval from antitrust authorities in several countries. The rebrand announced by the Yokohama, Japan–headquartered MHPS on April 24 will reflect a change in ownership announced in December, when Japanese technology conglomerate Hitachi said […]

Moltex Energy, a privately held nuclear power development company headquartered in the UK with an office in New Brunswick, Canada, has entered into a collaboration agreement with Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) to support Moltex’s nuclear fuel development program for its Stable Salt Reactor (SSR), among the latest technology advancements for small modular reactors (SMRs). The […]

POWER Magazine   Jobs   White Papers  Webinars   Events   Store   April 23, 2020 Featured Nuclear Fuel Working Group Outlines How U.S. Could Regain Global Leadership The U.S. will attempt to regain its international standing as a world leader in nuclear energy through a three-pronged strategy that will essentially seek to strengthen the […]

The U.S. will attempt to regain its international standing as a world leader in nuclear energy through a three-pronged strategy that will essentially seek to strengthen the full domestic nuclear fuel cycle, possibly deny imports of nuclear fuel fabricated in Russia or China, and promote advanced reactor technologies. The strategy is outlined in the White […]

In many locations, solar power is already the lowest-cost renewable energy alternative available. Some of the advantage stems from advancements made in manufacturing processes and economies of scale that solar companies have captured. Operating costs also factor into the equation—solar’s operating costs are minimal while operating expenses for wind power are more substantial. Still, Brendan […]

To help nuclear generators manage worker fatigue amid the intensifying COVID-19 pandemic, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has so far granted individually requested exemptions from work-hour controls to seven U.S. nuclear power plants. As described by NRC Director of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Ho Nieh in March 28 letters sent to at least three industry leaders, […]

Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) announced April 22 that Bill Johnson, the president and CEO who took over those roles in the midst of the company’s bankruptcy proceedings, will step down June 30 after just more than one year on the job. The company said Bill Smith, a PG&E board member, will serve as interim […]

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has approved the North American Electric Reliability Corporation’s (NERC’s) motion to defer implementation of seven reliability standards—including for grid cybersecurity—that were slated to become effective this year. In an April 17 order, FERC approved NERC’s April 6 requested motion to defer the implementation of the standards, which have effective […]

The latest version of the Electricity Subsector Coordinating Council’s (ESCC’s) resource guide to assess and mitigate COVID-19 suggests the U.S. power sector continues to grapple with key concerns involving control center continuity, power plant continuity, access to restricted and quarantined areas, mutual assistance, and supply chain challenges. In its fifth and sixth versions of the […]

Independent power producer Neoen Australia said an expansion of the world’s largest lithium-ion battery system has completed its network connection, bringing the Tesla-supported Hornsdale Power Reserve, adjacent to a wind farm in South Australia, to a rated size of 150 MW/193.5 MWh. It’s the latest in a series of projects being developed worldwide to add […]

John Lammas, GE Power’s chief technology officer and vice president of generation technology, an innovator who championed breakthroughs in gas turbine technology both for jet travel and power generation, died suddenly on April 12. GE commemorated Lammas in an emotional tribute to his 35-year legacy at the technology conglomerate, noting his work could be seen […]

Legal challenges to the Trump administration’s Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) rule began in earnest April 17, as more than two dozen states and cities, along with several environmental activist groups, filed briefs with the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., seeking a rollback of power plant regulations that also have been decried by coal […]

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on April 16 withdrew the legal justification for an Obama-era rule that required coal-fired power plants to reduce their emissions of mercury. The Mercury and Air Toxic Standards (MATS) remains in place, but Thursday’s action by the Trump administration could prevent similar regulations from being implemented in the future. EPA […]

The trade group representing the U.S. wind energy industry says the sector emerged as the top provider of new utility-scale power generation in the nation in 2019, with 9.1 GW of large wind power projects coming online. The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), in its Wind Powers America Annual Report 2019 released April 16, said […]

POWER Magazine   Jobs   White Papers  Webinars   Events   Store   April 16, 2020 Featured Vogtle Workforce Reduced by 20%, but Other Projects Strong in March The COVID-19 outbreak and efforts to halt the spread of the virus are having a real impact at the Vogtle nuclear expansion construction site, but project starts […]

The U.S. nuclear power fleet last year achieved its lowest recorded average total generating costs in two decades—$30.42/MWh—though it ran at a record-high 93.4% average capacity factor. Total generating costs were 7.6% lower last year compared to the prior year, and have fallen nearly 32% since 2012. The numbers, highlighted in the Nuclear Energy Institute’s […]

The COVID-19 outbreak and efforts to halt the spread of the virus are having a real impact at the Vogtle nuclear expansion construction site, but project starts elsewhere were robust in March. Cutting Workforce Due to COVID-19 On April 15, Georgia Power announced in an 8-K filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that […]

The New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) on April 16 said weekday morning reductions in power consumption have averaged as much as 18% below typical levels, with the most dramatic drops noted in New York City as businesses remain closed during the COVID-19 pandemic. NYISO, in an updated analysis of estimated coronavirus demand impacts released […]

The renewable energy sector has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, with more than 106,000 U.S. workers losing their jobs last month, according to an analysis of unemployment data released April 15 from several clean energy groups. Wednesday’s report said hundreds of thousands more job losses in the sector are expected in the next […]

It’s an unprecedented time for power generators worldwide. Utilities, grid operators, equipment manufacturers, and others working to keep the lights on know that a reliable supply of electricity is more important than ever as the world battles through the coronavirus pandemic. Dino Barajas, who recently joined the finance arm of DLA Piper in Los Angeles, […]