POWERnews

Ohio regulators have approved construction of a 200-MW natural gas-fired power plant in Licking County, a project designed to provide electricity for an affiliate of tech company Meta.

Agilitas Energy, a developer and operator of renewable energy and energy storage systems, announced the commissioning of a 9.96-MW/22.4-MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) in Houston, Texas. The project marks the first distributed generation BESS interconnected to CenterPoint Energy’s distribution system and participating in Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT)’s wholesale delivery market.

Microgrids have grown in importance as the need for a reliable and resilient supply of power has grown. The technology has proven itself for a variety of commercial and industrial (C&I) enterprises, in both urban and rural areas where a source of off-grid—or in some cases grid-connected—energy is needed, whether a backup power or as a primary source of electricity.

Energy equipment group GE Vernova said it has commissioned the first of four 250-MW variable speed units at THDC India Limited’s Tehri Pumped Storage Hydropower Plant, part of the Tehri Hydropower Complex. The 1-GW expansion will increase the facility’s power generation capacity to 2.4 GW, making it the country’s largest hydropower plant.

As threats to power companies rise—from cyberattacks to theft and vandalism—many utilities are rethinking how to secure facilities and critical infrastructure. Outdated systems that constantly trigger false alarms from wind, weather, or wildlife are draining resources—making it imperative for utilities to modernize their security to improve response, cut costs and reduce reliance on armed personnel. […]

The Southwest Power Pool (SPP) regional transmission organization (RTO) is joining with energy technology company Hitachi on development of what the groups say is an artificial intelligence (AI)-based solution to support power transmission reliability and flexibility challenges.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has approved NuScale Power’s uprated 77-MWe (250-MWth) small modular reactor (SMR) design, clearing the nuclear technology firm’s second standard design approval (SDA). The development marks a boost for ENTRA1 Energy, NuScale’s exclusive commercialization partner, which is in “various stages of discussions with potential customers” in the U.S. and abroad, the […]

Telecom giant AT&T has signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) for generation from a new solar power project in Texas. Enbridge, a Canada-based energy group, on June 4 marked the start of operations for the 130-MW Orange Grove Solar installation near Corpus Christi. The array is Enbridge’s first in Texas. The company on Wednesday said AT&T has a long-term virtual PPA for the project.

The current state of play for tariffs is creating headwinds and challenges, along with complexity and uncertainty, for global economies and certainly the renewable energy industry. While the renewable energy sector is no stranger to tariffs and the “challenge” they present, knowing the current status of such tariffs is the first step to developing mechanisms for dealing with them in a way that can give your project the best chance at success.

A hydrogen production company that develops the fuel using renewable energy is moving forward with plans for a $1.85-billion solar-powered manufacturing facility in California.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on May 13 of this year issued an order addressing the formula rate filings and requests for transmission rate incentives for the Valley Link Transmission Project Portfolio. The project is a $3-billion, 417-mile multi-state transmission initiative spanning Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia (collectively, Valley Link). While FERC approved several […]

The Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) abrupt termination of 24 previously awarded projects—including four prominent power-related carbon capture projects— will rescind $3.7 billion in financial assistance from its Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED). In a terse press release on May 30, the DOE cited “a thorough and individualized financial review” in its justification for canceling […]

Technology group Meta, the parent of Facebook and Instagram, has signed a 20-year power purchase agreement with Constellation Energy to take about 1.1 GW of electricity from Constellation’s Clinton Clean Energy Center in Illinois. Meta and Constellation on June 3 said the contract means the power plant will continue to operate beyond its expected closure in 2027.

National Grid in the UK has begun construction of a new Uxbridge Moor substation complex in Buckinghamshire, a project designed to connect more than one dozen new data centers to the electricity provider’s network.

Rolls-Royce said it will more than double its production of backup power generation systems for data
centers, and build a new facility in Minnesota, as part of a $24-million investment in U.S. manufacturing.

For engineering management and engineers, the total power market is rapidly changing globally. Consequently, North American district heating networks and industrial processors are taking note of key developments in the European power market today. Specifically, Finland has set one of the most advanced climate policies in the region, committing to carbon neutrality by 2035.

The Department of Energy (DOE) has issued its third Section 202(c) emergency order in the past two weeks, this time to bolster reliability in PJM Interconnection by compelling Constellation Energy to keep Units 3 and 4 of its dual-fuel Eddystone Generating Station in Pennsylvania open beyond their scheduled retirement date of May 31, 2025. The […]

A startup company led by former executives with major technology and energy groups is betting on the use of natural gas and battery energy storage to provide data centers with on-site power, freeing those sites from reliance on the traditional power grid.

While many utilities are hardening power grid infrastructure by upgrading poles and wires—a necessary step—brute force solutions alone won’t be enough. To truly future-proof the grid, resilience must be rooted in intelligence via systems that anticipate, adapt, and respond dynamically.

Concentrated solar power (CSP) plants with thermal energy storage (TES) systems face significant material challenges. Specifically, industry-standard 347H austenitic stainless steel used in the manufacture of molten salt tanks can be subject to severe stress relaxation cracking (SRC). The results of a consortium project could have an answer for the problem. The findings suggest that […]

The Department of Energy (DOE) has issued an emergency order to delay the closure of Consumer Energy’s 1,560-MW J.H. Campbell coal-fired power plant in West Olive, Michigan, citing urgent reliability concerns for the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) grid as the Midwest braces for peak summer electricity demand.  The rare order, issued May 23 by Energy […]

Regulators in Wisconsin have approved We Energies’ plan to invest about $1.5 billion for construction of two new natural gas-fired power plants in the southeastern part of the state. The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin on May 22 said it backs the utility’s proposal for gas-fired facilities in Oak Creek in Milwaukee County, and Paris […]

ACCIONA Energía has announced the start of commercial operations at the company’s 280-MW Forty Mile Wind Farm in Alberta, Canada. The Forty Mile installation is one of Canada’s 10 largest wind farms and the largest facility of its kind that ACCIONA Energía has built to date in North America.

Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) and Smart Wires have announced a project to enhance grid reliability and meet energy commitments for data centers connecting in San Jose, California. North Carolina-based Smart Wires will deploy its advanced power flow control (APFC) technology to help PG&E mitigate thermal overloads, redirect power flow, and increase available capacity at its Los Esteros electric substation.

New York-headquartered Plug Power said the company’s hydrogen plant in Woodbine, Georgia, produced 300 metric tons of liquid hydrogen in April of this year, the facility’s highest monthly output to date and a new benchmark for the U.S. hydrogen industry.

Toyota Boshoku America (TBA), Onyx Renewables, and key project partners gathered on May 28 for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the completion of a 5.7-MW solar project that will fulfill 85% of electricity needs at TBA’s Illinois plant with clean, affordable energy.

A battery energy storage system (BESS) described as the largest deployed to date in the European Union (EU) has been commissioned in Bulgaria. Officials with the country’s Ministry of Energy said the 124-MW/496.2-MWh BESS, also the largest in the Balkans, supports the stability of Bulgaria’s power grid along with its transition to the use of more renewable energy resources.

Avangrid said it would invest $41 million across five projects in New York State to improve the capacity and reliability of the regional power grid. The company, a member of the Iberdrola Group, said the funding for the grid around Ithaca, New York, builds on Avangrid’s effort to modernize New York’s electrical and gas infrastructure.

The uncertainty surrounding the global tariff war is reshaping the landscape of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) within the energy sector. This dynamic environment presents both challenges and opportunities for investors, compelling them to navigate a complex web of trade policies, supply chain disruptions, and geopolitical shifts.

Type One Energy announced on May 27 that it had successfully completed the first formal design review of Infinity Two, which is based on the world’s only implementable, peer-reviewed physics basis for a fusion power plant recently published by the prestigious Journal of Plasma Physics. The Infinity Two design is progressing in support of a […]