POWERnews
-
Gas
Simple Cycle, Combined Cycle, or a Hybrid Approach?
Simple cycle gas turbines provide efficiency levels of around 35% to 40%. Combined cycle units boost efficiency to 60% and beyond. But another option is emerging that combines the attributes of simple and combined cycle designs. This hybrid configuration uses a single power turbine expander and recycles exhaust heat back to the combustor to combine […]
-
Nuclear
What Are Microreactors and How Soon Could We See One in Operation
Microreactors are a class of very small modular reactors targeted for non-conventional nuclear markets. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) supports a variety of advanced reactor designs, including gas, liquid-metal, molten-salt, and heat-pipe-cooled concepts. In the U.S., microreactor developers are currently focused on designs that could be deployed as early as the mid-2020s. The key […]
-
Solar
Major Texas Solar Project Will Power Google’s Data Centers, Cloud Operations
A company backed by Japan’s SoftBank Group and Ares Climate Infrastructure said three solar power of its projects are now online in Texas. SB Energy, a renewable energy group focused on utility-scale installations, said the solar farms—with about 900 MW of combined generation capacity—will support the state’s power grid and provide electricity for Google’s data […]
-
Hydrogen
Concerns About Appalachian Hydrogen Hub as Companies Drop Out; New Participants Sought
A report from a group that looks at economic conditions in the Appalachia region of the U.S. says a hydrogen hub proposed for the area already faces significant challenges. The Ohio River Valley Institute in a research brief published this month said five of the 15 originally proposed projects in the hub have been canceled, […]
-
Power
BLM Approves Major 2-GW Geothermal Project in Utah
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has given the go-ahead for a major geothermal energy project in Utah. The agency announced final approval for Fervo Energy’s Cape Geothermal Power Project in Beaver County, which the BLM said would use advanced geothermal technology to produce up to 2 GW of electricity. The BLM, part of the […]
Tagged in: -
Interview
The POWER Interview: Energy Storage Supports Europe’s Decarbonization
The European Commission, the executive arm of the European Union (EU), has said countries across the continent should be encouraged to deploy energy storage. The group has said storage will support the integration of renewable energy resources to the grid, and increase power system flexibility. The use of energy storage also is key to Europe’s […]
Tagged in: -
Research and Development
Digital Transformation: Fueling Solutions for Today’s Energy and Utilities’ Challenges
Energy and utilities companies are grappling with unprecedented challenges. With the cost of electricity surging by 28.5% in just five years, the average American now spends nearly $300 a month on utilities, leading to a rise in customer defaults and mounting bad debt. Global energy demand is only set to grow in the coming years […]
-
Nuclear
DOE Releases $900M to Spur Gen III+ Nuclear SMR Deployment, Targets Two ‘First Mover’ Projects
A $900 million funding opportunity released by the Department of Energy (DOE) on Oct. 16 seeks to spur “first mover” teams that could deploy the first two Gen III+ light water small modular reactors (SMRs) in the U.S. It will also provide funding for “fast follower” deployment support by addressing critical gaps that have long […]
-
Coal
Power Demand from Data Centers Keeping Coal-Fired Plants Online
The power generation sector is looking at numerous ways to provide enough electricity to satisfy demand from data centers. Bloomberg Intelligence recently said its research shows data centers, buildings filled with servers and other computing equipment for data storage and networking that supports operations and artificial intelligence (AI), could be responsible for as much as […]
-
Renewables
Sumitomo, CEP Solar Form JV for Renewable Energy in Virginia
Japan’s Sumitomo Corp and Perennial Power Holdings Inc., a subsidiary of Sumitomo Corp. of Americas, have set up a joint venture with Virginia-based CEP Solar LLC to deliver renewable energy projects across Virginia. The companies said the JV will provide support for the state’s energy supply, in part to help with power demand from Virginia’s […]
Tagged in: