POWERnews

Although the electricity generation and transportation sectors account for a far greater share of greenhouse gas emissions than the residential and commercial building sector, policy makers are targeting building electrification as a means for making a significant contribution to economy-wide emission reductions. Federal, state, and local governments are using various policy levers toward this goal, […]

Findings from research led by a team that included a former U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) chairperson and experts from Stanford University suggests small modular reactors (SMRs) will generate more radioactive waste than conventional gigawatt-scale nuclear units. The results were released in a research article published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences […]

POWER Magazine   Jobs   White Papers  Webinars   Events   Store   June 9, 2022 GE Debuts First 7HA.03 Gas Turbines at 1.3-GW Plant in Florida The first two GE 7HA.03 machines—the largest 60-Hz heavy-duty gas turbines in the world and the most efficient in GE’s fleet—are now operational at Florida Power & Light’s […]

The Department of Defense (DOD) has picked BWX Technologies’ (BWXT’s) microreactor design for its “Project Pele” full-scale transportable prototype. The selection closes out a much-watched contest with X-energy for the contract from the DOD’s Strategic Capabilities Office (SCO) to build and operate what could be the nation’s first advanced microreactor.  Lynchburg, Virginia-based BWXT will now […]

The Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) first official loan guarantee for a new clean energy technology project since 2014 will go to the Advanced Clean Energy Storage 1 project in Utah—one of the world’s largest renewable hydrogen energy projects.  The DOE on June 8 announced it closed on the $504.4 million loan guarantee for the first […]

The first step to solving a problem is recognizing that one is present. An operations team cannot adequately put a sufficient maintenance plan in place if there is no awareness that maintenance is required. One particular area that used to suffer much more regularly from this lack of diagnosis in a power plant setting is […]

Versatile and plentiful, hydrogen could go a long way toward helping the world meet its climate targets. Already, it’s a component in all eight of the European Commission’s (EC’s) net-zero emissions scenarios for 2050. Meanwhile, in the U.S., the Department of Energy has initiatives that will spur significant investment in the hydrogen economy—efforts boosted by […]

The U.S. Dept. of Energy (DOE) on June 8 shared an interview with Dr. Kathryn Huff, the DOE’s new assistant secretary for nuclear energy. Huff was confirmed by the Senate earlier this month and takes over a $1.7 billion research and development portfolio for the Office of Nuclear Energy (NE). Prior to her confirmation, she served […]

The first two GE 7HA.03 machines—the largest 60-Hz heavy-duty gas turbines in the world and the most efficient in GE’s fleet—are now operational at Florida Power & Light’s (FPL’s) newly inaugurated 1,260-MW Dania Beach Clean Energy Center (DBEC) in Broward County.  FPL officially declared the Dania Beach Clean Energy Center near Fort Lauderdale, Florida, commercially […]

The White House is moving to support the solar power industry, including U.S. manufacturing of solar panels and other equipment, by pausing tariffs on imported solar panels from four Southeast Asian countries. The 24-month moratorium announced June 6 will exist while U.S. officials continue to look at the practices of Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam, […]

The U.S. Dept. of Energy (DOE) for the past few years has talked about the importance of “building a strong solar manufacturing sector and supply chain in America” to support the nation’s economy, and to help “keep pace with rising domestic and global demand for affordable solar energy.” Recent events, including further disruption of global […]

Two employees of a company that manages coal-handling operations for Xcel Energy’s Comanche Generating Station in Colorado were killed June 2 when they were trapped in a coal pile that collapsed at the power plant. The collapse happened Thursday morning about 8:30 a.m. Mountain time, according to officials. Rescue crews located the victims Thursday afternoon. […]

As solar, wind and other renewable resources play a larger role on the power grid, renewables’ essential partner—energy storage—must keep pace to provide power at peak hours when the sun doesn’t shine, and the wind doesn’t blow. Rechargeable zinc batteries offer an ideal energy storage solution; they can release power back to the grid for […]

POWER Magazine   Jobs   White Papers  Webinars   Events   Store   June 2, 2022 Researchers Say SMRs Will Produce More Waste Than Large Nuclear Reactors, NuScale Disputes Claim Findings from research led by a team that included a former U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) chairperson and experts from Stanford University suggests small modular […]

The French Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN), the Czech State Office for Nuclear Safety (SUJB), and Finland’s Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK) have picked France’s NUWARD small modular reactor (SMR) design as a test case for an early joint regulatory review for SMRs. The development marks a notable step by European regulators to align practices in a […]

Drought in California could nearly halve the state’s hydroelectric generation this summer, pushing up wholesale power prices in the West, and forcing the state to rely on natural gas generation and out-of-state imports, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) projects in a new analysis. The EIA suggests in a supplement to its May 2022–released Short-Term Energy Outlook […]

“Cyber-physical systems” are the next generation of closely integrated physical and cyber systems. Several critical systems such as the power grid, autonomous transportation systems, and process control systems are examples of cyber-physical systems. They are liable to be attacked by malicious agents who can compromise the sensor measurements being used to control them. Indeed, there […]

A landmark project to test fuel blends of up to 25% volume of hydrogen mixed with natural gas in reciprocating internal combustion engines (RICEs) has launched at WEC Energy Group’s 56-MW A.J. Mihm power plant in Michigan. If successful, the pilot—one of the first of its kind in the U.S.—could provide key insight into how […]

The Fourth Industrial Revolution is arriving in a most timely manner to help resolve the world’s energy trilemma—the transition to net-zero, energy security, and energy affordability. For many years, the World Economic Forum (WEF) has been at the forefront of discussions on climate change and the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Below, I outline our key takeaways […]

At least 42 nationally determined contributions (NDCs) submitted under the Paris Agreement as of December 2021 indicate governments plan to utilize carbon capture and storage (CCS), hydrogen and ammonia, and

POWER Magazine   Jobs   White Papers  Webinars   Events   Store   May 31, 2022 NERC Warns of Mounting Reliability Risks, Urges Preparation for Challenging Summer An unprecedented array of risks—ranging from capacity shortfalls, extreme weather, extended drought, supply chain issues, cybersecurity, solar PV tripping, fuel constraints, to wildfires—could imperil the reliability of nearly […]

India’s Power Ministry, despite the country facing shortages of electricity in recent years and as recently as the past month, said it plans to reduce the amount of power generation from at least 81 of the country’s 173 coal-fired power plants over the next four years. The agency, in a letter dated May 26 that […]

Commercial and industrial (C&I) enterprises rely on their power supply. Many facilities, such as hospitals, federal institutions, and military bases—those considered mission critical—have long been at the forefront of finding solutions to keep their lights on. In today’s world, the need for reliable and resilient power is critical for a wide range of industries. Uninterrupted […]

POWER Magazine   Jobs   White Papers  Webinars   Events   Store   May 26, 2022 Hydrogen, Ammonia–Fired Gas Turbine Development Gets U.S. Government Fast-Track Boost The U.S. government has set out to fast-track technology development enabling hydrogen and ammonia combustion in power-generating gas turbines, furnishing six novel industry-led projects with a combined $24.9 million […]

The potential deployment of a BWRX-300 small modular reactor (SMR) in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan gained a boost with a cooperation agreement between GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy’s (GEH’s) Canadian subsidiary GEH SMR Technologies Canada and the Saskatchewan Industrial and Mining Supplier’s Association (SIMSA). GEH SMR Canada on May 26 said a memorandum of understanding […]

After more than 50 years of operation, the Palisades nuclear power plant was taken offline for the final time on May 20. The station was scheduled to be permanently shut down on May 31, but plant operators “made the conservative decision to shut down the plant early due to the performance of a control rod […]

General Electric (GE) has been awarded two projects from the U.S. Dept. of Energy (DOE) as it continues to develop and test equipment and systems needed for hydrogen combustion in gas turbines. GE on May 25 announced the proposals, which were selected by DOE’s Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management, are worth more than […]

A new natural gas-fired power plant project being developed by Wisconsin-based WEC Energy Group will use seven Wärtsilä 50SG gas engines. The Finland-based technology company on May 24 announced the equipment order, with the engines expected to be used at a planned 128-MW facility located near Wausau, Wisconsin, that would be built at the site […]

The winner of the Philippines’ presidential election earlier this month has made another move in support of reviving nuclear power in that country, holding talks with South Korea about enlisting help to restart a nuclear power plant project that was abandoned nearly 40 years ago. President-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr. met with Kim Inchul, South Korea’s […]

Iowa-based Summit Carbon Solutions last year announced plans to develop a new carbon capture and storage project across the Midwest. The project seeks to capture carbon dioxide emissions that otherwise would be emitted into the atmosphere from biorefineries, such as ethanol plants, compress the captured carbon dioxide, and transport it through a pipeline to North […]