POWERnews

Duke Energy has kicked off an effort to renew the operating licenses of all its 11 nuclear reactors for 20 more years, starting with Oconee Nuclear Station, its largest nuclear plant. The utility on June 21 filed an application with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for a subsequent license renewal (SLR) for the three-unit 2.5-GW […]

In late May, the U.S. Department of the Interior, in conjunction with the Department of the Navy and the State of California, announced plans to offer leases to develop offshore wind projects for the north-central coast of California. The lease sale is scheduled to occur in 2022 and would be the first such West Coast […]

A pioneering pilot project in Lulea, Sweden, designed to produce “fossil-free” steel has successfully completed test production of sponge iron, demonstrating it is possible to use hydrogen made with fossil-free power to reduce iron ore, instead of coal and coke. Swedish energy company Vattenfall, mining company LKAB, and steel manufacturer SSAB—companies that are collaborating under […]

Under a newly enacted law, Connecticut will deploy 1 GW of energy storage by December 2030 and pursue interim targets to deploy 300 MW by 2024 and 650 MW by 2027. With the measure, Connecticut joins California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Nevada, New York, Oregon, and Virginia, states that have so far set targets to procure […]

NRG Energy Inc. said it will retire three coal-fired power plants—two in Illinois and one in Delaware—next year after disappointing results in the May 2021 capacity auction for the PJM Interconnection. NRG during its June 17 investor day presentation said about 1.6 GW of coal-fired generation would be closed, including the 682-MW Waukegan and 510-MW […]

POWER Magazine   Jobs   White Papers  Webinars   Events   Store   June 17, 2021 UK Eyes 2025 Operation Date for Fusion Demo Plant as Powerful Magnet Heads to ITER   This week marked two major milestones for fusion energy. On June 15, San Diego-based General Atomics (GA) said it was ready to ship […]

Two groups concerned with issues regarding the regulation and production of U.S. electricity have announced formation of a joint federal-state task force on power transmission, an effort to better identify the costs and benefits associated with electric power projects, and support the buildout of renewable energy resources. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), an independent […]

This week marked two major milestones for fusion energy. On June 15, San Diego-based General Atomics (GA) said it was ready to ship the first module of the Central Solenoid—the world’s most powerful magnet—which will become a central component of ITER, the world’s largest experimental fusion facility that is under construction in France. And a […]

Enapter, a German manufacturer of Anion Exchange Membrane (AEM) electrolyzers, is gearing up to deploy an automated production line to scale up electrolyzer manufacturing and ramp up green hydrogen production. The company on June 14 said that after “months of preparation,” it is readying to kick off construction of its “Enapter Campus” in Saerbeck, Germany, […]

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has given its green light to a license amendment filed by Centrus Energy Corp., approving the nuclear fuel and services firm’s efforts to demonstrate High-Assay, Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU) production at its enrichment facility in Piketon, Ohio.  The approval marks a “major milestone” in Centrus’s $115 million, cost-shared contract with the […]

GE will supply a 50-Hz F-class gas turbine that is capable of combusting natural gas and hydrogen-blended fuels at EnergyAustralia’s 316-MW Tallawarra B Power Station in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, in a project that will demonstrate how the coal-rich nation could accelerate its energy transition using gas. GE on June 16 said CLP Group […]

The chief executive of a Connecticut-based energy investment firm has called for action on his group’s proposal to build as many as 11 new natural gas-fired power plants in Texas. Himanshu Saxena, CEO of Starwood Energy Group, in a June 14 interview said, “We would like to see significant steps in countering, negotiating and material […]

New restrictions on international trade have become near-daily headlines. Sanctions, export controls, restrictions on foreign investment in the U.S., and actions prohibiting the importation of goods produced using forced labor affect all U.S. companies including those in the clean energy sector. Keeping up with these ever-evolving regulations is a difficult task, but getting smart about […]

For a century our country has relied on fossil fuels to power our economy. But that is beginning to change with wind, solar, renewable fuels, hydrogen, advanced nuclear options, and more. The effort to decarbonize our economy and protect the planet from greenhouse gas emissions is now aggressively underway in the U.S. and other parts […]

POWER Magazine   Jobs   White Papers  Webinars   Events   Store   June 14, 2021 Coal Substitutes Touted as Way to Keep Coal-Fired Power Plants Open The move away from coal-fired power generation has supported the growth of other technologies to produce electricity. Discussions often revolve around renewable resources such as solar and wind, […]

POWER Magazine   Jobs   White Papers  Webinars   Events   Store   June 10, 2021 Texas Governor Enacts Grid Reliability Measures, Including Power Plant Weatherization, ERCOT Reforms Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has signed into law sweeping bills approved by Texas legislators that will require power generators in the state to weatherize against extreme events […]

In yet another dramatic turn for federal policy governing the “waters of the U.S.” (WOTUS), the Biden administration has announced its intent to revise the definition of WOTUS, citing “destructive impacts” to critical water bodies under a Trump-era rule. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of the Army on June 9 issued a declaration […]

The term “open source” is well-recognized in the technology world, but may not be as widely understood in other sectors. What open source means is that the software code is publicly available so that anyone can contribute to the code base and create add-on extensions. This enables the growth of a market of providers that […]

Stepping up efforts to develop a hydrogen gas turbine, Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction (DHIC) and a consortium of partners will begin South Korea’s first large-scale hydrogen gas turbine demonstration at the 1.8-GW Ulsan Combined Cycle Power Plant by 2027. DHIC, a regional energy technology conglomerate, on June 3 said it signed a series of […]

On any given day, the electric power industry’s operations are complex and its responsibilities vast. As the industry continues to play a critical role in supporting global climate goal challenges, it must simultaneously support demand increases, surges in smart appliance adoption, and decentralized operating system expansions. And that just scratches the surface. Behind the scenes, […]

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has signed into law sweeping bills approved by Texas legislators that will require power generators in the state to weatherize against extreme events and revamp organizational oversight of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT). Hours before the state’s regular 140-day legislative session dwindled to its end on May 30—and amid […]

Engineering experts and financial consultants involved with oversight of the two-unit expansion of the Vogtle nuclear power plant in Georgia said the project’s startup now likely will be delayed until the summer of 2022. They also said the project faces more cost overruns. In testimony filed June 7 with the Georgia Public Service Commission, the […]

Construction of a 300-MW nuclear power unit showcasing a fuel specially developed for the reactor is underway in Siberia, a project that industry experts say could provide a dramatic leap forward in nuclear power technology. The project is being hailed as a way to provide a “practically inexhaustible” source of fuel for nuclear power, as […]

DTE Energy has retired the last operating unit of its River Rouge coal-fired power plant along the Detroit River, a facility that came online in 1956 and entered commercial operation in 1958. The utility on June 4 said River Rouge, located just southwest of Detroit, Michigan, operated for the final time on May 31. The […]

POWER Magazine   Jobs   White Papers  Webinars   Events   Store   June 3, 2021 Wyoming Coal Power Plant May Host Natrium Advanced Nuclear Demonstration Bill Gates’ nuclear innovation startup TerraPower and Berkshire Hathaway Energy subsidiary PacifiCorp are looking to site a federally backed demonstration of their 345-MWe Natrium advanced nuclear reactor system at […]

Bill Gates’ nuclear innovation startup TerraPower and Berkshire Hathaway Energy subsidiary PacifiCorp are looking to site a federally backed demonstration of their 345-MWe Natrium advanced nuclear reactor system at a retiring PacifiCorp coal power plant in Wyoming. During a June 2  energy event in Cheyenne attended by Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon, U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer […]

PSEG Power retired its Bridgeport Harbor Station Unit 3 (BHS 3, Figure 1) on May 31. The unit, located in Bridgeport, Connecticut, was the last remaining coal-fired power plant in the company’s fleet. “The retirement of Bridgeport Harbor Station Unit 3 marks the end of an era for the City of Bridgeport and the citizens […]

The solar power industry continues to see growth in distributed generation installations from residential to commercial projects, particularly as people take more control of powering their properties to increase their electricity reliability, and to control their energy costs. An important part of that process involves a rooftop solar installation’s onsite survey. There is currently a […]

The North American Electric Reliability Corp. (NERC) is warning that large swathes of the North American bulk power system (BPS) could face “elevated risks” of energy shortfalls this summer, especially if temperatures surge beyond normal peaks. But in California, risks are even more pronounced, owing to its reliance on imports to offset falling solar PV […]

Owners and operators of the 100 most “critical” hazardous liquid and natural gas pipelines, and liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities will need to act within the next 30 days to align with federal cybersecurity guidance under new mandates issued by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). The TSA’s May 27-issued pipeline-focused security directive is a notable, […]