POWERnews

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, […]

Growth in the solar power sector is coming from many angles, with utilities building ever-larger solar arrays, and more homeowners and building owners putting panels on their rooftops. Many utilities and other companies also are expanding offerings of community solar, a way for electricity customers to get the benefits of solar power without having to […]

POWER Magazine   Jobs   White Papers  Webinars   Events   Store   May 27, 2021 Tensions Intensify as Ethiopia Readies to Start GERD Mega-Dam Turbines Despite continued pressure from Egypt and Sudan, Ethiopia will push ahead on the second-year filling of the 6.4-GW Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) this summer with ambitions to begin […]

Despite continued pressure from Egypt and Sudan, Ethiopia will push ahead on the second-year filling of the 6.4-GW Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) reservoir this summer with ambitions to begin operating two of its 16 planned turbines later this year.  Ethiopia’s Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonnen, who also serves as the East African nation’s deputy prime […]

Lithium-ion (Li-ion) is the most commonly talked about battery storage technology on the market these days, and for good reason. Li-ion batteries have a high energy density, and they are the preferred option when mobility is a concern, such as for cell phones, laptop computers, and electric vehicles. But there are different energy storage technologies […]

The digitization of power generation is among the technology advancements transforming the way electricity is produced and distributed. Utilities have always sought ways to improve the efficiency of their operations, along with lowering the cost of maintenance while streamlining asset management. The digital transformation has brought numerous challenges, as utilities seek to upgrade their legacy […]

A joint venture of energy management company Schneider Electric and Huck Capital, a power sector investment firm, has announced a partnership with energy infrastructure developer ClearGen to build and operate standardized on-site renewable energy microgrid systems. The deal made public May 25 is designed to “accelerate the ability for commercial and industrial customers to transition […]

POWER Magazine   Jobs   White Papers  Webinars   Events   Store   May 24, 2021 ERCOT Program Cut Natural Gas Supply During Winter Storm A program designed to save power during periods of high electricity demand actually cut off some of Texas' natural gas supply to customers during the severe winter storm that caused… […]

Japan’s largest power generation company plans to begin using ammonia as a fuel at one of its coal-fired plants as part of an effort to reduce the facility’s emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2). JERA Co., a joint venture between Tokyo Electric Power Co. Holdings (TEPCO) and Chubu Electric Power, and IHI Corp., a Japanese engineering […]

Southern Co. has moved the startup date for the first unit of its two-reactor expansion at the Vogtle nuclear power plant to the first quarter of 2022, citing problems found during testing. The company on May 18 notified Georgia state regulators of the delay. Analysts with Mizuho Group, an investment banking company, on May 21 […]

POWER Magazine   Jobs   White Papers  Webinars   Events   Store   May 20, 2021 Are NRC Fees Limiting Innovation in the Nuclear Industry? As multiple advanced reactor vendors enter the licensing process to build first-of-a-kind demonstration projects, the Nuclear Innovation Alliance (NIA)—a nonprofit “think-and-do tank” that supports the nuclear power industry—has said issues… […]

Ultra Safe Nuclear Corp.’s (USNC’s) 5-MWe (15 MWth) Micro Modular Reactor (MMR) has entered formal licensing review with the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) as part of its proposed project spearheaded by Global First Power (GFP). The small modular reactor (SMR) is the first to mark that milestone.   Seattle-based USNC marked its newest milestone for […]

As multiple advanced reactor vendors enter the licensing process to build first-of-a-kind demonstration projects, the Nuclear Innovation Alliance (NIA)—a nonprofit “think-and-do tank” that supports the nuclear power industry—has said issues with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s (NRC’s) current user fee cost-recovery model could slow innovation. In a report released on May 19, the NIA identified how […]

As leaders around the world take steps to decarbonize energy supplies, many people have focused their attention specifically on wind and solar power. What they may fail to recognize is that nuclear power provides more electricity in the U.S. than all other carbon-free sources combined. This is true in some other countries, such as France, […]

NuScale Power and Prodigy Clean Energy, a Canadian designer of small modular reactor (SMR) marine power stations, have completed the conceptual design and economic assessment phases of a potential “marine-deployed” NuScale Power module (NPM) nuclear power plant. Building on an August 2018 memorandum of understanding (MoU) in which the companies set out to investigate the […]

Large-Scale Mapping in Plains of Nebraska Kevin Kenna has lots of experience with GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) and major projects for utilities, government agencies, and large-area mapping. He’s used GPS (Global Positioning System) and GNSS for more than two decades and estimates that he has worked on mapping/surveying more than 20,000 miles of power […]

Solar power led all generation sources in terms of added generation capacity in 2020, with the U.S. adding a record 19.2 GW of capacity last year, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). The SEIA said that was a 43% jump from 2019, with utility-scale installations experiencing a 65% increase last year compared to […]