POWERnews
-
POWERnews—April 1, 2021
POWER Magazine Jobs White Papers Webinars Events Store April 1, 2021 Power Infrastructure Prominent in Biden’s $2.25 Trillion Blueprint A major chunk of President Joe Biden’s $2.25 trillion transformational plan to overhaul the nation’s infrastructure is dedicated to re-energizing America’s power infrastructure. The initiatives garnered the industry’s approval—with notable… Compact […]
-
News
Power Infrastructure Prominent in Biden’s $2.25 Trillion Blueprint
A major chunk of President Joe Biden’s $2.25 trillion transformational plan to overhaul the nation’s infrastructure is dedicated to re-energizing America’s power infrastructure. The initiatives garnered the industry’s approval—with notable exceptions. The “American Jobs Plan,” released on March 31, strives to jumpstart the U.S. economy, which drooped under burdens posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. But […]
-
Nuclear
Compact Advanced Tokomak Concept Takes Fusion Power One Step Closer to Commercial Reality
Scientists at the DIII-D National Fusion Facility have released a new design for a compact fusion reactor that can generate electricity and help define the technology necessary for commercial fusion power. General Atomics, which operates the DIII-D facility in San Diego, California, for the U.S. Department of Energy, says the approach is based on the […]
-
Wind
GE Snags Historic 1.48-GW Agreement for Oklahoma Wind Turbines
GE Renewable Energy has bagged what it says is the “largest combined onshore wind project” in its history to provide wind turbines for a set of three wind farms privately held sustainable energy firm Invenergy is developing in north-central Oklahoma. Invenergy’s 1.48-GW North Central Wind Energy Facilities include the 999-MW Traverse Wind Energy Center, the […]
-
Business
Why Resiliency in the Electrical Grid Should Be Measured from the Customer’s Perspective
Reliability performance is core to the utility industry. Utilities strategically design and invest in their system to maximize reliability performance—traditionally measured by System Average Interruption Frequency Index (SAIFI), System Average Interruption Duration Index (SAIDI), and/or Consumer Average Interruption Duration Index (CAIDI). These quantitative metrics largely drive utility investment decisions, shape strategic priorities, dictate regulatory approvals, […]
-
Nuclear
New Mexico Sues NRC to Halt Consolidated Interim Nuclear Waste Storage Facilities
New Mexico has sued the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), challenging the legality of the agency’s proceedings involving separate proposals to build and operate two consolidated interim storage facilities (CISFs) for spent nuclear fuel (SNF) in New Mexico and Texas. In a complaint filed on March 29 against the NRC and the U.S. government, New Mexico […]
-
Nuclear
The POWER Interview: X-energy’s Plan for Sustained Nuclear Growth
The global push for carbon neutral and zero-emissions power generation has brought renewed interest in nuclear power, particularly for smaller units that are scalable and in some cases mobile, able to provide power in remote areas. Analysts say smaller nuclear reactors are more cost-effective, as they’re considered a more manageable investment for power generators as […]
-
O&M
Key Pre-Demolition Considerations for Fossil Fuel Power Plants
As the existing electric generation infrastructure matures, electric generation system owners are looking to the future for newer and greener technologies to meet the demands of electric consumption. An important part of this future perspective may include the demolition and removal of older generation plants and facilities to free up land resources for new development. Prior […]
-
Offshore Wind
Biden Administration Sets National 30-GW Offshore Wind Target
The Biden administration on March 29 laid out a spate of measures to deploy 30 GW of offshore wind in the U.S. by 2030, an ambitious target that will require a vast scale-up in investment and build-out of the still latent power subsector. But if achieved, the target would unlock “a pathway” to 110 GW […]
-
POWER Magazine Jobs White Papers Webinars Events Store March 29, 2021 DOE Backs Projects to Produce Hydrogen from Coal, Biomass The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced the agency has awarded $2 million to four research and development (R&D) projects aimed at advancing clean-hydrogen production technologies. The DOE's awards on… […]
-
POWERnews—March 25, 2021
POWER Magazine Jobs White Papers Webinars Events Store March 25, 2021 BP Details Plan for UK's Largest Hydrogen Project The global market for hydrogen development has taken another step forward, as oil and gas major BP announced it is studying development of what it said would be the UK's… Sponsored […]
-
Nuclear
Centrus on Track to Produce HALEU Nuclear Fuel Material by Early 2022
Centrus Energy, a firm under contract with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to demonstrate production of high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) with domestic technology, says it expects to begin producing the advanced nuclear fuel material by June 2022 at the American Centrifuge Plant in Piketon, Ohio. Centrus President and CEO Daniel Poneman said on March […]
-
History
Understanding Energy Crises of the 1970s and Avoiding Problems Today
If you were alive and living in the U.S. during the 1970s, you probably remember waiting in long lines to fill your car with fuel. Yet, gasoline wasn’t the only item in short supply during the “Me Decade”—natural gas was seemingly running out and electricity demand was growing so much that new power plants were […]
-
News
GE Turbines Will Power 1.2-GW Malaysian Plant
General Electric (GE) will provide two of the company’s 9HA.01 gas turbines along with other equipment and services to a new power plant in Malaysia. The company on March 24 announced it secured an order from a consortium of three groups, including Mitsubishi Corp., that is serving as the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) lead […]
-
Hydrogen
BP Details Plan for UK’s Largest Hydrogen Project
The global market for hydrogen development has taken another step forward, as oil and gas major BP announced it is studying development of what it said would be the UK’s largest blue hydrogen production facility. BP on March 18 said the project, which would be sited on England’s northeast coast, is part of a […]
-
Nuclear
NARUC Steps Up to Educate States About Nuclear ‘Barriers, Possibilities’
The National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) has kicked off a five-year partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to educate state public service commissioners and commission staff about barriers and possibilities related to the U.S. nuclear fleet. The non-profit organization whose members include state regulatory agencies in all 50 states said on March […]
-
News
Southern Announces Delay in Testing at Vogtle
Southern Co. has announced another delay in hot functional testing for the first unit of its two-unit expansion at the Vogtle nuclear plant in Georgia. The utility in a March 19 filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission said its subsidiary Georgia Power “now expects the start of hot functional testing for Unit 3 […]
-
POWERnews—Mar. 18, 2021
POWER Magazine Jobs White Papers Webinars Events Store March 18, 2021 DOE Backs Projects to Produce Hydrogen from Coal, Biomass The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced the agency has awarded $2 million to four research and development (R&D) projects aimed at advancing clean-hydrogen production technologies. The DOE's awards on… […]
-
POWER Podcasts
Is It Safe to Invest in Mexican Energy Projects?
In late 2013, Mexico embarked on a path to transform its energy markets. Then-President Enrique Peña-Nieto oversaw constitutional reforms that ended state-run monopolies, and opened Mexico’s power market to competition and investment from foreign and private companies. By most accounts, the policies were highly effective in spurring investments in renewable energy and efficient natural gas-fired […]
-
News
Report Touts Huge Potential of Offshore Wind
Researchers who study the U.S. offshore wind industry have issued a new report that says the sector could potentially meet 90% of the nation’s electricity demand by 2050. The key is for offshore wind to be fully developed along the Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf coasts, as well as in the Great Lakes, all areas the […]
-
News
More Blackout Fallout: New Texas PUC Chair Resigns
Arthur D’Andrea, the chair of the Texas Public Utility Commission (PUC), who took the post just two weeks ago, has resigned. D’Andrea was the only remaining PUC commissioner and is the latest state official to decamp their position in the wake of a deadly winter storm in February that overwhelmed Texas’ energy infrastructure. Texas Gov. […]
-
News
EPA Finalizes Rule to Curb Cross-State Pollution
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued an update and finalized a pollution rule that will require reductions in ozone emissions from power plants in 12 states this year. The update to the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR), issued March 15, is designed to curb emissions of nitrogen oxide (NOx)—primarily from coal-fired power plants—ahead […]
-
Interview
The POWER Interview: Zinc-Air Batteries Make Strides
Energy storage already is transforming power generation, and most industry analysts say the potential for storage is limited only by its technology. As batteries improve—and certainly as they become more durable, safer, and cost-effective to install—energy storage will continue to be deployed in more places. Zinc-air batteries have long been used in a variety of […]
-
Solar
Solar Industry Adds Record Capacity in 2020 in Spite of Pandemic
The U.S. solar industry installed a record 19.2 GWdc of photovoltaic (PV) capacity in 2020, a 43% increase from 2019, according to a report released by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and Wood Mackenzie. The numbers are particularly impressive considering the world was dealing with unique challenges as a result of COVID-19. “After a […]
-
News
Japan Plant Adding New Gas-Fired Units in Massive Project
JERA, Japan’s largest power generation company, has submitted a scoping document to begin assessing the environmental impact of its plan to add two gas-fired units at the Chita Thermal Power Station, while decommissioning five existing units at the facility. The company filed the report with government officials on March 16, with a 30-day public comment […]
-
News
Why Pump Energy Savings Should Matter to Utilities
Utilities have a two-fold relationship with energy efficiency. On one side, public and private utilities gain from finding efficiencies in energy usage to reduce costs in their own operations—just like many other businesses. The U.S. Department of Energy’s 2002 Motor Market Assessment established that pumping systems offer the greatest optimization potential of all types of […]
-
Hydrogen
DOE Backs Projects to Produce Hydrogen from Coal, Biomass
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced the agency has awarded $2 million to four research and development (R&D) projects aimed at advancing clean-hydrogen production technologies. The DOE’s awards on March 15 are part of a push by the Biden administration in its fight against climate change. Jennifer Granholm, the new Secretary of Energy and […]
-
Best of POWER—March 15, 2021
POWER Magazine Jobs White Papers Webinars Events Store March 15, 2021 ERCOT Lists Generators Forced Offline During Texas Extreme Cold Event The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) in freshly revealed data on March 4 reported that the Texas grid suffered 1,796 generating or energy storage outages or derates as […]
-
News
Texas PUC Outlines Review of Response to Power Disaster
The regulatory group that oversees Texas’ deregulated power market has identified eight areas the agency will focus on as it continues to study the state’s response to a mid-February storm that left millions of electricity customers without power for several days. Texas power customers, along with electricity generators and retail power providers, continue to grapple […]
-
POWERnews—March 11, 2021
POWER Magazine Jobs White Papers Webinars Events Store March 11, 2021 ERCOT Lists Generators Forced Offline During Texas Extreme Cold Event The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) in freshly revealed data reported that the Texas grid suffered 1,796 generating or energy storage outages or derates as winter… Floating Energy […]