climate

Net power through nuclear fusion may finally be within reach. Fusion technology is moving out of the lab, and many companies, driven by the shared dream of carbon-free energy to combat climate change, are striving to commercialize technologies to make fusion a reality.

Ireland is no longer burning coal to produce electricity after the country’s last coal-fired unit was converted to use heavy fuel oil. ESB, the plant’s operator, on June 20 issued a notice that the 305-MW Unit 3 of the Moneypoint station, located on Ireland’s southwest coast, has ended its use of coal after 40 years. ESB previously had said Moneypoint after the conversion would operate under direct dispatch instructions from EirGrid, the grid operator, as part of the balancing market.

For engineering management and engineers, the total power market is rapidly changing globally. Consequently, North American district heating networks and industrial processors are taking note of key developments in the European power market today. Specifically, Finland has set one of the most advanced climate policies in the region, committing to carbon neutrality by 2035.

The transition toward electrification has challenges, such as the need for more infrastructure to support charging of electric cars and trucks, and other transport vehicles. The residential and commercial and industrial sectors must consider the cost of new technologies for heating and cooling.

The Trump administration has announced several regulatory rollbacks designed to curb limits on power plant emissions, along with cutting protections for air and water quality. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin on March 12 said the agency is moving to undo at least 31 regulations established during the Biden administration in an effort to […]

Lee Zeldin has been sworn in as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) 17th administrator, inheriting an agency that the power industry sees as increasingly central to the future of U.S. energy policy, grid reliability, and regulatory uncertainty. At his confirmation hearing on Jan. 16, Zeldin, a former congressman from New York’s First District with […]

Research from a group that tracks fossil fuel and other energy projects shows that just 15 countries, led by China and India, account for 98% of coal-fired power plants under development worldwide. Global Energy Monitor (GEM), a San Francisco, California-based non-governmental organization, in its latest Global Coal Plant Tracker (GCPT) said China and India alone […]

This week marks the second anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), a critical milestone for the section 45Q tax credit, the foundational policy for the deployment of carbon management technologies, which was further enhanced in the IRA. The 45Q tax credit provides a credit on a per-ton basis for carbon that is captured from […]

Officials in India said that country’s energy transition plan will focus on developing small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs), pumped energy storage projects, and more efficient coal-fired power plants. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, presenting the government’s 2024-2025 budget, noted the latest financial allocations outline a shift in priorities for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Sitharaman on July […]

The Biden administration has unveiled several sweeping actions over the past month aimed at boosting clean energy deployment, enhancing manufacturing jobs, and reducing pollutant emissions across the power sector. The measures—many announced as part of a comprehensive Earth Week agenda on April 25—are notable for their strategic push in an election year, highlighting the administration’s […]