coal
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Coal
Indiana Utility Will Convert Remaining Coal Units to Burn Natural Gas
A major Indiana utility said it’s preparing to switch its remaining coal-fired power plant to burn natural gas. AES Indiana on March 12 said the two coal-burning units at its Petersburg Generating Station, in Pike County in southwestern Indiana about 100 miles west of Louisville, Kentucky, would stop using coal and start using natural gas […]
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Legal & Regulatory
Get Ready For California’s Three Sweeping New Climate Disclosure Laws
Can a requirement to simply disclose information truly be a big deal? Can a requirement that only applies to big companies, or companies that do business in California, actually impact your small business or your business in another state? Can a requirement that doesn’t take effect until next year or later really require thought and […]
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Legal & Regulatory
EPA Drops Existing Gas-Fired Plants from Contentious Power Plant GHG Rule
(Updated March 7 with responses from EPA): The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will drop requirements covering existing natural gas-fired power plants in its final Section 111 rule regulating power sector greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which is expected in April. EPA Administrator Michael Regan on Feb. 29 said in a written statement the agency’s rule—which the […]
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Gas
New Colorado Gas-Fired Plant Will Feature GE Vernova Power Units
A new natural gas-fired peaker plant being built on Colorado’s eastern plains will feature aeroderivative gas power packages from GE Vernova. The Mountain Peak Power Plant, which will be managed and operated by Princeton, New Jersey-based Kindle Energy, and will serve the United Power electric cooperative, is expected to come online in 2025. GE Vernova’s […]
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Nuclear
Fusion Energy Project Sited at Former TVA Coal-Fired Power Plant
A major U.S. utility is part of a fusion energy project that would be located at the site of one of the company’s retired coal-fired power plants. Type One Energy Group on Feb. 21 announced plans to build Infinity One, a stellarator fusion prototype machine, at the Tennessee Valley Authority’s (TVA’s) closed Bull Run Fossil […]
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Gas
New 1.2-GW Natural Gas-Fired Plant Announced for Texas
A Texas-based energy company has announced plans to build a 1.2-GW natural gas-fired power plant in Lee County, Texas, with construction expected to begin in 2025. Sandow Lakes Energy Co. on Feb. 12 said it would build the plant on property owned by the company. The facility, which would be powered by two SGT6-9000HL turbines […]
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Coal
Global Domination—China Accounts for Nearly All New Coal-Fired Power Plant Construction
Data from Global Energy Monitor (GEM), a group that tracks thermal and renewable power generation projects worldwide, shows that China was responsible for construction of 96% of all new coal-fired facilities globally last year, and for almost 70% of all new coal-fueled power plants that came online. GEM, a San Francisco, California-based non-governmental research organization, […]
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Hydrogen
Germany Will Support 10 GW of New Gas Plants, With Eye Toward Hydrogen
German officials announced a new plan for the country’s power generation, a strategy that includes putting at least 10 GW of new gas-fired capacity up for tenders. Officials on Feb. 5 said the plants would be designed to eventually burn hydrogen at some point between 2035 and 2040, according to Germany’s Economy Ministry. The agency […]
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Hydrogen
Hydrogen Production Project Moves Forward at Wyoming Coal Plant
Wyoming officials will help fund a hydrogen generation project that will have coal as its energy source, using carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) along with a chemical looping technology. Babcock & Wilcox (B&W), an Ohio-headquartered group working on technologies to produce cleaner energy, and electric utility Black Hills Energy recently announced the companies have received […]
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Coal
Poland Set to End Coal-Fired Power Generation
Poland’s top climate official said the country is preparing to set a date for a complete phase-out of coal-fired power generation, just months after the nation elected a new government that has pledged to support environmental policies of the European Union (EU). Poland, which currently receives about 70% of its electricity from burning coal, and […]
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Nuclear
Study Finds ‘Advanced Nuclear Is the Clear Winner’ to Replace Comanche Coal-Fired Power Plant
A report published by the Pueblo Innovative Energy Solutions Advisory Committee (PIESAC) says the closure of Comanche Unit 3, a coal-fired power plant capable of generating about 800 MW gross, will have “devastating impacts on the economy of Pueblo unless the community, Xcel Energy, and other stakeholders begin planning now for replacement of the highly […]
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Coal
China Increasing Coal Use to Produce Ethanol
State-run media in China reported that a facility there has begun testing production of ethanol through the use of coal, rather than using crops such as corn or sugar cane to make the fuel. The plant in southeastern China, with an annual production capacity of 600,000 metric tons, is said to be the world’s largest […]
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Solar
Construction Underway on Kentucky’s Largest Solar Farm
Construction of what would be the largest solar array in Kentucky is underway. National Grid Renewables on Dec. 14 said the company’s 160-MW Unbridled project, located in Webster and Henderson counties about 40 miles south of Evansville, Indiana, and 160 miles southwest of Louisville, is expected to enter commercial operation next year. Unbridled is National […]
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Trends
COP28 Concludes with Landmark Decision to Shift Away from Fossil Fuels
Negotiators from nearly every country in the world closed COP28 with a decision that—for the first time—formally recognizes the necessity of moving away from fossil fuels to achieve Paris Agreement targets. The decision, adopted on the last day of the two-week 28th Conference of the Parties (COP 28) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate […]
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Nuclear
South Africa Looking at Nuclear Power to Solve Load-Shedding Crisis
South African officials, faced with continued power outages that are hurting the country’s economy, are turning to nuclear power in an effort to support a more reliable supply of electricity. The country has experienced intermittent blackouts, part of a process known as load shedding, since 2008. The outages, imposed by state-owned utility Eskom, have escalated […]
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Coal
Tri-State Closing Arizona, Colorado Coal Plants Early, Investing in More Renewables
Colorado-based cooperative Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association will accelerate the closure of a coal-fired unit in the northwestern part of the state, and also announced a retirement date for an Arizona coal plant, as part of the utility’s latest electric resource plan (ERP). Tri-State on Dec. 1 also said it wants to acquire at least […]
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Sustainability
How Coal Fly Ash Is Reducing CO2 Emissions and Improving Concrete
Concrete is the most widely used construction material in the world. One of the key ingredients in concrete is Portland cement. The American Concrete Institute explains that Portland cement is a product obtained by pulverizing material consisting of hydraulic calcium silicates to which some calcium sulfate has usually been provided as an interground addition. When […]
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Coal
Cambodia Cancels Coal Plant in Favor of Gas-Fired Facility
A Cambodian energy official said the country no longer plans to build a coal-fired power plant along the nation’s southwest coast, and will instead move forward with a natural gas-fired facility. Energy Minister Keo Rottanak told the Reuters news service an official announcement is expected Nov. 30. Rottanak said the proposed 700-ME coal-fired plant, which […]
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Sustainability
FutureCoal CEO Suggests ‘Cancel Coal’ Mantra Is Short-Sighted, Abated Coal Solutions Must Be Part of Energy Transition
Speaking at the 5th annual India Coal Conference in New Delhi, FutureCoal CEO Michelle Manook said, “Government and finance policies, which embrace a ‘cancel coal’ mantra, are short-sighted and undermine the very ambitions we seek to achieve as a global community.” Formerly known as the World Coal Association, FutureCoal: The Global Alliance for Sustainable Coal […]
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Solar
Amazon Expands Renewable Portfolio With Solar Farm at Reclaimed Coal Mine
Amazon has announced two utility-scale renewable energy projects in Maryland, with the company saying it now has invested in nearly 80 new wind and solar power installations this year. Among the new projects is a solar farm being built at the site of coal mine that operated for more than a century. That 170-MW project, […]
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Coal
China Will Guarantee Financial Support for Coal-Fired Power Plants
A government agency in China announced that operators of coal-fired power plants will receive guaranteed payments based on the installed capacity of their units, part of a program to ensure a stable power supply across the country. The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), in a notice published Nov. 10, said the program will commence […]
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Top Plant
2023 POWER Top Plant Award Winners
Renewables See our September 2023 issue for stories covering these plants: Gerlos 1 hydropower facility in Austria Mount Olive solar project in New Jersey Tyligulska wind power plant in Ukraine Fossil Fueled Including Gas and Coal See our October 2023 issue for stories covering these plants: Brentwood Power Station on Long Island in Suffolk County, […]
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Coal
India Extends Emergency Operation Order for Plants Using Imported Coal
India’s government has issued an emergency order that extends the operation of coal-fired power plants using imported coal, as the country grapples with a shortage of domestic coal and continued high demand for electricity. The order, which came from the power ministry on Oct. 23, asks coal-fired power plants using imported coal to operate at […]
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Coal
Germany Restarts Coal-Fired Generation to Support Winter Power Supply
Government officials in Germany have approved a plan to bring some shuttered coal-fired power plants back online in an effort to avoid energy shortages this winter. Cabinet members on Oct. 4 said they would support putting on-reserve lignite-fired power plants back online from now until the end of March 2024. It’s another move related to […]
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Commentary
Germany’s Energy History Is at the Root of Its Current Challenges
Over a year after the start of Russia’s attack on Ukraine, Germany is at the heart and center of current debate when it comes to energy dependence. Like most European countries, Germany did not have adequate time to wean off Russia’s rich and steady inflow of natural gas. But the impact of Russia’s abrupt supply […]
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Commentary
Embracing the Complex Role of Coal in South Africa’s Energy Mix
The path to achieving net zero is intricately tied to addressing the challenges posed by coal consumption. Industrialized nations highlight concerns about coal’s environmental impact, given its emissions of various pollutants that contribute to issues like smog and respiratory problems. These emissions encompass a range of substances, including carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, mercury, […]
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Offshore Wind
GE, Toshiba Join to Support Japan’s Offshore Wind Sector
A Japanese news service said General Electric (GE) will join with Toshiba to establish a supply chain for equipment that would support Japan’s offshore wind power industry. Nikkei, a Tokyo-based financial and business news outlet, on July 16 reported that the deal is another move by Japanese officials as part of the country’s zero-carbon strategy. […]
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Power
Italy Set to Scale Back Remaining Coal-Fired Fleet
Italy could retire most of its remaining coal-fired power plants in the next two years, as government officials work to meet the European Union’s 2030 goal for lower emissions of carbon from the electricity and industrial sectors. Energy Minister Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, commenting on a government document released July 3, said Italy would end the […]
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Coal
UK Won’t Keep Contingency Coal-Fired Units Online
The UK’s national grid operator has said that the country will not utilize coal-fired power generation even if needed this coming winter, issuing a statement on June 28 that said operators of possible contingency plants will not have them ready for service. The National Grid Electricity Systems Operator (ESO) earlier this month in its early […]
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Coal
German Group Plans ‘Green Baseload’ Installation at Major Coal Generation Complex
A leading German energy group has announced plans to create a clean energy hub at what today is an area of coal mines and coal-fired power stations in the eastern part of the country. The strategy from LEAG (Lausitz Energie Kraftwerke AG) envisions what the company calls a “pure green baseload” complex. LEAG on June […]