decarbonization

  • The Role of Virtual Power Plants in a Decentralized Power Grid

    Virtual power plants are becoming a driving force in the power sector. This article explains how they enable utilities and aggregators to pool production from multiple plants and distributed sources, achieving

  • GE Will Decarbonize Uniper’s Gas Power Fleet

    GE Gas Power and Uniper have agreed to roll out a detailed decarbonization roadmap that may entail hydrogen-friendly upgrades to all GE gas turbines and compressors at the German generation giant’s gas power plants and gas storage facilities across Europe.  Under the agreement, GE Gas Power and Uniper will form a joint working group to […]

  • Report: Decarbonization of World’s 50 Most Influential Power Companies Bleak

    Two reports analyzing energy transitions toward low-carbon resources released this week offer mixed assessments of how the power industry is faring in efforts to tamp down carbon emissions.  The World Benchmarking Alliance (WBA), a broad group of stakeholders committed to 17 Sustainable Development Goals developed by the United Nations (UN) in 2015, on July 6 launched […]

  • The Evolution of Power Business Models

    Traditional models have been upended by recent disruptions, including decarbonization, decentralization, and even the COVID pandemic, but new ones are replacing them that focus on customer preference

  • Developers Make Progress on Solar-Powered Hydrogen Projects

    Two projects focused on solar-powered hydrogen production made notable steps forward recently. One project, supported by Ricardo plc and the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC), will investigate “using existing solar capacity to produce hydrogen as an alternative to high-carbon fossil fuels.” While the other, developed by HyperSolar Inc., will begin the manufacturing process for its […]

  • Industrial decarbonization is essential for addressing climate crisis, report shows

    May 19, 2020 — With industry accounting for more than one-fourth of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, its decarbonization is essential for combating climate change, according to a report released today that shows energy efficiency is a key way to slash these industrial emissions. Decarbonizing industry by midcentury will require a transformation in what we make and […]

  • MHPS Will Rebrand as ‘Mitsubishi Power’

    Flagship power plant and equipment firm Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems (MHPS) plans to change its name to “Mitsubishi Power” once it receives approval from antitrust authorities in several countries. The rebrand announced by the Yokohama, Japan–headquartered MHPS on April 24 will reflect a change in ownership announced in December, when Japanese technology conglomerate Hitachi said […]

  • Siemens and Uniper join forces to decarbonize power generation

    April 8, 2020 — Uniper and Siemens Gas and Power today signed a cooperation agreement for the development of projects on the decarbonization of power generation and promoting sector coupling. It extends the long-standing partnership between the two companies. It is important to look at the energy, mobility and industry sectors together, because they all […]

  • Are Traditional Power Companies Being Disintermediated?

    How will the electric grid change as the world transitions to a power system with more renewable energy resources? Some experts foresee a shift from today’s grid-type architecture to a system of systems—from the current centralized design to a distributed energy scheme. While it’s hard to know exactly what the future holds, it’s commonly believed […]

  • Engineering Group: American Gas Turbines Will Remain Relevant But Need Advancement

    Given current trends, the U.S. gas turbine industry is set to play a critically important role in power generation, aircraft propulsion, and the oil and gas industry “for decades to come,” but it could benefit from prioritized research and development (R&D) and technological leadership, a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and […]

  • Decarbonizing with Energy Storage Combined Cycles

    Low asset utilization is an increasing financial challenge for both conventional and renewable assets, which are sometimes curtailed due to over-generation at various times of day. Integrating large-scale

  • Decarbonization: Utilities Leading the Way

    Decarbonization is a word that seems to be used quite regularly these days. For the power industry, it refers to the shift in electric generating resources from carbon-heavy coal to carbon-free nuclear or

  • The Future of Energy

    The future of energy is electric. It is a future that is evolving rapidly, bringing significant changes. Traditional suppliers are scrambling to stake their claims and remain relevant. Market trends point

  • Duke Energy, American Electric Power Separately Seeking to Go Net-Zero Carbon by 2050

    Two formidable U.S. coal power generators this week separately revised their carbon dioxide emissions reduction targets. Duke Energy announced it would achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. American Electric Power (AEP), meanwhile, said it would extend its target from 60% to 70% from 2000 levels by 2030, and by more than 80% by 2050—but it […]

  • Electric Power Trends and Opportunities

    I was recently reviewing a report issued last year by BMI Research, a Fitch Group company. The Megatrends 2050 Special Report , as it is called, suggests there are three main trends that will transform the

  • High-Volume Hydrogen Gas Turbines Take Shape

    In preparation for a large-scale power sector shift toward decarbonization, several major power equipment manufacturers are developing gas turbines that can operate on a high-hydrogen-volume fuel. According to

  • Pitfalls and Promises: Power Sector Decarbonization

    Decarbonization is becoming firmly entrenched in utility business strategies to address risks and opportunities posed by climate change. But setting out a sound plan amid so many uncertainties poses a number

  • INNIO to Supply Six Jenbacher Gas Engines for Innovative Microgrid Project in Finland

    JENBACH, AUSTRIA—April 1, 2019—INNIO* announced today that it will supply six Jenbacher* gas engines for the LEMENE microgrid project in Finland, helping the Finnish government reach its climate goal of having 100 percent of its energy come from renewable sources by 2030. The LEMENE flagship project will be the largest energy self-sufficient business district using […]

  • Japanese Conglomerates Rejigger Power Sector Strategies

    Hitachi and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), two giant Japanese companies with substantial stakes in the world’s power sector, are separately rethinking future business directions as sizable disruptions shake up prospects for traditional market growth. In recent months, Hitachi refined its business model to prepare it for explosive demand in  digitalization solutions, focusing heavily on grid […]

  • Decarbonization, Electrification Key Among 8 Priorities for U.S. Investor-Owned Power Companies 

    In line with customer preferences, U.S. investor-owned electric companies are heavily invested in decarbonization and electrification, the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) told Wall Street analysts and bankers on Feb. 6. In its annual presentation to potential investors and industry observers, the trade association that represents U.S. investor-owned electric companies lamented a number of uncertainties affecting […]

  • Crucial to Decarbonization, Costs Dim Prospects for Nuclear Power

    A Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) interdisciplinary study found that nuclear power has the potential to contribute greatly to the achievement of deep decarbonization goals, yet despite its promise, cost hinders the expansion of nuclear power. “The Future of Nuclear Energy in a Carbon-Constrained World” was released on September 3. It is the eighth in […]

  • Duke Energy Eyes More Coal Closures as Part of Decarbonization Drive

    Giant U.S. energy holding company Duke Energy in a new report outlined for shareholders how it will achieve a goal updated last year to reduce its 2030 carbon dioxide emissions 40% compared to 2005 and achieve a “science-based 2-degree target.” The company’s 2017 Climate Report to Shareholders made public on March 22 unveils a strategy […]

  • Moniz: Eight Critical U.S. Nuclear Power Issues That Should Be Addressed Now

    Nuclear power’s future—and its much-needed contribution to U.S. decarbonization efforts—may be hampered if eight pressing issues aren’t addressed within the next five years, U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz said at a recent event held at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. The issues Moniz outlined in his keynote speech at a six-hour event titled […]