POWER Magazine

Dominion Resources, a large electric and gas utility holding company serving mostly Virginia and North Carolina, has big ambitions to spread its wings nationally and internationally in gas, while carefully hedging its electricity business. The company’s strategy is eclectic. “Eclectic.” Miriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 11th Edition, defines the word as “1: selecting what appears to be […]The post Dominion Resources Broadens Its Reach appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Microgrids have been around for decades, but today, more potential customers, owners, technologies, and vendors than ever are part of the market. Increased interest in this special grid resource means there’s more competition, which is generally a good thing, but there are also new challenges. “You have to have some serious staying power” to be […]The post U.S. Microgrid Market Development appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Upgrading automation systems can often extend the life of power generation facilities by decades while reducing downtime, improving operations, and reducing required maintenance. The Maggotty plant in Jamaica offers one such example. Many power generation facilities have equipment in good running order with many years or even decades of potential service life remaining, but operation […]The post Digital Control System Upgrade Gives Hydropower Plant New Life appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Keeping a power plant’s surface condenser in proper working order requires paying attention to balance-of-plant systems as well. Failure to monitor and maintain cooling towers and vacuum pumps in particular can lead to performance penalties or worse. The surface condenser at a power plant has a significant effect on power generation—specifically, the efficiency with which […]The post The Importance of Including Balance-of-Plant Systems in Condenser Maintenance appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Development of a consolidated interim storage facility (CISF) took a significant step forward this week with a license application submitted to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) on April 28 by Waste Control Specialists LLC (WCS), with support from AREVA, for a CISF in Andrews County, Texas.The post NRC License Application Submitted for Spent Nuclear Fuel Interim Storage Facility appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Seven workers have reportedly died from an April 20 incident at Adani Power’s coal-fired 4.6-GW Mundra power plant in Gujarat, India, that involved a pipeline hot water release. The accident occurred at about 11:15 a.m. on April 20 as Unit 4, one of the ultra mega power plant’s nine 660-MW units, was being restarted after […]The post Seven Dead From Hot Water Accident at Power Plant in India appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Throwing yet another twist into a long-running saga, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on April 27 blocked a pair of power purchase agreements (PPAs) that would have supported continued operation of FirstEnergy’s Davis-Besse nuclear plant and several aging coal-fired plants belonging to FirstEnergy and AEP. The Pubic Utilities Commission of Ohio approved the PPAs […]The post FERC Blocks Ohio Power Plant Subsidy Deal appeared first on POWER Magazine.

China’s National Development and Reform Commission and National Energy Administration on April 25 suspended or slowed plans for more than 100 GW of coal-fired capacity across the country in a bid to rein in overcapacity in the generation sector and bolster efforts to improve air quality. The order affects around 200 plants currently in development […]The post China Slams the Brakes on Coal appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Operators at RWE’s Gundremmingen plant northwest of Munich moved to shut down the reactor this week after malware was discovered in the plant fuel handling network. The utility said the shutdown was a precaution and the plant was not believed to be in danger. Unlike previous malware attacks on power plants this year, the infection […]The post Malware at German Nuke Plant Leads to Shutdown appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The U.S. Senate passed an amendment on April 26 that would restore funding for wind energy research and development (R&D) in fiscal year 2017 to $96.4 million—the same amount funded this fiscal year. The amendment passed by a vote of 54–42 as part of Senate consideration of the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies […]The post Senate Votes to Restore Funding for Wind Energy Research and Development appeared first on POWER Magazine.

On April 27, 2016, Siemens’ century-old factory in Berlin will celebrate the shipment of its 1,000th in-house-produced gas turbine.The post Historic and Trend-Setting Siemens Turbine Manufacturing Plant Hits Milestone appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A recent motion filed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) asking a federal court to remand parts of its final coal combustion residuals (CCR) rule could have major new consequences for the power sector if upheld, an expert has said. In its 16-page motion filed on April 18, the agency asked the U.S. Court of Appeals […]The post EPA Motions Court for Weighty Changes to Final Coal Ash Rule appeared first on POWER Magazine.

GE is doubling down on industrial markets, as its efforts to acquire the drilling unit of Halliburton and its two acquisitions in the power space this month demonstrate.The post GE Continues Its Buying Spree appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Executives from power companies operating in different markets revealed how their firms are being affected by low natural gas prices, pressures to achieve fuel diversity, distributed energy generation, and lax demand growth, among a number of topics. The annual executive roundtable panel at the ELECTRIC POWER Conference and Exhibition on April 19 was moderated by […]The post Five Takeaways From the ELECTRIC POWER Executive Roundtable appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Even if the Clean Power Plan (CPP) doesn’t overcome legal challenges, it is likely that many states will implement carbon-curbing measures set down by the rule, some panelists said at the Environmental Mega Session at the ELECTRIC POWER 2016 conference in New Orleans on April 19. The Rule’s Shaky Legal Standing The rule is […]The post Environmental Experts Underscore Clean Power Plan Uncertainty appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The volume and value of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in the first quarter of this year have soared, according to the accounting and financial consulting firm PwC. According to PwC’s quarterly snapshot, American Power & Utilities Deals: Q1 2016, “The first quarter was the most active for power and utilities in recent history, with 22 […]The post Mergers and Acquisitions in the Power Sector Soar in 1Q 2016 appeared first on POWER Magazine.

By an 85-12 vote, the U.S. Senate passed the first comprehensive energy bill in nearly a decade, bringing a successful conclusion to months of legislative effort and overcoming a series of roadblocks in the full Senate related to the water quality crisis in Flint, Mich. The product of more than a year of bipartisan work […]The post Senate Passes Comprehensive Energy Bill, Future Uncertain appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Two senior power sector executives opened the 2016 ELECTRIC POWER Conference and Exhibition in New Orleans April 19 with a message that generators need to “think big” and embrace possibilities of disruptive technologies—or risk being run over on the road to the future. Leo Denault, chairman and CEO of Entergy Corp., delivered the opening keynote […]The post Resilience and Change in a Digital Future appeared first on POWER Magazine.

In a unanimous ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a lower court decision that a program Maryland initiated in 2012 to subsidize power plant construction impermissibly invaded the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC’s) authority over interstate power markets. The case, Hughes v. Talen Energy Marketing, grew out of a decision by the Maryland Public Service […]The post Supreme Court Strikes Down Maryland Power Plant Subsidies appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Public benefits offered by the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) far outweigh the costs, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said as it released a review of the 2012-finalized rule’s cost implications. The final cost consideration—released just days before power plants that received a one-year extension must come into compliance with the rule—was prompted by […]The post [UPDATED] EPA Stands Ground on MATS with Final Cost Consideration appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Subcommittees of the U.S House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate separately advanced appropriations bills that lay out funding priorities for the Department of Energy (DOE) and other energy-related measures for 2017. The House Energy and Water Subcommittee, a panel of the Appropriations Committee, passed a $37.4 billion bill to fund the DOE as well […]The post House, Senate Subcommittees Pass Energy Appropriations Bills appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Financially bruised Peabody Energy Corp.—the world’s largest privately owned coal mining firm—is seeking bankruptcy protection. The St. Louis–headquartered company filed for voluntary Chapter 11 protection in a desperate attempt to strengthen liquidity and reduce debt amid what it says has been an “unprecedented industry downturn.” It filed petitions for most of its U.S. entities in […]The post Peabody, Optimistic About Coal’s Future Stability, Seeks Bankruptcy Protection appeared first on POWER Magazine.

S. Alam Group has suspended work at the site of a proposed 1,224-MW coal-fired power station in Chittagong, Bangladesh, due to safety concerns following a rally that ended with four protesters dead on April 4. According to multiple sources, groups opposing construction of the plant agreed on April 10 to halt their activities for 15 […]The post Work Suspended on Coal Power Plant Following Protests, Nuclear Plant Moves Forward appeared first on POWER Magazine.

In April’s editorial, “When Technology Tails Wag Power Dogs,” Editor Gail Reitenbach mused about whether the use of captured carbon dioxide (CO2) for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) represents a viable way forward for carbon capture, use, and sequestration (CCUS). This is a subject both of us have covered in various ways over the past few […]The post Is EOR a Dead End for Carbon Capture and Storage? appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The average capacity factor for U.S. natural gas–fired combined cycle power plants (CCPPs) exceeded that for coal-fired plants in 2015 for the first time since the Energy Information Administration (EIA) has been keeping records, the agency noted on April 4. Gas generation exceeded coal generation for most of 2015, though coal ended slightly ahead for […]The post Gas Combined Cycle Capacity Factors Beat Coal for First Time Ever appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A plan to restructure $9 billion in Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) debt—an eighth of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico’s staggering $72 billion in debt—surfaced at the U.S. territory’s energy regulator, the Puerto Rico Energy Commission last week on April 7.The post Puerto Rico Utility Moves to Restructure $9B in Debt appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Multiple international news organizations have reported that at least four people were killed, and as many as 100 more were injured, when police opened fire on an estimated 1,500 villagers who were protesting the construction of two coal-fired power plants in Chittagong, in southeastern Bangladesh, on April 4. Discord Over Power Plant According to reports […]The post Four Killed While Protesting Coal Power Plant Construction Project appeared first on POWER Magazine.

In a joint report issued April 5, a group of California agencies and utilities said that if the Aliso Canyon natural gas storage facility north of Los Angeles cannot be returned to service after a major leak this past winter, repeated gas curtailments could occur this summer, leading to significant loss of generating capacity in Southern […]The post Aliso Canyon Gas Leak May Imperil Summer Reliability, CAISO Says appeared first on POWER Magazine.

In what has become a regular occurrence with the Kemper County integrated gasification combined cycle power plant, Mississippi Power announced in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 1 that costs have risen from the most recent projections and further delays in its in-service date are possible. Though the $18 million in […]The post Kemper County IGCC Costs Rise and Delays Loom—Again appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have combined two proven technologies to create a new hybrid system that could produce electricity, using coal as a fuel source, at nearly double the efficiency of conventional coal-fired power plants. The concept—proposed by MIT doctoral student Katherine Ong and Ronald C. Crane (1972) Professor Ahmed Ghoniem—combines […]The post Is a New Hybrid System the Cure for Coal Power’s Ills? appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Setting the stage for a drawn-out fight with ratepayer groups and other generators, the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) on March 31 approved proposals from FirstEnergy and American Electric Power (AEP) that will provide guaranteed income to FirstEnergy’s Davis-Besse nuclear plant (Figure 1) and several aging coal-fired plants belonging to it and AEP. 1. […]The post Ohio PUC Approves FirstEnergy and AEP Subsidy Plans appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The owner and management company of the Berkshire Power Plant—a 252-MW natural gas–fired combined cycle plant located in Agawam, Mass.—agreed to plead guilty on March 30 to felony charges that the companies violated and conspired to violate the federal Clean Air Act. The indictments against Berkshire Power Co. (BPC), the owner of the plant, and […]The post Air Emissions Tampering Leads to Felony Charges at Power Plant appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post THE BIG PICTURE: Energy for Power appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Why would one want to validate a turbine design? The answer is that actual operation of new and more advanced gas turbines can reveal issues that are very difficult to predict on the drawing board. As aThe post Rigorous Turbine Validation Process Produces Sustained Reliability Exceeding 99% appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Geothermal technology, though over a century old, is constantly changing. Developments in mapping techniques have improved exploratory practices. Plant adaptations, such as hybrid technologies and theThe post New Plant Design Options Expand Geothermal Power Operations appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Shamelessly adapting the great British novelist Charles Dickens, for the global nuclear industry, it is the best of times, it is the worst of times; it is the age of wisdom, it is the age of foolishness; it isThe post The Global Nuclear Power Industry Faces Localized Outlooks appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is obligated to review many different federal environmental standards on a recurring basis and update them if the agency deems it necessary for the protection ofThe post Communication Was Essential to Alliant Energy’s Successful Handling of Emissions Monitoring appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Among the greatest revolutions of the modern world is one that most of us take for granted: electrification. When we flip on the light switch, turn on the TV, or plug in our cell phones, power is there, 99.99%The post Radical Energy Breakthroughs—Without the Risk appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Although other renewable sources of energy may be growing at a faster rate, more electricity continues to be generated in the U.S. by conventional hydropower than by wind, solar, and geothermal power combinedThe post Weighing Costs and Benefits in Hydropower Maintenance and Upgrade Decisions appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Entergy Corp., a dominant investor-owned utility in the middle south, hugging the Mississippi River drainage area from New Orleans to Memphis (including a piece of Texas), faces what may be a unique generationThe post Entergy Sheds Uneconomic Merchant Nuclear Plants to Focus on Regulated Business appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Entergy Tests Fiber Optic Cables to Slash Copper Use A unique pilot under way at a substation in New Orleans, La., uses fiber optic cables in a way that could help utilities reduce the use of copper wire. ButThe post Maximizing Coastal Power Plant Resiliency appeared first on POWER Magazine.

If you’re still thinking of drones and robots as more toy than tool, think again. The drones now working in the power sector have gone far beyond remote-control hobbies and now resemble something closer toThe post Leveraging Drones and Robots for O&M Savings appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Two renewables giants with a hefty global reach are facing debilitating financial crises. SunEdison on the Verge of Bankruptcy California-headquartered solar project developer SunEdison, a company that has 1,000 operational sites worldwide and is staffed by 3,000 employees, is facing a liquidity crisis so dire, the company’s yieldco TerraForm Global warned in a March 29 […]The post Bankruptcy Shadows Two High-Profile Solar Companies appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A handful of attorneys general want to join forces on ongoing and potential investigations into whether fossil fuel companies misled investors and the public about the impact of climate change on their businesses. New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman announced the joint effort on March 29, during a one-day climate change conference for attorneys […]The post State AGs Join Forces to Ramp Up Investigations of Climate Change Financial Disclosures appeared first on POWER Magazine.

While conducting a comprehensive inspection on more than 2,000 of the reactor’s removable insert liner bolts during a Unit 2 planned outage at the Indian Point nuclear power plant, engineers identified issues with approximately 11% of them, requiring further analysis. Some of the bolts—and the bars meant to hold them in place—were missing, while others […]The post Inspections at Indian Point Nuclear Plant Identify Missing Bolts in Reactor appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Edison International, parent company of Southern California Edison (SCE), announced on March 29 that it’s launching a new business unit called Edison Energy that will provide energy consulting services to large energy consumers across the country to help them in identifying and exploiting opportunities to lower energy costs, reduce complexity of energy management, and meet […]The post Edison Moves Toward Energy as a Service appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A diverse coalition of major investor-owned utilities, public power authorities, and one of the largest independent power producers, as well as a combination of cities and states, clean energy groups, and environmental groups, filed briefs with the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals in support of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Clean Power Plan. The involved […]The post Clean Power Plan Backers Petition Court in Support of EPA appeared first on POWER Magazine.