POWER Magazine

The U.S. House of Representatives passed two joint resolutions on Dec. 1 designed to nullify the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Clean Power Plan. The House votes come just two weeks after the Senate passed both resolutions on Nov. 17. Senate Joint Res. 23—sponsored by Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.)—provides for congressional […]The post Much Ado About Clean Power Plan Vote appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Germany’s largest power generator RWE, following in the footsteps of its competitor E.ON, plans to split its company to bank on renewable energy and grid operations, which it says is the future for utility companies. If approved by RWE’s supervisory board, the Essen-headquartered company that produces more than 40% of its power from hard coal […]The post RWE CEO: Conventional Power Role Shifting from Baseload to Renewables Back Up in Europe appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Editors note: Corrected (Dec. 7). A previous version of this infographic listed Russia’s nuclear total as 1.9 GW. It is 2.9 GW.The post THE BIG PICTURE: Nuclear Spins appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A regional haze program final rule for Texas expected soon from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) could speed up the retirement of about 4.7 GW of coal-fired capacity, warns the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) in a new generation outlook. The grid operator’s Dec. 1–released “Report on the Capacity, Demand and Reserves (CDR) in […]The post ERCOT Braces for Regional Haze Rule, Earlier Coal Retirements appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The 21st annual Conference of Parties (COP21) to review the implementation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) began in Paris, France, on Nov. 30, 2015. COP21 is expected to be one of the largest international conferences ever held. There are hopes that COP21 will achieve a legally binding and universal agreement […]The post 15 Must-See Tweets from the 2015 Paris Climate Conference appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Florida’s Seminole Electric Cooperative faces what may be the most difficult generation transition in the nation as a result of the Obama administration’s Clean Power Plan. One of the nation’s largest generation and transmission rural electric cooperatives, Seminole owes its origins and its current position primarily to a single coal-fired plant. When electric utility veteran […]The post Seminole Electric Cooperative Sees Big Challenges from Clean Power Plan appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Germany’s nuclear power–producing companies will be able to shoulder the costs of the nuclear phase-out—including costs for decommissioning and the disposal of radioactive waste. That’s according toThe post Germany: Utilities Must Shoulder Nuclear Phase-Out Costs appeared first on POWER Magazine.

One of the world’s largest biomass-fed organic rankine cycle (ORC) plants is getting ready to begin operations. Italian firm Turboden is preparing to put online an 8-MW power unit in Athens, Maine, that willThe post Biomass-Fed Organic Rankine Cycle Units Make It Big appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Siemens, the only provider of direct-current (DC) offshore wind connection projects, in October unveiled a potentially game-changing technology that it says enables cheaper and simpler grid connection of windThe post “Revolutionary” Grid Connection for Offshore Wind Turbines Unveiled appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Battery storage firms and energy storage experts at the Energy Storage North America (ESNA) conference in San Diego Oct. 13–15 were effusive in their praise of battery storage’s potential whileThe post The Potentials and Pitfalls of Battery Storage appeared first on POWER Magazine.

In water-stressed regions outside the U.S., power producers and other industrial water users are incorporating higher levels of water reuse, some to the point of zero liquid discharge (ZLD), due to heightenedThe post Water-Stressed Regions Provide Proving Grounds for Advanced ZLD Systems appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Ethiopia’s generation capacity got an immense boost as operations began at the 1.87-GW Gibe III hydroelectric power plant in the middle reach of the Omo River basin this October. The plant—Ethiopia’sThe post Ethiopia Begins Generating Power from 1.87-GW Gibe III Hydro Plant appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Coal pulverizers are the heart of a pulverized coal-fueled boiler. Often, the root causes of nonoptimized combustion lie with the pulverizers. Capacity; reliability; and environmental issues such as slaggingThe post Coal Pulverizer Maintenance Improves Boiler Combustion appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The UK has canceled its flagship £1 billion ($1.5 billion) competition to help commercialize carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology from power plants. The decision by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) was announced in a three-sentence release to the London Stock Exchange just days before crucial climate change negotiations are due to […]The post UK Axes CCS Competition, Puts Two Big Carbon Capture Power Projects at Risk appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The news coming out of several countries in advance of the 2015 Paris Climate Conference (COP21) casts an ominous pall over the future of the coal industry. The End of Coal Generation in Alberta Fresh on the heels of last week’s announcement by UK Energy and Climate Change Secretary Amber Rudd that she plans to […]The post Coal Under Fire as Paris Climate Summit Approaches appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Nov. 20 issued a supplemental finding that consideration of costs does not affect its previous conclusion that regulation of coal- and oil-fired power plants is “appropriate and necessary” under section 112 of the Clean Air Act. The finding was in response to a June decision by the U.S. Supreme […]The post Costs of MATS Don’t Change Rule Justifications, EPA Says appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Duke Energy announced the completion of a 2-MW battery-based energy storage system that has been installed to increase power grid reliability and stability for the PJM regional transmission organization. Installed at its retired W.C. Beckjord coal-fired power plant in New Richmond, Ohio, construction began in August, and the system was placed in operation on Nov. […]The post Duke Energy Adds More Battery-Based Energy Storage Capacity appeared first on POWER Magazine.

In a major speech setting out the future direction of the UK’s energy policy, Energy and Climate Change Secretary Amber Rudd announced plans to restrict the use of the country’s coal-fired power stations by 2023 and close all of the facilities by 2025. “Frankly, it cannot be satisfactory for an advanced economy like the UK […]The post UK to Close All Coal-Fired Power Plants by 2025 appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The U.S. Senate late on Nov. 17 passed a pair of resolutions that would overturn recent Environmental Protection Agency rules on power plant emissions, rules that form the core of the Obama administration’s Clean Power Plan. The two resolutions, S.J. Res. 23 and S.J. Res. 24, were passed under a little-used provision known as the Congressional Review […]The post Senate Votes to Overturn Clean Power Plan appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Another month, another premature nuclear plant retirement. About two weeks ago, Entergy finally threw in the towel on the James A. FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Plant in Scriba, N.Y., a move that came as a surprise to exactly no one who has been paying attention to the merchant nuclear business in the U.S. the past few […]The post Cheap Gas Is Killing Nuclear Power, and the Outlook is Grim appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Nov. 16 proposed updates to the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR) with the intent of reducing NOx emissions from power plants in the eastern half of the U.S. The proposed CSAPR update identifies cuts in power plant NOx emissions in 23 states. The EPA said these cuts can be […]The post CSAPR Update Proposed for 23 States in Eastern U.S. appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The German battery storage market took a leap forward as German generating company Steag announced on Nov. 4 that it will invest €100 million in six 15-MW battery storage projects at several of its power plants in Germany. The batteries are expected to come online mid-2016 through early 2017. The facilities will be sited at Steag’s generating […]The post German Battery Storage Market Gets 90-MW Boost appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Legal marijuana, cultivated indoors on a large scale, poses a growing threat to electrical safety and a booming new business demand for electric power. Legal marijuana cultivation is posing electrical problems in three of the four states where recreational cannabis use is now permitted. The problem is that indoor growing operations—long a production staple when […]The post Pot, Power, and Politics appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The cabinet of Angela Merkel’s ruling coalition has endorsed changes to the German electricity market, ensuring their passage into law. “This is the largest reform of the electricity market since the energy markets were liberalised in the 1990s, and it will make the electricity market fit for the 21st century,” said Energy Minister Sigmar Gabriel. […]The post Germany Lays a New Foundation for Electricity Market appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The final session of the annual meeting of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) in Austin ended on Nov. 11 on a “high note,” as outgoing president and Florida Commissioner Lisa Edgar had promised, with a panel titled “The Straight Dope on Energy & the Marijuana Industry.” The subtitle, “(Don’t laugh, it could […]The post Electricity Sector Problems and Opportunities Posed by Legalized Marijuana appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The world must have carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology to address climate concerns, but commercializing CCS will require a level playing field, an industry advisory council appointed by the Department of Energy (DOE) underscores in a new white paper. The report released by the National Coal Council (NCC) on Nov. 10 responds to a […]The post Advisory Committee to DOE: U.S. Must Level Playing Field for Coal, Carbon Capture Technologies appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Certain types of coal-fired power plants are capable of meeting the 636 kg CO2/MWh emissions limit in the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) new source performance standards for new plants without relying on carbon capture and storage (CCS), but doing so will require leveraging cutting-edge technologies to improve efficiency, according to a new study from the Electric […]The post Coal Plants Without CCS Can Meet EPA Standards, EPRI Study Says appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Several experts, meeting in Washington on Nov. 6 for the White House Summit on Nuclear Energy, agreed that more nuclear power is needed if the world hopes to minimize the effects of climate change and limit the increase in average temperatures around the globe. The Two-Degree-C Scenario William D. Magwood IV, director-general of the Organisation […]The post Experts: Nuclear Power Must be Expanded to Limit Climate Change appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Falling power and gas prices will impact the operating cash flows of unregulated U.S. utilities in 2016, but regulated utilities will see a more stable outlook owing to a supportive regulatory environment, Moody’s Investors Service said in a new analysis of fundamental business conditions released on Nov. 6. Moody’s changed its 2016 industry outlook for […]The post Unregulated U.S. Utility Sector to See Downturn in 2016, Moody’s Warns appeared first on POWER Magazine.

As liquefied natural gas (LNG) continues to draw attention in the gas market, with the first new U.S. LNG export terminal in decades coming online next year, another liquefied gas—propane—is beginning to expand its share of the mix as propane power options continue to grow. While propane-powered engines and microturbines have been around for […]The post Propane Power Is Grabbing Growing Share of Gas-Fired Market appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Dominion subsidiary Dominion Virginia Power on Nov. 6 became the first U.S utility to notify the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) of its intent to file a second license renewal application for one of its nuclear plants. Dominion intends to seek a 20-year extension for the two-unit, 1,676-MW Surry Power Station in Virginia. The announcement […]The post Dominion to Seek New License Extension For Surry Nuclear Plant appeared first on POWER Magazine.

One of the “flexibility” measures built into the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) final Clean Power Plan (CPP) is the option for states to join multi-state emissions trading programs for carbon dioxide. Panelists in a session focused on this issue at the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) annual meeting in Austin largely agreed on […]The post Regulators and Emissions Trading Experts Tackle Intricacies of Clean Power Plan Multi-State Solutions appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Comments made at the annual meeting of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) suggest that the regulatory group and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have been in regular dialog throughout the process of developing the Clean Power Plan (CPP), arguably the most complex environmental regulation affecting the power generation sector and electric utilities. […]The post EPA’s Gina McCarthy Responds to Regulators’ Clean Power Plan Questions appeared first on POWER Magazine.

In a Monday morning session at the annual meeting in Austin of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC), panelists and commissioners traded comments on challenges and successes related to integrating increasing levels of renewables while ensuring reliable grid operation. David Boyd, VP of government and regulatory affairs for the Midcontinent Independent System Operator […]The post Regulators, System Operators, and Utilities Consider Reliability, Renewables, and EPA Regulations appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee has passed two resolutions under a rarely invoked law to render the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) newly finalized carbon rules for new and existing power plants toothless. The joint resolutions introduced on Oct. 26 by Energy and Power Subcommittee Chair Rep. Ed Whitfield (R-Ky.) under the […]The post House Energy Subcommittee Resolves to Bar EPA Carbon Rules appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Italian energy giant Ansaldo Energia says its acquisition of Alstom’s GT 26 and GT36 gas turbine assets and technology, as required by European regulators, will allow the company to increase its turnover twofold in the coming five years. The firm owned 44.8% by Italian state-owned holding company Fondo Strategico Italiano and 40% by Chinese equipment […]The post Acquisition of GE, Alstom Technology to Give Ansaldo Energia Major Market Boost appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Entergy Corp. said on Nov. 2 that it would retire the James A. FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Plant in Scriba, N.Y., at the end of its current fuel cycle due to the facility’s “continued deteriorating economics.” The plant—located in Oswego County on the southeast shore of Lake Ontario—is an 838-MW boiling water reactor commissioned in July […]The post Entergy Announces Closure of FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Plant appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Following regulatory approval of a $10.6 billion transaction in over 20 countries and regions, GE’s acquisition of Alstom’s energy activities is now complete. GE and Alstom sealed the deal first proposed in early 2014 with the signing of a 1,500-page “master agreement.” GE had initially proposed buying Alstom’s lucrative business for €12.35 billion, but following […]The post GE’s Acquisition of Alstom’s Power and Grid Business Is Official appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Levelized Cost of ElectricityThe post THE BIG PICTURE: Levelized Cost of Electricity appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The nearly 4-GW, three-unit Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station remains the largest generator of electricity in the U.S. for the 23rd consecutive year, producing more than 30 million MWh in 2014, for the 10th time (the only plant in the U.S. to do so), all while using only treated wastewater for cooling. Palo Verde Nuclear […]The post TOP PLANTS: Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station, Wintersburg, Arizona appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Largely dependent on imported fuel oil, many island systems must grapple with soaring electricity costs and reliability issues, in part because they are isolated and they don’t benefit from economies of scale. But some nations are seeking alternatives. It’s the same story all over the world. To fuel their economies and support growing populations, geographically […]The post Marooned: How Island Power Systems Keep the Lights On appeared first on POWER Magazine.

As many coal-fired power plants designed for baseload service are asked to cycle, unforeseen stresses have been introduced to boiler pressure parts. Understanding the effects and implementing mitigation strategies could prevent premature component failure and keep facilities operating reliably. On August 3, 2015, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency finalized the Clean Power Plan, which calls […]The post Load Cycling and Boiler Metals: How to Save Your Power Plant appeared first on POWER Magazine.

As the coal industry declines in many places around the world, can the mines it leaves behind be repurposed for cleaner energy projects that benefit multiple stakeholders, including local economies? Several existing and planned projects demonstrate that there may be multiple paths toward that transition. No question, the coal industry in Appalachia, the rest of […]The post Turning Brownfields into Greenfields: From Coal to Clean Energy appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Coal dust combustion events injured employees and damaged equipment at Laramie River Station in May 2013. Any dust-filled facility could consider implementing some of the plant’s corrective actions to reduce the risk of experiencing a similar incident. When Laramie River Station (LRS), near Wheatland, Wyo., was built nearly 35 years ago, it was state-of-the-art. Constructed […]The post Minimizing Coal Dust Combustion Hazards: Lessons from Laramie River Station appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Generation III nuclear reactors have not shown much ability to overcome the weaknesses of conventional Gen-II light-water reactor technology, offering at best evolutionary approaches. Is there room for a more revolutionary approach? Many parties are exploring new technologies, but it’s impossible to tell which, if any, will succeed. Last August, Andy Revkin, The New York […]The post On the Nuclear Frontier: New Designs Aim to Replace LWRs appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Some critters may be cute, but when jellyfish gum up power plant cooling systems; birds, rats, snakes, or squirrels cause electrical shorts; or invasive mollusk species obstruct hydropower plant pipes, losses can be steep. Here’s how some power plant operators are dealing with their critter troubles. There are countless cases of wildlife entering power plant […]The post Wildlife and Power Plants: New Solutions for Animal Problems appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Creeped out and fatigued—that’s the state of many coal-fired boilers these days. Understanding failure mechanisms and suitable testing methods for identifying potential trouble can help you find problems before the problems find you. Even as the current regulatory environment pushes new power generation to utilize natural gas over other fuel sources, a significant amount of […]The post Ensuring Reliable Boiler Operation Through Proper Material Analysis appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Once again, a first-of-a-kind technology at a coal-fired power plant that is designed to reduce its greenhouse gas footprint has run into design, operational, and cost problems. This time, it’s Saskatchewan, Canada utility SaskPower’s Boundary Dam Carbon Capture project that’s facing scrutiny. (Earlier this week, an overdue precombustion carbon capture project, Mississippi Power’s Kemper County […]The post SaskPower Admits to Problems at First “Full-Scale” Carbon Capture Project at Boundary Dam Plant appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The 400-MW coal-fired Sunbury Power Plant in Snyder County, Penn., retired in 2014, will be replaced with a three-unit, 1.1-GW combined cycle plant, private equity firm Panda Power Funds announced on Oct. 28. The four-unit Sunbury facility, which began operations in 1949, was shuttered last year after 65 years of operation. Originally built for Pennsylvania […]The post Coal-Fired Sunbury Power Plant Gives Way to Gas appeared first on POWER Magazine.