POWER Magazine

A study released today by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) suggests that the world’s nuclear power generating capacity will continue growing through at least 2030. The projected growth varies widely due to uncertainty surrounding energy policy, license renewals, permanent retirements, and future construction, but even the “low case” sees nuclear capacity increasing 2.4% by [...]The post Nuclear Power’s Future Is Still Bright, According to IAEA Report appeared first on POWER Magazine.

European Union (EU) officials have approved General Electric’s (GE’s) $9.5 billion acquisition of Alstom’s power business, but conditions to which the two companies agreed to cement the deal will drastically reshape the world’s heavy-duty gas turbine market. The European Commission, the 28-country union’s executive body, granted its approval to the much-watched proposed merger, but only [...]The post GE Clears Final Hurdles for Acquisition of Alstom appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) said on Sept. 2 that it was increasing its oversight of the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant as a result of an inspection finding stemming from an unplanned shutdown in January. The action moves the plant into the Repetitive Degraded Cornerstone Column, indicating multiple problems in meeting one of the NRC’s [...]The post Pilgrim’s Woes Continue as NRC Increases Oversight appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Nuclear costs aren’t on the rise globally as has been widely thought, says a new report from the International Energy Agency (IEA) and Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) surveying the levelized cost of generating electricity (LCOE). The eighth edition of the report, “Projected Costs of Generating Electricity” compiles data for 181 plants in 19 OECD and [...]The post Nuclear Is Still the Lowest Cost Option, says IEA/NEA Report appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Warren Buffett bought Nevada’s NV Energy two years ago, a move widely seen as a play for solar and renewable generation. That’s working out. But as the company transitions away from legacy coal and high-priced renewable contracts signed years ago, large customers are rebelling, and the company faces a challenge to keep its big dog [...]The post NV Energy: Warren Buffett’s Plan for a Structural Power Shift appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post THE BIG PICTURE: Powering China and India appeared first on POWER Magazine.

While having lunch at a downtown café with my friend the biology professor, the subject of animal extinction arose. “When it comes down to it, we really don’t know exactly why most prehistoric speciesThe post Leveraging Fuel Flexibility for Coal Power Plant Survival appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is facing major population growth over the next several decades and, with it, rapidly growing electricity demand. In 2013, the country generated 292.2 TWh of electricity, whichThe post TOP PLANTS: Qurayyah Combined Cycle Power Plant, Qurayyah, Saudi Arabia appeared first on POWER Magazine.

It’s certainly no secret that for many years, the power industry has been a top target for hackers around the world. However, whereas in the past, many of these attacks were relatively easy to block usingThe post Four Stealthy Cyber Attacks Targeting Energy Companies appeared first on POWER Magazine.

In today’s digital world, an optimally run power plant relies on valuable and accurate data in order to ensure assets are running reliably and with minimal downtime. Streaming in from control systems, SCADAThe post Optimize Power Plant Operations with Industrial Data Management and Predictive Analytics appeared first on POWER Magazine.

In the early 2010s, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) was staring down the barrel of dangerously low reserve margins, a combination of growing demand and an energy-only wholesale market thatThe post TOP PLANTS: Panda Temple I and Panda Sherman Combined Cycle Plants, Texas Owner/operator: Panda Power Funds appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Power plants use indicators to monitor process parameters such as pressure, flow, temperature, voltage, current, and vibration. Unless a facility is relatively new, it likely has analog panel meters; someThe post New Digital Meters Replace Old Analog Meters appeared first on POWER Magazine.

There is a synergistic relationship among the three major cooling water treatment issues: corrosion, scale or deposit formation, and microbiological fouling. In order to control one, you need to control allThe post Winning the Cooling Tower Trifecta: Controlling Corrosion, Scale, and Microbiological Fouling appeared first on POWER Magazine.

As with many areas in North America and Europe, electricity generation in the Canadian province of Alberta is in transition toward cleaner, more efficient, more water-wise power. According to statistics fromThe post TOP PLANTS: Shepard Energy Centre, Calgary, Alberta appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Power-strapped Egypt’s first fast-track natural gas–fired project was completed in a record 159 days from groundbreaking to commissioning this July. The 650-MW Attaqa Simple Cycle Power Plant near SuezThe post Putting a 650-MW Gas Plant Online in Egypt Within Five Months appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Gas-fired power is hot, at least in North America, and quite a few smaller utilities and generators that have never owned a gas turbine plant have begun looking at building one. For large investor-owned companies with plenty of institutional experience in power plant construction, it may be business as usual, but for smaller firms that [...]The post Controlling Schedule, Quality, and Costs for New Gas-Fired Plants appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) issued the final construction permit this week, allowing the expansion of the coal storage facility at We Energies’ Oak Creek site, but not without some additional requirements designed to reduce fugitive dust emissions from the stockpile. The Oak Creek site consists of two power-generating facilities, the Elm Road [...]The post Doubling of We Energies Coal Stockpile Approved, Extra Dust Mitigation Required appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A federal judge on Thursday halted implementation of the Clean Water Rule that is controversial for its broad definition of “Waters of the U.S.” one day before it was to go into effect, saying it was likely that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) overstepped its authority when it promulgated the “exceptionally expansive” rule. Judge Ralph [...]The post Federal Judge Thwarts Implementation of “Expansive” EPA Final Waters of U.S. Rule appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Florida Power & Light Co. (FPL) has received approval from the Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) to acquire and phase out the Cedar Bay Generating Plant, a coal-fired facility located in Jacksonville, Fla. FPL has been buying power from the 250-MW plant under a long-term contract since 1988. The deal was not set to expire [...]The post FPL Gains Approval to Buy Coal-Fired Plant, Plans to Retire It appeared first on POWER Magazine.

An official four-year-long investigation into the Solyndra debacle confirms that the bankrupt maker of cylindrical solar photovoltaic panels misled the Department of Energy (DOE) to get a $535 million federal loan guarantee, but it also reveals that the DOE didn’t properly vet those facts, missing opportunities to catch inaccuracies, possibly due to political pressure. The [...]The post OIG: Solyndra Misled DOE to Get Solar Loan Guarantees appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Entergy’s Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station outside Boston just can’t seem to shake its problems with unplanned shutdowns. The most recent one occurred on Aug. 22, when a broken air-nitrogen line caused a main steam isolation valve to close, trigging a reactor scram. This was the plant’s third unplanned shutdown in 2015. Pilgrim was forced offline [...]The post Pilgrim’s Struggles with Unplanned Shutdowns Continue appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The Department of Interior (DOI) has approved the 485-MW Blythe Mesa Solar project, a photovoltaic (PV) project that will be built in Riverside County, Calif. RRG Renewables’ project will be built on 3,587 acres of private land—”primarily lands that have already been disturbed by agricultural use,” the agency pointed out—under the jurisdiction of Riverside County [...]The post 
 DOI OKs 485-MW California Solar PV Project appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The U.S. and China on Tuesday finalized a memorandum of understanding that will allow them to jointly advance carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) and other clean coal technologies for commercial use. The agreement between the Department of Energy (DOE) and China’s National Energy Administration (NEA) was set up on Aug. 26 during the U.S.–China [...]The post U.S. and China Advance Clean Coal Agreement appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Kyushu Electric Power Co.’s restart of Sendai 1—the first Japanese reactor to begin operation under new safety standards after the Fukushima disaster—hit a technical hiccup last week, prompting the company to halt ramp up of power output. The utility said on Aug. 21 that it had suspended increasing output at the unit after an alarm [...]The post Sendai Nuclear Unit Restart Suspended Amid Equipment Trouble appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The final hurdle for Exelon Corp.’s purchase of Pepco Holdings Inc. (PHI) became the ultimate stumbling block, as the Public Service Commission of the District of Columbia (DCPSC) could not be persuaded that the merger was in the public interest. The DCPSC—an independent agency established by Congress to regulate electric, natural gas, and telecommunications companies [...]The post D.C. Public Service Commission Denies Exelon-Pepco Merger appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The U.S. Court of International Trade has upheld a determination by the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) that imports of crystalline silicon photovoltaic (PV) cells and modules from China materially injured domestic solar companies. The decision dated Aug. 7 (but made public on Aug. 21) rejects claims by Chinese firms Trina Solar, Wuxi Suntech Power, [...]The post 
Solar Cells From China Injured U.S. Manufacturers, International Trade Court Rules appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Exelon’s embattled nuclear fleet got more bad—though far from unexpected—news on Aug. 21 as the Oyster Creek, Quad Cities, and Three Mile Island nuclear power plants failed to clear in the 2018–19 PJM capacity auction. This means that the three plants will not receive capacity payments during that delivery year. This was despite a big [...]The post Three of Exelon’s Nuke Plants Fail to Clear PJM Auction Despite Jump in Payments appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Southern Co. and AGL Resources—the largest natural gas–only distribution company in the U.S.—have agreed to merge in a deal that will make AGL Resources a wholly-owned subsidiary of the giant electric company. The transaction announced on Aug. 24 has an enterprise value of about $12 billion, including a total equity value of approximately $8 billion. [...]The post Southern Co. to Acquire Natural Gas Distribution Leader appeared first on POWER Magazine.

It may not be powering its ships using the sun, but the U.S. Navy will soon be using solar power to keep at least some of the lights on at 14 of its installations in California. The Department of the Navy (DON) recently signed an agreement with Western Area Power Administration and Sempra U.S. Gas [...]The post Coming Soon: The Solar-Powered Navy appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) announced on August 17 that it will dole out a total of almost $17 million to research new CO2 storage technologies through DOE’s Carbon Storage Program and to research coal conversion and utilization through NETL’s University Coal Research Program. Nine projects will receive funding [...]The post DOE Funds Coal Research and Carbon Storage Projects appeared first on POWER Magazine.

With all 40 remaining construction milestones for V.C. Summer Nuclear Station Units 2 and 3 behind schedule (33 by more than 18 months) as of June 30, South Carolina Electric & Gas Co. (SCE&G) awaits approval of the petition it filed with the Public Service Commission of South Carolina (SCPSC) to update its construction and [...]The post Costs and Deadlines Continue to Challenge V.C. Summer Nuclear Plant Project appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Making good on earlier warnings, ScottishPower said on Aug. 18 that it has no choice but to retire the 2,400-MW Longannet power plant in March 2016 because high transmission charges and carbon taxes make fossil generation uneconomic in Scotland. As with generators in the U.S., coal plants in the UK have been challenged by an [...]The post Longannet, UK’s Second-Largest Coal Plant, to Close appeared first on POWER Magazine.

This week brought announcements from India and the state of Wisconsin regarding the repurposing of sites previously associated with coal-fired power generation for future solar power generation. In India’s capital of Delhi, the 240-MW coal-fired Indraprastha Power Station, which was closed in 2010, will be the site of a new 5-MW solar photovoltaic installation. As [...]The post Sites Shift from Coal Power to Solar Power appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The Electricity Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) on August 10 set a record for electricity demand, topping 69,000 MW twice during the afternoon. The peak came as the Energy Information Administration (EIA) noted that Texas also set a record for gas power burn—natural gas usage in its power sector—reaching an average 4.5 Bcf/d through August [...]The post Texas Sets Record for Gas Power Burn, Still Barely Enough appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The bulk of newly announced federal funding for research and development of carbon capture technologies will be committed to post-combustion capture, pre-combustion capture, and biological carbon dioxide (CO2) use. The Energy Department on Aug. 13 outlined 16 projects that it chose to receive funding through the National Energy Technology Laboratory’s (NETL’s) Carbon Capture Program. The [...]The post Carbon Capture Projects Receive Federal Funds appeared first on POWER Magazine.

U.S. wind power is becoming more widespread and costs are generally on the decline, but the sector is troubled by policy uncertainties, a new report from the Energy Department says. After a lackluster year in 2013, wind power capacity additions in the U.S. rebounded nearly 8% in 2014, driven by recent improvements in the [...]The post DOE Report Highlights Triumph, Trouble for Wind Power Sector appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The attorneys general of 17 states are suing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for invalidating agency-approved state implementation plans (SIPs) governing emissions from power plant startup, shutdown, and malfunction (SSM) operations. The states have asked a federal court to review the EPA’s June-issued final rule, which deems SIP provisions concerning SSM operations in 36 states [...]The post Seventeen States Sue EPA for Mandating SIP Startup, Shutdown, Malfunction Changes appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will issue revised Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) and legally required cost-benefit analyses by April 15, 2016, court documents show. In an Aug. 10 motion filed with the D.C. Circuit for White Stallion Energy Center v. EPA (12-1100), the EPA said it intends to seek remand without vacatur (which would [...]The post Committed to “Ambitious Schedule,” EPA Wants to Reissue MATS Rule by April 2016 appeared first on POWER Magazine.

On August 3, 2015, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a much-anticipated suite of regulations, featuring the final Clean Power Plan’s guidelines for carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from existing power plants under Clean Air Act section 111(d). This package has sparked great interest, and early reactions run the gamut from enthusiastic support to entrenched opposition. [...]The post The Clean Power Plan Is Final: Time to Find the Candles? appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Nearly two years after Japan’s last nuclear power plant was shut down for safety checks, Kyushu Electric Power Co. has started up the 890-MW Sendai-1. The event marks a significant milestone for the country’s nuclear sector, which was crippled by the Fukushima disaster in 2011. Kyushu started up Sendai-1 at 10:30 a.m. local time and [...]The post Sendai-1 Reactor Restart Marks Japan’s Nuclear Rebirth appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Though most power generators and states might have preferred to not deal at all with a new rule regulating greenhouse gas emissions, the final Clean Power Plan (CPP), released August 3, gives most of the power industry most of what it asked for in terms of revisions to the 2014 proposed plan. In any regulatory [...]The post Power Industry Wins with Final Clean Power Plan appeared first on POWER Magazine.

According to data compiled and reported by Fraunhofer-Institut für Solare Energiesysteme ISE—a German-based solar energy research institute—from July 1 through August 5, solar and wind energy produced 6.24 TWh and 7.09 TWh of electricity respectively, compared to 5.94 TWh of nuclear power generation in Germany. Although it’s not the first time wind production has exceeded [...]The post Solar and Wind Power Each Surpass Nuclear Generation in Germany Since Mid-Year appeared first on POWER Magazine.

In a deal said to be the largest ever involving electric cooperatives, a group of 12 cooperatives completed the purchase of Alliant Energy’s electric service territory in southern Minnesota, which serves more than 43,000 customers. The agreement was signed in September 2013 between Interstate Power and Light Co. (IPL)—Alliant’s Iowa utility—and Southern Minnesota Energy Cooperative [...]The post Alliant Energy Sells Minnesota Electric Service Territory to 12 Cooperatives appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Furthering efforts to encourage clean energy innovation, the Energy Department released a funding opportunity announcement (FOA) to support the research, development, and demonstration of advanced reactor concepts. The announcement represents an early step in increasing investment in nuclear advanced reactor technologies, which have the potential to provide substantially enhanced operational performance, safety, security, economics, and [...]The post Energy Department to Invest in Advanced Reactor Concept Development appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Reaction from utilities, environmental groups, and governmental leaders following the August 3 release of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) final Clean Power Plan rule was mixed. Some, such as Duke Energy CEO Lynn Good, pointed to the progress that has already been made in recent years to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, noting that the [...]The post Reactions to Clean Power Plan: From Excitement to Anger appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Editor’s note (Aug. 3): Adds compliance cost details, key changes The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) final Clean Power Plan will seek to tamp down the nation’s carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from the power sector by 32% from 2005 levels by 2030—about 9% more ambitious than its original proposal. The first-ever final national standards to limit [...]The post [UPDATED] EPA Issues More Ambitious But Flexible Final Clean Power Plan appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post THE BIG PICTURE: Targeting Renewables appeared first on POWER Magazine.

It’s not often that a power plant upgrade improves both the environment and the bottom line. Needing to come up with a new source of cooling water for Polk Power Station, and faced with mostly expensive, environmentally questionable options, Tampa Electric came up with a solution that both secured the plant’s water supply for the [...]The post Tampa Electric Co.’s Polk Power Station Reclaimed Water Project appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Two of the most important elements in any construction or upgrade project are safety and speed of completion. While one way to increase safety is to eliminate hot work whenever possible, the reality is that welding is necessary for many tasks around a power plant. However, one area where welding may not always be required [...]The post Grooved Mechanical Piping Offers a Versatile Pipe-Joining Alternative appeared first on POWER Magazine.