POWER Magazine

Looking to ensure reliable power for a critical facility—as well as move the needle on microgrid technology—Texas’s largest transmission company went all-in on a state-of-the-art demonstration project that sets a new standard for future smart grid deployments. Having a 100% uninterruptible power supply for a commercial facility is far from a unique requirement. Traditionally, meeting [...]The post Oncor’s System Operating Services Facility, Lancaster, Texas appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Courtesy: Colorado Energy Nations, GDF SUEZ Energy NA, and Behrent Engineering POWER’s 2015 Reinvention Award (formerly known as the Marmaduke Award) goes to an industrial cogeneration plant that reinvented its largest unit for greater fuel and operating flexibility. This project is exemplary for the owner’s foresight, maximizing local engineering resources, a stellar safety record, and [...]The post Colorado Energy Nations Boiler 5 Upgrade Project appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Despite wind power’s going “mainstream,” original equipment manufacturers and end users struggle to pin down quality standards for ever-evolving wind turbine component technologies. As more utilities embrace wind power, the U.S. wind turbine market has expanded tremendously over the years. It has proliferated into numerous facilities that specialize in the roughly 8,000 component parts that [...]The post The Wind Sector’s Elusive Quest for Quality appeared first on POWER Magazine.

I’ve got some good news and some bad news. The good news is that, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of occupational fatalities resulting from exposure to electricity has decreased steadily during the past 10 years (Figure 1). The bad news is that 141 people died on the job in the [...]The post Electrical Arc Flash Protection Solutions appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Standards and regulations may change, but the danger associated with arc flash hazards remains. Analyzing potential incident energy correctly and understanding what personal protection equipment is required can help workers stay safe and avoid painful, or even life-threatening, injuries. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) have both [...]The post Making Sense of New Arc Flash Protection Rules appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Courtesy: SaskPower There was no debate among our editorial team when it came to selecting the most interesting and worthy project worldwide for this year’s top award. Boundary Dam Power Station Unit 3 is the world’s first operating coal-fired power plant to implement a full-scale post-combustion carbon capture and storage system. It did so more [...]The post SaskPower’s Boundary Dam Carbon Capture Project Wins POWER’s Highest Award appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Exelon’s Quad Cities nuclear plant in Illinois will not be economically viable despite changes in the PJM capacity market, and the company has to make a decision on closing it before the Illinois legislature can act on possible measures to save it, CEO Chris Crane said in Exelon’s second-quarter earnings call on July 29. Along [...]The post Quad Cities Nuclear Plant May Be Retired appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Broad, bipartisan energy legislation that would allocate federal funding to grid technology research and demonstration along with a number of other initiatives, including cybersecurity and the energy-water nexus, has cleared the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee with an 18–4 vote. The committee’s chair, Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), and Ranking Member Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) [...]The post Broad Energy Policy Modernization Bill Clears Senate ENR Committee appeared first on POWER Magazine.

France’s state-owned utility EDF will snap up between 51% and 75% of troubled nuclear giant AREVA’s reactor business in a possible $2.96 billion deal. While the French government owns about 87% of AREVA and 85% of EDF, the utility that operates the nation’s aging 58-reactor fleet, it has pledged to look at all options to [...]The post EDF Moves to Rescue AREVA, Will Buy Majority of Nuclear Reactor Business appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Though the U.S. Senate voted 64–29 this week to renew the charter of the Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im), the House may adjourn for its summer break without taking action on the issue. Congress let the Ex-Im bank’s charter lapse for the first time in its 81 years of continuous operation on June [...]The post Ex-Im Bank Reauthorization Stalled, Even as House Prepares to Adjourn appeared first on POWER Magazine.

With the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) expected to issue its final rule on power plant greenhouse gas emissions under the administration’s Clean Power Plan (CPP) early next week, reports strongly suggest the revisions will extend compliance deadlines in response to power sector complaints about a too-aggressive schedule in the proposed rule. A July 28 report [...]The post Power Sector Braces for Final Clean Power Plan Rule appeared first on POWER Magazine.

As part of a remedy package to appease the European Commission, Alstom will accept $331 million less than the original $13.63 billion purchase price offered by General Electric (GE) to close the deal. The much-anticipated deal has come under close scrutiny by the European Commission, which opened a full-scale antitrust investigation into the deal on [...]The post Alstom Offers Discount to Seal GE Acquisition Deal appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) inspectors reported that the Tennessee Valley Authority’s performance during a recent assessment conducted at Watts Bar Unit 2 indicated that the plant is ready to startup and conduct power operations. The news was conveyed at a public meeting hosted by the NRC on July 27 in Athens, Tenn., to review results [...]The post New U.S. Nuclear Plant, Watts Bar Unit 2 Is One Step Closer to Startup appeared first on POWER Magazine.

NextEra Energy’s $4.3 billion bid to buy Hawaiian Electric Industries faces big, perhaps insurmountable, obstacles before the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission, which opened the record on the deal last week. The commission published the public filings in the case, which were overwhelmingly negative. Hawaii’s governor, David Ige, panned the deal in a press conference on [...]The post Hawaiian Electric, NextEra Merger Faces MajorTroubles appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The U.S. House of Representatives on July 23 passed by a 258–166 vote a coal ash bill that industry and states say is much-needed, but which the White House has threatened to veto. The Improving Coal Combustion Residuals Regulation Act of 2015 (H.R. 1734) sponsored by Rep. David McKinley (R-W.Va.) seeks to implement standards finalized [...]The post Coal Ash Bill Clears U.S. House appeared first on POWER Magazine.

When a large electromagnetic pulse (EMP) or geomagnetic disturbance (GMD) event occurs—which, according to Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), there is “100% certainty” will happen at some time in the future—as many as 9 out of 10 people in the U.S. could die. Johnson, chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs, [...]The post Expert: 90% of U.S. Population Could Die if a Pulse Event Hits the Power Grid appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The Obama Administration on July 21 threatened to veto a coal ash bill that is currently pending in the House and Senate, saying it would undermine protections in the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) recently finalized rule on disposal of coal combustion residuals (CCR). The EPA rule, issued in December 2014, drew mixed reactions from the [...]The post Obama Administration Threatens Veto of House Coal Ash Bill appeared first on POWER Magazine.

AES has begun construction of what will be the largest energy storage project in Europe when it comes online later this year in Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland. The 10-MW/40-MWh Kilroot Advancion Energy Storage Array is being added to the AES UK & Ireland Kilroot Power Station in County Antrim along the country’s east coast. The grid-connected [...]The post Europe’s Largest Energy Storage Project Begins Construction appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Renewables giant SunEdison will acquire emerging distributed energy firm Vivint Solar’s 523-MW rooftop solar portfolio in a $2.2 billion acquisition deal that signals momentum for the business model that has challenged the bottom lines of traditional utilities. SunEdison and Vivint Solar signed a definitive merger agreement on July 20. It will involve the acquisition of Vivint [...]The post SunEdison to Acquire Vivint Solar’s 523-MW Rooftop Solar Portfolio appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Senators John Hoeven (R-N.D.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) have introduced a much-awaited coal ash bill in the Senate that they say will provide more certainty than will the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) final rule alone. The bill introduced on July 17 is companion legislation to a measure introduced by Reps. John Shimkus (R-Ill.) and David McKinley [...]The post New Coal Ash Bill Unveiled in the Senate appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Emerging energy technologies such as rooftop solar, microgrids, and distributed generation could adversely affect reliability of the nation’s grid, a new report from the Electric Markets Research Foundation (EMRF) warns. The non-profit research entity whose mission it is to fund studies on significant electric market issues notes in its report, “Changing Uses of the Electric [...]The post Report: Distributed Generation, Energy Storage, Microgrids Pose Grid Reliability Risks appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Interstate Power and Light (IPL) will be forced to spend $620 million to retire 10 coal-fired units and retire, refuel, or install pollution controls at several others in Iowa under a settlement reached with the federal government. The Alliant Energy subsidiary has long anticipated the settlement announced on July 15 by the Environmental Protection Agency [...]The post IPL to Retire or Repower Coal Units in Iowa Under PSD Settlement With Feds appeared first on POWER Magazine.

In a report released this week, M.J. Bradley & Associates found that in 2013 power plant SO2 emissions were 80% lower and NOx emissions were down 74% compared to releases in 1990—the year Congress passed major amendments to the Clean Air Act. The report, Benchmarking Air Emissions of the 100 Largest Electric Power Producers in [...]The post Report: Power Plant Air Emissions Continue Steady Decline appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Seven gasification projects will receive about $7.5 million in funding from the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) National Energy Technology Laboratory. The projects will reduce the cost of coal conversion and mitigate the environmental impacts of fossil-fueled power generation, the DOE said in a statement on July 14. The projects fall under two subtopic areas: development [...]The post DOE Funds New Gasification Projects As Existing IGCC Projects Face Turmoil appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A cyber attack on the U.S. power grid could potentially destroy dozens of generating units, leave 93 million people without power for weeks, and result in nearly $250 billion dollars in economic damage, according to a new report from Lloyd’s of London. Prepared to enable insurers to gauge and prepare for potential risks, the report [...]The post Cyber Attack on U.S. Grid Could Destroy Dozens of Plants, Cost Billions, Report Says appeared first on POWER Magazine.

King Coal has lost his crown—at least temporarily. Electricity generation data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA) for April 2015 showed the U.S. generated 92.5 TWh from natural gas and 88.8 TWh from coal, the first time the nation has gotten the largest share of its power from anything other than coal. That represents a [...]The post Gas Passes Coal as Top U.S. Power Source appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The Department of Energy (DOE) has suspended funding for the Hydrogen Energy California (HECA) polygeneration clean coal plant, saying the company has failed to meet required milestones, according to a report in E&E Greenwire on July 10. The HECA project, in development since the late 2000s, is intended as a next-generation integrated gasification combined cycle [...]The post DOE Suspends Funding for California Clean Coal Project appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Many of the dangers existing at conventional power plants also threaten personnel in the wind and solar energy sectors. All workers can benefit by reviewing lessons learned and implementing corrective actions to improve health and safety performance. The expanding wind and solar energy sectors are not immune to industrial hazards affecting all energy generation markets. [...]The post New Renewable Projects Face Old Safety Hazards appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The nation’s 99 nuclear plants produce about 19% of the country’s power, but they also contribute about $60 billion annually to gross domestic product (GDP), a new Brattle Group report finds. The report, “The Nuclear Industry’s Contribution to the U.S. Economy,” prepared for pro-nuclear group Nuclear Matters says, “Several factors are at play that may [...]The post Report: Losing Nuclear Would Blight Economy appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy remains firm in her resolve to create a landmark rule to reduce carbon emissions from power plants later this year. Speaking at the St. Regis Hotel in Washington, D.C., during an event sponsored by AREVA and hosted by The Christian Science Monitor, McCarthy said, “Last week’s ruling will [...]The post McCarthy: Supreme Court Decision on MATS Won’t Affect the Clean Power Plan Rule appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Mississippi Power must rebate $281 million in funds collected since 2013 for rate increases related to the lignite-fired power plant under construction in Kemper County, the Mississippi Public Service Commission (MPSC) ordered on Tuesday. The state regulatory body also ordered the company and its parent company Southern Co. to stop collecting Kemper’s rate on customer [...]The post Regulator Orders Mississippi Power to Issue Kemper IGCC Rebates appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Five of Germany’s largest lignite power plants will be mothballed to allow the country that is already phasing out nuclear power to meet ambitious climate goals by 2020. In what it called a “milestone decision,” the government on July 2 agreed to scrap plans to impose a controversial—and by some accounts, illegal—climate tax for conventional [...]The post Germany Moves to Idle Coal Plants, Set up “Capacity Reserve” appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) reveals surprising aspects about how federal subsidies for electricity have been distributed, how the power generation mix has shifted, and how consumption has transformed since 2001. The June 29–released report, “Generation Mix has Shifted, and Growth in Consumption has Slowed, Affecting System Operations and Prices,” responds [...]The post How the Power Sector Has Changed Since 2001 appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Thirteen states are suing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers over the recently finalized Clean Water Rule, which they say illegally puts the federal government in charge of a majority of water and land resources in the U.S. North Dakota, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, [...]The post States Sue EPA, Army Corps Over Final Waters of U.S. Rule with Reach Over Power Plants appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority, PREPA, Wednesday made a $415 million payment to its creditors (mostly hedge fund investors), avoiding a default and giving the troubled government-owned utility more time to work out a deal to restructure its $9 billion debt. Had the utility defaulted, according to financial experts, it could have triggered the default [...]The post Puerto Rico’s Utility Makes Debt Payment, Avoids Default appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) released details from its security inspection program for commercial nuclear power reactors and Category I fuel cycle facilities, finding only one “failure to protect designated target set components effectively” during the 23 NRC-evaluated force-on-force (FOF) exercises conducted in 2014. Although not perfect, the marks are far better than inspection results [...]The post Nuclear Power Plant Security Forces Fare Better on Inspections than TSA Agents appeared first on POWER Magazine.

China on June 29 submitted its Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) for reducing carbon emissions to the United Nations in preparation for the COP21 climate negotiations in Paris later this year. The INDCs are formal pledges toward a hoped-for binding agreement. The Chinese pledge builds on its November agreement with the U.S. In its INDC, [...]The post China Submits Plans for Reducing Carbon Emissions appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post THE BIG PICTURE: Emissions Controls appeared first on POWER Magazine.

This is a web supplement to “Riding Off into the Sunset: Nuclear Decontamination and Decommissioning Update,” appearing in the July 2015 issue of POWER. The Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant (INPP) is located in eastern Lithuania near Visaginas—a town of more than 20,000 people founded in the mid-1970s for workers constructing INPP and for the [...]The post Ignalina: Decommissioning Chernobyl’s Big Sister appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Wind is no longer a niche alternative energy industry, American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) CEO Tom Kiernan told attendees at WINDPOWER 2015. Despite policy hurdles, the wind sector has seen exponential growth and formidable cost reductions; it has the government’s endorsement for a low-carbon future; and it’s making up an ever-larger share of the nation’s [...]The post Wind Is Mainstream, and Other Insights from WINDPOWER 2015 appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Voters in Colorado and stakeholders in Minnesota forced through unique managed generation transformation plans that paved the way for aggressive state renewable and clean energy standards—inadvertently pushing their utilities out in front of proposed and now actual federal policies. As the power industry struggles with rising costs of adaptation, many beleaguered executives are anxiously focusing [...]The post The Voters Were Right: Colorado and Minnesota’s Paths to Clean Energy appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The United States is continuing its successful track record of providing global leadership in technologies critical to ensuring the prosperity of current and future generations, as it has done for decades. Today, clean energy technologies need to be quickly developed to satisfy often opposing energy needs: national security, affordability, and environmental sustainability. The nation is [...]The post NETL: Providing Energy Technology Solutions and Options appeared first on POWER Magazine.

At the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), generation transitions are nothing new. The nation’s largest public power system—with 34 GW of generating capacity, supplying retail distributors with nine millionThe post Public Power “Big Dog” TVA Takes Fresh Approach to Resource Planning appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Harrington Generating Station, located near Amarillo, Texas, began burning Powder River Basin (PRB) coal when its units first entered service, beginning in 1976. A unique feature of the plant is that TUCO Inc. buys and delivers the coal and Savage Services owns and operates the plant’s coal-handling facility. Incomparable housekeeping and exceptional safety performance evidence [...]The post Xcel Energy’s Harrington Generating Station Earns Powder River Basin Coal Users’ Group Award appeared first on POWER Magazine.

In a 5–4 decision announced on June 29, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) rules limiting mercury and other hazardous air pollutants released from power plants. In April 2014, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit upheld the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS), ruling in a 2–1 decision [...]The post Supreme Court Strikes Down EPA’s MATS Rule appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A bill that would halt the Clean Power Plan’s compliance deadlines until litigation on the rule has been completed has passed the U.S. House of Representatives with a 247–180 vote. The Ratepayer Protection Act (H.R. 2042) now goes to the Senate, where the GOP is working on a similar measure to suspend the Environmental Protection [...]The post House Passes Measure to Stall EPA Clean Power Plan appeared first on POWER Magazine.