POWER Magazine

Major French utility Electricite de France SA (EDF) said it will again extend maintenance outages at some of its nuclear reactors by several months, meaning France will continue to import power and putting more strain on the country’s supply of electricity. EDF has returned some nuclear units to service in the past several weeks, but […]The post Energy Crisis Deepens as Nuclear Reactors Remain Offline in France appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Hitachi Energy will spearhead the modernization of a key high-voltage direct current (HVDC) system in Canada to support the transmission of 1,500 MW of renewable power between Quebec and New York state’s electrical networks. Hydro-Québec, Canada’s largest power utility, on Dec. 15, picked the global technology firm to supply a “back-to-back” converter station at Châteauguay, […]The post Hitachi Energy Will Modernize HVDC System, Boost Delivery of Canadian Hydropower to U.S. appeared first on POWER Magazine.

General Electric (GE), which has restructured its operations in recent years and in July announced its energy and other businesses would have new brand names, on Dec. 15 said its energy group would be headquartered in Massachusetts. GE Vernova, the company’s portfolio of energy divisions, will have its main office in Cambridge, just a few […]The post GE’s New Energy Business Announces HQ Site appeared first on POWER Magazine.

EY earlier this month released the findings from its Energy Consumer Survey 2022. The report is “focused on how energy impacts the lifestyles and wallets of consumers,” according to the company. EY is the trade name for Ernst & Young, the multinational professional services group headquartered in London, UK. The report is based on a […]The post The POWER Interview: What Energy Consumers Want from Utilities appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Countries’ timelines to becoming energy secure and reaching net-zero targets have shortened. Major contributing factors include COVID-19’s impact on supply chains and the war in Ukraine. Alongside this are external influences such as COP27, or the landmark U.S. Climate Bill, which will direct almost $370 billion toward rapidly scaling renewable energy production and reducing emissions. Already, intergovernmental […]The post Increasing Energy Security: Optimizing Today’s Energy Operations and Investing in Renewables for the Future appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The first nuclear fusion reaction to result in a net energy gain has been successfully completed by scientists at a laboratory in California, a milestone in the decades-long pursuit of a way to produce unlimited energy with no carbon emissions or nuclear waste. U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm made the official announcement Dec. 13 during […]The post DOE Confirms Fusion Energy Milestone at California Lab appeared first on POWER Magazine.

As a result of legislative actions across the U.S., acquiring permits for greenfield natural gas-powered plants has increasingly become a challenge. In New York, for example, state officials denied permits for two proposed natural gas-powered plants because they were seen as hurdles to achieving greenhouse gas emissions goals. In 2020, the New Mexico Public Regulation […]The post Caution! When Retrofitting Older Turbines, Upgrade Gas Control Valves appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A Maryland-based power generation development group said its new 1.8-GW combined-cycle natural gas-fired power plant in West Virginia will include carbon capture technology, as the company continues to expand its decarbonization platform. Competitive Power Ventures (CPV) on Dec. 12 said the new CPV Shay Energy Center will be located in Doddridge County, West Virginia. CPV […]The post New CPV Gas-Fired Power Plant Will Include Carbon Capture appeared first on POWER Magazine.

U.S. scientists reportedly have carried out the first nuclear fusion experiment to achieve a net energy gain. The Department of Energy (DOE) is expected to announce the breakthrough on Dec. 13, according to news reports late Sunday. The nuclear power industry has pursued fusion technology for decades, with a renewed emphasis for those efforts in […]The post U.S. Officials Set to Announce Fusion Energy Breakthrough appeared first on POWER Magazine.

More companies are providing software and automation technology to the power generation sector, particularly as newer forms of electricity production increase their market share. Emerson is among those groups, with its technology providing a single, integrated, secure platform that is independent of plant type or the equipment originally installed at a generation facility. James Fraser, […]The post The POWER Interview: Emerson Exec Talks Hybrid Facilities appeared first on POWER Magazine.

In 2023, U.S. utilities have a multipronged ambition to realize: how to provide customers with reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy, and safe water. However, increased pressure around decarbonization and the adoption of cleaner energy sources, electrification, and related infrastructure needs, and customer-driven disruption will make this energy trilemma even more difficult to balance. Management at […]The post Four Forces Shaping U.S. Utilities in 2023 appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Many experts believe small modular reactors (SMRs), which are generally classified as nuclear power reactors with an electrical output of 300 MW or less, offer great promise for supplying the world with carbon-free energy. Several SMR designs are under development by companies around the world including NuScale Power, GE-Hitachi, Terrestrial Energy, TerraPower, Toshiba, X-energy, and […]The post Small Modular Reactors Aren’t Difficult Nuclear Waste Generators appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Power generators are exploring how they can retrofit coal-fired power plants to enable co-firing with ammonia, part of their strategy to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2). The latest project to look at the concept is led by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), which on Dec. 7 announced it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) […]The post Co-Firing with Ammonia Project Set for Chilean Coal Plant appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Are today’s Distributed Control Systems ready for what tomorrow could bring? Johan Björklund of leading global technology company ABB believes they are. Here he looks at how the DCS is adapting to meet the changing demands of users. Distributed Control Systems (DCS) have been around for nearly half a century. Of course, both industrial processes […]The post Evolution and Continuation: How Distributed Control Systems Will Change and Adapt appeared first on POWER Magazine.

GE Gas Power announced on Dec. 6 that it has deployed an “innovative technical solution” on four TM2500 aeroderivative gas turbines at the California Department of Water Resources’ (DWR’s) sites in Yuba City and Roseville, California (Figure 1). The solution reportedly reduced nitrogen oxide (NOx) and carbon monoxide (CO) emissions by more than 90%, surpassing […]The post GE Releases New Option to Cut Emissions on Its Mobile Gas Turbines appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Two countries seeking to expand development of their nuclear power programs have announced new projects. Iranian officials on Dec. 3 said construction of what would be that country’s second nuclear power plant has begun. Meanwhile, Indonesia’s government on Dec. 4 said it is looking for investors to support development of what would be the country’s […]The post Iran Building New Nuclear Plant; Indonesia Seeks Investors for its First appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Mitsubishi Power is expanding its geothermal infrastructure in Indonesia. The company has received an order from PT Pertamina Geothermal Energy (PGE), a subsidiary of the state-owned oil and gas group PT Pertamina, for construction of a 55-MW unit at the Lumut Balai Unit 2 geothermal power station. The order is for a steam turbine, generator, […]The post Mitsubishi Power Will Build New Geothermal for Indonesia appeared first on POWER Magazine.

According to Elon Musk, solar and batteries go together like peanut butter and jelly. The sustainability of renewable energy relies on the deployment of energy storage systems for the storage of energy harnessed by renewable sources. The reduction in the cost to manufacture battery energy storage systems (BESSs) has catapulted the use of these types […]The post The Tales of Battery Energy Storage System Permitting Process appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Competition for a new unit of up to 1.2 GW at the Czech Republic’s Dukovany nuclear power plant site has stepped up, with France’s EDF, South Korea’s Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP), and a Westinghouse-Bechtel team submitting initial bids, Czech utility ČEZ, said on Nov. 30. Elektrárna Dukovany II, a. s. (EDU II), a […]The post Three Nuclear Giants Will Vie for Czech Republic’s Dukovany Expansion appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Solar + wind, solar + storage, wind + storage—even fossil fuels combined with renewable energy—are supporting the growth of hybrid power plants that are breaking the norms of traditional power generationThe post Hybrids Combine Technologies to Enhance Electricity Production appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The Japanese have been hesitant to re-embrace nuclear power following the triple reactor meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi plant in 2011, but there are indications that nuclear power could ramp up again inThe post Nuclear Power Is Finally Poised to Ramp Up Again in Japan appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The Global Energy Monitor (GEM), an organization dedicated to enhancing understanding of climate change data, in a recent report, estimated that about 89.6 GW (or 13%) of the 692 GW of global gas-fired capacity in development are coal-to-gas conversions or replacements. East Asia has the most coal-to-gas conversions or replacements in development (29.6 GW). By […]The post THE BIG PICTURE: Global Coal-to-Gas Switching appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The world’s oil and gas majors, along with some of the largest utility companies, continue to invest in renewable energy as they develop diversified power generation project portfolios. Among the latest isThe post Major Energy Players Seal Big Deals for Renewables appeared first on POWER Magazine.

John Stevens Cabot Abbott, the 19th century American historian perhaps best known for writing History of Napoleon Bonaparte and History of the Civil War in America , is attributed with the quote, “War is theThe post War and Nuclear Power: Stakes Are High for People, Environment, and Industry appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The UK has a broad plan to develop a hydrogen economy as a feature of its commitment to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Energy analysts have said hydrogen not only could fuel the country’sThe post Projects Underway as Part of UK’s Hydrogen Plan appeared first on POWER Magazine.

GE has been operating a monitoring and diagnostics center for the power generation sector for more than 25 years. From modest beginnings, the facility now monitors about 1,000 power plants around the worldThe post How Monitoring and Diagnostics Centers Benefit the Power Industry appeared first on POWER Magazine.

It’s always difficult to select winners from the field of nominations submitted to POWER for its annual awards, and this year was no exception. The Wudongde Hydropower Station was the big winner, whileThe post Large Hydro Station Wins POWER’s Highest Honor, 21 Additional Outstanding Projects Recognized in 2022 appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A nearly two-day-long boil water order that shuttered schools and businesses and affected as many as 2.2 million customers in Houston—the nation’s fourth-largest city— was caused by a power outage stemming from the failure of two city-owned transformers. The incident began on Nov. 27 at 10:30 a.m. when “a ground trip and current overload” tripped […]The post Transformer Failures Disrupted Water Supplies in Houston For Nearly Two Days appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Tuas Power Generation will upgrade two of the four operating turbines at a gas-fired power plant in Singapore, part of the company’s efforts to make the facility more efficient and support government efforts to decarbonize the country’s power generation sector. Mitsubishi Power, part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, on Nov. 30 said it received a contract […]The post Mitsubishi Will Upgrade Gas Turbines at Singapore Plant appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The UK government will bolster a proposal to build Sizewell C with a £679 million ($815 million) investment, giving the twin EPR nuclear power plant project—a combined 3.2 GW—new flexibility to proceed. The UK Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) on Nov. 29 said that with the final investment decision, it intends to […]The post UK Government Steps Up as 50% Owner of 3.2-GW Sizewell C EPR Nuclear Project appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Two Chinese companies announced production of the largest offshore wind turbine built to date, a 16-MW unit developed by China Three Gorges (CTG) and Goldwind. The groups on Nov. 24 showed off the turbine at a factory in Fujian province. The turbine has a 252-meter rotor diameter, with a 50,000-meter sweep area. The hub height […]The post Chinese Groups Unveil World’s Largest Offshore Wind Turbine appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The Biden administration has reversed a controversial Trump-era rule that barred plan fiduciaries from considering climate change and other environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors when choosing retirement investments and exercising shareholder rights, such as proxy voting. A final rule issued by the Department of Labor (DOL) on Nov. 22 removes restrictions issued in two […]The post Labor Department Shuns Trump-Era ‘Anti-ESG’ Measures appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Uranium has been one of the best-performing asset classes in 2022, according to data supplied by HANetf’s Sprott Uranium Miners UCITS ETF (URNM). In fact, the uranium spot price has increased 24.12% during the year through Oct. 31, according to the fund. October was a particularly strong month for uranium oxide (U3O8), which is used […]The post How Does Uranium Price Increase Affect Nuclear Power Plant Profitability? appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) first round of funding from its $6 billion Civil Nuclear Credit (CNC) Program is poised to go to Diablo Canyon Power Plant, California’s only operational nuclear plant. Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), Diablo Canyon’s owner, could receive up to $1.1 billion in credits to extend the 2.2-GW plant’s operation for […]The post DOE Grants First-Round Civil Nuclear Credit Award—$1.1B—to Diablo Canyon appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Energy storage systems (ESS) are expanding far beyond the batteries being deployed at power plants, at substations, in microgrids, or at locations along the power grid to support the electricity transmission and distribution network. Systems for commercial and industrial enterprises, and increasingly by homeowners for residential use, are helping lead the expansion of energy storage. […]The post The POWER Interview: Energy Storage for Commercial, Residential Electrification appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Hurricane Ian, which struck Florida in late September last year, was a devastating storm and a harsh reminder of the impact of Mother Nature’s wrath. Unfortunately, extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and powerful, and our aging grid is struggling to keep up. COMMENTARY Sanibel Island on Florida’s west coast, for example, lost power […]The post The Next Step for Utilities in Workforce Transformation appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has accepted Abilene Christian University’s (ACU’s) construction permit application for a 1-MWth nuclear non-power Molten Salt Research Reactor (MSRR) facility planned for the university’s campus in Abilene, north-central Texas. The acceptance—which essentially marks the NRC “docketing” of the application—formally kicks off the regulatory agency’s review of ACU’s proposed Nuclear Energy […]The post NRC Begins Construction Permit Review for Pioneering Nuclear Molten Salt Research Reactor appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Officials from Russia and Egypt marked another milestone in construction of the latter’s first nuclear power plant, with a ceremony Nov. 19 to announce pouring of the “first concrete” for Unit 2 of the El-Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant (NPP). Saturday’s event came three weeks after a construction permit was issued for that unit by the Egyptian […]The post Russia Says Construction of Egypt’s First Nuclear Plant Ahead of Schedule appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Power shortfalls could be rife over the next three months across a large portion of the North American bulk power system (BPS), particularly during extreme and prolonged cold conditions, the North American Electric Reliability Corp. (NERC) has warned. The nation’s designated Electric Reliability Organization (ERO) in its latest Winter Reliability Assessment, issued on Nov. 17, said […]The post NERC Warns of Tight Generation Resources, Fuel Supply Issues This Winter appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The National Reactor Innovation Center (NRIC) is a national Department of Energy (DOE) program led by the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) that allows collaborators to harness the world-class capabilities of the U.S. National Laboratory System. NRIC supports the construction and demonstration of advanced reactor systems through a suite of services and capabilities. “Our vision is […]The post How NRIC Is Helping Advance Technology for the Nuclear Power Industry appeared first on POWER Magazine.

European energy giant EnBW will pilot switching a 114-year-old coal-fired waste incineration and district heating power plant in Stuttgart-Münster, Germany, to gas-fired technology while ensuring the regionally significant plant will be ready to combust hydrogen “as quickly and completely” as possible. Siemens Energy on Nov. 17 sealed an agreement with the utility for an overall […]The post Siemens Energy Seals Deal for Hydrogen-Ready Coal-to-Gas Switch appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) have settled to resolve alleged violations of the Clean Water Act with four separate large-scale solar farm owners in Alabama, Idaho, and Illinois. The solar farm owners—all subsidiaries of large international finance and investment companies—used a common construction contractor for their farms. The federal […]The post Four Large-Scale Solar Projects Fined $1.34M for Alleged Clean Water Act Violations appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Hydropower projects frequently face resistance from environmental groups for a variety of reasons. One of the more common objections to hydro is the high turbine-induced mortality of fish. The passage of fish through hydroelectric turbines can quickly prove fatal—a danger that increases with the size of the fish. Furthermore, if several hydropower plants are located […]The post Fish Friendly Hydro: Natel Energy Is Proving It’s Possible appeared first on POWER Magazine.

An installation that at present is considered the world’s largest floating offshore wind farm has produced its first power, providing electricity for oil and gas exploration operations in the North Sea. Hywind Tampen on Nov. 13 began powering Equinor’s drilling at the Gullfaks oil and gas field. The wind farm is located about 87 miles […]The post ‘Largest’ Floating Offshore Wind Farm Comes Online in North Sea appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The U.S. and other countries have announced a $20 billion financing plan to help Indonesia more quickly shutter the country’s coal-fired power plants and decarbonize its power generation sector. “We’ve built a platform for cooperation that can truly transform Indonesia’s power sector from coal to renewables and support significant economic growth,” U.S. Special Envoy on […]The post U.S., Others Tout $20 Billion Plan to Move Indonesia Away from Coal, Toward Renewables appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Government officials in the small South American country of Guyana have given the go-ahead for construction of a 300-MW natural gas-fired power plant, a facility that would represent a major expansion of the nation’s power generation capacity. Cabinet members on Nov. 10 approved the project, which President Dr. Irfaan Ali has said will help reduce […]The post New Gas-Fired Plant Will Nearly Double Guyana’s Power Generation appeared first on POWER Magazine.

An independent power producer (IPP) formed earlier this year and backed by a leading global renewable energy investment firm announced it will build what is expected to be the largest solar photovoltaic power plant in Europe. Rezolv Energy on Nov. 4 said it had acquired the rights to build and operate a 1,044-MW solar PV […]The post Group Readies for Construction of Europe’s Largest Solar Farm appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) will pursue a first-of-its-kind pilot program at the Shawnee Fossil Plant in West Paducah, Kentucky, to determine if closed coal ash sites are suitable for utility-scale solar projects. The self-funded U.S. corporate agency’s board on Nov. 10 unanimously approved a $216 million pilot project to explore repurposing the 1,071-MW coal-fired power […]The post TVA Will Explore Building Utility-Scale Solar on Closed Coal Ash Sites appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A group of researchers found that “Adopting electric end-use technologies instead of fossil-fueled alternatives, known as electrification, is an important economy-wide decarbonization strategy that also reduces criteria pollutant emissions and improves air quality.” Findings from the study conducted by nine researchers—four from EPRI, four from Ramboll, and one from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory—were published […]The post New Study Finds Electrification Reduces Emissions and Improves Air Quality appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Hamilton, a city in Ontario, Canada, will host a pilot project to demonstrate a new technology designed to capture excess hydrothermal energy from its district heating and cooling plant and convert it into grid-quality power. The pilot hosted by Hamilton Community Enterprises (HCE)—the city’s utility solutions arm— will use Extract Energy’s “Heat Engine,” whose core […]The post Waste Heat-to-Power Capture Pilot Launched in Ontario appeared first on POWER Magazine.