POWER Magazine

Power companies across the nation are being pressured to retire fossil-fueled power plants and transition to cleaner energy resources. But many existing fossil plants have not been completely paid off orThe post Understanding How Securitization Can Help with Power Plant Retirements appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A California-based group said it has completed the first-ever hydrogen-boron fusion experiments to produce a sustainable fuel for utility-scale fusion power. TAE Technologies on Feb. 28, in a peer-reviewed paper published by the scientific journal Nature Communications, said its research supports the path to providing electricity from nuclear reactors fueled with hydrogen-boron, also known as […]The post Group Touts Milestone for Hydrogen-Boron Fusion Power appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Madagascar has significant hydropower potential, but to date less than 20% of the country’s energy comes from hydroelectric facilities. The Economic Development Agency of Madagascar (EDBM) estimates the island nation, located in the Indian Ocean off the cost of Southeast Africa, could produce as much as 7.8 GW of power from hydro resources, but at […]The post Madagascar Ready to Ramp Up Hydropower Projects appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A new report from a two global energy research groups found that China last year approved its most new coal-fired power generation projects since 2015. The report from the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) and Global Energy Monitor (GEM) shows the Chinese government approved permits for 106 GW of new coal-fired […]The post China Approves 106 GW of New Coal-Fired Capacity appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The global market for energy storage is driven by several factors, with power producers continually looking for ways to improve their storage systems and enhance performance. Battery technologies for energy storage are becoming more important as project developers look for ways to control costs and optimize battery energy storage systems (BESS). Advancing technology supports lowering […]The post The POWER Interview: Chemistry Crucial for Global Growth in Energy Storage appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Ammonia could be a potentially lower-cost alternative fuel for gas turbines in Japan than liquid hydrogen if the full import value stream is considered, suggests a joint study between GE Gas Power and Japanese heavy industry manufacturer IHI Corp. As part of the year-long study, the companies mapped a value stream for hydrogen and ammonia […]The post Ammonia Gas Turbine Combustion Has Economic Potential, GE-IHI Study Suggests appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Indonesia’s efforts to decarbonize the country’s power generation sector took a major step on Feb. 22 as the government launched the first phase of mandatory carbon trading for coal-fired power plants. Officials in the capital of Jakarta have said they want to increase electricity production from renewable energy resources and achieve net-zero carbon emissions by […]The post Indonesia Begins Carbon Trading Program for Coal-Fired Power Plants appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The Biden administration on Feb. 22 announced the first-ever lease sale for offshore wind power development in the Gulf of Mexico. The Dept. of the Interior, through its Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), said it would open more than 300,000 acres in the Gulf, an area that long has been a major part of […]The post Biden Administration Announces First Offshore Wind Lease Sales for Gulf of Mexico appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The first phase of a new natural gas-fired power plant has been brought online in the Dominican Republic (DR), a project designed to support demand for electricity across the island nation. The SIBA Energy plant, located in Boca Chica in Santo Domingo province, is owned by a consortium led by SIBA Energy Corp. The group […]The post Dominican Republic Adds to Power Capacity With New Gas-Fired Plant appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Westinghouse and Poland’s Polskie Elektrownie Jadrowe (PEJ) have finalized a contract for pre-design work on what would be that country’s first nuclear power plant (NPP). The agreement announced Feb. 22 moves forward a project that began late last year when Westinghouse was selected by the Polish government to build a nuclear plant using AP1000 reactor […]The post Poland Moves Forward With Country’s First Nuclear Power Plant appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The Department of Energy (DOE) has broken ground on the Generation 3 Particle Pilot Plant (G3P3), a novel concentrating solar power (CSP) facility at Sandia National Laboratory that will use sand-like ceramic particles instead of molten salt to produce and store high-temperature energy. When completed in 2024, the “multi-megawatt” solar thermal pilot project will utilize an existing […]The post DOE Breaks Ground on Next-Generation Concentrating Solar Power Pilot appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The joint venture (JV) of an Irish energy developer and two Spanish companies has announced its second large floating offshore wind project. IberBlue Wind, a JV created to develop gigascale arrays in waters near the Iberian Peninsula, on Feb. 17 said it would build a 990-MW project off the coast of Figueira da Foz. IberBlue, […]The post Major Offshore Wind Array Planned off Iberian Peninsula appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The market for energy storage projects continues to grow as utilities recognize the benefits of storage for demand response, along with the integration of renewable energy resources to the power grid. Incentives in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) for standalone storage provide even more support for the sector. Storage companies are growing, and more deals […]The post The POWER Interview: Challenges, Opportunities for Energy Storage appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The aging energy grid is in need of an upgrade. Converging challenges, such as distributed energy resources, electric vehicles and frequent extreme weather events, are pushing our infrastructure—some of which is over a half a century old—to the limit. As grid modernization efforts move full steam ahead to meet these challenges, security implications are often […]The post Addressing Cybersecurity Concerns During the Grid Modernization Process appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Ansaldo Energia and partners have kicked off the FLEX4H2, a four-year project to design, develop, and validate a highly fuel-flexible gas turbine combustion system based on Ansaldo’s sequential combustion technology that will be capable of operating with up to 100% hydrogen. The FLEX4H2 (or Flexibility for Hydrogen) officially began on Jan. 1 and will run […]The post European Project Launches to Demonstrate High-Volume Hydrogen Gas Turbine Combustion appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Southern Company said in its annual report filing issued on Feb. 16 that remediating certain equipment and component issues will force the projected in-service date for Plant Vogtle Unit 3 to be pushed out to May or June 2023. “The projected schedule for Unit 3 primarily depends on the progression of final component and pre-operational […]The post Vogtle Unit 3 In-Service Date Slides to May or June appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Three major electric power trade groups in a letter on Feb. 15 urged the Department of Energy (DOE) to reconsider proposed energy efficiency conservation standards for distribution transformers, citing “severe and ongoing supply chain challenges that have prolonged and complicated distribution transformer production and availability.” The letter was sent ahead of a public meeting scheduled […]The post Reconsider Distribution Transformer Efficiency Standards, Power Groups Urge DOE appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A new report issued this week by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) says hydropower, which is already the largest source of renewable electricity in the world, must double in capacity if the world is to meet the climate goals outlined in the Paris Agreement by 2050. The report says installed hydro capacity must reach […]The post IRENA Says Hydropower Capacity Must Double by 2050 to Meet Climate Goals appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Physical security at power plants has received renewed concern of late, owing to a spate of gunfire vandalism events in the U.S. However, power plants have long-fielded several other physical security risks, including from terrorism, sabotage, natural disasters, insider threats, and physical breaches. Power plants have typically employed a set of physical security tools, such […]The post The POWER Interview: Physical Attacks on the Grid Soared in 2022. What Can Be Done? appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A diverse mix of companies and experts in the solar power and energy storage sectors are in Long Beach, California, this week for the annual Intersolar North America (ISNA) and Energy Storage North America (ESNA) conference. The event, which is supported and attended by POWER, provides a look at the latest innovations in solar and […]The post Major Solar and Storage Projects, EVs and More Featured at California Event appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Two more units at a natural gas-fired combined cycle power plant in Iran are producing electricity for the country’s national grid. The Mahtab Kavir plant in Zarand County in Kerman Province now has total power generation capacity of 484 MW after the two new 162-MW units were synchronized with the grid on Feb. 9. The […]The post Iran Brings More Natural Gas-Fired Units Online appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Marking a major milestone, Centrus Energy—a firm under contract with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to demonstrate production of high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) with domestic technology—on Feb. 9 said it completed construction and initial testing of its advanced uranium enrichment centrifuge cascade as well as most of its associated support systems. Once the company […]The post Centrus Competes Construction, Initial Testing of HALEU Demonstration Cascade appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Kenya is readying to kick off construction of the 35-MW Menengai geothermal power project in Nakuru County as part of the first phase of the wider Menengai complex, the country’s second large-scale geothermal field developed after Olkaria. The project is being developed by Globeleq, an Africa-focused independent power producer and project developer that is 70% […]The post Kenya Gearing Up to Build 35-MW Geothermal Power Plant at Menengai Steam Field appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Fermi Energia, a privately held company formed to develop a small modular reactor (SMR) in Estonia, announced that it has selected GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy’s (GEH’s) BWRX-300 design for deployment. Kalev Kallemets, CEO of Fermi Energia, said in September last year that the company’s nuclear technology selection process had begun in 2019, with a mapping […]The post GE Hitachi’s BWRX-300 Small Modular Reactor Gets Another Win appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Several major power companies have launched a software assurance database that will serve as a software bill of materials (SBOM) repository for the power industry. Part of a long-sought solution to address a critical supply chain cybersecurity risk, the collaborative effort announced on Feb. 8 seeks to help vendors identify and remediate vulnerabilities in software […]The post Cybersecurity: Power Industry–Led Vendor Software Assurance Inventory Launched appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Construction of a major solar-plus-storage installation in California has been approved by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The Desert Quartzite project, sited on about 3,000 acres near Blythe in eastern Riverside County, will feature a 300-MW solar array along with 600 MWh of energy storage. Desert Quartzite, being developed by EDF Renewables North […]The post Large Solar-Plus-Storage Project Underway in California Desert appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The Department of Energy has moved to fund up to seven pilot enhanced geothermal system (EGS) projects to demonstrate different geologic settings, a variety of development techniques, and different well orientations. The U.S. agency on Feb. 8 announced up to $74 million to support the EGS pilots, for which the November 2021–enacted Infrastructure Act designates […]The post DOE Dedicates Funding for Up to Seven EGS Geothermal Pilot Demonstrations appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Rising concerns over climate change have caused a major shift in the energy ecosystem, away from fossil fuels and toward renewable, clean, and sustainable energy. Currently, the earth is about 1.1C warmer than in the late 1800s. As outlined in the Paris Agreement, the goal is to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, limit global warming […]The post Accelerating the Transition to Green Energy with Product Lifecycle Management appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The U.S. Dept. of Energy (DOE) has announced a new competition designed to support the integration of distributed energy resources (DERs) into the nation’s power grid. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm unveiled the program Feb. 7 during a presentation to attendees of the DISTRIBUTECH 2023 event at the San Diego Convention Center in California. The program […]The post DOE, NREL, EPRI Announce Program to Support Grid Integration of DERs appeared first on POWER Magazine.

If you’ve been in the power industry workforce for any significant length of time, you may have asked your supervisor at some point “Why am I doing this?” regarding a task that you were assigned, only to have them respond, “We’ve always done it this way.” That’s because the power industry has a reputation for […]The post Cutting Costs with Technology-Driven Improvements appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The third unit of the Karachi Nuclear Power Plant (KANUPP) in Pakistan was inaugurated by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Feb. 2, adding another 1.1 GW of power generation capacity to the country’s national grid. Pakistan, like other countries, is battling an ongoing energy crisis with a lack of generation capacity to meet current […]The post Pakistan Inaugurates Third Reactor at Karachi Nuclear Plant appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Japanese power generator JERA has launched commercial operation of the first of three liquefied natural gas (LNG)–fueled 650-MW combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) units that will modernize the Anegasaki Thermal Power Station, a mammoth 3.2-GW, six-unit gas and oil power plant in Chiba Prefecture. The new Anegasaki Thermal Power Station Unit 1, opened on Feb. […]The post First LNG-Fired CCGT Unit Begins Operation at JERA’s Giant Modernized Gas Plant in Japan appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Ontario Power Generation (OPG), GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH), SNC-Lavalin, and Aecon have signed a trailblazing six-year alliance agreement designed to bolster the deployment of a BWRX-300 small modular reactor (SMR) at the Darlington New Nuclear Project (DNNP) in Clarington, Ontario. The contract unveiled on Jan. 27—a year after OPG selected GEH’s BWRX-300 for the […]The post Major Nuclear Players Team on Innovative Construction Delivery Approach for BWRX-300 SMR at Darlington appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) said it will build a new 190-MW peaker power plant in central Texas to provide additional dispatchable power to the state’s electric grid. A peaker plant is one that is typically used only for brief periods during times when the demand for power approaches or surpasses the amount of […]The post Texas Utility Will Add More Peaking Power appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Siemens Gamesa chief executive Jochen Eickholt acknowledged equipment failures in both the company’s onshore and offshore wind turbines, leading to higher warranty provisions, contributed to a nearly $1 billion net loss for the company in the last three months of 2022. Eickholt on Feb. 2 said the company’s October to December—the group’s fiscal first quarter—loss […]The post Siemens Gamesa Posts Nearly $1 Billion Quarterly Loss appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A trilemma is a situation that presents three possible choices to a complex challenge. Due to mutual exclusivity of the available choices, achieving them simultaneously is always a daunting task. The overarching objective is to achieve the three possible solutions in a balanced manner. Energy trilemma refers to the need to find a balance between […]The post Energy Trilemma: A Case for Africa Power Utilities appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Distributed generation stands out in the Cuban power system, where there are hundreds of units dispersed throughout the country. In times of contingency, and as usually happens when a hurricane hits the country, distributed generation ensures the vitality of electrical service through interconnected systems in the form of “islands.” Of the slightly more than 6,000 […]The post Distributed Generation in Cuba: Present and Future appeared first on POWER Magazine.

An evolving regulatory environment, expanded tax credits, and moves for more reliability and resilience in the power space are impacting the growth of solar-plus-storage installations. Several state utilityThe post New Rules, Incentives Shaping Solar-Plus-Storage Market appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Spun out of Exelon Corp. a year ago, Constellation Energy’s competitive generation and customer-facing energy businesses represent a new power company paradigm that conforms to decarbonization. But the company that today holds the largest nuclear fleet in the U.S. will still face a unique array of challenges.The post Why Constellation Energy, a Nuclear-Heavy Giant, Is Primed for Power Futurity appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced on Dec. 13 “the achievement of fusion ignition.” The milestone is a major scientific breakthrough, decades in the making. Fusion, of course, is the process byThe post What Will a Fusion Power Plant Look Like? appeared first on POWER Magazine.

In July 1968, the U.S. Army sent the world’s first floating nuclear power plant, the Sturgis, to the Panama Canal to help overcome a regional hydroelectric power plant shortage, which was driven by a severeThe post Floating Nuclear Power Buoyant on New Prospects appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The number of power plant operator jobs is shrinking, but paradoxically, the number of job openings in the field is growing. Managers have their hands full finding and retaining the people they need. In thisThe post Power Industry Jobs Outlook and How to Find the Best Talent appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A resurgence in the use of biomass to produce energy is underway, in part as a way for countries to continue the transition away from fossil fuels for electricity production. Groups are working on ways to burnThe post Researchers Exploring Ways to Expand Use of Biomass appeared first on POWER Magazine.

An estimated 91% of the world’s population had access to electricity in 2020, marking substantial progress toward goals to ensure universal access to power. Still, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), 733 million people remain unserved. Off-grid and decentralized energy systems may be emerging as an alternative to facilitate energy access and resilience, […]The post The Big Picture: Off-Grid Power [Infographic] appeared first on POWER Magazine.

With the U.S. government funneling billions of dollars into new grid infrastructure, and private companies rolling out new systems to mitigate outages and developing artificial intelligence that can predictThe post The Journey to a Smart Grid: Funding and New Technology Make It Possible appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Most major utilities and energy generators have by now committed to cutting carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions in order to meet both government and corporate targets and ultimately avoid the worst impacts of climate change. Decarbonizing the energy sector, which contributes 35% of the world’s total emissions, is thus a critical aspect of […]The post Curtailment Challenge: How Long-Duration Energy Storage Improves Solar Utilization and Delivers Immediate Carbon Reductions appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Interrupting power grids is one of the most effective ways to cripple a town or a city. If a region can’t keep the lights on, pretty much everything must come to a halt until the issue is remedied. For this reason, the power and energy industry has become a prime target for cyberattacks on operational […]The post Keeping the Lights On: How Plant Operators Manage Cyber Risk appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Improving processes and unlocking future innovations relies on new ideas. Many of the engineers of tomorrow who will deliver these breakthroughs are currently learning their craft at universities around theThe post Engineering the Next Generation appeared first on POWER Magazine.

New technology requires new ways of thinking, especially because safety is paramount. This is even more true for any situation where an established industry experience base is lacking. “Did you have a goodThe post Marnie Surfaceblow: When Exploring Unknown Territory, Bring a Guide [FICTION] appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A joint venture featuring three energy companies is developing an 840-MW natural gas-fired power plant at the Aegean port of Alexandroupolis, Greece. The plant will be linked to the liquefied natural gas (LNG) floating terminal at the port. It is expected to supply electricity to Greece and also to markets in southeastern Europe. Damco Energy, […]The post LNG Floating Terminal Will Supply New 840-MW Gas-Fired Plant in Greece appeared first on POWER Magazine.