POWER Magazine

As plant owners accelerate the Industry 4.0 digital transformation, attention is increasingly being focused on the evolution of Distributed Control Systems (DCS) to enable them to become more flexible and adaptable. There are many key initiatives that are helping to set the standard for systems offering new levels of openness, security and interoperability. COMMENTARY Originally […]The post Power of Integration—Users Shaping Future of Distributed Control Systems appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Cynics might argue that it’s impossible to operate the power grid economically with 100% renewable energy on an hourly basis, but a model developed by Peninsula Clean Energy, a community choice aggregation agency that serves San Mateo County and the City of Los Banos, California, suggests it’s possible. To prove it, Peninsula Clean Energy intends […]The post Is Delivering 100% Renewable Energy on an Hourly Basis at Cost-Competitive Rates Achievable? appeared first on POWER Magazine.

With Russian forces having damaged many power plants and power lines in parts of Ukraine, linemen and plant workers have persevered, repairing and rebuilding equipment and systems needed to keep the lights on and critical facilities in operation. But the job is not easy, and much of the country’s power generation capacity is currently unavailable. […]The post Ukrainian Workers Fight to Keep Power Available for Critical Infrastructure and War-Stricken Communities appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has proposed barring six coal-fired power plants in various states—a combined 11 GW—from disposing coal ash into unlined surface impoundments. The agency, however, also proposed to provide disposal extensions if the coal plants are needed to maintain grid reliability. The EPA’s proposed determinations, issued on Jan. 25, fall under its […]The post EPA Moves to Deny Coal Ash Disposal at Six Massive Coal Power Plants appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The president and CEO of Florida Power & Light (FPL) announced he will step down from his role as leader of the utility. Eric Silagy, who became FPL’s president in 2011 and was named CEO in 2014, on Jan. 25 said he will move into a transitional role with the utility next month. Silagy, 57, […]The post FPL CEO Retiring Amid Probe Into Utility’s Political Actions appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A Utah-based company is developing a pumped hydro energy storage project in the heart of coal country, one of several renewable energy deployments being sited in Wyoming in an effort to diversify that state’s energy and power portfolio. Officials with the 900-MW Seminoe Pumped Storage Project, being developed by rPlus Hydro, part of rPlus Energies, […]The post Milestone for Major Pumped Hydro Storage Project in Wyoming appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Utilizing energy storage with a solar power system is a way for power generators to help balance the supply of energy with demand for electricity. Energy storage can be used during periods when the sun isn’t shining, and it also help support periods of high demand for power along the grid. Many residential and commercial […]The post The POWER Interview: Benefits of Adding Storage to Solar Power Systems appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Oklo has kicked off regulatory activities for a first-of-its-kind nuclear fuel recycling facility that could produce commercial material from used light water reactor (LWR) fuel before the decade’s end. The advanced nuclear technology firm in December submitted a licensing project plan (LPP) to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for its Fuel Recycling Technologies facility. The […]The post Oklo Readying to Deploy Commercial-Scale Nuclear Fuel Recycling Facility appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Long-time POWER readers may remember Marmaduke Surfaceblow, a fictional character whose engineering escapades were brilliantly portrayed in hundreds of stories published within POWER magazine’s pages over more than 30 years beginning in 1948. Today, the story continues through Marmy’s granddaughter, Marnie, who is an engineering wiz in her own right. Marmaduke Surfaceblow was a crusty […]The post POWER Icons: The Adventures of Marmaduke and Marnie Surfaceblow appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has denied a request from California utility Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) to renew a review of an operating license application for the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant. The move at least temporarily puts on hold plans to extend the operation of two reactors at Diablo Canyon, the last operating […]The post NRC Rejects New Review of Diablo Canyon Nuclear Plant Operating Extension appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is in the midst of an energy transition, moving away from its nearly exclusive use of natural gas-fired power generation to a strategy based on renewable energy resources. The country has an abundance of natural gas, and it also has significant solar power potential. The UAE also is adding nuclear […]The post The POWER Interview: Abu Dhabi’s Plan for Renewable Energy in the UAE appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The largest municipally-owned electric and gas utility in the U.S. will close its remaining coal-fired power units by 2030. The board of trustees for San Antonio, Texas-based CPS Energy on Jan. 23 voted 4-1 to approve a plan to shutter the last two coal-burning units at the J.K. Spruce power plant. The plan, known as […]The post Texas Utility Will Close Remaining Coal-Fired Units appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A lobbying group for China’s power generation sector said the country will add about 70 GW of fossil fuel-powered capacity this year, even as renewable energy is set to provide more than half of China’s electricity production in 2023. The China Electricity Council in a report published Jan. 19 said the 70 GW of new […]The post Group Says China Will Add 70 GW of Coal- and Gas-Fired Generation in 2023 appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A 6.2-MW solar farm in Foster, Rhode Island, provides 3.35 GWh per year of clean, renewable energy for more than 700 community solar subscribers. The state of Rhode Island has ambitious targets for renewable energy production, including from solar. Many residents—especially those with the most to gain from cost-savings linked to solar power—are unable to […]The post Power for the People: Community Solar Project Achieves High Efficiency and Good Return on Investment appeared first on POWER Magazine.

As fuel and power price volatility continues across the U.S., the push to transition away from fossil fuels to lower-cost renewable, clean energy intensifies. But in order to reach President Biden’s goal of 100% carbon pollution-free electricity by 2035, utilities, developers, and regulators need to align and work together to improve the interconnection process. COMMENTARY Though […]The post The Energy Transition: What Is Needed to Achieve Clean Energy Goals appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Workers at the Research Institute of Atomic Reactors (RIAR) in Dimitrovgrad, Russia, have installed what they call the world’s largest multipurpose fast neutron research reactor, or MBIR, at the site. The group on Jan. 18 said the installation of the MBIR, a milestone in the assembly of the reactor facility, was completed 16 months ahead […]The post Fast Neutron Reactor Installed at Russian Research Facility appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Workers at the W.H. Sammis coal-fired power plant have been notified that a mass layoff will begin “sometime between March 14, 2023, and April 14, 2023.” The announcement was made public through a letter Energy Harbor Corp., owner of the plant, sent to the Ohio Department of Job & Family Services, as required under the […]The post 140 Workers Cut Permanently with Sammis Coal Plant Closure appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A third power substation has been damaged by gunfire in North Carolina, prompting an FBI investigation. The incident on Jan. 17 is part of a spate of gunfire vandalism that has renewed physical security concerns at a federal level. The Randolph County Sheriff’s Office in Thomasville, central North Carolina, said the latest incident, believed to […]The post Third North Carolina Power Substation Targeted by Gunfire as BPS Physical Security Concerns Mount appeared first on POWER Magazine.

JERA Co. Inc., Japan’s largest power generation company, announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) “for potential collaboration for the joint project development and sales & purchase of clean ammonia” with CF Industries Holdings Inc., the world’s largest producer of ammonia. Under the MOU, JERA and CF Industries have agreed “to jointly study […]The post Japan’s Largest Power Generator Signs Deals in Pursuit of Ammonia for Coal Power Plant Co-Firing Project appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Danish energy developer Ørsted continues to expand its presence in the U.S. market, with the company on Jan. 18 announcing it has signed a deal to acquire Public Service Enterprise Group’s (PSEG’s) 25% stake in the 1.1-GW Ocean Wind 1 project about 15 miles off the coast of New Jersey. The move will give Ørsted […]The post Ørsted Buys PSEG Stake in Offshore Wind Project, Announces Major Texas Solar Farm appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A major power transmission project will proceed in New Mexico after a regulatory group approved a public-private partnership for development of a 400-mile high-voltage direct current line. The New Mexico North Path project could move as much as 4 GW of renewable energy from sites in northeastern New Mexico to the state’s Four Corners region, […]The post New Mexico Transmission Line Will Support Renewable Energy Development appeared first on POWER Magazine.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said his country’s push to be carbon-neutral by 2050 must include construction of more nuclear power generation, in a reversal of his predecessor’s call to move away from the technology. Yoon, speaking Jan. 16 at an event in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), said his country would renew its […]The post South Korean President: Country Needs More Nuclear Power appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A North Carolina-based group that provides battery energy storage and software technology is set to co-locate 420 MWh of storage at four natural gas-fired facilities in California. Durham-headquartered FlexGen Power Systems on Jan. 17 said it would provide energy storage to Middle River Power (MRP), a Chicago, Illinois-based independent power company. MRP was created in […]The post Energy Storage Being Added to California Gas-Fired Peaker Plants appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A six-month-long project to demolish the last coal-fired unit at Lakeland Electric’s C.D. McIntosh Power Plant in Lakeland, Florida, reached a milestone on Jan. 14 with the implosion of the facility’s 260-foot stack and 90-foot selective catalytic reduction unit (video below). Unit 3 at McIntosh, the plant’s last operating coal-fired unit, was closed in 2021, […]The post Watch Implosion Topple Florida Coal-Fired Plant appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A prototype fusion power plant designed by a UK-based architectural and design firm has been approved by local regulators. The South Oxfordshire District Council’s planning committee on Jan. 11 gave the go-ahead to a project led by renowned architect Amanda Levete. Levete’s AL_A group is expected to build the prototype, developed by Canada’s General Fusion, […]The post Officials Give Go-Ahead for UK-Based Fusion Power Project appeared first on POWER Magazine.

One of the first U.S.-based wave energy power plants is set to be deployed at AltaSea’s 35-acre campus located at the Port of Los Angeles. Israeli firm Eco Wave Power, which unveiled the project on Jan. 12, said the AltaSea pilot would help the company make inroads in the U.S. Eco Wave’s onshore wave energy […]The post Pioneering U.S. Wave Energy Power Plant Unveiled appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Startup of the first of two new reactors at the Vogtle nuclear plant in Georgia is being pushed back to at least April, one month after officials with Georgia Power had planned to start generating electricity from the unit. Georgia Power, part of Atlanta-based Southern Co., announced the latest setback for the oft-delayed two-unit expansion […]The post Pipe Issue Delays Startup of New Vogtle Nuclear Unit appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Regulators in the UK have given the go-ahead for renewable energy developer Ørsted to build a utility-scale battery energy storage project to serve the Hornsea 3 offshore wind farm. The South Norfolk Council—the planning authority for the region—on Jan. 11 unanimously approved the storage facility, which will feature lithium-ion battery technology and be built on […]The post Ørsted Plans Battery Storage to Support Hornsea 3 Offshore Wind Farm appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) has approved retirement of the Cumberland coal-fired power plant, with officials on Jan. 10 saying the utility will replace one of the plant’s two units with a 1,450-MW natural gas-fired combined cycle facility at the site. The TVA has held public meetings over the past few years amid much discussion […]The post TVA Will Build Gas-Fired Plant to Replace Coal-Fired Units appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The Australian affiliate of energy giant Shell said it has acquired the development rights for a major battery energy storage project in that country. The new facility is at a site that formerly housed eight coal-fired generation units. Shell Energy Australia on Jan. 10 said it will build, own, and operate the planned 500-MW/1,000-MWh Wallerawang […]The post Major Energy Storage Project Sited at Former Australian Coal-Fired Plant appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A 128-MW solar energy project that will serve customers of a regional electric power cooperative is under construction in South Dakota, with the facility expected to enter commercial operation later this year. National Grid Renewables on Jan. 10 said work has begun on the company’s Wild Springs Solar Project in Pennington County. The array will […]The post Construction Underway on South Dakota’s Largest Solar Project appeared first on POWER Magazine.

From the Apollo space missions to the Zeppelin airships, human ingenuity has long dreamed up ways to make the power of hydrogen fly. Now, as the world powers up to reach climate goals in the midst of an energy crisis, the universe’s most abundant element is once again taking up airtime as debate continues over […]The post Green Hydrogen: Businesses Should Know the Potential, and the Risks appeared first on POWER Magazine.

More projects to increase the supply of renewable natural gas (RNG) have been announced in Florida and South Dakota, as investments continue in technologies to produce a low-carbon fuel that could replace diesel and other fossil fuels. OPAL Fuels, headquartered in White Plains, New York, on Jan. 5 announced it has completed the ramp-up period […]The post Renewable Natural Gas Projects Announced for South Dakota, Florida appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A subsidiary of the China State Shipbuilding Corp. (CSSC) has unveiled components for what would be the world’s largest and most-powerful wind turbine, an 18-MW product that tops the recent launching of a 16-MW turbine developed by other Chinese companies. CSSC Haizhuang unveiled the new turbine in a ceremony at the Dongying City industrial park […]The post New 18-MW Model Takes Over as World’s Largest Offshore Wind Turbine appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Several executives in the power generation space weighed in for POWER’s recent report on supply chain issues in the sector. Sourcing of equipment also was a hot topic in POWER’s 2023 forecast for the industry. It’s no surprise. The power sector is not exempt from the problems that have impacted business and industry worldwide, from […]The post The POWER Interview: Sphera Exec Talks Supply Chain Solutions appeared first on POWER Magazine.

NuScale Power has submitted a standard design approval (SDA) application to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) based on its six-module VOYGR-6 configuration, which will use uprated 250-MWth (77-MWe) modules. The step is crucial for the proposed construction of the 462-MWe Carbon Free Power Plant at an Idaho National Laboratory (INL) site. NuScale’s SDA application submitted […]The post NuScale Submits Standard Design Approval Application to NRC for Uprated SMR Design appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Southern Company’s Board of Directors announced on Jan. 5 that Chris Womack, who has served as president of its largest subsidiary, Georgia Power, since 2020, and as Georgia Power’s chairman, president, and CEO since 2021, has been appointed CEO of Southern Company effective immediately following the conclusion of the company’s 2023 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. […]The post Womack Named CEO of Southern Company, Other Leadership Changes Announced appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The Inflation Reduction Act will spur growth in clean energy and upgrades to grid infrastructure, but workforce shortages and supply chain constraints are likely to challenge power companies for at least theThe post Grid Infrastructure and Renewable Energy Projects Thrive, Workforce and Supply Chain Issues Continue in 2023 appeared first on POWER Magazine.

While 2021 provided its own share of extraordinary energy debacles, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in early 2022 cascaded into full-blown energy turmoil. This year will begin with the world “in the midst ofThe post 10 Near-Term Global Power Sector Trends appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The pandemic exposed issues with the global supply chain that provides resources for power generation. The pressure of having enough equipment to meet industry needs has spurred an emphasis on domesticThe post Power Sector Seeks Solutions for Supply Chain Issues appeared first on POWER Magazine.

It’s no secret that the U.S. power grid needs some work. According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), nearly 70% of the nation’s grid is more than 25 years old. The DOE says the U.S. needs to expandThe post Enhancing and Hardening the U.S. Power Grid appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Nuclear energy—not just nuclear power—is seeing a burst of innovation unlike anything seen since the 1950s. While the strong momentum for the dispatchable zero-carbon energy source is promising, prominent pitfalls threaten necessary progress.The post Being Pro-Nuclear Won’t Be Enough—Here’s Why appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The recent United Nations (UN) COP27 climate conference in Egypt was host to several announcements of large-scale renewable energy projects, including one of the world’s largest wind farms, along with anThe post Egypt Uses COP27 to Announce Large-Scale Renewable, Hydrogen Projects appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Large global corporate groups continue to buy stakes in major renewable energy projects and sign power purchase agreements (PPAs) designed to provide long-term electricity for their operations. SomeThe post Global Market for PPAs Supports Renewable Energy Projects appeared first on POWER Magazine.

In this fresh series, POWER’s editors choose a multifaceted topic that may have myriad applications or implications, and ask an array of key industry stakeholders for their perspectives. This month’sThe post Experts Explain: Digital Twins appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A massive, multibillion-dollar renewable and fossil-fuel energy project is underway in China. The installation, being built by China Three Gorges (CTG), includes wind, solar, energy storage and coal-fired power generation. Ground was broken for the first pilot of the Kubuqi Base project in Dalate Banner, Ordos, Inner Mongolia on Dec. 28, 2022, according to Chinese […]The post China Breaks Ground on Massive 16-GW Solar, Wind, Coal Project appeared first on POWER Magazine.

In January 2022, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Nuclear Energy (NE) published a list of five nuclear energy stories to watch in 2022. Here’s an update on the items the NE felt were important for industry insiders to keep an eye on. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law The DOE noted in the January […]The post Updates on Five Big Nuclear Energy Developments POWER Was Watching in 2022 appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Ireland’s Simply Blue Energy and Swedish wind developer Eolus Vina AB have been granted a research permit for a major offshore floating wind project sited near Finland in the Bothnian Sea. The location is in the northernmost arm of the Baltic Sea. The Dec. 30 announcement came the same day that Eolus said it was […]The post Permits Issued for Major Finnish Offshore Wind Projects appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The Biden administration has rolled out in a final what it says is a “durable” definition of “waters of the U.S.” (WOTUS), potentially capping a legal and political battle that has raged for nearly two decades. The final rule issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of the Army on […]The post Biden Administration Rolls Out ‘Durable’ WOTUS Definition in Final Rule appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Issues with the global supply chain have impacted the power generation sector, in much the same way those problems have affected other industries. Sourcing of materials, including spare parts for boilers and turbines, solar panels and other solar-related equipment, and items needed for wind power and other renewable energy sources, has delayed projects worldwide. The […]The post The POWER Interview: 3D Printing as a Supply Chain Solution appeared first on POWER Magazine.