POWER Magazine

Smart grids have been with us for over a decade. But for many power industry stakeholders, they’re associated almost exclusively with smart meters. Remote meter reading is certainly a compelling use case, and one which justified many initial deployments, especially in the U.S. where end-customer sites are spread out over large distances. But there’s much […]The post Why Smarter Grids Start with Mesh Networks and Open Standards appeared first on POWER Magazine.

In conjunction with the Biden-Harris administration’s recent announcement of new agency actions to promote clean manufacturing, the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) on Feb. 16 published its Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Sequestration Guidance (“Guidance”) in the Federal Register. Unlike traditional legal guidance documents, the Guidance addresses multiple federal agencies and provides numerous recommendations for efficiently […]The post White House Releases Guidance on Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Sequestration appeared first on POWER Magazine.

NuScale Power has signed a definitive commercial agreement with mining and processing firm KGHM Polska Miedź S.A. to deploy a VOYGR power plant of up to 924 MWe as early as 2029 to support KGHM’s copper and silver production in Poland. Under an “early works agreement” signed in a ceremony on Feb. 14 in the […]The post Poland Secures NuScale SMR as Urgency for Nuclear Energy Ramps Up Across Central, Eastern Europe appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A GE Gas Power front-end engineering design (FEED) study will receive $5,771,670 in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management following successful completion of the award negotiation phase. The funding is focused on carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) for power generation applications with a goal […]The post GE-Led Carbon Capture Project at Southern Company Site Gets DOE Funding appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A report from a trade group representing the U.S. renewable energy industry says the nation now has more than 200 GW of operating utility-scale generation capacity, but the pace of growth has slowed as projects have been delayed due to regulatory and equipment supply issues, among other factors. The “Clean Power Quarterly 2021 Q4 Market […]The post U.S. Tops 200 GW of Renewables, but Deployment Slows appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The state-owned Unión Eléctrica (UNE) is responsible for supplying electricity to the Cuban population and the national economy. This is a complex process in which more than 50,000 workers intervene, highlighted Jorge Armando Cepero Hernández, UNE’s general director during a recent press conference. The executive explained that electrical energy is produced with a generation fleet […]The post Current Generation Capacity, Future Investment Plans, and Photovoltaic Projects of the Cuban Energy Industry appeared first on POWER Magazine.

France, already a world leader in nuclear power generation, plans to build at least six new reactors, with President Emmanuel Macron on Feb. 10 saying the country will consider building an additional eight on top of that as it also moves forward with developing small modular reactors (SMR). Macron, who is up for re-election in […]The post French President Calls for Major Increase in Nuclear Power, Offshore Wind appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE) plans to lay off 200 workers at two U.S. wind power equipment manufacturing facilities. The company on Feb. 9 said the job cuts are due to a reduction in orders for commercial wind turbines. An SGRE spokesperson said more jobs cuts at the plants—one in Hutchinson, Kansas, and the other […]The post Siemens’ Renewable Arm Cutting 200 U.S. Jobs appeared first on POWER Magazine.

In the race to generate and distribute renewable energy, developers must clear numerous regulatory hurdles. For many projects, this may include obtaining a voluntary “incidental take” permit under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act (BGEPA). The BGEPA incidental take permitting program has frustrated both developers and operators due to, among other things, uncertainty of […]The post Wind Power Developers Encouraged by Findings on Bald Eagle Population appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The promise of a nationwide network of charging stations to serve drivers of electric vehicles (EVs) received a major boost on Feb. 10, with two federal agencies announcing nearly $5 billion has been earmarked to support such infrastructure. The U.S. Departments of Energy and Transportation said the money will be made available under the new […]The post U.S. Details $5 Billion Plan for EV Charging Network appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) will invest in a major program that will explore the construction of multiple advanced nuclear reactors—starting with a GE-Hitachi BWRX-300 small modular reactor (SMR) at its Clinch River site in Tennessee. TVA Board members during a meeting on Feb. 10 unanimously approved TVA’s “New Nuclear Program,” a broad new initiative […]The post TVA Unveils Major New Nuclear Program, First SMR at Clinch River Site appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Scientists and engineers working at the Joint European Torus (JET) have set a new record for sustained fusion energy. The team on Feb. 9 reported producing 59 megajoules of fusion energy, more than doubling the previous record of 21.7 megajoules set in 1997 at JET. The achievement was touted as “a major step forward on […]The post Fusion Energy Breakthrough: Record Performance Achieved at JET appeared first on POWER Magazine.

All market indicators show that distributed energy resources (DERs) boom will continue into this year and beyond. In fact, a recent Frost & Sullivan report states the global annual investments in DERs will increase by 75% by 2030. We’ve seen many advancements contributing to the growth of the renewable energy market, due to the convergence […]The post Renewable Energy Future Includes DERs to Support Decarbonization appeared first on POWER Magazine.

GE has signed an exclusive agreement with EDF Group, an entity majority held by the French government, to sell the equipment segment and some services that make up Steam Power’s nuclear-serving steam turbine business—part of a portfolio that GE adopted during its 2015 merger with French equipment giant Alstom. The American technology conglomerate confirmed it signed […]The post GE Confirms Sale of Lucrative Nuclear Steam Turbine Segment to EDF appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Researchers in China have published the results of a study that the group said provides an efficient catalytic approach to directly transfer solid biomass into natural gas, while enabling the gas to have a low-carbon footprint. The researchers said bio-natural gas produced from the hydrogen combined with lignocellulosic biomass could be used at power plants, […]The post China Group Develops Plan to Turn Biomass Into Low-Carbon Natural Gas appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The digital transformation in the power generation industry touches several areas, encompassing engineering, monitoring and control, asset performance, and operations optimization, among others. Power plant operators know the digital era has been a perfect fit for their industry, enabling digitization to reduce risk, save costs, optimize performance, and speed crisis response. Doble Engineering is a […]The post The POWER Interview: Protection Testing Paradigm—How Utilities Can Adapt to the Digital Era appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Parts of Texas have suffered localized, distribution-level power outages as an Arctic outbreak sent temperatures plummeting across the state, but its heavily scrutinized grid is largely prepared to weather the storm, state entities said. Frigid temperatures stemming from a large dome of Arctic high pressure are sending temperatures into the single digits and below zero […]The post Winter Freeze Testing Texas Power Grid Reforms appeared first on POWER Magazine.

California’s power grid continues to evolve and will look much different by 2040, according to a 20-year draft transmission plan released by the California Independent System Operator (CAISO). The plan calls for significant additional renewable energy resources, along with a $30.5-billion build-out of the transmission grid. The outlook, developed by the grid operator along with […]The post CAISO Plan Calls for $30.5 Billion for Transmission—and More Renewable Energy appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The 462-MWe Carbon-Free Power Project—the first six-module NuScale Power VOYGR-6 power plant—has completed field investigation activities at its Idaho National Laboratory (INL) site in Idaho Falls, Idaho. The achievement announced on Feb. 3 marks a major milestone for CFPP LLC, the entity Utah state energy services interlocal agency Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems (UAMPS) established […]The post Nuclear Field Activities Completed for Idaho NuScale SMR Project appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Handing a muted victory to proponents of nuclear and gas, the European Commission (EC) on Feb. 2 adopted a measure that labels some nuclear and gas energy activity as climate-friendly investments. However, it set out strict, potentially limiting technical screening criteria for those activities to qualify, prompting pushback from the nuclear and gas industries. The […]The post Nuclear, Natural Gas Included in EU Taxonomy—With Potentially Problematic Conditions appeared first on POWER Magazine.

In February 2021, a severe cold weather event, known as Winter Storm Uri, caused numerous power outages, derates, or failures to start at electric generating plants scattered across Texas and the south-central U.S. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), which manages the power supply for about 90% of the load in Texas, ordered a […]The post Former FERC Commissioner Says ‘Market Design Problem’ Was a Leading Cause of February 2021 Texas Power Crisis appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The Biden administration has made clear its intention to promote the transition to clean energy, setting ambitious goals like carbon neutrality for the power sector by 2035 and for the entire country by 2050. A critical step toward these goals was congressional passage of the $1 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), which President […]The post Infrastructure, Renewables, ESG Initiatives Lead Trends for 2022 appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Georgia Power plans to shutter most of its coal fleet by 2028 and completely exit coal-fired power by 2035, according to the utility’s latest integrated resource plan (IRP) filed with state regulators on Jan. 31. The Southern Co. subsidiary on Monday said it would make more investments in natural gas-fired generation, along with renewable energy, […]The post Georgia Power Plans to Retire All Coal Units by 2035 appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Since its inception as Florida Power & Light Co. in 1925, NextEra Energy has transformed into the world’s largest utility company. The company’s history is symbolic of the growth and uncertainty that has characterized the history of power. The post New Era for NextEra: A Utility Spotlight appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The continuing transition in the power generation sector means workers need new skills. The challenge for utilities and other power producers is finding the top talent at a time the labor pool is shallowThe post Groups Grapple with Labor Logistics as Energy Evolves appeared first on POWER Magazine.

There are a lot of changes taking place in the world’s energy supplies. We seem to read announcements almost every day about coal plant retirements, and solar and wind farm installations. Yet, when you lookThe post Coal Will Remain Prominent for Decades Despite Growing Renewable Power Capacity appeared first on POWER Magazine.

New technologies for energy storage are being developed as the industry continues to mature. Energy Dome, an Italian energy storage technology company founded in 2019, recently announced it will use theThe post Italian Group Taps CO2 for Energy Storage appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The first of two units at China’s much-watched high-temperature gas-cooled modular pebble bed (HTR-PM) demonstration project was successfully connected to the grid on Dec. 20. The achievement marks a majorThe post China Starts Up First Fourth-Generation Nuclear Reactor appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Bracing for explosive growth in the electrification of mobility, UK-based engineering giant Rolls-Royce is developing various all-electric and hybrid-electric drive systems for aircraft. At one of its mostThe post Rolls-Royce Sets Megawatt Milestone for Hybrid-Electric Aircraft System appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A blueprint for what could become the world’s first commercial underground mine storage facility has garnered financial backing from Swedish Mining Innovation.The post Blueprint Underway for Commercial Mine Energy Storage Facility in Sweden appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Many bioenergy industry proponents put forth carbon neutrality as a basis for their support. However, the claim may not hold up under scrutiny. By some accounts, biomass power plant emissions including thoseThe post Biomass Power: Environmental Benefit or Numbers Game? appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The energy transition is likely to result in the continued growth of wind energy project development, and by 2030 more than 224.07 GW across 47 states could be installed, according to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Along with the environmental benefits of replacing fossil-fuel power with wind power, this will undeniably affect songbirds, raptors, […]The post Wind Power and Its Impact on Wildlife: A Look at Current Efforts to Minimize Harm appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Eight ocean energy projects representing the first round of open-water testing at the 20-MW PacWave South wave energy test site off the Oregon coast have garnered a combined $25 million in federal funding to support technology research, development, and demonstration at the trailblazing facility. The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO) […]The post DOE Picks First Marine Energy Projects for PacWave Test Site in Oregon appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The two-unit expansion at the Plant Vogtle nuclear power facility in Georgia remains a work in progress, a project that still holds the promise of emissions-free electricity even as construction delays and cost overruns continue to spark debate about its future. Proponents, including Georgia regulators and nuclear energy advocates, remain optimistic about the amount of […]The post Oft-Delayed Vogtle Expansion on Track for 2022 Start appeared first on POWER Magazine.

GE’s first earnings release after the American conglomerate last November announced it would combine and spin-off its Renewable Energy, Power, and Digital business suggests flagging orders for onshore and offshore wind equipment and gas turbines amid a business environment wrought with uncertainty. GE on Jan. 25 reported revenues of $15.7 billion for its Renewable Energy business, […]The post GE Grasping for Growth as It Prepares for Integrated Energy Spinoff appeared first on POWER Magazine.

S&C Electric Co., an employee-owned company with global headquarters in Chicago, Illinois, rolled out an innovative solution designed to mitigate nuisance outages for power customers located on the grid edge. The new VacuFuse II Self-Resetting Interrupter has the ability to test if a fault is temporary, and if so, it automatically restores power, eliminating the […]The post Innovative Device Brings Fault-Testing to the Edge of the Grid, Improving Power System Reliability appeared first on POWER Magazine.

There are countless risks associated with power plant operations. For example, the risk of equipment failure is present in virtually every power plant system. In some cases, the risk is very low and could even be inconsequential. In others, it’s much higher and could be catastrophic, not only to plant operation, but also to the […]The post How Power Plants Can Reduce Asset Integrity Risks with Digital Technology appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The Moss Landing Energy Storage Facility in California, already the largest utility-scale battery storage development in the world, is adding more capacity. Vistra, the Texas-based energy company that lists Luminant, TXU Energy, and Dynegy among its subsidiaries, on Jan. 24 said it would further expand Moss Landing, adding a new 350-MW/1,400-MWh battery energy storage system […]The post Vistra Adding More Storage to Moss Landing, World’s Largest BESS appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Nevada utility NV Energy has received approval from state regulators to purchase two solar-plus-storage projects that will replace power generation from the group’s coal-fired North Valmy Generating Station. The 522-MW North Valmy plant is scheduled for closure in 2025. NV Energy in June of last year filed its triennial integrated resource plan with the Public […]The post Nevada Regulators Approve Solar+Storage to Replace Coal-Fired Plant appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The last two years have had a profound effect on businesses in all industries, including power generation. Looking into the future, it’s evident that even more change is on the horizon. To accommodate these changes, one thing has become clear within the realm of finance: Digital transformation is no longer optional. Instead, it’s a necessary […]The post Why CFOs Must Demand Digital Transformation from Their Teams appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Energy Transfer, a major pipeline firm that threatened to terminate natural gas service to five Vistra Corp. gas-fired power plants in Texas next week as part of a $21.3 million penalty payment standoff, has relaxed its ultimatum, though the underlying dispute continues. In a letter filed with the Texas Railroad Commission late on Jan. 20, […]The post Pipeline Company Shifts Ultimatum in Vistra Natural Gas Supply Dispute appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A subsidiary of billionaire Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Energy has announced it plans to invest another $3.9 billion into renewable energy in Iowa, with a project that would add more than 2 GW of wind power to the state. Des Moines-based MidAmerican Energy on Jan. 19 said the Wind PRIME project also includes solar power […]The post Iowa Utility Proposes $3.9 Billion Renewable Energy Project appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Two Vistra Corp. subsidiaries have alleged in a complaint filed with the Texas Railroad Commission that a major pipeline firm has threatened to terminate natural gas service to five Texas gas-fired power plants—a combined 2 GW—“at any time” after Jan. 23. If escalated, the issue could pose new hurdles for the state’s electricity security as […]The post Vistra Claims ‘Extortion’ by Pipeline Company, Says Natural Gas Supply to Texas Power Plants Threatened appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A new product from GE Digital will improve the operation of gas turbines through artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), resulting in lower fuel consumption and reducing emissions, the company announced Jan. 20. GE Digital in its announcement said turbines “require seasonal adjustment of flame temperatures and fuel splits, which is generally a manual […]The post New GE Digital Software Designed to Optimize Gas Turbine Performance appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The vast majority of 324 electric generation units and transmission facilities in Texas have fully met or “go beyond” new state winter weatherization requirements, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) said in a final readiness report filed with the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) on Jan. 18. Onsite inspections at 302 generation units […]The post ERCOT Confident Generators Deficient During Uri Freeze Debacle Ready for Winter appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The U.S. International Trade Commission concluded its investigation into a complaint filed by GE against Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE) concerning the importation “of certain variable speed wind turbine generators and components thereof.” In its ruling, the commission found that SGRE violated section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended, and it issued […]The post Ruling Issued in GE’s Legal Dispute with Siemens Gamesa—and the Winner Is? appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A power plant in Tennessee is the site of a project using carbon dioxide (CO2) to help manufacture carbon nanotubes (CNTs), which can be used in a variety of products from wind turbine blades to cellphone batteries to lightweight bicycle frames. SkyNano Technologies, a Knoxville, Tennessee-based developer of a manufacturing process to produce carbon-based nanomaterials […]The post TVA Power Plant Supplies Carbon from Flue Gas for Beneficial Use appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) efforts are factoring into merger and acquisition (M&A) deal activity within the power and utilities sector across North America, according to a report issued by PwC, a professional services firm serving the “Trust Solutions and Consulting Solutions” segments. “As policies are clarified and ESG strategies are strengthened, broad investor interest […]The post ESG Aspects Loom Large in Power and Utilities M&A Activity appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Renewable energy’s share of U.S. power generation continues to rise, and the percentage of electricity produced by burning natural gas and coal continues to fall, according to the latest “Short-Term Energy Outlook,” or STEO, from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). The EIA on Jan. 18 said it expects U.S. power generation from renewables—mostly solar […]The post Renewables’ Share of U.S. Power Will Keep Upward Trajectory appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The world is changing rapidly as technology advances at breakneck speed. From the fourth industrial revolution and virtual reality to 5G and artificial intelligence (AI), our society is on the brink of tremendous technological upheaval. Although many industries evolve alongside innovations, some, such as utilities, have not moved at the same pace. This is in […]The post Predict, Optimize, Synchronize, Control: How AI Can Fulfill the Promise of Sustainable Energy Resources and Reshape the Future of Utilities appeared first on POWER Magazine.