POWER Magazine

The International Energy Agency (IEA) says momentum is building for nuclear power in many countries amid soaring fuel prices and growing energy security concerns. “In today’s context of the global energy crisis, skyrocketing fossil fuel prices, energy security challenges and ambitious climate commitments, I believe nuclear power has a unique opportunity to stage a comeback,” […]The post Nuclear Power on the Upswing, Numerous Projects Take Shape Around the World appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The U.S. Supreme Court has curbed the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) options for limiting emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) from power plants, an important environmental decision that could impact the federal government’s authority to enforce other regulations. The court in a 6-3 vote, with conservatives in the majority, on June 30 said the EPA does […]The post Supreme Court Limits EPA Authority to Regulate Power Plant Emissions appeared first on POWER Magazine.

California’s State Legislature has passed a bill that could extend the operating lives of existing generating facilities slated for retirement, potentially providing a new lifeline for the 2,240-MW Diablo Canyon Power Plant (DCPP), which has a premature closure date in 2025. Both houses on June 29 passed AB-205 Energy, an energy trailer bill that Gov. […]The post California Legislature Passes Bill to Support Reliability Reserve, Lifeline for Diablo Canyon Nuclear Plant appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Landsvirkjun, the national power company of Iceland, on June 28 announced it intends to capture and reinject carbon dioxide (CO2) from Þeistareykir (Theistareykir) Geothermal Station, and at the same time reduce CO2 emissions from Krafla Power Station through enhanced well management efforts at that site. Construction of the project, called Koldís, is expected to begin […]The post Iceland National Power Company Details New Carbon Capture Project appeared first on POWER Magazine.

SaskPower has chosen GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy’s (GEH’s) BWRX-300 small modular reactor (SMR) technology for Saskatchewan’s first two nuclear units, which the provincial utility plans to deploy by the mid-2030s. The announcement on June 27 wraps up a four-year process to evaluate specific SMR designs and furthers planning for SaskPower, a Crown corporation, which has […]The post SaskPower Picks SMR Technology for First Two Potential Nuclear Units appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Swedish-based renewable energy developer OX2 has taken another step toward construction of its Aurora offshore wind farm, a 5.5-GW project sited between the islands of Gotland and Oland in the Baltic Sea. OX2 on June 27 announced it had submitted a permit application to build the wind farm under the auspices of Sweden’s Exclusive Economic […]The post Swedish Group Moves Ahead With World’s Largest Single Offshore Wind Project appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The use of microgrids to produce a reliable and resilient supply of power continues to grow, with several companies delivering new and innovative technologies to provide electricity for a growing number of industries. Microgrids have always been front and center at POWER’s Distributed Energy Conference (DEC), with the event featuring case studies over the past […]The post The POWER Interview: Schneider Electric’s New Microgrids Leader Plans for the Future appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Renewable energy in Turkey will get a boost from a hybrid wind and solar power installation led by GE Renewable Energy. The project will integrate a 30-MW solar array with a 32-MW wind farm that was commissioned in 2020 by Sertavul, a Turkish energy company. Sertavul chose GE and Inogen, GE’s regional partner, to build […]The post GE Leading Hybrid Wind and Solar Project in Turkey appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) on June 22 initiated the first step to lift a suspension of its National Electricity Market (NEM), citing a “clear improvement in market conditions.” The measure comes more than a week since it indefinitely suspended spot markets in all regions of its NEM, given critical power generation supply shortfalls […]The post AEMO Begins Cautious Lift of Australian Electricity Market Suspension appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Three teams comprising some of the most prominent engineering and technology firms in the U.S. will provide initial designs for a fission surface power (FSP) system as part of a federal project to demonstrate a 40-kW nuclear reactor for power applications on the moon. NASA and Battelle Energy Alliance—the contracted entity that manages and operates […]The post NASA Picks Three Nuclear Power Concepts for Demonstration on the Moon appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Legislation passed in Rhode Island will commit the state to procure 100% of its electricity from renewable energy sources by 2033. If Gov. Daniel McKee, as expected, signs the bill into law, the Ocean State could have the nation’s fastest timeline for a 100% renewables procurement. The New England state’s legislature on June 17 approved […]The post Rhode Island Targets 100% Renewables Procurement by 2033 appeared first on POWER Magazine.

POWER magazine has always held a special place in my heart. After my father left the Navy, he became a power engineer and a loyal subscriber to the magazine. As a kid, I remember stacks of the publication all over the house. At the high point my father had hundreds of issues amassed over decades. […]The post Addressing the Challenges Presented by a Retiring Utility Workforce appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A federally backed effort to advance enhanced geothermal system (EGS) technologies in Utah marked a significant milestone with successful completion of its first large-scale 10-day stimulation in a deep-deviated well. The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Utah Frontier Observatory for Research in Geothermal Energy (FORGE), which is sited near the town of Milford on the western […]The post Large-Scale Enhanced Geothermal System Trial Successfully Completed appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A leading German economic official said the country must increase the burning of coal for power generation and reduce its use of natural gas to avoid an energy crisis later this year. German Economy Minister Robert Habeck in a statement on June 19 said the country’s move away from receiving natural gas from Russia due […]The post Germany Set to Increase Coal-Fired Generation in Face of Gas Crunch appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The third unit of the Barakah nuclear power plant (NPP), the first such facility in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Arab world, is ready to begin fuel loading, according to a statement issued by the country’s nuclear regulatory agency on June 19. The Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR) on Sunday said it […]The post Unit 3 at Barakah Nuclear Plant Licensed, Set to Load Fuel appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A research team at Xidian University in China announced it has successfully tested technology that would enable a space-based solar power plant that could transmit energy to Earth, akin to similar technology earlier announced by NASA and studied by other groups over the past decade. The “Daily Project” team, led by Duan Baoyan of Xidian […]The post China Group Announces Successful Test of Space-Based Solar Power appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A demonstration project at Georgia Power’s 2.5-GW natural gas–fired Plant McDonough-Atkinson facility has validated a natural gas fuel blend with 20% hydrogen by volume on one of its six Mitsubishi Power advanced-class gas turbines. The test, one of the largest of its kind to date, provided an approximately 7% reduction in carbon emissions compared to […]The post Southern Co. Gas-Fired Demonstration Validates 20% Hydrogen Fuel Blend appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) on June 15 indefinitely suspended spot markets in all regions of its National Electricity Market (NEM), citing critical power generation supply shortfalls that it said made it “impossible to continue” operations under national electricity rules. AEMO—the independent system operator (ISO) that operates the competitive market serving New South Wales, […]The post Australian Energy Crisis Prompts Suspension of National Electricity Market appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Commercial operation of Olkiluoto 3 (OL3), a nuclear power plant (NPP) unit that has been under construction in Finland for nearly 17 years, will be delayed for another three months due to foreign material issues observed in the turbine’s steam reheater, plant owner Teollisuuden Voima Oyj (TVO) reported on June 15. The setback is just […]The post Finnish Nuclear Plant Under Construction Since 2005 Faces Yet Another Delay appeared first on POWER Magazine.

People around the world are searching for ways to decarbonize, and green hydrogen is a fuel that can help in that effort. Green hydrogen is produced through electrolysis using renewable energy, such as wind and solar power. Although most hydrogen produced today is made from natural gas, often referred to as gray hydrogen, new capacity […]The post Hydrogen Poised to Play Prominent Role in the World’s Energy Transition appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The first of what could be as many as four APR-1400 nuclear reactors at the Shin Hanul site in South Korea is now supplying electricity to the country’s power grid. Unit 1 at Shin Hanul is a 1,400-MW reactor. It was connected to the grid on June 9, just more than two weeks after the […]The post Latest APR-1400 Reactor Now Online at South Korea’s Shin Hanul Nuclear Plant appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Although the electricity generation and transportation sectors account for a far greater share of greenhouse gas emissions than the residential and commercial building sector, policy makers are targeting building electrification as a means for making a significant contribution to economy-wide emission reductions. Federal, state, and local governments are using various policy levers toward this goal, […]The post The Regulatory Structures or Economic Opportunities that are Driving—or Hindering—Building Electrification appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Findings from research led by a team that included a former U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) chairperson and experts from Stanford University suggests small modular reactors (SMRs) will generate more radioactive waste than conventional gigawatt-scale nuclear units. The results were released in a research article published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences […]The post [UPDATED] Researchers Say SMRs Will Produce More Waste Than Large Nuclear Reactors, NuScale Disputes Claim appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The Department of Defense (DOD) has picked BWX Technologies’ (BWXT’s) microreactor design for its “Project Pele” full-scale transportable prototype. The selection closes out a much-watched contest with X-energy for the contract from the DOD’s Strategic Capabilities Office (SCO) to build and operate what could be the nation’s first advanced microreactor. Lynchburg, Virginia-based BWXT will now […]The post DOD Picks BWXT Design for ‘Project Pele’ Prototype Nuclear Microreactor appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) first official loan guarantee for a new clean energy technology project since 2014 will go to the Advanced Clean Energy Storage 1 project in Utah—one of the world’s largest renewable hydrogen energy projects. The DOE on June 8 announced it closed on the $504.4 million loan guarantee for the first […]The post Massive Utah Hydrogen Storage Project Garners Finalized $504M DOE Loan Guarantee appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The first step to solving a problem is recognizing that one is present. An operations team cannot adequately put a sufficient maintenance plan in place if there is no awareness that maintenance is required. One particular area that used to suffer much more regularly from this lack of diagnosis in a power plant setting is […]The post Advantages of Leak Detection Technology in Power Plants appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Versatile and plentiful, hydrogen could go a long way toward helping the world meet its climate targets. Already, it’s a component in all eight of the European Commission’s (EC’s) net-zero emissions scenarios for 2050. Meanwhile, in the U.S., the Department of Energy has initiatives that will spur significant investment in the hydrogen economy—efforts boosted by […]The post Fuel of the Future: How the World Can Build a True Hydrogen Economy appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The U.S. Dept. of Energy (DOE) on June 8 shared an interview with Dr. Kathryn Huff, the DOE’s new assistant secretary for nuclear energy. Huff was confirmed by the Senate earlier this month and takes over a $1.7 billion research and development portfolio for the Office of Nuclear Energy (NE). Prior to her confirmation, she served […]The post DOE Q&A: Assistant Secretary Dr. Kathryn Huff Discusses Top Priorities for Nuclear Energy appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The first two GE 7HA.03 machines—the largest 60-Hz heavy-duty gas turbines in the world and the most efficient in GE’s fleet—are now operational at Florida Power & Light’s (FPL’s) newly inaugurated 1,260-MW Dania Beach Clean Energy Center (DBEC) in Broward County. FPL officially declared the Dania Beach Clean Energy Center near Fort Lauderdale, Florida, commercially […]The post GE Debuts First 7HA.03 Gas Turbines at 1.3-GW Plant in Florida appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The White House is moving to support the solar power industry, including U.S. manufacturing of solar panels and other equipment, by pausing tariffs on imported solar panels from four Southeast Asian countries. The 24-month moratorium announced June 6 will exist while U.S. officials continue to look at the practices of Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam, […]The post Biden Pausing Solar Tariffs, Pushes for U.S. Production appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The U.S. Dept. of Energy (DOE) for the past few years has talked about the importance of “building a strong solar manufacturing sector and supply chain in America” to support the nation’s economy, and to help “keep pace with rising domestic and global demand for affordable solar energy.” Recent events, including further disruption of global […]The post The POWER Interview: Solving Issues in the Solar Sector appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Two employees of a company that manages coal-handling operations for Xcel Energy’s Comanche Generating Station in Colorado were killed June 2 when they were trapped in a coal pile that collapsed at the power plant. The collapse happened Thursday morning about 8:30 a.m. Mountain time, according to officials. Rescue crews located the victims Thursday afternoon. […]The post Two Killed in Collapse of Coal Pile at Colorado Power Plant appeared first on POWER Magazine.

As solar, wind and other renewable resources play a larger role on the power grid, renewables’ essential partner—energy storage—must keep pace to provide power at peak hours when the sun doesn’t shine, and the wind doesn’t blow. Rechargeable zinc batteries offer an ideal energy storage solution; they can release power back to the grid for […]The post Zinc Batteries Power Stationary Energy Storage appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The French Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN), the Czech State Office for Nuclear Safety (SUJB), and Finland’s Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK) have picked France’s NUWARD small modular reactor (SMR) design as a test case for an early joint regulatory review for SMRs. The development marks a notable step by European regulators to align practices in a […]The post France’s NUWARD SMR Will Be Test Case for European Early Joint Nuclear Regulatory Review appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Drought in California could nearly halve the state’s hydroelectric generation this summer, pushing up wholesale power prices in the West, and forcing the state to rely on natural gas generation and out-of-state imports, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) projects in a new analysis. The EIA suggests in a supplement to its May 2022–released Short-Term Energy Outlook […]The post California Drought Could Severely Limit Hydropower This Summer appeared first on POWER Magazine.

“Cyber-physical systems” are the next generation of closely integrated physical and cyber systems. Several critical systems such as the power grid, autonomous transportation systems, and process control systems are examples of cyber-physical systems. They are liable to be attacked by malicious agents who can compromise the sensor measurements being used to control them. Indeed, there […]The post Security of Cyber-Physical Systems appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A landmark project to test fuel blends of up to 25% volume of hydrogen mixed with natural gas in reciprocating internal combustion engines (RICEs) has launched at WEC Energy Group’s 56-MW A.J. Mihm power plant in Michigan. If successful, the pilot—one of the first of its kind in the U.S.—could provide key insight into how […]The post Much-Watched Reciprocating Engine Hydrogen Pilot Kicks Off at Michigan Power Plant appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The Fourth Industrial Revolution is arriving in a most timely manner to help resolve the world’s energy trilemma—the transition to net-zero, energy security, and energy affordability. For many years, the World Economic Forum (WEF) has been at the forefront of discussions on climate change and the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Below, I outline our key takeaways […]The post The Fourth Industrial Revolution and the Energy Trilemma appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Significant advances in high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission are in step with rapid changes to energy systems worldwide. Shortly after POWER magazine began publication in 1882, the competitiveThe post The Vital Link: How HVDC Is Modernizing the Grid appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Commercial and industrial (C&I) entities want to ensure they have electricity when they need it. Businesses also are looking at sustainability, decarbonization, and control of their energy costs as factorsThe post Reliability, Resiliency, Cost, and Climate Driving C&I Power Systems appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Vermont doesn’t get a lot of attention outside of Bernie Sanders, but the state’s power system is worth taking a look at as it has undergone a notable shift toward renewable energy. About 80% ofThe post Vermont and ISO-New England Provide an Interesting Renewable Energy Transition Case Study appeared first on POWER Magazine.

At least 42 nationally determined contributions (NDCs) submitted under the Paris Agreement as of December 2021 indicate governments plan to utilize carbon capture and storage (CCS), hydrogen and ammonia, andThe post Nuclear, Hydrogen, CCUS Part of at Least 42 Country Ambitions appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A project to bring solar and wind energy from a 10.5-GW project in Morocco to the UK will feature what is likely the world’s longest subsea, high-voltage direct current (HVDC) cables. The importation ofThe post Morocco Project Could Support UK’s Renewable Goals, Hydrogen Economy appeared first on POWER Magazine.

When seeking answers to critical operations problems, consider that multiple root causes may be at play—thus requiring many different solutions. Watch as our heroines track down the culprits! As they trudgedThe post What Is Killing This Biomass Boiler? Marnie and Maya Are on the Case! appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Gaskets and fasteners are vital to plant reliability and efficiency. While basic nuts, bolts, and gaskets haven’t changed much over the years, some of the materials used in them have evolved and designs haveThe post Gaskets and Fasteners: What Sets a Supplier Apart? appeared first on POWER Magazine.

As coal plants are retired, power companies must decide what to do with sites. Some old plants have been added to the National Register of Historic Places and repurposed as commercial or office space, whileThe post New Life for Dead and Dying Coal Plants? appeared first on POWER Magazine.

India’s Power Ministry, despite the country facing shortages of electricity in recent years and as recently as the past month, said it plans to reduce the amount of power generation from at least 81 of the country’s 173 coal-fired power plants over the next four years. The agency, in a letter dated May 26 that […]The post India Plans to Reduce Coal-Fired Generation, and Mine More Coal appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Commercial and industrial (C&I) enterprises rely on their power supply. Many facilities, such as hospitals, federal institutions, and military bases—those considered mission critical—have long been at the forefront of finding solutions to keep their lights on. In today’s world, the need for reliable and resilient power is critical for a wide range of industries. Uninterrupted […]The post The POWER Interview: How Solar Can Solve the C&I Power Puzzle appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The potential deployment of a BWRX-300 small modular reactor (SMR) in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan gained a boost with a cooperation agreement between GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy’s (GEH’s) Canadian subsidiary GEH SMR Technologies Canada and the Saskatchewan Industrial and Mining Supplier’s Association (SIMSA). GEH SMR Canada on May 26 said a memorandum of understanding […]The post Headway for Potential Deployment of BWRX-300 Nuclear Reactor in Saskatchewan appeared first on POWER Magazine.

After more than 50 years of operation, the Palisades nuclear power plant was taken offline for the final time on May 20. The station was scheduled to be permanently shut down on May 31, but plant operators “made the conservative decision to shut down the plant early due to the performance of a control rod […]The post Palisades Nuclear Power Plant Closes After 50 Years of Operation, Employees Leave with Pride appeared first on POWER Magazine.