POWER Magazine

The post Trump’s Drilling Ban Also Blocks Offshore Wind appeared first on POWER Magazine. President Trump’s action to ban oil and gas drilling off the East Coast and through much of the Gulf of Mexico also eliminates leases for offshore wind farms, according to the U.S. Department of the Interior. Trump earlier this month issued two memos withdrawing the potential to lease land for oil and gas extraction on […]The post Trump’s Drilling Ban Also Blocks Offshore Wind appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Cultivating a Safety Culture Amid Constant Change appeared first on POWER Magazine. Developing a power plant safety culture takes time and constant effort, but the payoff is priceless, safety leaders at three major power companies said during a morning session at the Experience POWER virtual event on Sept. 30. Jeffrey Mullins, safety and health consultant for the 2.6-GW coal-fired Gavin Power Plant owned by Lightstone Generation, kicked […]The post Cultivating a Safety Culture Amid Constant Change appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post The POWER Interview: Are DERs an Opportunity, or Threat? appeared first on POWER Magazine. Distributed energy resources (DERs) are physical and virtual assets that are deployed across the power distribution grid. They are typically close to load, and though they initially began as behind-the-meter assets, today may be as likely to be deployed in front of the meter. DERs include renewable energy, and are the key component in microgrids, […]The post The POWER Interview: Are DERs an Opportunity, or Threat? appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Key Challenges and Opportunities Facing Residential Clean Energy for the Rest of 2020 appeared first on POWER Magazine. Asia now accounts for the most growth in renewable electricity generation, at a whopping 40% of the global production, while Europe and North America are each at 20%, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). Particularly, solar power was at its peak at the start of 2020, with a record-breaking first quarter in the […]The post Key Challenges and Opportunities Facing Residential Clean Energy for the Rest of 2020 appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post How to Effectively Manage Power Plant Maintenance appeared first on POWER Magazine. If you’ve worked in the maintenance department at a power plant, you know how important planning and scheduling are to success. There’s an old saying that goes, “plan the work, and work the plan.” Effective teams do that well, but it’s not easy. “Planning drives scheduling, not surprisingly, but planning is not scheduling,” Keith Berriman, […]The post How to Effectively Manage Power Plant Maintenance appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Vistra Shuttering More Coal, Adding Solar and Storage appeared first on POWER Magazine. Vistra has announced seven new renewable energy projects that will add about 1,000 MW of solar and energy storage to the company’s generation fleet. The company also said it would retire its coal-fired power plants in Illinois and Ohio as part of an effort to reduce carbon emissions as it established new long-term emissions reduction […]The post Vistra Shuttering More Coal, Adding Solar and Storage appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Leveraging the Benefits of Microgrids and DERs appeared first on POWER Magazine. The digitalization of power generation includes many new technologies, all designed to increase efficiency, along with reliability and resiliency. A group of energy industry experts came together Sept. 30 at Experience POWER, the virtual event supported by POWER magazine, to discuss “Microgrids and DERs—Leveraging the Benefits.” The session explored how data analytics and the Industrial […]The post Leveraging the Benefits of Microgrids and DERs appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Cubicle Inspection and Repair Safety Device Is a Winner appeared first on POWER Magazine. A team of innovators from Consolidated Edison (ConEd) took home the Real-World Safety Solutions award during the Experience POWER event on Sept. 28. The invention the group created is called a Cubical Inspection and Repair Safety (CIRS) device. The team that designed and developed the solution includes Eric Fell, senior safety specialist with ConEd; Joe […]The post Cubicle Inspection and Repair Safety Device Is a Winner appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Despite Dead DOE Rule, Grid Resiliency Persists as a Major Concern appeared first on POWER Magazine. The U.S. power industry lacks forward-looking ways to measure grid resiliency and traditional reliability metrics could become irrelevant as more intermittent generation inundates the bulk power system. But rather than continually looking backward to learn from ever-increasing emergencies or close-shaves, power system operators must work to cultivate a balanced portfolio that considers all aspects of […]The post Despite Dead DOE Rule, Grid Resiliency Persists as a Major Concern appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post The POWER Interview: Adapting to the Use of DERs appeared first on POWER Magazine. Distributed energy resources (DERs) have become a major part of today’s power generation landscape. DERs are physical and virtual assets that are deployed across the grid. They are typically close to load, and can be deployed both in front of and behind the meter. Bill Strohecker, Country Managing Director, Canada, for Hitachi ABB Power Grids, […]The post The POWER Interview: Adapting to the Use of DERs appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Team and Individual Award Winners Recognized at Experience POWER appeared first on POWER Magazine. Winners of individual and team awards were revealed at Experience POWER as the virtual event kicked into full swing on Sept. 28. Among the recipients were a number of exceptional leaders and innovators drawn from the power industry. Top Young Professional. Meriem Bellizim, senior manager, Business Development, ACWA Power, was chosen as 2020’s Top Young […]The post Team and Individual Award Winners Recognized at Experience POWER appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Decarbonization, Decentralization Driving Power Industry appeared first on POWER Magazine. Technological innovation has forever been part of the power generation sector, as electricity producers strive for more efficient and more economic ways to deliver power. The POWER magazine editorial staff, in a “State of the Industry” presentation on Sept. 28 to open the virtual 2020 Experience POWER conference, identified four trends in power generation that […]The post Decarbonization, Decentralization Driving Power Industry appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post China Promotes Climate Goal, and Builds New Coal Plants appeared first on POWER Magazine. Chinese President Xi Jinping said he wants his country to “achieve carbon neutrality before 2060.” It will not be an easy task for the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases (GHG). China, though it has canceled some planned thermal power plants over the past several years, has as much as 200 GW of coal-fired facilities […]The post China Promotes Climate Goal, and Builds New Coal Plants appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Versatile Test Reactor Moves into Engineering Design Phase appeared first on POWER Magazine. The Versatile Test Reactor (VTR), a planned experimental fast neutron reactor that the Department of Energy (DOE) says is crucial to support domestic advanced nuclear reactor research and development has cleared “Critical Decision 1,” paving the way for the engineering design phase to begin. Critical Decision 1—also known as “Approve Alternative Selection and Cost Range”—is […]The post Versatile Test Reactor Moves into Engineering Design Phase appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Leaders in the Smart City Movement appeared first on POWER Magazine. What is a “Smart City”? According to one definition, it’s an urban area that uses different types of electronic methods and sensors to collect data, with insights gained from that data used to manage assets, resources, and services efficiently. Clint Vince, chair of Dentons’ U.S. Energy Practice and co-chair of Dentons’ Global Energy Sector, was […]The post Leaders in the Smart City Movement appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Power Sector, Federal Entities Scramble to Close Supply Chain Security Gaps appeared first on POWER Magazine. Marking another major federal effort to address potential supply chain risks to the bulk power system (BPS), the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on Sept. 17 sought industry’s perspective on a number of important considerations, including possible actions the regulatory body could take to address security gaps. The U.S.-based power sector, meanwhile, has moved quickly […]The post Power Sector, Federal Entities Scramble to Close Supply Chain Security Gaps appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Entergy Moves Heavily on Hydrogen for Gas Turbines, Nuclear appeared first on POWER Magazine. Entergy Corp., an integrated energy company with a 30-GW power generating fleet, took a bold step toward decarbonization on Sept. 23, announcing it would join forces with Mitsubishi Power to integrate green hydrogen into utility businesses in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. Entergy will focus on developing hydrogen-capable combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) facilities and […]The post Entergy Moves Heavily on Hydrogen for Gas Turbines, Nuclear appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Former SpaceX Engineers Tout New Microreactor appeared first on POWER Magazine. A California company is gathering funding for development of a portable nuclear microreactor, designed for use in areas where other forms of power generation are not practical. Radiant, founded by former SpaceX engineers, on Sept. 22 said it has raised $1.2 million from angel investors as it designs what the company calls a “clean energy […]The post Former SpaceX Engineers Tout New Microreactor appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post GE Throws in the Towel on Coal-Fired Power appeared first on POWER Magazine. GE said it will exit the new-build coal power market, subject to applicable consultation requirements. “GE’s Steam Power business will work with customers on existing obligations as it pursues this exit, which may include divestitures, site closings, job impacts and appropriate considerations for publicly held subsidiaries,” the company said in a Sept. 21 announcement. It […]The post GE Throws in the Towel on Coal-Fired Power appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Improve Wind Turbine Safety with a Piston Accumulator Retrofit appeared first on POWER Magazine. Wind turbines are designed to maximize power production based on the predicted wind speeds found at the plant site. However, excessive wind speeds are experienced at times, so it is crucial to limit power generation at those times to avoid spontaneous runaway turbine situations that may cause damage to the turbine rotor or other parts […]The post Improve Wind Turbine Safety with a Piston Accumulator Retrofit appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Cyber Risks Are Top of Mind Throughout the Power Sector appeared first on POWER Magazine. The electric power sector in the United States has a long history of facing threats to our infrastructure—whether they are natural or man‐made. While cyberthreats are indeed much more complex, particularly when you consider that some of our cyber adversaries are nation states, the industry has a strong foundation of preparedness, resilience, and response. Though […]The post Cyber Risks Are Top of Mind Throughout the Power Sector appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post The Past, Present, and Future of Powerline Inspection Automation appeared first on POWER Magazine. “Tedious.” If you ask electric utilities for one word on powerline inspection, that would probably be it. “Time-consuming” and “expensive” would probably also feature. Yet, “vital” would be just as valid: there is no way to safely operate a transmission and distribution network without inspecting lines for damage or risk from factors such as vegetation. […]The post The Past, Present, and Future of Powerline Inspection Automation appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Summer 2020 Brought ERCOT Market Challenges, But Nothing Like 2019 appeared first on POWER Magazine. The Texas power market made headlines in August 2019 when wholesale prices for electricity repeatedly spiked close to and even hit the $9,000-per-megawatt-hour (MWh) cap. This August, average hourly prices peaked at “just” $1,700 per MWh, the afternoon of Aug. 15. There were many reasons for the reduced price volatility in Texas this year. First, […]The post Summer 2020 Brought ERCOT Market Challenges, But Nothing Like 2019 appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Hitachi ABB Power Grids’ Report Highlights Greening of the Grid appeared first on POWER Magazine. The use of coal for North American power generation will continue to decline, natural gas will continue as the leading source of power, and the use of renewable resources to provide electricity will continue to grow, according to a report from Hitachi ABB Power Grids. The outlook, titled “North America Power Reference Case: Spring 2020” […]The post Hitachi ABB Power Grids’ Report Highlights Greening of the Grid appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post FERC Order Backs Grid Market for DERs appeared first on POWER Magazine. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued an order that advocates for distributed energy resources (DERs) say will enable DERs, including renewable energy such as solar, wind, and battery storage, to compete on a more-level playing field in the organized capacity, energy, and ancillary services markets run by regional grid operators. FERC Order No. 2222, […]The post FERC Order Backs Grid Market for DERs appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Hitachi Out of UK Nuclear Business appeared first on POWER Magazine. Hitachi will formally end business operations on the Horizon Nuclear Power Plant in the UK, citing an “investment environment” that has become “increasingly severe due to the impact of COVID-19.” The Tokyo, Japan–headquartered conglomerate’s move comes 20 months after it first suspended plans to build the plant in Wylfa Newydd in Wales as part of […]The post Hitachi Out of UK Nuclear Business appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Is Carbon Capture Technology a Viable Solution? [PODCAST] appeared first on POWER Magazine. Carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS) is widely viewed as a necessary technology to facilitate the continued use of fossil fuels in light of climate change concerns around the world. One company that has been highly focused on CCUS research and development, as well as deployment of the technology, is Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI). Tiffany […]The post Is Carbon Capture Technology a Viable Solution? [PODCAST] appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post DOE-Backed Hydrogen Project Underway in Texas appeared first on POWER Magazine. A California energy company is collaborating with its parent and the University of Texas on a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) project to show that renewable hydrogen can be a cost-effective fuel with several applications, including for both the transportation and power generation sectors. Frontier Energy, headquartered in San Ramon, California, and a subsidiary of […]The post DOE-Backed Hydrogen Project Underway in Texas appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Flexible Small-Scale Generation Empowered by Once-Through Boiler Technology appeared first on POWER Magazine. Distributed generation integrated with intermittent renewable generation responds to the growing need for highly flexible small-scale (less than 100 MW) power generation resources. The limiting factor facing plant designers is that the conventional heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) does not enable fast-acting power generation demanded by modern grid systems. John Cockerill Energy’s vertical once-through boilers […]The post Flexible Small-Scale Generation Empowered by Once-Through Boiler Technology appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post BP Buying $1.1 Billion Stake in U.S. Offshore Wind appeared first on POWER Magazine. The move by major oil and gas exploration companies into renewable energy has taken another significant step, as BP announced a $1.1 billion deal to buy the U.S. offshore wind power assets of Norway’s Equinor. BP in announcing the deal on Sept. 10 said it is taking a 50% stake in Equinor’s Empire Wind project […]The post BP Buying $1.1 Billion Stake in U.S. Offshore Wind appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post New Jersey Opens Solicitation to Triple Offshore Wind Commitment, Outlines Pathway to 7.5 GW by 2035 appeared first on POWER Magazine. New Jersey on Sept. 9 opened a second state offshore wind solicitation that could triple its committed capacity from 1.1 GW to 3.5 GW. The state this week also laid out a final strategy for how it will achieve its November 2019–expanded offshore wind target of 7.5 GW by 2035. New Jersey’s five-member Board of […]The post New Jersey Opens Solicitation to Triple Offshore Wind Commitment, Outlines Pathway to 7.5 GW by 2035 appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Vattenfall Ready to Close Largest German Coal Plant appeared first on POWER Magazine. A German plan to provide coal-fired power plant operators with money to offset financial losses, part of the country’s plan to incentivize the closure of coal plants as part of Germany’s plan to exit the fuel, has led energy giant Vattenfall to say it could close its 1.6-GW Moorburg coal plant in Hamburg by the […]The post Vattenfall Ready to Close Largest German Coal Plant appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post South Korea Will Close Half Its Coal-Fired Fleet appeared first on POWER Magazine. South Korea’s president said the country will shutter 30 more coal-fired power plants by 2034, and bring additional solar and wind power resources online in the next five years in order to meet emissions reductions targets. President Moon Jae-in made the announcement Sept. 8 in a speech he delivered virtually for the United Nations’ International […]The post South Korea Will Close Half Its Coal-Fired Fleet appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post DOE Issues Emergency Order to Alleviate California Power Crisis appeared first on POWER Magazine. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) on Sept. 6 took the rare but drastic action of issuing an emergency order under the Federal Power Act (FPA) to authorize the maximum operation of three natural gas–fired facilities on the California Independent System Operator’s (CAISO’s) grid whose full capability had been stranded by federal air quality and […]The post DOE Issues Emergency Order to Alleviate California Power Crisis appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post GE, CTCI Score 6.5-GW Gas Power Contract Win in Taiwan appeared first on POWER Magazine. General Electric International Inc. (GE) and consortium partner Taiwanese engineering services firm CTCI have bagged a multi-billion-dollar engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract for five combined cycle gas-fired power units in Taiwan. The consortium will build three new units at the 3.9-GW Hsinta Power Plant and two new units at the 2.6-GW Taichung Power Plant. […]The post GE, CTCI Score 6.5-GW Gas Power Contract Win in Taiwan appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Georgia Power: New Vogtle Unit Still Set for 2021 Startup appeared first on POWER Magazine. The target in-service dates for two new reactors at the Vogtle nuclear power plant site in Georgia remain November 2021 and November 2022, respectively, Georgia Power said in a filing this week with the state’s Public Utility Commission. The utility on Aug. 31, in its “Twenty-third Semi-annual Vogtle Construction Monitoring Report,” said work on the […]The post Georgia Power: New Vogtle Unit Still Set for 2021 Startup appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post GE Hitachi, TerraPower Team on Nuclear-Storage Hybrid SMR appeared first on POWER Magazine. GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH) and Bill Gates’ nuclear innovation startup TerraPower are ready to demonstrate a “cost-competitive” advanced nuclear reactor system that will integrate a 345-MWe sodium fast reactor (SFR) with a molten salt energy storage system under a unique energy system architecture. The advanced nuclear technology developed under a joint development agreement is […]The post GE Hitachi, TerraPower Team on Nuclear-Storage Hybrid SMR appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post New Fuel Cell Power Plants Deployed in South Korea and California appeared first on POWER Magazine. Two new fuel cell-based electricity generation facilities have been “powered on” in the Gyeonggi province of South Korea. The new installations use Bloom Energy’s solid-oxide fuel cells. One of the power plants—a 19.8-MW installation—is located in Hwasung. It is the largest Bloom Energy project in South Korea, and the company’s second-largest in the world. The […]The post New Fuel Cell Power Plants Deployed in South Korea and California appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post What Is Siemens Energy? CEO Tells All appeared first on POWER Magazine. Siemens announced the spinoff of its Power and Gas division on May 7, 2019. It was part of the company’s Vision 2020+ strategy. On Sept. 1, Siemens Energy laid out its post-spinoff plans during a virtual capital market presentation. Siemens Energy’s Portfolio Leading up to the event, Christian Bruch, who was appointed CEO of Siemens […]The post What Is Siemens Energy? CEO Tells All appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Mitsubishi Power Snags Hydrogen Integration Contracts for 2 GW of New Gas Power appeared first on POWER Magazine. Three major gas-fired power projects—a total of 2.1 GW—in Eastern competitive markets that are slated to come online between 2023 and 2025 have chosen hydrogen pathways to ensure their long-term viability as states increasingly emphasize energy system decarbonization. The plants, which represent a total investment of $3 billion, will adopt integrated green hydrogen solution packages […]The post Mitsubishi Power Snags Hydrogen Integration Contracts for 2 GW of New Gas Power appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post World’s Largest—For Now—Battery Storage Project Online in California appeared first on POWER Magazine. A battery energy storage project in California is set to be the world’s largest in terms of generation capacity when the facility is fully energized later in September. McCarthy Building Companies’ Renewable Energy & Storage group, based in Phoenix, Arizona, on Sept. 1 said the company had recently completed construction of LS Power’s 250-MW Gateway […]The post World’s Largest—For Now—Battery Storage Project Online in California appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Sustainable Building at Heart of Collaborative Project [PODCAST] appeared first on POWER Magazine. The South Landing project in Spokane, Washington, has been called “the five smartest city blocks in the world.” The development is said to feature “the most sustainable large building in North America.” Known as the Catalyst Building, it is intended to anchor a planned “innovation hub.” The five-story, 150,000-square-foot building features two wings around a […]The post Sustainable Building at Heart of Collaborative Project [PODCAST] appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Floating Platforms Are an Offshore Wind Gamechanger appeared first on POWER Magazine. WindFloat Atlantic consists of three 8.4-MW wind turbines installed about 20 kilometers off the coast of Viana do Castelo, Portugal. Although its size is modest compared to other operating offshore wind farmsThe post Floating Platforms Are an Offshore Wind Gamechanger appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post [VIDEO] POWER Insights—Advanced Diagnostics to Monitor and Secure the Grid appeared first on POWER Magazine. The power grid has never been more important. The coronavirus pandemic has accelerated the world’s progress toward a remote and mobile workforce, meaning society in general and certainly businesses are more dependent than ever on reliable, safe, and secure electricity. Doble Engineering has worked to secure the power grid for 100 years. The company, founded […]The post [VIDEO] POWER Insights—Advanced Diagnostics to Monitor and Secure the Grid appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post The POWER Interview: Technology Can Solve Problem of Nuclear Waste appeared first on POWER Magazine. Debate continues about nuclear power’s role in electricity production, particularly as it revolves around climate change. As a zero-emissions source of power, nuclear is seen by many as a complement to renewable energy in the transition away from coal-fired generation. Nuclear power, though, has detractors, who point to nuclear accidents and say the risk is […]The post The POWER Interview: Technology Can Solve Problem of Nuclear Waste appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Developing a Solution for Utility-Scale Storage appeared first on POWER Magazine. A Canadian company is using its proprietary technology, known as A-CAES, to provide a long-duration, cost-effective way for energy storage to provide power for hours at a time. Long-duration energy storage isThe post Developing a Solution for Utility-Scale Storage appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Award-Winning Hydropower Project Helps Electrify Ethiopia appeared first on POWER Magazine. The government of Ethiopia has set a goal of providing access to electricity to all its citizens by 2025. It still has a long way to go, but projects such as the Genale Dawa III hydropower station are helpingThe post Award-Winning Hydropower Project Helps Electrify Ethiopia appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post WindGas Falkenhagen: Pioneering Green Gas Production appeared first on POWER Magazine. Uniper's Falkenhagen site in Germany hosted two major pilots to produce "green" hydrogen and methane from wind power, opening up prospects for lucrative new revenue streams from decarbonized assets thatThe post WindGas Falkenhagen: Pioneering Green Gas Production appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Turning a Brownfield into a Brightfield appeared first on POWER Magazine. A solar array in Indiana is a model project for renewable energy development, with the site providing clean energy at what was once a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Superfund site. Areas of the U.SThe post Turning a Brownfield into a Brightfield appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Delingha: A Leap for Molten Salt Tower CSP Technology appeared first on POWER Magazine. The 50-MW Delingha concentrated solar power tower plant located on the high-altitude Tibetan Plateau in China was developed, built, and continues to be refined by a company dedicated to solar tower technologyThe post Delingha: A Leap for Molten Salt Tower CSP Technology appeared first on POWER Magazine.