POWER Magazine

The post U.S. Begins Quest for a Lunar Nuclear Reactor appeared first on POWER Magazine. What will it realistically take to ready a fission surface power system (FSP)—a small (maybe modular) nuclear reactor—for deployment on the moon by 2027? That’s essentially what Battelle Energy Alliance LLC (BEA), the Department of Energy (DOE), and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) are asking the private sector in an interesting request for […]The post U.S. Begins Quest for a Lunar Nuclear Reactor appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Siemens Gamesa Slashes Forecast as COVID Crushes Earnings appeared first on POWER Magazine. Wind turbine maker Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE) has lowered its sales forecast for 2020, and the company said it expects the economic impact of COVID-19 will cut €1 billion ($1.2 billion) from its sales revenue in the full year. The company in its latest earnings report, released July 30, said the impact of the […]The post Siemens Gamesa Slashes Forecast as COVID Crushes Earnings appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post GE Will Decarbonize Uniper’s Gas Power Fleet appeared first on POWER Magazine. GE Gas Power and Uniper have agreed to roll out a detailed decarbonization roadmap that may entail hydrogen-friendly upgrades to all GE gas turbines and compressors at the German generation giant’s gas power plants and gas storage facilities across Europe. Under the agreement, GE Gas Power and Uniper will form a joint working group to […]The post GE Will Decarbonize Uniper’s Gas Power Fleet appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post EPA Changes Closure Requirements in Coal Ash Rule appeared first on POWER Magazine. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on July 29 finalized several changes to the regulations for disposal of coal combustion residuals (CCRs), or coal ash, from electric utilities. The changes include giving utilities more time to design clean-up and closure plans for their coal ash storage sites. The changes stem from an opinion issued Aug. […]The post EPA Changes Closure Requirements in Coal Ash Rule appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Amicarella ‘Demystifies’ the Role of CEO for Women [PODCAST] appeared first on POWER Magazine. The power generation industry has historically been a male-dominated industry, but today there are a number of women who have risen through the ranks to positions of leadership. Ana Amicarella, CEO of EthosEnergy, is one of them. EthosEnergy is a leading independent service provider of rotating equipment services and solutions to the power, oil and […]The post Amicarella ‘Demystifies’ the Role of CEO for Women [PODCAST] appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post PG&E, Tesla Team on Milestone Battery Storage System appeared first on POWER Magazine. A new battery energy storage system (BESS) at an electric substation in California is expected to be one of the world’s largest utility-owned, lithium-ion storage systems when it begins operating next year. The 182.5-MW BESS is being built by Tesla and Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) at the utility’s substation in Moss Landing in Monterey […]The post PG&E, Tesla Team on Milestone Battery Storage System appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Assembly Phase Underway for ITER Nuclear Project appeared first on POWER Magazine. Officials with the ITER project in France said work has started on the assembly of giant components needed for construction of an experimental nuclear fusion reactor, a project designed to demonstrate the scientific and technological feasibility of fusion energy for peaceful use. The ITER group, in a ceremony July 28 that was broadcast online (see […]The post Assembly Phase Underway for ITER Nuclear Project appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Why Coal Lost—and Can It Recover? appeared first on POWER Magazine. Coal burn in the power sector has fallen off a cliff. Demand peaked at 1.045 billion tons in 2007. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimates consumption in 2020 will be 377 million tons, a drop of 64% in little more than a decade. The EIA is forecasting a modest rebound in 2021 (to 462 […]The post Why Coal Lost—and Can It Recover? appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Keeping the Lights on in South Korea appeared first on POWER Magazine. South Korea has flourished over the past six decades, transforming its place on the world stage. However, progress has come at a price—far higher than average pollution generated from its energy grid. On its path of progress, the country has capitalized on the promise of cheap coal power. Meeting its energy and emissions goals will […]The post Keeping the Lights on in South Korea appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Map Shows ‘Low-Impact’ Locations for Wind Power appeared first on POWER Magazine. A global environmental group that works to protect land, water, and wildlife said states in what it considers the U.S. “wind belt” can develop wind power generation to meet renewable energy goals without presenting a significant risk to surrounding areas. An analysis from The Nature Conservancy, focused on the central U.S. where there is vast […]The post Map Shows ‘Low-Impact’ Locations for Wind Power appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Rosatom Accepts First MOX Fuel Batch for BN-800 Fast Reactor appeared first on POWER Magazine. Rosatom, the Russian state-owned nuclear energy company, said it is ready to receive a shipment of the first full reload batch of fresh uranium-plutonium mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel for the BN-800 fast reactor at the Beloyarsk Nuclear Power Station, the nation’s oldest operating nuclear energy facility. The company on July 23 announced the Mining and Chemical […]The post Rosatom Accepts First MOX Fuel Batch for BN-800 Fast Reactor appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post [VIDEO] POWER Insights: The Amazing DIII-D Fusion Project appeared first on POWER Magazine. The DIII-D National Fusion Facility, operated by General Atomics for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), is the largest magnetic fusion research facility in the U.S. The mission of the DIII-D research program is to establish the scientific basis for the optimization of the tokamak approach to fusion energy production. The DIII-D program is a […]The post [VIDEO] POWER Insights: The Amazing DIII-D Fusion Project appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Rains Complicate Ethiopian Hydro Dam Dispute appeared first on POWER Magazine. Ethiopia says it had reached a “major common understanding” with Egypt and Sudan related to the first filling and annual operation of the 6.4-GW Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), paving the way to a “breakthrough agreement” in the contentious dispute that is primarily about use of the River Nile’s waters. As POWER reported in […]The post Rains Complicate Ethiopian Hydro Dam Dispute appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Using Autonomous Drones in the Power Sector [PODCAST] appeared first on POWER Magazine. Drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), have been dabbled with throughout the power industry for years. POWER featured a drone on its cover in April 2014, and has published many articles on drone technology since then. Yet, the technology has been used more as a novelty in the power sector up to this point. As […]The post Using Autonomous Drones in the Power Sector [PODCAST] appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Duke Energy Has New CCGT Plant in Asheville appeared first on POWER Magazine. Duke Energy Progress, the Duke Energy subsidiary that serves about 1.6 million customers in the Carolinas, announced the completion of its new Asheville Combined Cycle Station in Arden, North Carolina. The company said the $817 million combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) facility (Figure 1) includes two power blocks with a total of four generators and […]The post Duke Energy Has New CCGT Plant in Asheville appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post E.ON Debuts ‘Resilience-as-a-Service’ for Remote Markets appeared first on POWER Magazine. German energy supplier E.ON is collaborating with UK energy firms Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) and Costain Group to roll out an innovative business model that monetizes resilience and grid stability services to remote areas. E.ON Innovation, one of Europe’s largest distribution system operators (DSOs) and the transmission and distribution arms at SSEN and […]The post E.ON Debuts ‘Resilience-as-a-Service’ for Remote Markets appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post DOE Seeks Power Sector’s Input on Bulk-Power Foreign Adversary Rules appeared first on POWER Magazine. The Department of Energy (DOE) wants the electric power industry to help the DOE draft rules that will prohibit the U.S. bulk-power electric system from using equipment sourced from, or otherwise susceptible to, harmful influence by “foreign adversaries.” Asset owners, utility operators, equipment vendors, and other interested parties can voluntarily provide information to the DOE […]The post DOE Seeks Power Sector’s Input on Bulk-Power Foreign Adversary Rules appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Rural Electric Cooperatives: Debt Rules Need to Change appeared first on POWER Magazine. The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) is working feverishly to get a provision into the next COVID-19 stimulus package that would allow electric cooperatives to reprice loans from the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) at current low interest rates without penalties. The change could save co-ops more than $10 billion. The RUS, which is a […]The post Rural Electric Cooperatives: Debt Rules Need to Change appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Gas, Solar Will Power Pittsburgh Airport Microgrid appeared first on POWER Magazine. A microgrid project pairing natural gas with solar power is taking shape at Pittsburgh International Airport, with the installation expected to be the primary source of electricity for the property by the summer of 2021. Construction of the microgrid (Figure 1) began a few weeks ago with site preparation work, which included rerouting an electrical […]The post Gas, Solar Will Power Pittsburgh Airport Microgrid appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Future-Proofing Gas Generation for the Coming Carbon-Free World appeared first on POWER Magazine. Is gas generation quickly going down the same path as coal? Will gas power generation built today be abandoned in 30 years? How can you be serious about climate change and still build gas power generation? As governments, utilities, and private enterprises continue to set aggressive net-zero emissions goals, these are the hard questions being […]The post Future-Proofing Gas Generation for the Coming Carbon-Free World appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post FERC Finalizes PURPA Rule Reforms appeared first on POWER Magazine. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) finalized a long-awaited rule revising regulations that govern qualifying small power producers and cogenerators under the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (PURPA). While FERC said the rule was necessary to respond to significant market changes, the action drew mixed reactions from industry. FERC’s final rule issued on […]The post FERC Finalizes PURPA Rule Reforms appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Xcel Energy Approved to Run Two Coal Units on Seasonal Basis appeared first on POWER Magazine. The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission approved Xcel Energy’s request to offer two of its coal units into the Midcontinent Independent System Operator market on a seasonal basis. That means the company can idle the two units for six months of the year, which is expected to save customers money while also reducing air emissions. “This […]The post Xcel Energy Approved to Run Two Coal Units on Seasonal Basis appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post New Milestone Reached in NuScale’s Push to License Small Modular Reactor appeared first on POWER Magazine. NuScale Power has completed its second submittal to the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) for pre-licensing Vendor Design Review (VDR) of its small modular reactor (SMR). A pre-licensing VDR is an optional service provided by the CNSC when requested by a supplier. It provides a mechanism that enables CNSC staff to provide feedback early in […]The post New Milestone Reached in NuScale’s Push to License Small Modular Reactor appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Renewable Energy Growth Stymied by Pandemic, but Optimism Is High appeared first on POWER Magazine. The renewable energy sector was on a steep growth curve entering 2020 with a lot of experts predicting a record year. Then COVID-19 disrupted the entire world, causing trouble in supply chains and putting millions of workers in unemployment lines. However, a new report released by the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE), a renewable […]The post Renewable Energy Growth Stymied by Pandemic, but Optimism Is High appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post The POWER Interview: Microgrids Open New Business Models appeared first on POWER Magazine. Microgrids offer an “all of the above” approach to distributed generation, incorporating a variety of technologies into their design. As microgrids continue to evolve, incorporating renewable power resources, fuel cells, battery energy storage, diesel and gas generator sets, microturbines, and other technologies, they also provide the opportunity to expand the business models for power producers. […]The post The POWER Interview: Microgrids Open New Business Models appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Real-Time Wind Turbine Monitoring: Data Challenges, and Rewards appeared first on POWER Magazine. With the advantages of clean, renewable energy, wind power has become one of the fastest-growing energy sources and one of the most economical solutions for electricity generation. There are already 350,000 wind turbines installed globally, with more than 650,000 MW of installed generation capacity. In light of climate change, demand continues to grow. However, to […]The post Real-Time Wind Turbine Monitoring: Data Challenges, and Rewards appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Using AI-Powered Thermal Tagging to Prevent Summer Overheating Outages appeared first on POWER Magazine. Summertime heat is cresting at the same time many economic restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic are easing in communities across the United States. Meanwhile, as extreme weather events are becoming more frequent, much of the country is on alert as forecasters predict severe hurricane, tornado, and wildfire seasons will continue. Utilities know they need […]The post Using AI-Powered Thermal Tagging to Prevent Summer Overheating Outages appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Report: Decarbonization of World’s 50 Most Influential Power Companies Bleak appeared first on POWER Magazine. Two reports analyzing energy transitions toward low-carbon resources released this week offer mixed assessments of how the power industry is faring in efforts to tamp down carbon emissions. The World Benchmarking Alliance (WBA), a broad group of stakeholders committed to 17 Sustainable Development Goals developed by the United Nations (UN) in 2015, on July 6 launched […]The post Report: Decarbonization of World’s 50 Most Influential Power Companies Bleak appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post DOE Specifies ‘Foreign Adversaries’ for Trump BPS Equipment Ban appeared first on POWER Magazine. Taking its first major step to act on President Trump’s May 1 executive order (EO) to limit foreign bulk power equipment transactions in the U.S., the Department of Energy (DOE) has issued a definitive list of six foreign “adversaries” that pose threats to the U.S. bulk power system (BPS): China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, […]The post DOE Specifies ‘Foreign Adversaries’ for Trump BPS Equipment Ban appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Award-Winning Coal Unit Set for Retirement appeared first on POWER Magazine. The five owners of a 410-MW coal-fired unit at the Craig Generating Station in Colorado have said they will retire the generator on Sept. 30, 2028, about one year before what will then be the last operating unit at the facility will be shuttered. Owners of the Yampa Project—Units 1 and 2 at the site […]The post Award-Winning Coal Unit Set for Retirement appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post What Is DERMS and How Can It Help Utilities? [PODCAST] appeared first on POWER Magazine. A distributed energy resource management system, or DERMS, is a software platform used to manage a group of distributed energy resource (DER) assets—such as rooftop photovoltaic solar panels, behind-the-meter batteries, or a fleet of electric vehicles—to deliver vital grid services and balance demand with supply to help utilities achieve mission-critical outcomes. As a guest on […]The post What Is DERMS and How Can It Help Utilities? [PODCAST] appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post U.S. Bank Set to Lift Ban on Supporting Nuclear Power appeared first on POWER Magazine. A government-run development bank is expected to end its ban on investment in nuclear energy, a move that could allow U.S. companies to take a greater role in foreign nuclear power projects. The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) as early as this week could lift its prohibition on supporting nuclear power. The DFC on […]The post U.S. Bank Set to Lift Ban on Supporting Nuclear Power appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post German Lawmakers Sign Off on Phase-Out of Coal appeared first on POWER Magazine. Germany’s plan to end coal-fired power generation in the country is now official, as both houses of the German parliament approved the plan to shut down the last coal units by 2038. Lawmakers signed off on the deal July 3. Environmental groups have supported the measure, though some say it does not go far enough […]The post German Lawmakers Sign Off on Phase-Out of Coal appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post [VIDEO] POWER Insights—Bringing Electricity to Underserved Areas appeared first on POWER Magazine. More than half of the population of Africa, or about 640 million people out of about 1.2 billion, does not have access to energy. It’s the lowest access rate for electricity worldwide. Bringing power to those people is important work, being led by people such as Damien Simon, marketing and strategy director for Paris, France-based […]The post [VIDEO] POWER Insights—Bringing Electricity to Underserved Areas appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Egypt Warns Ethiopian Mega-Dam May Provoke Conflict, Crises appeared first on POWER Magazine. Ethiopia, Egypt, and Sudan may be poised to end a decade-long dispute over waters from the River Nile, agreeing on June 27 to conclude trilateral negotiations and reach final agreement about the first filling and annual operation of the massive 6.4-GW Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) within the next two weeks. The agreement announced on […]The post Egypt Warns Ethiopian Mega-Dam May Provoke Conflict, Crises appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post How Digital Disruption Will Reshape the Maintenance Management Sector appeared first on POWER Magazine. The imperatives of maintenance management have always been maximizing the availability, quality, and effectiveness of the equipment. And all of these must be achieved at the lowest possible cost in terms of machine and material. According to a report, the maintenance of manufactured products costs more than 30% of the operating costs. Over the past […]The post How Digital Disruption Will Reshape the Maintenance Management Sector appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Hitachi Absorbs ABB Power Grids in New $10B Joint Venture appeared first on POWER Magazine. Hitachi on July 1 commandeered a majority share of ABB’s lucrative Power Grids business and officially launched a joint venture company—Hitachi ABB Power Grids. The new company, which already has a volume of about $10 billion, is expected to provide financial muscle to support ambitious projects and new business opportunities as the sector embraces decentralization […]The post Hitachi Absorbs ABB Power Grids in New $10B Joint Venture appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post RWE, E.ON Deal Will Reshape Energy Markets appeared first on POWER Magazine. Two German energy heavyweights have completed an asset swap that will have a major impact on the global market for renewable energy. RWE and E.ON on July 1 closed a deal that had been months in the making, with RWE taking on the assets of Innogy, an E.ON subsidiary (and former RWE company), to make […]The post RWE, E.ON Deal Will Reshape Energy Markets appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post The Evolution of Power Business Models appeared first on POWER Magazine. Traditional models have been upended by recent disruptions, including decarbonization, decentralization, and even the COVID pandemic, but new ones are replacing them that focus on customer preferenceThe post The Evolution of Power Business Models appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Micro Generation with Macro Possibilities appeared first on POWER Magazine. The market for microgrids continues to expand, with utilities, businesses, and neighborhoods installing a variety of technologies in systems designed to ensure a reliable and resilient supply of power. TheThe post Micro Generation with Macro Possibilities appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Islands: An Ocean of Potential for Marine Energy appeared first on POWER Magazine. While island governments are exploring marine power technologies as serious options for future resources to replace diesel, technology developers are looking at improved value through new revenue streams, suchThe post Islands: An Ocean of Potential for Marine Energy appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Minutes Matter in the Energy Imbalance Market appeared first on POWER Magazine. An energy imbalance market (EIM) is a voluntary market that provides a sub-hourly economic dispatch of participating resources for balancing supply and demand every five minutes. One such market is the WesternThe post Minutes Matter in the Energy Imbalance Market appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Siemens’ Roadmap to 100% Hydrogen Gas Turbines appeared first on POWER Magazine. Aligning with a target set by European industry association EUTurbines, Siemens Gas and Power in January 2019 rolled out an ambitious roadmap to ramp up the hydrogen capability in all its gas turbine models toThe post Siemens’ Roadmap to 100% Hydrogen Gas Turbines appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Russia, China Drive Africa’s Plan for Nuclear Expansion appeared first on POWER Magazine. Officials in South Africa and across the African continent continue to explore new nuclear power generation projects, and the region provides an opportunity for other countries to export their advanced nuclearThe post Russia, China Drive Africa’s Plan for Nuclear Expansion appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Algeria Targets Renewables to Diversify Generation appeared first on POWER Magazine. Algeria, like other countries that are members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), wants to diversify its electricity production, and is looking to solar power for the bulk of itsThe post Algeria Targets Renewables to Diversify Generation appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Cuba’s First Biomass-Fired Power Plant Inaugurated appeared first on POWER Magazine. The first biomass-fired power plant in Cuba—located adjacent to Ciro Redondo sugar mill in the central province of Ciego de Ávila—recently synchronized its two boilers to the grid. The 60-MW plant isThe post Cuba’s First Biomass-Fired Power Plant Inaugurated appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Advantages of Dual Linear Array Probes for Corrosion Inspection appeared first on POWER Magazine. The power generation industry is among those whose aging infrastructure contributes to increased safety concerns, and can lead to costly unscheduled maintenance and shutdowns. Facilities must be vigilant aboutThe post Advantages of Dual Linear Array Probes for Corrosion Inspection appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post POWER Digest [July 2020] appeared first on POWER Magazine. Germany Adopts National Strategies for Energy, Climate, Hydrogen. Twenty days before Germany commandeers the European Union Council presidency, Germany on June 12 adopted two national strategies that couldThe post POWER Digest [July 2020] appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Rethinking Hydropower Eligibility for State Renewable Incentive Programs appeared first on POWER Magazine. In the absence of a comprehensive federal renewable energy policy, many states have established regulatory frameworks that incentivize or require utilities to purchase or develop a percentage of renewableThe post Rethinking Hydropower Eligibility for State Renewable Incentive Programs appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post The POWER Interview: Optimizing Operations with IoT Technology appeared first on POWER Magazine. Some experts have predicted there will be as many as 50 billion connected devices in service by the end of this year. That number basically includes all of the equipment, sensors, and gadgets around the world that together make up the internet of things (IoT). But how are they all connected, what allows them to […]The post The POWER Interview: Optimizing Operations with IoT Technology appeared first on POWER Magazine.