POWER Magazine

The post Board Votes to Fire ERCOT CEO appeared first on POWER Magazine. Board members of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), the entity that operates and manages the electricity grid that covers much of Texas, voted late on March 3 to fire ERCOT CEO Bill Magness. The move comes as state and federal officials continue to investigate the actions of the grid operator that led to […]The post Board Votes to Fire ERCOT CEO appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Mitsubishi Power Developing 100% Ammonia-Capable Gas Turbine appeared first on POWER Magazine. Mitsubishi Power is developing a 40-MW class gas turbine that can directly combust 100% ammonia under an initiative that responds to heightened global decarbonization ambitions, as well as Japan’s recent roadmap for ammonia fuel. The Yokohama–headquartered power equipment firm, a subsidiary of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), on March 1 said it is targeting commercialization of […]The post Mitsubishi Power Developing 100% Ammonia-Capable Gas Turbine appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Texas PUC Chair Resigns as Outage Probe Continues appeared first on POWER Magazine. The chairwoman of the Public Utility Commission (PUC) of Texas has resigned, stepping down after the state’s lieutenant governor earlier on March 1 called for her resignation, along with that of the CEO of the state’s power grid operator. DeAnn Walker, the PUC chair, in her resignation letter Monday to Gov. Greg Abbott, defended her […]The post Texas PUC Chair Resigns as Outage Probe Continues appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Power Co-op Files Bankruptcy After $2.1 Billion ERCOT Bill appeared first on POWER Magazine. The group considered Texas’ oldest and largest electricity cooperative has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, saying it can’t pay money wanted by the state’s grid operator in connection with power outages during a major winter storm that hit in February. Brazos Electric Power Cooperative filed its bankruptcy petition March 1 in the U.S. Bankruptcy […]The post Power Co-op Files Bankruptcy After $2.1 Billion ERCOT Bill appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post ‘Best Is Yet to Come’ for Energy Storage Technology appeared first on POWER Magazine. Advancements in batteries, along with an improved regulatory environment and more investment, could make this decade the Roaring ’20s for energy storage. Many areas have been considered a focus for theThe post ‘Best Is Yet to Come’ for Energy Storage Technology appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Siemens Studies Hydrogen Production, Storage at Utah Plant appeared first on POWER Magazine. Siemens Energy said it is joining with a power generation cooperative on a plan to integrate hydrogen production and storage at a Utah power plant. Siemens on March 1 said it has been awarded a $200,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to support a conceptual design study, which is set to begin […]The post Siemens Studies Hydrogen Production, Storage at Utah Plant appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post ‘World’s Largest’ Green Hydrogen Plant on Tap appeared first on POWER Magazine. Enegix Energy has confirmed it plans to build what the company said would be the world’s largest green hydrogen plant, a facility in northeast Brazil that could produce more than 600 million kilograms, or about 1.32 billion pounds, of the fuel per year. Enegix on March 1 said the hydrogen production would come as part […]The post ‘World’s Largest’ Green Hydrogen Plant on Tap appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post 1.6-GW Coal Plant May Get New Life as Green Hydrogen Hub appeared first on POWER Magazine. Global technology heavyweights Shell and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Swedish state-owned energy firm Vattenfall, and German municipal heat generator Wärme Hamburg are teaming on a massive project to repurpose a 2015-commissioned 1.6-GW coal plant in northern Germany as a massive green hydrogen hub. The four companies in January said they signed a letter of intent to […]The post 1.6-GW Coal Plant May Get New Life as Green Hydrogen Hub appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Members Benefit from Labor Unions During Pandemic appeared first on POWER Magazine. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported in January that the number of wage and salary workers belonging to unions decreased to 14.3 million in 2020, down 321,000 (2.2%) from 2019. That was the bad newsThe post Members Benefit from Labor Unions During Pandemic appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Distributed Generation Part of Puerto Rico Rebuild appeared first on POWER Magazine. Upgrades to the power grid are needed worldwide, and energy companies are working on the best solutions for providing reliable and resilient power in a cost-efficient and timely fashion. Areas hit hard byThe post Distributed Generation Part of Puerto Rico Rebuild appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post The Allure of TRISO Nuclear Fuel Explained appeared first on POWER Magazine. Tristructural isotropic (TRISO) particle fuel has long been used in high-temperature gas-cooled nuclear reactors, but it is seeing a resurgence as a result of other applications. Modern TRISO fuel designs areThe post The Allure of TRISO Nuclear Fuel Explained appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post The Hydropower Industry’s Sustainability Conundrum appeared first on POWER Magazine. Hydropower makes up the majority of the world’s renewable energy capacity, but it’s not necessarily an environmentally friendly form of power. However, groups are working to improve hydropower technologyThe post The Hydropower Industry’s Sustainability Conundrum appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Wärtsilä Project Moves Forward, but Challenges Remain for Renewables in Mexico appeared first on POWER Magazine. Mexico reformed its energy market in 2013, opening the country’s energy sector to private investment. It created opportunities for foreign companies to bring their expertise to Mexico, particularly in theThe post Wärtsilä Project Moves Forward, but Challenges Remain for Renewables in Mexico appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Fukushima’s Decade-Long Shadow Made Nuclear Safer appeared first on POWER Magazine. Koji Okamoto, director general of the Japan Atomic Energy Agency’s (JAEA’s) Collaborative Laboratories for Advanced Decommissioning Science (CLADS), can pinpoint the specific moment that cemented hisThe post Fukushima’s Decade-Long Shadow Made Nuclear Safer appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post SGRE Turbines Tabbed for French Offshore Wind Project appeared first on POWER Magazine. Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE) announced it was awarded the firm order from the EDF Renewables-Enbridge-wpd consortium for the 448-MW Courseulles-sur-Mer offshore wind power project. The installation will be located just more than 6 miles off the Bessin coast, in an area of Normandy, France. SGRE on Feb. 22 said the wind turbine nacelles and […]The post SGRE Turbines Tabbed for French Offshore Wind Project appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Exelon to Split Business, Spin Off Generation Segment appeared first on POWER Magazine. Responding to rapid changes in the power industry, Exelon Corp. plans to cleave its business into two publicly traded companies: one comprising its six regulated electric and gas utilities, and the other, which it plans to spin off, comprising its 31-GW competitive generation fleet and customer-facing businesses. The separation—which the company’s Board of Directors approved […]The post Exelon to Split Business, Spin Off Generation Segment appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Hydrogen and the Energy Transition appeared first on POWER Magazine. Power systems around the world are changing. Renewable energy, mainly in the form of wind and solar generation, is being added everywhere, while more traditional forms of power, such as coal-fired and nuclear generation, are being retired from the grid. Meanwhile, natural gas-fired generation has taken the lead role in facilitating the transition by providing […]The post Hydrogen and the Energy Transition appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post DOE Awards $46 Million for Geothermal Projects appeared first on POWER Magazine. A federal government geothermal program based at the University of Utah has chosen 17 projects that will receive up to $46 million from the U.S. Dept. of Energy (DOE). The DOE on Feb. 24 said its Frontier Observatory for Research in Geothermal Energy (FORGE) Initiative will support funding for what it called “cutting-edge, domestic, and […]The post DOE Awards $46 Million for Geothermal Projects appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post GE Debuts Giant 9HA.02 Gas Turbines at 1.4-GW Plant in Malaysia appeared first on POWER Magazine. Two GE 9HA.02 gas turbines—the largest model of GE’s second-generation H-class heavy-duty gas turbine fleet and one of the largest gas turbine models on the global market—on Feb. 24 began commercial operation at Southern Power Generation’s (SPG’s) 1,440-MW Track 4A Power Plant in Pasir Gudang, Johor, Malaysia. The combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) plant, built […]The post GE Debuts Giant 9HA.02 Gas Turbines at 1.4-GW Plant in Malaysia appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post ERCOT Board Members Resign in Wake of Blackouts appeared first on POWER Magazine. Five board members of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), the state’s power grid operator, on Feb. 23 announced they would resign their posts, just days after extreme winter weather left more than 4 million Texas electricity customers without power for several days. Sally Talberg, chairwoman of ERCOT, is among those resigning. All those […]The post ERCOT Board Members Resign in Wake of Blackouts appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post How to Optimize Online Meeting Communication and Collaboration appeared first on POWER Magazine. Are we prepared for what the future of work holds? According to a recent McKinsey report, that answer will depend on our ability to adapt to a hybrid workforce. The report, which analyzed more than 2,000 activities across 800 occupations, found that hybrid models of remote work will accelerate and continue after the COVID-19 pandemic […]The post How to Optimize Online Meeting Communication and Collaboration appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post The Earth’s Energy: Switching Geothermal Power On appeared first on POWER Magazine. Although geothermal energy supplies a very small percentage of the electricity used around the world currently, geothermal advocates aren’t letting the seeming insignificance of the existing power generation capacity detract from their enthusiasm about the future. After years of relative obscurity compared to other renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind, geothermal energy is […]The post The Earth’s Energy: Switching Geothermal Power On appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Modern HRSG Designs Maximize Combined Cycle Plant Efficiency appeared first on POWER Magazine. Iberdrola SA and Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems (MHPS) recently commissioned the El Carmen combined cycle plant, located in Nuevo León, northeast Mexico. Wood supplied the two horizontal heat recovery steam generators (HRSGs) for the plant. The 875-MW combined cycle plant is based on two 300-MW MHPS M501J combustion turbines and is the first plant built […]The post Modern HRSG Designs Maximize Combined Cycle Plant Efficiency appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Texas Launches Probe of Power Companies After Blackouts appeared first on POWER Magazine. The fallout from the severe weather that crippled the power grid in Texas and other states over the past week continues, as officials grapple with what went wrong and who should be held accountable for an energy emergency that left millions without electricity. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Feb. 19 said his office would […]The post Texas Launches Probe of Power Companies After Blackouts appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Great Winter Storm of 2021 Will Live in Grid History appeared first on POWER Magazine. It will be some time before we know every detail that aligned to cause the tremendous number of sustained power outages in Texas, or the spiking power prices across all markets in the central states. Some things we do know. Some natural gas supply was frozen in. Some wind turbines froze up, and ice damaged some […]The post Great Winter Storm of 2021 Will Live in Grid History appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post ERCOT Signaling Some Relief as Power Crisis Stretches Into Fourth Day appeared first on POWER Magazine. After three harrowing days during which the Texas grid veered precipitously toward system collapse, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) has begun directing transmission operators to cease rotating blackouts. The grid recorded a gradual increase of restored generation capacity through Feb. 17 and overnight on Feb. 18. Early on Thursday, a little more than […]The post ERCOT Signaling Some Relief as Power Crisis Stretches Into Fourth Day appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Dirty Electricity, but Not the Kind You Think appeared first on POWER Magazine. When most people hear the term “dirty electricity,” they probably think of power generated from sources considered more-polluting, such as coal, natural gas, or other fossil fuels. However, Satic Inc., an electronics manufacturer and professional engineering firm based in Missoula, Montana, says electricity in homes and businesses is filled with “electrical pollution” that is not […]The post Dirty Electricity, but Not the Kind You Think appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post The Nuclear Battery Aboard Perseverance, the Next-Gen Mars Rover appeared first on POWER Magazine. NASA’s next-generation Mars rover Perseverance, which successfully launched on July 30 atop an Atlas 5 rocket from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, will depend on a “nuclear battery” for electrical power when it completes its seven-month journey to the Red Planet. Idaho National Laboratory (INL) celebrated the launch of the rover, […]The post The Nuclear Battery Aboard Perseverance, the Next-Gen Mars Rover appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Safety and Digitalization Big Parts of Sustainability appeared first on POWER Magazine. Company leaders around the globe are more focused than ever on sustainability. The trend has been driven not only by an innate human desire to “do the right thing,” but also because investors and environmentally conscious consumers are demanding that companies evaluate how their operations are affecting the world and make positive changes to reduce […]The post Safety and Digitalization Big Parts of Sustainability appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Texas Gov. Declares ERCOT Reform ‘Emergency’; Millions Still Without Power appeared first on POWER Magazine. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has said reforming the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) is an emergency item for state legislators in the current session, as power outages continue across the state for another day due to record cold temperatures as part of a massive winter storm. The governor on Feb. 16 said he wants […]The post Texas Gov. Declares ERCOT Reform ‘Emergency’; Millions Still Without Power appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post ERCOT Sheds Load as Extreme Cold Forces Generators Offline; MISO, SPP Brace for Worsening System Conditions appeared first on POWER Magazine. Historically frigid temperatures across Texas forced 34 GW of generation—across all fuel types—off the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) system, prompting the grid operator to initiate rotating outages starting at 1:25 a.m. CST on Feb. 15. ERCOT said it expects outages will likely last at least through Feb. 16. This article has been updated […]The post ERCOT Sheds Load as Extreme Cold Forces Generators Offline; MISO, SPP Brace for Worsening System Conditions appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post GE Turbines Will Supply Europe’s Largest Onshore Wind Farm appeared first on POWER Magazine. GE Renewable Energy and independent asset manager Luxcara announced an agreement to develop Europe’s largest onshore wind farm, an installation that includes a 25-year full-turbine service and maintenance contract. Luxcara has begun infrastructure work on the project in Sweden. GE Renewable Energy on Feb. 15 said it expects to begin installing the first of 137 […]The post GE Turbines Will Supply Europe’s Largest Onshore Wind Farm appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post The POWER Interview: Attracting the New Utility Workforce appeared first on POWER Magazine. The global energy sector, including utilities, is looking at a talent drain. As older workers retire, the competition to recruit younger workers to replace them has heated up. The power generation industry today is more digitized, reliant on expertise in analyzing data and developing software. That means many workers who could move into positions at […]The post The POWER Interview: Attracting the New Utility Workforce appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Hitachi ABB Power Grids Reshapes COVID-Challenged Customer Engagement appeared first on POWER Magazine. In a pioneering effort to overcome pandemic challenges that have hampered its interaction with customers, partners, and other stakeholders, Hitachi ABB Power Grids on Feb. 9 inaugurated a “customer experience” center at the company’s North American headquarters in Raleigh, North Carolina. The North America Customer Experience Center, which is located in a state-of-the-art facility on […]The post Hitachi ABB Power Grids Reshapes COVID-Challenged Customer Engagement appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Is Nuclear Power Poised for a Resurgence? appeared first on POWER Magazine. Since 1990, nuclear power has consistently supplied about 19% to 20% of the electricity used in the U.S. However, very few nuclear plants have been added to the U.S. fleet over that time. Currently, the only new nuclear project in the U.S. is Southern Company’s Plant Vogtle expansion, which is expected to add two new […]The post Is Nuclear Power Poised for a Resurgence? appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post GE Gas Turbines Will Replace Coal at Colorado Plant appeared first on POWER Magazine. The plan to retire the last coal-fired units at a power plant in Colorado has moved a step closer to completion, with the announcement that Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU) has chosen General Electric (GE) technology to keep the plant operating at least temporarily as a gas-fired facility. GE on Feb. 10 announced that six of […]The post GE Gas Turbines Will Replace Coal at Colorado Plant appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Honeywell to Reopen Sole U.S. Uranium Conversion Plant appeared first on POWER Magazine. Honeywell is gearing up to reopen the Metropolis Works plant in Metropolis, Illinois—the U.S.’s sole uranium conversion facility—and restart production of uranium hexafluoride (UF6) by early 2023. The Charlotte, North Carolina–based global technology giant told POWER in a statement on Feb. 9 it has communicated to employees and officials its intent to reopen the facility, which […]The post Honeywell to Reopen Sole U.S. Uranium Conversion Plant appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post GE, Labs Join Project for 3D-Printed Wind Turbine Blades appeared first on POWER Magazine. Three GE business units will partner with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and the National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) to develop and demonstrate an integrated additive manufacturing process for high-performance blade designs as part of a $6.7 million project funded by the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO). Under the AMO’s proposed “Additive […]The post GE, Labs Join Project for 3D-Printed Wind Turbine Blades appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Siemens, Air Liquide Join in Hydrogen Effort appeared first on POWER Magazine. Air Liquide SA, the French industrial-gas supplier, and Germany’s Siemens Energy AG announced they have signed a memorandum of understanding to jointly develop electrolysis and hydrogen technology. The companies on Feb. 8 said they will collaborate on industrial-scale hydrogen projects. They said the joint venture is designed to support the development and mass manufacturing of […]The post Siemens, Air Liquide Join in Hydrogen Effort appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post The POWER Interview: AI, Big Data, and Efficiency appeared first on POWER Magazine. The increased use of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) in the power generation sector has a goal of making electricity production both more efficient, and secure. Developing ways to more quickly analyze ever-larger amounts of data is driving innovation among those people responsible for the operation of power plants and generation equipment. Many […]The post The POWER Interview: AI, Big Data, and Efficiency appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post South Korea Has Plan for $43 Billion Offshore Wind Farm appeared first on POWER Magazine. The South Korean government has announced a major part of the country’s effort to reduce reliance on fossil fuels. President Moon Jae-in on Feb. 5 attended a ceremony in which contracts were signed for a 48.5 trillion won ($43.2 billion) plan to build the world’s largest offshore wind farm by 2030, an installation that would […]The post South Korea Has Plan for $43 Billion Offshore Wind Farm appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Retirement Set for Wisconsin’s Second-Largest Coal Plant appeared first on POWER Magazine. The Columbia Energy Center, a two-unit 1,100-MW coal-fired station located in Columbia County, Wisconsin, south of Portage, will be permanently retired by the end of 2024. Alliant Energy, which co-owns the facility with Wisconsin Public Service Corp. (a subsidiary of WEC Energy Group) and Madison Gas and Electric Co., made the announcement on Feb. […]The post Retirement Set for Wisconsin’s Second-Largest Coal Plant appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Montana District Court Vacates EPA’s ‘Secret Science’ Rule appeared first on POWER Magazine. The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) “Secret Science” rule establishing new standards for consideration of certain “pivotal” scientific studies, which was slated to go into effect on Jan. 6 of this year, has been vacated and remanded by the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana. The decision reached Feb. 1 impacts the power generation […]The post Montana District Court Vacates EPA’s ‘Secret Science’ Rule appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Big Boost for Framatome’s Accident-Tolerant Nuclear Fuel appeared first on POWER Magazine. In another significant boost to commercial deployment of accident-tolerant fuel (ATF) at existing nuclear reactors, the first 18-month fuel cycle test of Framatome’s GAIA Enhanced Accident Tolerant Fuel (EATF) at Southern Co.’s Vogtle 2 has “demonstrated expected results and excellent performance,” Framatome said on Feb. 2. Southern Nuclear installed four GAIA lead fuel assemblies (LFAs) […]The post Big Boost for Framatome’s Accident-Tolerant Nuclear Fuel appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post BOEM, Bolstered by Biden Offshore Wind Agenda, Resumes Vineyard Wind Review appeared first on POWER Magazine. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) will resume an environmental review for the 800-MW Vineyard Wind project offshore Massachusetts as part of a larger push by the Department of Interior (DOI), its parent agency, to accelerate development of renewables on public lands and waters. BOEM, an agency that manages U.S. offshore energy and mineral […]The post BOEM, Bolstered by Biden Offshore Wind Agenda, Resumes Vineyard Wind Review appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Morgan Stanley: Coal-Fired Power Off U.S. Grid by 2033 appeared first on POWER Magazine. A report from Morgan Stanley, a global wealth management company, said coal-fired power generation is likely to disappear from the U.S. power grid by 2033, largely displaced by renewable energy resources. The report published Feb. 1 said renewable energy such as solar and wind power will provide nearly 40% of U.S. electricity in 2030, and […]The post Morgan Stanley: Coal-Fired Power Off U.S. Grid by 2033 appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Siemens Will Cut 7,800 Jobs From Gas and Power appeared first on POWER Magazine. Siemens Energy announced it will cut 7,800 jobs from its gas and power division by 2025 as the company attempts to be more competitive in a global energy market that is moving away from fossil fuels and toward renewable energy. The company on Feb. 2 in its latest earnings release said it plans to jettison […]The post Siemens Will Cut 7,800 Jobs From Gas and Power appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Hualong One Reactor Now Operating in China appeared first on POWER Magazine. The first of two new reactors at a nuclear power plant in China has entered commercial operation, becoming that country’s 50th operating reactor, according to the China Nuclear Energy Association (CNEA). Hualong One is a third-generation pressurized water reactor, developed by China National Nuclear Corp. (CNNC) and China General Nuclear Power. It is the fifth […]The post Hualong One Reactor Now Operating in China appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Using Data for Smarter Power Generation appeared first on POWER Magazine. Power plant operators continually search for ways to make electricity production and transmission more efficient. With more generation sources coming online, the use of artificial intelligence and machineThe post Using Data for Smarter Power Generation appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Countries Roll Out Green Hydrogen Strategies, Electrolyzer Targets appeared first on POWER Magazine. Countries are increasingly embedding green hydrogen’s potential to decarbonize hard-to-abate sectors within ambitious strategies. In December, Canada joined a long list of countries, which includes FranceThe post Countries Roll Out Green Hydrogen Strategies, Electrolyzer Targets appeared first on POWER Magazine.