POWER Magazine

The post A Reactive Solution to Renewables’ Growth on the Grid appeared first on POWER Magazine. Electricity transmission network operators are being tasked with adding more renewable energy resources to the power grid. The use of static VAR compensators (SVCs) is growing as a means to control voltageThe post A Reactive Solution to Renewables’ Growth on the Grid appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post How the Energy Transition Is Affecting the EPC Business appeared first on POWER Magazine. Larger changes in the power industry are shaking up the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) business in the U.S. and abroad. Experts explain how the industry is fielding business impactsThe post How the Energy Transition Is Affecting the EPC Business appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Governments Look to Expand Nuclear Power Through SMRs appeared first on POWER Magazine. Advancements in small modular reactor (SMR) technology are being supported by government investment within several countries, including the U.S. and the UK, as SMRs are increasingly seen as a way to takeThe post Governments Look to Expand Nuclear Power Through SMRs appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Welding Method 7 Approved, Fitness for Service Project Launched appeared first on POWER Magazine. Welding Method 7 (WM7), which was supported by an extensive set of research experiments led by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), was approved in March 2020 by the National Board Inspection CodeThe post Welding Method 7 Approved, Fitness for Service Project Launched appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Forging Materials with the ‘Right Stuff’ for Tomorrow’s Energy Systems appeared first on POWER Magazine. One of the National Energy Technology Laboratory’s (NETL’s) key initiatives aims to bridge the gap in research infrastructure and accelerate advanced alloy development and manufacturing. Materials areThe post Forging Materials with the ‘Right Stuff’ for Tomorrow’s Energy Systems appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post The Steam Cycle Mechanical Relationship to Chemistry and Its Influence on Heat Rate and Reliability appeared first on POWER Magazine. It is well-known that a conventional boiler or heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) and related steam turbine have innumerable pieces all working in conjunction to produce the end product of electric power. InThe post The Steam Cycle Mechanical Relationship to Chemistry and Its Influence on Heat Rate and Reliability appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Iran, Siemens Bring First of Several New Gas-Fired Plants Online appeared first on POWER Magazine. An official with Iran’s Thermal Power Plants Holding Co. (TPPH) said the country’s first government-owned F-class power plant has entered operation, part of Iran’s continuing plan to add more natural gas-fired power generation. The plant is located in Iran’s southern Hormozgan Province, which is across the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman from Oman and […]The post Iran, Siemens Bring First of Several New Gas-Fired Plants Online appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post 12 Big Power Stories You May Have Missed in 2020 appeared first on POWER Magazine. With COVID-19 filling the news throughout 2020, it’s very likely you missed some of the most important developments that occurred in the power sector this year. Here’s a look at some of the highlights and big stories covered by the POWER staff this year. MOX Nuclear Fuel Loaded In January, Russian engineers announced the loading […]The post 12 Big Power Stories You May Have Missed in 2020 appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Companies Accelerate Shutdown of Chilean Coal Plants appeared first on POWER Magazine. Italy’s Enel is decommissioning one of its coal-fired power plants in Chile two years sooner than originally planned, with the unit’s closure coming two days after the Chile-based unit of a U.S. utility announced it would accelerate the closure of a pair of coal-fired power plants in the country. Enel on Dec. 31 is closing […]The post Companies Accelerate Shutdown of Chilean Coal Plants appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post 2020: A Year of Reckoning for Competitive Generators appeared first on POWER Magazine. Over the past year, power generators that depend on wholesale electricity markets for the bulk of their revenues endured remarkable pressure stemming from the pandemic, changing company business priorities, and environmentally driven policy shifts. But customer-centric efforts, founded on principles of healthy competition, have helped them persevere, said the Electric Power Supply Association (EPSA). The […]The post 2020: A Year of Reckoning for Competitive Generators appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post GE Will Supply Turbines for Vietnamese Wind Farm appeared first on POWER Magazine. Innovation in the design of onshore wind turbines continues, with GE Renewable Energy announcing Dec. 28 that it will supply eight of the company’s 3 MW-137 turbines as part of the Phuoc Minh Wind Farm in Vietnam. Monday’s announcement comes just days after Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE) announced the largest deal ever for its […]The post GE Will Supply Turbines for Vietnamese Wind Farm appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post EPRI Selected for Three Energy Storage Projects appeared first on POWER Magazine. The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) was selected by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to lead three advanced energy storage projects. The projects will study innovative, non-battery-based bulk energy storage solutions integrated with fossil assets. “Investing in research and development to improve energy storage is critical at this moment in time,” Neva Espinoza, vice […]The post EPRI Selected for Three Energy Storage Projects appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post 5 Reactors Connected to the Grid, 5 Removed in 2020 appeared first on POWER Magazine. Nuclear power capacity continues to grow worldwide, as larger reactors are added to the grid while smaller units are retired. Furthermore, uprates to some existing reactors have also added to the world’s nuclear power capacity. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reports the total net installed capacity is about 393 GW today. Nuclear reactor additions […]The post 5 Reactors Connected to the Grid, 5 Removed in 2020 appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Rosatom Will Build SMR Project in Republic of Sakha appeared first on POWER Magazine. Russia’s state-owned nuclear power company Rosatom has signed an agreement confirming its participation in construction of a small modular nuclear reactor project in the Russian Republic of Sakha. Officials from Sakha—an area also known as Yakutia—on Dec. 23 signed a deal with Rosatom outlining the formation of “electric power tariff principles” for an SMR power […]The post Rosatom Will Build SMR Project in Republic of Sakha appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Improving Asset Inspections with Drones and AI appeared first on POWER Magazine. The U.S. bulk electric system consists of more than 360,000 miles of transmission lines, including approximately 180,000 miles of high-voltage lines, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. That means power companies have a lot on their plates when it comes to inspecting and maintaining those assets. Furthermore, the stakes are high. As wildfires in […]The post Improving Asset Inspections with Drones and AI appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post China Suffers Widespread Blackouts Amid Coal Supply Shortage appeared first on POWER Magazine. Provinces across China are reportedly grappling with crippling power shortages prompted by a surge in power demand from a stunning ramp up in industrial activity, an especially harsh winter, and tight coal supplies, which may be exacerbated by a ban on Australian coal. Power shortages have been reported in Zhejiang province, an economic powerhouse in […]The post China Suffers Widespread Blackouts Amid Coal Supply Shortage appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Transforming the Power Industry with DERMS Deployments and Beyond appeared first on POWER Magazine. The shift from energy consumers to prosumers is fundamentally changing the relationship between utilities and their customers. Behind-the-meter distributed energy resources (DERs) transform the ways households consume, generate, and store power. In the U.S., there are now about 15 million smart thermostats, 2 million solar installations, and 1.5 million electric vehicles (EVs) on the road. And […]The post Transforming the Power Industry with DERMS Deployments and Beyond appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Nuclear, Carbon Capture, and Energy Storage Advocates Happy; Co-ops Disappointed by Stimulus Package appeared first on POWER Magazine. Although provisions in the $900 billion stimulus package agreed to by Congress on Dec. 21 that will extend the solar investment tax credit (ITC) and the wind production tax credit (PTC) received the greatest publicity, lawmakers also authorized about $35 billion for clean energy research and development (R&D) programs focused on solar technology, advanced nuclear […]The post Nuclear, Carbon Capture, and Energy Storage Advocates Happy; Co-ops Disappointed by Stimulus Package appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Wind and Solar Tax Credits Extended appeared first on POWER Magazine. Congress agreed on legislation that would extend the investment tax credit (ITC) for solar projects for two years and the production tax credit (PTC) for wind projects for one year. The full legislative package combines a $900 billion COVID-19 relief package and an omnibus spending bill for 2021 with tax extenders and energy policy changes. […]The post Wind and Solar Tax Credits Extended appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post POWER Offshore Wind Notebook: GE Boosts Haliade-X to 14 MW; Dominion Kicks Off 2.6-GW Virginia Project; Vestas Absorbs MHI Vestas appeared first on POWER Magazine. The past week has marked several significant developments in the offshore wind segment. GE Renewable Energy snagged a key agreement for the third 1.2-GW phase of the 3.6-GW Dogger Bank wind farm in the UK, saying the project will use an “upscaled” 14-MW version of its Haliade-X wind turbine. In a potential win for Siemens […]The post POWER Offshore Wind Notebook: GE Boosts Haliade-X to 14 MW; Dominion Kicks Off 2.6-GW Virginia Project; Vestas Absorbs MHI Vestas appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post The Electric Utility’s New Frontier: No-Code Energy AI on Demand appeared first on POWER Magazine. In light of the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, the energy industry saw surplus supply and a change in usage patterns in 2020, to which it had to adapt painfully. Utility crews had to deal with a tedious hurricane season, with socially distant, limited staff. Artificial intelligence (AI) could have played a role in prioritizing essential tasks […]The post The Electric Utility’s New Frontier: No-Code Energy AI on Demand appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Why Under Base Layers Are Important in Arc Flash Hazard Environments appeared first on POWER Magazine. Electrical environments are extremely dangerous for workers, with arc-flash hazards on the rise due to an increased demand in electricity and energy, meaning that workers are at risk now more than ever. In these environments, personal protective equipment (PPE) such as arc-flash clothing acts as essential protection for workers while performing jobs, from maintenance checks […]The post Why Under Base Layers Are Important in Arc Flash Hazard Environments appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post The 5 Steps Utilities Should Take in 2021 to Prepare for a Carbon-Neutral Future appeared first on POWER Magazine. We’re at the electric tipping point as electric stoves, vehicles, and construction equipment displace the fossil fuel guzzlers of the past. Yet, before a carbon-neutral future can truly take off, utilities and the electric grid need to innovate. For the world to hit net-zero emissions targets by 2050, grid investments need to almost triple to […]The post The 5 Steps Utilities Should Take in 2021 to Prepare for a Carbon-Neutral Future appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Solar Takes Lead Role in Latest China Five-Year Plan appeared first on POWER Magazine. China is the largest manufacturer and installer of solar photovoltaic power systems in the world, and the country appears ready to increase its solar installations based on information contained in the country’s 14th Five-Year Plan (FYP). The plan, covering the period 2021-2025, is being developed and expected to be implemented beginning in March 2021. The […]The post Solar Takes Lead Role in Latest China Five-Year Plan appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post History of Power: The Evolution of the Electric Generation Industry appeared first on POWER Magazine. POWER magazine was launched in 1882, just as the world was beginning to grasp the implications of a new, versatile form of energy: electricity. During its 135-year history, the magazine’s pages haveThe post History of Power: The Evolution of the Electric Generation Industry appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post The Airgap Is Not Enough: The Failed Security Perimeter Paradigm in OT Networks appeared first on POWER Magazine. Operational technology (OT) electronics and networks for manufacturing, energy production, and virtually every other industrial application, are targets for cyberattacks. For infrastructure-related companies, such as power producers, transportation, and water plants, the OT networks are not only the revenue producers, but also important targets for destabilizing national security. Successful attacks can be destructive and costly, […]The post The Airgap Is Not Enough: The Failed Security Perimeter Paradigm in OT Networks appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post New Generator Technology Cuts Emissions, Embraces Sustainability appeared first on POWER Magazine. The search for more efficient methods of power generation at a time when climate change is top of mind continues to foster innovation. A U.S. company is among the latest to release a new technology, with development of a self-contained generator that doesn’t run on fossil fuels and works on the premise that once created, […]The post New Generator Technology Cuts Emissions, Embraces Sustainability appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Explosions Topple Smokestacks of Iconic Navajo Generating Station appeared first on POWER Magazine. Demolition of the Navajo Generating Station, a 2,400-MW coal-fired power plant that generated electricity for several cities in the U.S. Southwest, continued Dec. 18 as explosions brought down the facility’s three large smokestacks. The plant was closed in November 2019. The NGS, located near Page, Arizona, is being demolished by Salt River Project (SRP). The […]The post Explosions Topple Smokestacks of Iconic Navajo Generating Station appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post DOE Bans Utility Procurement of Chinese Equipment for Bulk Power System Security appeared first on POWER Magazine. The Department of Energy (DOE) has issued a “prohibition order” in line with President Trump’s May 2020 broad bulk power system (BPS) security executive order (EO 13920) that will ban some utility procurement of specific grid equipment from China. When it takes effect on Jan. 16, 2021, the Dec. 17–issued “Prohibition Order Securing Critical Defense […]The post DOE Bans Utility Procurement of Chinese Equipment for Bulk Power System Security appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post N.C. Environmental Leader Biden’s Choice to Lead EPA appeared first on POWER Magazine. The leader of North Carolina’s agency overseeing environmental issues in that state will be nominated to lead the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), POWER learned on Dec. 17. Michael Regan, 44, who previously worked at EPA and has served with the North Carolina Dept. of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ) since 2017, is expected to be nominated […]The post N.C. Environmental Leader Biden’s Choice to Lead EPA appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post DOE Picks More ARDP Winners; One or More Advanced Nuclear Demonstrations Will Be in Washington State appeared first on POWER Magazine. The Department of Energy (DOE) has chosen five assorted advanced nuclear reactor concepts under the second Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (ARDP) risk reduction pathway. TerraPower and X-energy, which the DOE chose to support under the first ARDP pathway, are looking at siting their advanced nuclear demonstrations in Washington State, the DOE said. The ARDP program, which […]The post DOE Picks More ARDP Winners; One or More Advanced Nuclear Demonstrations Will Be in Washington State appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Dutch Group Expands Support of U.S. Offshore Wind appeared first on POWER Magazine. A European company considered a leader in the offshore wind sector has signed on to help develop a major project off the Massachusetts coast. Ventolines, a Dutch company that worked on the first commercial U.S. offshore wind project, on Dec. 16 announced it has opened a U.S. office and will support construction of the Mayflower […]The post Dutch Group Expands Support of U.S. Offshore Wind appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post The POWER Interview: Ventolines’ Execs Discuss Offshore Wind appeared first on POWER Magazine. Ventolines, known for clean energy projects in Europe and for supervising installation of the first U.S. offshore wind turbines at Block Island off the Rhode Island coast, on Dec. 16 announced it will take a leading role on Mayflower Wind, an 804-MW project in the waters off Massachusetts. Ventolines, headquartered in the Netherlands, also announced […]The post The POWER Interview: Ventolines’ Execs Discuss Offshore Wind appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Former Michigan Gov. Granholm Set to Lead DOE appeared first on POWER Magazine. Former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm will be President-elect Joe Biden’s choice to run the U.S. Dept. of Energy (DOE), POWER learned Dec. 15. She is poised take over the agency at a time when the DOE grapples with the nation’s move away from electricity generation from fossil fuels, and toward the use of more renewable […]The post Former Michigan Gov. Granholm Set to Lead DOE appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post GE All-in to Fight Climate Change, Urges Accelerated Replacement of Coal Power appeared first on POWER Magazine. General Electric (GE) has taken a marked step to position itself in the global fight against climate change, advocating for immediate and effective power sector decarbonization through a replacement of coal-fired power generation with a combination of renewables and natural gas-fired power. The company laid out its position on Dec. 15 in a wide-ranging white […]The post GE All-in to Fight Climate Change, Urges Accelerated Replacement of Coal Power appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Mammoth 1.1 GW/2 GWh Solar+Storage Project Takes Shape in California appeared first on POWER Magazine. California is set to host one of the world’s largest standalone renewable hybrid projects. Slated to come online in the fourth quarter of 2022, the Edwards & Sanborn project in Kern County will feature 1,118 MW of solar and 2,165 MWh of energy storage. Renewable developer Terra-Gen on Dec. 10 announced an agreement with engineering […]The post Mammoth 1.1 GW/2 GWh Solar+Storage Project Takes Shape in California appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Vogtle Receives First Shipment of Nuclear Fuel appeared first on POWER Magazine. The two-unit expansion of the Vogtle nuclear power plant in Georgia reached another milestone as Georgia Power received the first shipment of nuclear fuel for Unit 3 of the project. The utility on Dec. 9 said receipt of the fuel follows completion and inspection of several construction areas at the site in Waynesboro, Georgia. Those […]The post Vogtle Receives First Shipment of Nuclear Fuel appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Economic Factors Drive Wind and Solar Growth appeared first on POWER Magazine. Researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) have found that a combination of lower capital, operating, and finance costs, in addition to better equipment performance, and longer useful lives, have driven power purchase agreement (PPA) prices and the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) for utility-scale wind and solar projects to all-time lows. The findings were […]The post Economic Factors Drive Wind and Solar Growth appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post GE Will Pay $200M Penalty for Power Business Violations appeared first on POWER Magazine. General Electric (GE) has agreed to pay a $200 million penalty to settle claims by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that the company misled investors when it failed to disclose material information related to its power and insurance businesses. In an order on Dec. 9 capping an investigation that the SEC opened in […]The post GE Will Pay $200M Penalty for Power Business Violations appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Partnership’s New Charge—Pair EVs with Utilities, Grid appeared first on POWER Magazine. Integrating electric vehicles (EVs) with the power grid has become a focus for utilities, particularly in areas with large concentrations of EVs. It also is another way for utilities to expand their business models, as they partner with companies involved with charging stations and residential energy storage applications. EnergyHub, a distributed energy resources (DERs) management […]The post Partnership’s New Charge—Pair EVs with Utilities, Grid appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post IEA/NEA: Renewables, Nuclear, Hydrogen Gaining Cost Competitiveness appeared first on POWER Magazine. By 2025, the economics of low-carbon generation technologies are poised to disrupt conventional fossil fuel generation so dramatically, onshore wind could have the lowest levelized costs of electricity (LCOE) on average, and nuclear power could emerge as the dispatchable low-carbon technology with the lowest expected costs. Those are key findings in the Dec. 9-issued 2020 […]The post IEA/NEA: Renewables, Nuclear, Hydrogen Gaining Cost Competitiveness appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post EPA Retains Soot Standards; Drastic PM Reductions Already Achieved, Industry Says appeared first on POWER Magazine. In a significant but controversial final action, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Dec. 7 retained its existing National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for both fine and coarse particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10). While the EPA said the decision came “after careful review and consideration of the most recent available scientific evidence and technical […]The post EPA Retains Soot Standards; Drastic PM Reductions Already Achieved, Industry Says appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Companies Announce New Residential VPP for California appeared first on POWER Magazine. A distributed energy power plant, designed to help bring more reliability to California’s power grid, is being developed by a company whose investors include Alphabet, the parent company of Google. The project when fully developed would be the world’s largest residential virtual power plant (VPP). Sidewalk Infrastructure Partners (SIP), a group that builds, owns, operates, […]The post Companies Announce New Residential VPP for California appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Green Power Enables Green Hydrogen and Zero-Emissions Mobility appeared first on POWER Magazine. Wuppertal, in the German state of Nordrhein Westfahlen, is the home to the Schwebebahn. This suspended railway (Figure 1) is unique in Germany and passengers use the transportation system for 25 million journeys per year. Today, 120 years after Wuppertal’s Schwebebahn opened, the city is still innovating. Green hydrogen produced from power generated by incineration […]The post Green Power Enables Green Hydrogen and Zero-Emissions Mobility appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Continued Toll on Coal; More Companies File Bankruptcy appeared first on POWER Magazine. The struggling U.S. coal industry, decimated by falling demand for the fuel from the power generation sector, and hit hard by low prices during the coronavirus pandemic, saw two more mining companies declare bankruptcy this week. White Stallion Energy, which operates in Indiana and Illinois, and Lighthouse Resources, a coal company with mines in Wyoming […]The post Continued Toll on Coal; More Companies File Bankruptcy appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post How to Monitor Assets Remotely Today appeared first on POWER Magazine. As long as products have had ethernet ports, people have been asking for remote access to them. They believed they could just plug the devices into the internet, and it would all work. At first, there wasn’t necessarily a clear path to making this dream a reality without assistance from the user’s IT department. IT […]The post How to Monitor Assets Remotely Today appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Engineering Technicians and Technologists Are an Important Industry Pillar appeared first on POWER Magazine. According to Cheryl Farrow, CEO of the Ontario Association of Certified Engineering Technicians and Technologists (OACETT), there are three basic pillars that make up the engineering field. They are licensed engineers, technicians and technologists, and skilled trades. “We can’t be successful without all three of these pillars working together effectively,” Farrow said as a guest […]The post Engineering Technicians and Technologists Are an Important Industry Pillar appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post RWE’s 300-MW ‘Grid Stability’ Gas Plant Will Debut GE LM2500XPRESS Technology appeared first on POWER Magazine. RWE Generation will install 11 units of GE Gas Power’s freshly launched LM2500XPRESS power plant technology to provide a critical gas-power reserve in Germany’s reliability-challenged southern region. The project will debut GE’s LM2500XPRESS, a “plug-and-play” power plant model it launched in January 2020 that features pre-packaged LM2500 aeroderivative gas turbines. Delivered in a simplified set […]The post RWE’s 300-MW ‘Grid Stability’ Gas Plant Will Debut GE LM2500XPRESS Technology appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post NAESB’s First Move to Set Energy Digitalization Standards Heavily Focused on Blockchain, Cybersecurity appeared first on POWER Magazine. The North American Energy Standards Board (NAESB), a wholesale and retail natural gas and power industry forum comprising 300 corporate members, will initially focus its standards development to support cybersecurity and blockchain out of 11 digital technologies it identified that are quickly transforming the energy space. The board’s April 2019–formed Digital Committee, which comprises 16 […]The post NAESB’s First Move to Set Energy Digitalization Standards Heavily Focused on Blockchain, Cybersecurity appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Bipartisan Bill to Preserve Existing Nuclear Plants Clears Senate Committee appeared first on POWER Magazine. The Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW) has approved the American Nuclear Infrastructure Act of 2020 (ANIA), just two weeks after it was introduced. Among the bill’s major provisions are that it will seek to strengthen the nuclear fuel supply chain, help incentivize commercial deployment of new reactor designs, and create a credit […]The post Bipartisan Bill to Preserve Existing Nuclear Plants Clears Senate Committee appeared first on POWER Magazine.