POWER Magazine

The post Understanding Hydro Turbine Draft Tubes and Their Importance appeared first on POWER Magazine. Significant engineering goes into every hydropower facility. Among the items that require detailed design work are draft tubes, which are basically conical diffusers installed at the outlet of turbine runnersThe post Understanding Hydro Turbine Draft Tubes and Their Importance appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post GE Snags Historic 1.48-GW Agreement for Oklahoma Wind Turbines appeared first on POWER Magazine. GE Renewable Energy has bagged what it says is the “largest combined onshore wind project” in its history to provide wind turbines for a set of three wind farms privately held sustainable energy firm Invenergy is developing in north-central Oklahoma. Invenergy’s 1.48-GW North Central Wind Energy Facilities include the 999-MW Traverse Wind Energy Center, the […]The post GE Snags Historic 1.48-GW Agreement for Oklahoma Wind Turbines appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Why Resiliency in the Electrical Grid Should Be Measured from the Customer’s Perspective appeared first on POWER Magazine. Reliability performance is core to the utility industry. Utilities strategically design and invest in their system to maximize reliability performance—traditionally measured by System Average Interruption Frequency Index (SAIFI), System Average Interruption Duration Index (SAIDI), and/or Consumer Average Interruption Duration Index (CAIDI). These quantitative metrics largely drive utility investment decisions, shape strategic priorities, dictate regulatory approvals, […]The post Why Resiliency in the Electrical Grid Should Be Measured from the Customer’s Perspective appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post New Mexico Sues NRC to Halt Consolidated Interim Nuclear Waste Storage Facilities appeared first on POWER Magazine. New Mexico has sued the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), challenging the legality of the agency’s proceedings involving separate proposals to build and operate two consolidated interim storage facilities (CISFs) for spent nuclear fuel (SNF) in New Mexico and Texas. In a complaint filed on March 29 against the NRC and the U.S. government, New Mexico […]The post New Mexico Sues NRC to Halt Consolidated Interim Nuclear Waste Storage Facilities appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post The POWER Interview: X-energy’s Plan for Sustained Nuclear Growth appeared first on POWER Magazine. The global push for carbon neutral and zero-emissions power generation has brought renewed interest in nuclear power, particularly for smaller units that are scalable and in some cases mobile, able to provide power in remote areas. Analysts say smaller nuclear reactors are more cost-effective, as they’re considered a more manageable investment for power generators as […]The post The POWER Interview: X-energy’s Plan for Sustained Nuclear Growth appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Key Pre-Demolition Considerations for Fossil Fuel Power Plants appeared first on POWER Magazine. As the existing electric generation infrastructure matures, electric generation system owners are looking to the future for newer and greener technologies to meet the demands of electric consumption. An important part of this future perspective may include the demolition and removal of older generation plants and facilities to free up land resources for new development. Prior […]The post Key Pre-Demolition Considerations for Fossil Fuel Power Plants appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Biden Administration Sets National 30-GW Offshore Wind Target appeared first on POWER Magazine. The Biden administration on March 29 laid out a spate of measures to deploy 30 GW of offshore wind in the U.S. by 2030, an ambitious target that will require a vast scale-up in investment and build-out of the still latent power subsector. But if achieved, the target would unlock “a pathway” to 110 GW […]The post Biden Administration Sets National 30-GW Offshore Wind Target appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Centrus on Track to Produce HALEU Nuclear Fuel Material by Early 2022 appeared first on POWER Magazine. Centrus Energy, a firm under contract with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to demonstrate production of high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) with domestic technology, says it expects to begin producing the advanced nuclear fuel material by June 2022 at the American Centrifuge Plant in Piketon, Ohio. Centrus President and CEO Daniel Poneman said on March […]The post Centrus on Track to Produce HALEU Nuclear Fuel Material by Early 2022 appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Understanding Energy Crises of the 1970s and Avoiding Problems Today appeared first on POWER Magazine. If you were alive and living in the U.S. during the 1970s, you probably remember waiting in long lines to fill your car with fuel. Yet, gasoline wasn’t the only item in short supply during the “Me Decade”—natural gas was seemingly running out and electricity demand was growing so much that new power plants were […]The post Understanding Energy Crises of the 1970s and Avoiding Problems Today appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post GE Turbines Will Power 1.2-GW Malaysian Plant appeared first on POWER Magazine. General Electric (GE) will provide two of the company’s 9HA.01 gas turbines along with other equipment and services to a new power plant in Malaysia. The company on March 24 announced it secured an order from a consortium of three groups, including Mitsubishi Corp., that is serving as the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) lead […]The post GE Turbines Will Power 1.2-GW Malaysian Plant appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Mechanical Seals and Bearing Isolator Solutions for Tidal Energy Equipment Protection appeared first on POWER Magazine. As clean-power technologies become more mainstream, offshore and river-based energy generating systems are beginning to come into their own in terms of proven performance. While the sea and rivers are widely available resources, they do come with a unique set of equipment protection and sealing challenges. The sealing solutions should be robust, safe, and effective—able […]The post Mechanical Seals and Bearing Isolator Solutions for Tidal Energy Equipment Protection appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post BP Details Plan for UK’s Largest Hydrogen Project appeared first on POWER Magazine. The global market for hydrogen development has taken another step forward, as oil and gas major BP announced it is studying development of what it said would be the UK’s largest blue hydrogen production facility. BP on March 18 said the project, which would be sited on England’s northeast coast, is part of a […]The post BP Details Plan for UK’s Largest Hydrogen Project appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Southern Announces Delay in Testing at Vogtle appeared first on POWER Magazine. Southern Co. has announced another delay in hot functional testing for the first unit of its two-unit expansion at the Vogtle nuclear plant in Georgia. The utility in a March 19 filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission said its subsidiary Georgia Power “now expects the start of hot functional testing for Unit 3 […]The post Southern Announces Delay in Testing at Vogtle appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Is It Safe to Invest in Mexican Energy Projects? appeared first on POWER Magazine. In late 2013, Mexico embarked on a path to transform its energy markets. Then-President Enrique Peña-Nieto oversaw constitutional reforms that ended state-run monopolies, and opened Mexico’s power market to competition and investment from foreign and private companies. By most accounts, the policies were highly effective in spurring investments in renewable energy and efficient natural gas-fired […]The post Is It Safe to Invest in Mexican Energy Projects? appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Report Touts Huge Potential of Offshore Wind appeared first on POWER Magazine. Researchers who study the U.S. offshore wind industry have issued a new report that says the sector could potentially meet 90% of the nation’s electricity demand by 2050. The key is for offshore wind to be fully developed along the Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf coasts, as well as in the Great Lakes, all areas the […]The post Report Touts Huge Potential of Offshore Wind appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post More Blackout Fallout: New Texas PUC Chair Resigns appeared first on POWER Magazine. Arthur D’Andrea, the chair of the Texas Public Utility Commission (PUC), who took the post just two weeks ago, has resigned. D’Andrea was the only remaining PUC commissioner and is the latest state official to decamp their position in the wake of a deadly winter storm in February that overwhelmed Texas’ energy infrastructure. Texas Gov. […]The post More Blackout Fallout: New Texas PUC Chair Resigns appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post EPA Finalizes Rule to Curb Cross-State Pollution appeared first on POWER Magazine. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued an update and finalized a pollution rule that will require reductions in ozone emissions from power plants in 12 states this year. The update to the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR), issued March 15, is designed to curb emissions of nitrogen oxide (NOx)—primarily from coal-fired power plants—ahead […]The post EPA Finalizes Rule to Curb Cross-State Pollution appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post The POWER Interview: Zinc-Air Batteries Make Strides appeared first on POWER Magazine. Energy storage already is transforming power generation, and most industry analysts say the potential for storage is limited only by its technology. As batteries improve—and certainly as they become more durable, safer, and cost-effective to install—energy storage will continue to be deployed in more places. Zinc-air batteries have long been used in a variety of […]The post The POWER Interview: Zinc-Air Batteries Make Strides appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Solar Industry Adds Record Capacity in 2020 in Spite of Pandemic appeared first on POWER Magazine. The U.S. solar industry installed a record 19.2 GWdc of photovoltaic (PV) capacity in 2020, a 43% increase from 2019, according to a report released by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and Wood Mackenzie. The numbers are particularly impressive considering the world was dealing with unique challenges as a result of COVID-19. “After a […]The post Solar Industry Adds Record Capacity in 2020 in Spite of Pandemic appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Japan Plant Adding New Gas-Fired Units in Massive Project appeared first on POWER Magazine. JERA, Japan’s largest power generation company, has submitted a scoping document to begin assessing the environmental impact of its plan to add two gas-fired units at the Chita Thermal Power Station, while decommissioning five existing units at the facility. The company filed the report with government officials on March 16, with a 30-day public comment […]The post Japan Plant Adding New Gas-Fired Units in Massive Project appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Why Pump Energy Savings Should Matter to Utilities appeared first on POWER Magazine. Utilities have a two-fold relationship with energy efficiency. On one side, public and private utilities gain from finding efficiencies in energy usage to reduce costs in their own operations—just like many other businesses. The U.S. Department of Energy’s 2002 Motor Market Assessment established that pumping systems offer the greatest optimization potential of all types of […]The post Why Pump Energy Savings Should Matter to Utilities appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post DOE Backs Projects to Produce Hydrogen from Coal, Biomass appeared first on POWER Magazine. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced the agency has awarded $2 million to four research and development (R&D) projects aimed at advancing clean-hydrogen production technologies. The DOE’s awards on March 15 are part of a push by the Biden administration in its fight against climate change. Jennifer Granholm, the new Secretary of Energy and […]The post DOE Backs Projects to Produce Hydrogen from Coal, Biomass appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Texas PUC Outlines Review of Response to Power Disaster appeared first on POWER Magazine. The regulatory group that oversees Texas’ deregulated power market has identified eight areas the agency will focus on as it continues to study the state’s response to a mid-February storm that left millions of electricity customers without power for several days. Texas power customers, along with electricity generators and retail power providers, continue to grapple […]The post Texas PUC Outlines Review of Response to Power Disaster appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Are 1-in-10-Year Events Really 1-in-10-Year Events Anymore? appeared first on POWER Magazine. When evaluating resource adequacy requirements, many power companies and grid operators have used a methodology that originated more than 70 years ago. This probabilistic reliability approach has generally performed adequately through the years. It has generally evaluated loss-of-load events occurring at frequencies of one-day-in-10-years (1-in-10) to be acceptable in terms of system reliability. However, it’s […]The post Are 1-in-10-Year Events Really 1-in-10-Year Events Anymore? appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post License Issued for Barakah Nuclear Unit 2 appeared first on POWER Magazine. The Arab world’s first nuclear power plant has received an operating license for its second unit, and the facility’s timeline still calls for commercial start-up of the first unit later this year. The Barakah nuclear power station, in the Al Dhafrah region of Abu Dhabi, will include four units with 5,600 MW of generating capacity […]The post License Issued for Barakah Nuclear Unit 2 appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Floating Energy Storage Systems Take Shape appeared first on POWER Magazine. Floating energy storage systems are being developed for use in areas wanting to increase their use of renewable energy, but with constraints on the land available that could be used for solar and wind farms or land-based energy storage. Southeast Asia is one area ready to utilize such installations. The technology group Wärtsilä on March […]The post Floating Energy Storage Systems Take Shape appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post GE Hitachi Advances Collaboration to Bolster BWRX-300 SMR Deployment in Estonia appeared first on POWER Magazine. GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH) and Estonian firm Fermi Energia OÜ have entered into a teaming agreement to support potential deployment of a BWRX-300 small modular reactor (SMR) in the Baltic country. The agreement between the technology company and the firm established in 2019 by nuclear industry professionals comes two years after the companies inked […]The post GE Hitachi Advances Collaboration to Bolster BWRX-300 SMR Deployment in Estonia appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Vineyard Wind Step Closer to Construction appeared first on POWER Magazine. The federal agency in charge of U.S. offshore energy management said it has completed the final environmental analysis for a proposed 800-MW offshore wind project, paving the way for the nation’s first commercial-scale development of its kind to move forward. The U.S. Dept. of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) on March 8 […]The post Vineyard Wind Step Closer to Construction appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Rosatom Group Building Energy Storage Portfolio appeared first on POWER Magazine. Russia’s state-owned nuclear power company Rosatom continues to diversify, as one of the group’s subsidiaries has acquired a major stake in a South Korean manufacturer of energy storage products. RENERA LLC, which is Rosatom’s integrator company for the energy storage business, and also a subsidiary of TVEL Fuel Company of Rosatom, on March 5 announced […]The post Rosatom Group Building Energy Storage Portfolio appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post ERCOT Lists Generators Forced Offline During Texas Extreme Cold Event appeared first on POWER Magazine. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) in freshly revealed data on March 4 reported that the Texas grid suffered 1,796 generating or energy storage outages or derates as winter storm Uri bore down on the state in mid-February. The grid operator made the list public in a letter it sent to lawmakers in the […]The post ERCOT Lists Generators Forced Offline During Texas Extreme Cold Event appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post U.S. House Bill Introduces Federal Zero-Emissions Electricity Standard appeared first on POWER Magazine. A sweeping climate proposal introduced by U.S. House Democrats on March 2 sets a stringent clean energy electricity mandate for power retailers nationwide, requiring they procure 100% of their power supplies from zero-emitting generation by 2035. Among its slew of measures aimed at achieving net-zero emissions nationwide by 2050, the Climate Leadership and Environmental Action […]The post U.S. House Bill Introduces Federal Zero-Emissions Electricity Standard appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Battery Technology Used in Outer Space Could Be a Gamechanger on Earth appeared first on POWER Magazine. Lithium-ion has become the dominant battery technology used in energy storage applications around the world, but that doesn’t mean it’s the only, or even the best, technology available. Many companies are working on different battery chemistries that could provide safer, longer-lasting, and ultimately more cost-effective options. One alternative that has gotten little exposure until now […]The post Battery Technology Used in Outer Space Could Be a Gamechanger on Earth appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post The POWER Interview: USNC Making Headway on Advanced Nuclear Fuel appeared first on POWER Magazine. In a brief interview this February, Francesco Venneri, Ultra Safe Nuclear Corp. CEO, explained to POWER why the company’s development of its proprietary fully ceramic microencapsulated (FCM) fuel is significant for the future of advanced nuclear, and how the company plans to roll it out. Seattle-based Ultra Safe Nuclear Corp. (USNC), developer of the 5-MWe […]The post The POWER Interview: USNC Making Headway on Advanced Nuclear Fuel appeared first on 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.