POWER Magazine

The post Biden Sets New Paris Agreement GHG Target: 50-52% below 2005 levels by 2030 appeared first on POWER Magazine. President Biden has set a new nationally determined contribution (NDC) for the U.S. to achieve a 50% to 52% reduction in economy-wide greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2030 compared to 2005 levels. The White House said on Thursday the NDC, which was determined after a “a whole-of-government process” organized through the Biden administration’s National Climate […]The post Biden Sets New Paris Agreement GHG Target: 50-52% below 2005 levels by 2030 appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Sweet Deal—Hershey, Others Have Solar Pacts appeared first on POWER Magazine. A well-known chocolate maker has announced two new clean energy partnerships as the company continues to increase its sustainability efforts. The Hershey Co. on April 20 said it has power purchase agreements (PPAs) to take electricity from two solar projects, one in North Carolina and another in Texas. Hershey, like many corporate power customers, has […]The post Sweet Deal—Hershey, Others Have Solar Pacts appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post India Cites ‘Cheaper’ Coal in Planning New Units appeared first on POWER Magazine. A draft copy of a document outlining India’s latest National Electricity Policy (NEP) reportedly shows the country is considering building new coal-fired generation capacity, even as it sets new carbon reduction targets. The document also said government officials would push for better technology to help reduce emissions from those plants. Reuters on April 19 reported […]The post India Cites ‘Cheaper’ Coal in Planning New Units appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Advantages of Fibre-Reinforced Concrete appeared first on POWER Magazine. Concrete is an integral part of any construction project, whether you are building roads, a a ground floor in your private home, or a power plant. This is because concrete is very durable, but it can be susceptible to fractures as subsoil frosts and thaws, if it shifts, or if tree roots press upward on […]The post Advantages of Fibre-Reinforced Concrete appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post COVID Costs 300,000 Clean Energy Jobs; DOE Readies for Rebound appeared first on POWER Magazine. An analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics data for 2020 shows the number of workers in clean energy jobs last year fell for the first time since 2015, according to a group of business leaders and investors who study those numbers each year. The group’s “Clean Jobs America” report, released April 19, said about 3 […]The post COVID Costs 300,000 Clean Energy Jobs; DOE Readies for Rebound appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Hydrostor Receives Funding for New A-CAES Project appeared first on POWER Magazine. A Canadian company that has led design efforts for advanced compressed air energy storage (A-CAES) systems has received funding for development of a new 300-500-MW A-CAES facility. Hydrostor, based in Toronto, Ontario, on April 15 announced a commitment of about $4 million for the project, which would be built in Canada, from Natural Resources Canada’s […]The post Hydrostor Receives Funding for New A-CAES Project appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post 8 Rivers Unveils 560 MW of Allam Cycle Gas-Fired Projects for Colorado, Illinois appeared first on POWER Magazine. 8 Rivers Capital, inventor of a novel supercritical carbon dioxide (CO2) cycle, plans to begin operating a 280-MW NET Power natural gas–fired plant within the Southern Ute Indian Reservation in southwest Colorado by 2025. The company on April 15 also said it will team with agricultural and processing firm Archer-Daniels-Midlands Co. (ADM) to locate a […]The post 8 Rivers Unveils 560 MW of Allam Cycle Gas-Fired Projects for Colorado, Illinois appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post 8 Rivers Unveils 520 MW of Allam Cycle Gas-Fired Projects for Colorado, Illinois appeared first on POWER Magazine. 8 Rivers Capital, inventor of a novel supercritical carbon dioxide (CO2) cycle, is looking to begin operating a 280-MW NET Power natural gas-fired power project within the Southern Ute Indian Reservation, in southwest Colorado by 2025. The company on April 15 also said it will team with agricultural and processing firm Archer-Daniels-Midlands Co. (ADM) to […]The post 8 Rivers Unveils 520 MW of Allam Cycle Gas-Fired Projects for Colorado, Illinois appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post What’s Been Holding Hydrogen Fuel Cells Back, and How to Change That appeared first on POWER Magazine. The technology used in modern hydrogen fuel cells is not new. In fact, NASA used fuel cells for its manned space missions in the 1960s. But fuel cells have not really “taken off” (pardon the pun) in earthly applications since that time. Some industry insiders believe that will change very soon. “We’ve been sort of […]The post What’s Been Holding Hydrogen Fuel Cells Back, and How to Change That appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post The POWER Interview: Enhancing the Safety of Energy Storage appeared first on POWER Magazine. Energy storage is having a transformative impact on the power sector. Storage solutions are enabling growth in several areas, including electric vehicles, and are supporting technologies such as solar and wind power, being paired with installations to capture and supply even more energy from renewables. Storage is recognized as a key player in the fight […]The post The POWER Interview: Enhancing the Safety of Energy Storage appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post ERCOT Conditions Tighten Again as Outages Mount to 32 GW appeared first on POWER Magazine. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) on April 13 urged Texans to conserve power as grid conditions tightened owing to a “a combination of high generation outages typical in April and higher-than-forecasted demand from a stalled cold front over Texas.” The Texas grid operator, which in February narrowly avoided system collapse as Winter Storm […]The post ERCOT Conditions Tighten Again as Outages Mount to 32 GW appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Self-Tuning Artificial Intelligence Improves Plant Efficiency and Flexibility appeared first on POWER Magazine. Flexible plant operations are highly desirable in today’s power generation industry. Every plant owner desires increased ramp rates and the ability to operate at lower loads so their plants will remain “in the money” longer in today’s competitive power markets. This goal, while laudable, remains elusive. The ADEX self-tuning artificial intelligence (AI) system allows plants […]The post Self-Tuning Artificial Intelligence Improves Plant Efficiency and Flexibility appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Jack and Solar—TVA Links Iconic Distillery With Renewable Energy appeared first on POWER Magazine. The trend of supplying commercial and industrial locations with renewable energy—along with the Tennessee Valley Authority’s (TVA’s) continuing support of investments in power projects that support sustainability—is being recognized at one of the most-iconic distilleries in the U.S. The TVA on April 13 said it has signed a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) with Nashville-based […]The post Jack and Solar—TVA Links Iconic Distillery With Renewable Energy appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Group Installing Solar on its NYC Properties appeared first on POWER Magazine. A New York realty company is providing a model of solar power’s continued growth as it works to complete a project to install solar panels on all the buildings it owns in the borough of Queens. Zara Realty on April 12 told POWER it is “halfway” to completing installation of solar technology on every site […]The post Group Installing Solar on its NYC Properties appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post ARPA-E Launches Program to Abate, Prevent Methane Emissions appeared first on POWER Magazine. The Department of Energy (DOE) on April 8 launched a new Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) program that will initially focus on reducing methane emissions from oil, gas, and coal industries. The agency announced up to $35 million for the new “Reducing Emissions of Methane Every Day of the Year” (REMEDY) program, a three-year research […]The post ARPA-E Launches Program to Abate, Prevent Methane Emissions appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Solar Energy in the Sunshine State: FPL Leads the Way appeared first on POWER Magazine. Florida is known as “The Sunshine State,” so it’s no surprise that solar energy is growing rampantly across the state. Among the utilities adding solar resources to their energy mixes is Florida Power and Light Co. (FPL). FPL claims to be the largest energy company in the U.S. as measured by retail electricity produced and […]The post Solar Energy in the Sunshine State: FPL Leads the Way appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Vistra Backs Illinois Transition Measure to Keep At-Risk Coal Plants Online Through 2025 appeared first on POWER Magazine. Bleeding financially from underperforming and legally burdened coal generation in downstate Illinois and elsewhere, Vistra, the nation’s largest competitive generator, has renewed its call for passage of the Illinois Coal to Solar and Energy Storage Act, a bill that could help keep 2.2 GW of existing at-risk capacity online through 2025 while the state expands […]The post Vistra Backs Illinois Transition Measure to Keep At-Risk Coal Plants Online Through 2025 appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post UK Group Wants to Expand Largest Tidal Energy Project appeared first on POWER Magazine. A UK-based energy company said it is talking with government officials about securing financial support for an expansion of the world’s largest tidal energy project. SIMEC Atlantis Energy (SAE) on April 7 said it wants to move forward with a further rollout of “tidal stream technology” at the company’s MeyGen project in the Pentland Firth, […]The post UK Group Wants to Expand Largest Tidal Energy Project appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post UAE’s First Nuclear Unit Enters Commercial Operation appeared first on POWER Magazine. Emirates Nuclear Energy Corp. (ENEC) said Unit 1 of the Barakah nuclear facility has entered commercial operation, nine years after construction of the Arab world’s first nuclear power plant began. ENEC made the announcement April 6. Unit 1, operated by Nawah Energy Co., has been providing electricity to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) since reaching […]The post UAE’s First Nuclear Unit Enters Commercial Operation appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Massive Solar Farm Will Serve Texas Grid appeared first on POWER Magazine. A California company has teamed with the U.S. subsidiary of Japan’s largest gas utility to build a major solar power project just outside Houston, Texas. Rosendin, an electrical contractor with its corporate headquarters in San Jose, and Tokyo Gas America are developing the Aktina Renewable Power Project, a 500-MWac/631-MWdc solar farm spanning 4,000 acres in […]The post Massive Solar Farm Will Serve Texas Grid appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Power Infrastructure Prominent in Biden’s $2.25 Trillion Blueprint appeared first on POWER Magazine. A major chunk of President Joe Biden’s $2.25 trillion transformational plan to overhaul the nation’s infrastructure is dedicated to re-energizing America’s power infrastructure. The initiatives garnered the industry’s approval—with notable exceptions. The “American Jobs Plan,” released on March 31, strives to jumpstart the U.S. economy, which drooped under burdens posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. But […]The post Power Infrastructure Prominent in Biden’s $2.25 Trillion Blueprint appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Compact Advanced Tokomak Concept Takes Fusion Power One Step Closer to Commercial Reality appeared first on POWER Magazine. Scientists at the DIII-D National Fusion Facility have released a new design for a compact fusion reactor that can generate electricity and help define the technology necessary for commercial fusion power. General Atomics, which operates the DIII-D facility in San Diego, California, for the U.S. Department of Energy, says the approach is based on the […]The post Compact Advanced Tokomak Concept Takes Fusion Power One Step Closer to Commercial Reality appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post The Natural Gas Flame Continues to Burn Bright appeared first on POWER Magazine. The natural gas sector is well aware of the challenges facing the fossil fuel industry, but analysts say gas has attributes that will keep it a big part of the U.S. and global energy mix. Natural gas has movedThe post The Natural Gas Flame Continues to Burn Bright appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Oil and Gas Majors Focus on Renewable Energy, Hydrogen, and Carbon Capture appeared first on POWER Magazine. Although you’d be hard-pressed to find an expert who believes oil and gas companies will abandon exploration and production operations anytime soon, several oil and gas majors are expanding their businessesThe post Oil and Gas Majors Focus on Renewable Energy, Hydrogen, and Carbon Capture appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post First Commercial Deployment of Supercritical CO2 Power Cycle Taking Shape in Alberta appeared first on POWER Magazine. Siemens Energy and Canadian pipeline company TC Energy in February agreed to commission a novel waste-heat-to-power facility in Alberta by 2022 that captures waste heat from a gas-fired turbine operating aThe post First Commercial Deployment of Supercritical CO2 Power Cycle Taking Shape in Alberta appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Chalk River, GE Hitachi Part of Canada’s Nuclear Focus appeared first on POWER Magazine. The nuclear power industry is brimming with technological innovation, particularly when it comes to small reactors that can provide power for several different applications. This is especially true in CanadaThe post Chalk River, GE Hitachi Part of Canada’s Nuclear Focus appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Electric Power Transmission: Long on Planning, Short on Time appeared first on POWER Magazine. The mid-February blackouts in Texas have raised a lot of questions about power grid reliability. While investigations into the underlying causes of the outages could take a while to complete, and I don’tThe post Electric Power Transmission: Long on Planning, Short on Time appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Ocean Power Developers Made Crucial Progress in 2020 appeared first on POWER Magazine. Tidal and wave energy installations in 2020 brought global cumulative installations for ocean energy to almost 60 MW. Another 6 MW of wave and tidal energy is slated for deployment this year, suggesting markedThe post Ocean Power Developers Made Crucial Progress in 2020 appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Understanding Fuel Cells and Their Role in the Green Energy Revolution appeared first on POWER Magazine. Future propulsion and energy systems must be designed to meet the social challenges of climate change, increased energy requirements, and the mobility and energy demands of a growing world population. FuelThe post Understanding Fuel Cells and Their Role in the Green Energy Revolution appeared first on 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.