POWER Magazine

The post Minnesota Court Blocks Construction of Gas-Fired Plant appeared first on POWER Magazine.A Minnesota court on Dec. 23 said a proposed natural gas-fired power plant in neighboring Wisconsin needs more environmental review before construction can proceed, reversing an earlier decision by the state’s Public Utilities Commission (PUC) that approved the facility. The state Court of Appeals on Monday said state regulators must look at whether the Nemadji […]The post Minnesota Court Blocks Construction of Gas-Fired Plant appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Switzerland Closes One of World’s Oldest Nuclear Plants appeared first on POWER Magazine.Switzerland on Dec. 20 shut down one of the world’s oldest nuclear power plants, as part of its plan to shutter all its reactors by 2050. Muehleberg Nuclear Power Plant, the smallest of the country’s four remaining plants, began operating in 1972. The 355-MW facility operated by Bernische Kraftwerke AG (BKW) and majority-owned by the […]The post Switzerland Closes One of World’s Oldest Nuclear Plants appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post New Jersey Backs 45 Community Solar Projects appeared first on POWER Magazine.The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) on Dec. 20 announced it has approved 45 applications in the first year of its Community Solar Energy Pilot Program. The NJBPU in a statement Friday said the projects, with total generation capacity of 77.61 MW, will be designed by local governments, community groups, and private developers. […]The post New Jersey Backs 45 Community Solar Projects appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post The POWER Interview: NCC Group on Cybersecurity appeared first on POWER Magazine.Reliability and resiliency are buzzwords in today’s world of power generation. The focus is often on valuing those attributes, be it through subsidizing baseload power to make it more economically viable, or through other means. Reliable delivery of electricity, of course, also depends on cyber-resilient systems, at power plants and across the grid. Cyberattacks against […]The post The POWER Interview: NCC Group on Cybersecurity appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post The POWER Interview: What Is Big Data? appeared first on POWER Magazine.The term “Big Data” is used frequently by tech-savvy power industry professionals, but what does it really mean. To get an insider’s perspective, POWER posed the question to Akshay Patwal, strategic business manager with Siemens Energy. Patwal leads the development and commercialization of digital business transformation projects, using big data platforms and analytics to create […]The post The POWER Interview: What Is Big Data? appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post NERC: Long-Term Reliability Uncertain Amid Rapid Changes to Bulk Power System appeared first on POWER Magazine.Significant and rapid changes that are reshaping North America’s power sector will likely leave Texas and Ontario, Canada, with supply shortfalls over the next decade, and energy deficiencies could also occur during off-peak conditions in the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) area and the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC) region, the North American Electric Reliability […]The post NERC: Long-Term Reliability Uncertain Amid Rapid Changes to Bulk Power System appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Subsidy-Free Onshore Wind Farm Will Host First Siemens Gamesa 5-MW Turbines appeared first on POWER Magazine.Three first-of-their-kind Siemens Gamesa 5-MW wind turbines will be installed on the island of Thyholm in Denmark at a project that will be operated without subsidies. The company announced on Dec. 19 it has entered into a contract with Torp Vind I/S for the delivery of three SG 5.0-132 models for the 15-MW Torp Vindmoellepark […]The post Subsidy-Free Onshore Wind Farm Will Host First Siemens Gamesa 5-MW Turbines appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Recruiting the New Power Workforce [PODCAST] appeared first on POWER Magazine.It’s a time of great transition in the power industry. Not only are generation resources changing, but so are the work skills needed to operate and maintain those resources. Meanwhile, a large number of workers are reaching retirement age, leaving open positions that had long been filled by highly experienced staff. And the talent pool […]The post Recruiting the New Power Workforce [PODCAST] appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Hitachi Exiting MHPS; MHI Will be Venture’s Sole Owner appeared first on POWER Magazine.Japanese technology conglomerate Hitachi will withdraw from Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems (MHPS), a joint venture it established in 2014 with another power equipment giant, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), over a dispute stemming from construction of two massive defect-ridden coal plants in South Africa. Under a Dec. 18-announced settlement reached by MHI and Hitachi, Hitachi will […]The post Hitachi Exiting MHPS; MHI Will be Venture’s Sole Owner appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post ‘Breakthrough Technology’ Uses Sunlight to Produce Renewable Hydrogen appeared first on POWER Magazine.HyperSolar Inc. said it has demonstrated a working version of a “large-scale hydrogen unit device” that it expects will lead to the production of full-sized panels for a first-generation (GEN 1) pilot plant. The company said its “breakthrough technology” uses sunlight in a “low-cost photoelectrochemical process” to separate hydrogen from water, producing “clean and environmentally […]The post ‘Breakthrough Technology’ Uses Sunlight to Produce Renewable Hydrogen appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Canadian Company Has Funding for Fusion Demonstration Plant appeared first on POWER Magazine.A Canada-based company that wants to commercialize nuclear fusion technology announced Dec. 16 that it raised more than $100 million in its latest round of financing, doubling its financial support. General Fusion, headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, is backed by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. The company, which includes investors Bezos Expeditions and Chrysalix Venture Capital, […]The post Canadian Company Has Funding for Fusion Demonstration Plant appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post EU Finalizes ‘Green Deal’ for Clean Energy Investment appeared first on POWER Magazine.The European Union (EU) on Dec. 16 announced an agreement among its member states on rules involving the financing of green energy projects. Lawmakers approved a list of technologies and activities that can be classified as green, after disagreement about whether nuclear energy and natural gas should be included. The so-called “Green Deal” is a […]The post EU Finalizes ‘Green Deal’ for Clean Energy Investment appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Joint U.S-Canadian Advanced Nuclear Review May Focus on Terrestrial’s Molten Salt Reactor, NuScale SMR appeared first on POWER Magazine.Terrestrial Energy’s Integral Molten Salt Reactor (IMSR), a 195-MWe Generation IV nuclear technology, and NuScale’s small modular reactor (SMR) may be the focus of the first joint technical review by U.S. and Canadian nuclear regulators in a bid to boost their regulatory effectiveness as more advanced reactors and SMRs trundle toward commercialization. Rumina Velshi, president […]The post Joint U.S-Canadian Advanced Nuclear Review May Focus on Terrestrial’s Molten Salt Reactor, NuScale SMR appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Ownership Shakeup at Colstrip Coal Power Plant appeared first on POWER Magazine.NorthWestern Energy said it will file an application with the Montana Public Service Commission for pre-approval to acquire Puget Sound Energy’s (PSE’s) 25% interest in Colstrip Unit 4, which is a 740-MW coal-fired boiler. The price? $1. “Securing more capacity for only a $1 investment is a unique opportunity that helps give us the time […]The post Ownership Shakeup at Colstrip Coal Power Plant appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post The POWER Interview: New Directions for GE Digital appeared first on POWER Magazine.In a recent conversation with POWER, GE Digital CEO Pat Byrne discussed why GE made key changes to the lucrative business, streamlining it to focus on four key markets, including electric utilities and power generation. (To learn more about how digitalization is transforming the power industry, register now to attend POWER and Chemical Engineering’s upcoming […]The post The POWER Interview: New Directions for GE Digital appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post NRC Issues First Subsequent License Renewals, Extends Nuclear Reactor Life to 80 Years appeared first on POWER Magazine.Marking a major milestone for the U.S. nuclear power sector, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has for the first time issued license renewals that authorize nuclear reactor operation beyond 60 years and up to 80 years. The regulatory body on Dec. 5 issued subsequent license renewals (SLRs) for Units 3 and 4 at Florida Power […]The post NRC Issues First Subsequent License Renewals, Extends Nuclear Reactor Life to 80 Years appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Hydropower Industry Launches Major International Project to Demonstrate Flexibility appeared first on POWER Magazine.In a new attempt to secure a concrete role for the international hydropower industry within the decarbonization movement, several utilities, equipment manufacturers, universities, research centers, and consultancies have scaffolded to demonstrate how modern hydropower plants can provide flexibility to markets that are increasingly inundated by variable generation like wind and solar. On Dec. 10, the […]The post Hydropower Industry Launches Major International Project to Demonstrate Flexibility appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Indiana Utility Will Close Coal-Fired Units Early appeared first on POWER Magazine.Indianapolis Power & Light (IPL) on Dec. 9 announced it will close two of the four coal-fired units at its Petersburg Generating Station in southern Indiana, as the utility continues to move away from coal generation. IPL has been pressured by state political leaders and environmentalists to close the 1,700-MW Petersburg facility, the largest power […]The post Indiana Utility Will Close Coal-Fired Units Early appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Canada Plan to Store Nuclear Waste near Lake Huron Draws U.S. Ire appeared first on POWER Magazine.A group of U.S. lawmakers has asked Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to reconsider that country’s proposed plan to store its nuclear waste at a site near Lake Huron, northeast of Detroit, Michigan. The site, at Huron-Konloss/South Bruce, in Bruce County, Ontario, is one of two communities chosen by the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO), […]The post Canada Plan to Store Nuclear Waste near Lake Huron Draws U.S. Ire appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Connecticut Gives Go-Ahead for 804-MW Offshore Wind Project appeared first on POWER Magazine.Vineyard Wind’s 804-MW Park City project was given the go-ahead by Connecticut officials on Dec. 5, with regulators saying Vineyard’s bid in an offshore wind solicitation was “lower than any other publicly announced offshore wind project in North America.” Vineyard Wind competed against other groups in the bidding, including developers backed by Ørsted and Shell. […]The post Connecticut Gives Go-Ahead for 804-MW Offshore Wind Project appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post EPA Reinterprets ‘Ambient Air,’ Further Tweaks New Source Review appeared first on POWER Magazine.The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has finalized a change to a long-standing policy interpreting “ambient air”—a foundational concept under the Clean Air Act that applies to all types of air pollution, from ground-level ozone, particulate matter, and greenhouse gases. While the agency framed the change as part of a suite of actions to reform New Source […]The post EPA Reinterprets ‘Ambient Air,’ Further Tweaks New Source Review appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Report Says Global CO2 Emissions From Coal Down This Year appeared first on POWER Magazine.Global emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) from coal-fired power plants and industrial facilities fell in 2019, according to research published Dec. 3, though overall emissions of CO2 rose due to the increased use of natural gas and oil for power generation and other industrial processes. The new emissions figures were reported by the Global Carbon Project […]The post Report Says Global CO2 Emissions From Coal Down This Year appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Is Carbon Pricing the Key to a Clean Energy Future? [PODCAST] appeared first on POWER Magazine.The New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) has proposed incorporating the social cost of carbon into the wholesale price of electricity. According to an October-released study conducted by the consulting firm Analysis Group, “A carbon price in NYISO’s competitive wholesale power markets can help deliver New York’s clean-energy transition in faster, cheaper, more reliable, more […]The post Is Carbon Pricing the Key to a Clean Energy Future? [PODCAST] appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post China Starts Up First Nuclear Cogeneration Project—at AP1000 Plant appeared first on POWER Magazine.China has started up its first commercial nuclear cogeneration system, using two newly operational AP1000 reactors at the Haiyang Nuclear Power Plant to heat 700,000 square meters of housing. Shandong Nuclear Power Co. (SDNPC), a subsidiary of State Power Investment Corp. (SPIC), and owner of the Haiyang plant, on Nov. 15 said the first phase […]The post China Starts Up First Nuclear Cogeneration Project—at AP1000 Plant appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Brouillette Takes Over as Energy Secretary appeared first on POWER Magazine.The U.S. Senate on Dec. 2 confirmed Dan Brouillette as the new Secretary of Energy, tapping the former lobbyist for Ford Motor Company to replace Rick Perry, the former Texas governor who stepped down as Department of Energy (DOE) chief after becoming part of the impeachment inquiry into President Trump. Perry’s tenure was marked by […]The post Brouillette Takes Over as Energy Secretary appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post A Review of Global Power-to-Gas Projects To Date [INTERACTIVE] appeared first on POWER Magazine.According to experts from Technical University of Applied Sciences (OTH) in Regensburg, Germany, who recently reviewed the world’s existing power-to-gas (P2G) hydrogen and methane projects, about 143 P2G projects have operated since 1988 in 22 countries. Only 56 hydrogen and 38 methanation projects were active in 2019. While the existing fleet mostly comprises pilot or […]The post A Review of Global Power-to-Gas Projects To Date [INTERACTIVE] appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post THE BIG PICTURE: The Need for Power Flexibility appeared first on POWER Magazine.In its November 2019–issued World Energy Outlook, the International Energy Agency (IEA) suggests that if countries pursue currently stated policies, the combined generation share of wind and solar photovoltaic could surge from 7% today to 24% in 2040. This very steep ramp-up of variable renewables will undoubtedly require an emphatic focus on flexibility—the ability of […]The post THE BIG PICTURE: The Need for Power Flexibility appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Floating Offshore Wind Buoyant on New Developments, Projects appeared first on POWER Magazine.Floating offshore wind made a remarkable splash this fall. As two much-watched projects sailed toward construction, optimism about the industry’s accelerated growth was buoyed by projections from theThe post Floating Offshore Wind Buoyant on New Developments, Projects appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post POWER Digest [December 2019] appeared first on POWER Magazine.Israeli Group Supports Construction of 1.3-GW Gas-Fired Plant. The Israeli National Infrastructure Committee on Nov. 4 approved a plan to build Israel’s largest privately run power plant, saying the facilityThe post POWER Digest [December 2019] appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Report: Blockchain Not Well-Suited to Transactive Energy appeared first on POWER Magazine.Blockchain—a distributed database technology that allows a network of parties to securely transact with each other—has been hailed as a game-changing innovation in the power sector for its potential toThe post Report: Blockchain Not Well-Suited to Transactive Energy appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post International Business: Before You Enter a New Market, Do Your Due Diligence appeared first on POWER Magazine.As an attorney who has spent the majority of his career litigating and settling international commercial disputes, I have experienced several instances where U.S. companies jump at the opportunity to expandThe post International Business: Before You Enter a New Market, Do Your Due Diligence appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Renewable Power Generation on Rise in Turkey appeared first on POWER Magazine.The market for renewable energy in Turkey has been growing since the country enacted a “Renewable Energy Law” in 2005. Progress has been steady and has ramped up in recent years after renewable energyThe post Renewable Power Generation on Rise in Turkey appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Smarter Monitoring for Coal Ash Remediation appeared first on POWER Magazine.Total suspended solids probe can help coal-fired power plants reduce compliance risks and avoid additional sampling. Water plays an essential role in coal ash remediation, but managing that process often comesThe post Smarter Monitoring for Coal Ash Remediation appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Unlocking Value at the Grid-Edge: Extending the Reach of the Utility Control Room appeared first on POWER Magazine.Just 10 years ago, the magnitude of behind-the-meter distributed energy resources (DERs) at the edge of the grid was not materially significant. All that has changed, and we’re now at an inflection point: byThe post Unlocking Value at the Grid-Edge: Extending the Reach of the Utility Control Room appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Decarbonization: Utilities Leading the Way appeared first on POWER Magazine.Decarbonization is a word that seems to be used quite regularly these days. For the power industry, it refers to the shift in electric generating resources from carbon-heavy coal to carbon-free nuclear orThe post Decarbonization: Utilities Leading the Way appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post China Ramping Renewables, and Building More Coal Plants appeared first on POWER Magazine.Officials in China in 2017 said the country—the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases—would move away from coal-fired power generation. They promptly canceled more than 100 coal power plant construction projects. But coal remains king in China, which in the past two years has added 43 GW of coal-fired generation capacity, according to a report […]The post China Ramping Renewables, and Building More Coal Plants appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post What’s Driving Wholesale Power Price Changes? Not What You Think appeared first on POWER Magazine.Falling natural gas prices tamped down annual U.S. wholesale power prices over the last decade by $7/MWh to $53/MWh—to a much higher degree compared to the impact of wind and solar growth—a new report from Lawrence Berkeley National Lab (LBNL) suggests. The Nov. 20–published report, The Impact of Wind, Solar, and Other Factors on Wholesale Power […]The post What’s Driving Wholesale Power Price Changes? Not What You Think appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Experts Share Insight on the Industry at Recent Power Event [PODCAST] appeared first on POWER Magazine.POWER was at the POWERGEN International exhibition and summit, which was held in New Orleans, Louisiana, Nov. 19–21, 2019. Among the experts we met with at the show were Paul Browning, CEO of Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems Americas; Chris Mieckowski, director of global solutions marketing and strategy with Siemens; Robert Yeager, president of Emerson’s Power […]The post Experts Share Insight on the Industry at Recent Power Event [PODCAST] appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post 300-MW Natural Gas Allam Cycle Power Plant Targeted for 2022 appeared first on POWER Magazine.Testing continues at NET Power for a much-watched project that is demonstrating production of low-carbon natural gas power. The project is using a supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) cycle, and its developer is confident that the technology will be commercially deployed in 2022. Mike McGroddy, principal at 8 Rivers Capital, the venture capitalist firm that is […]The post 300-MW Natural Gas Allam Cycle Power Plant Targeted for 2022 appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post 6 Takeaways from POWERGEN International 2019 appeared first on POWER Magazine.The POWERGEN International exhibition and summit—one of the world’s largest power-industry events with more than 750 exhibitors—was held at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, Nov. 19–21, 2019. POWER was there (Figure 1) to connect with leaders from the industry and report on the latest news from the show. Hot topics […]The post 6 Takeaways from POWERGEN International 2019 appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Siemens Delivers World’s First HL-Class Gas Turbine to North Carolina Site appeared first on POWER Magazine.Siemens has delivered its first-ever HL-class gas turbine to Duke Energy’s Lincoln County Combustion Turbine generation station, located near Denver, North Carolina. The HL-class gas turbine was derived from proven Siemens H-class technology in what the company calls “an evolutionary development step.” The advanced air-cooled gas turbine is a next-generation design that uses a series […]The post Siemens Delivers World’s First HL-Class Gas Turbine to North Carolina Site appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Report: Global Coal-Fired Generation Down 3% appeared first on POWER Magazine.A report from a UK-based online journal that covers climate and energy policy said that coal-fired power generation worldwide will fall by 3% this year, to about 54% of global electricity output. The report from Carbon Brief, released Nov. 25, was written by researchers from climate research groups including the Centre for Research on Energy […]The post Report: Global Coal-Fired Generation Down 3% appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post State Regulators Warn of More Delays at Vogtle appeared first on POWER Magazine.A filing by Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) staff and consultants on Nov. 22 said Georgia Power’s expansion of the Vogtle nuclear power plant is falling further behind schedule. The filing Friday came the same day that the utility announced the sixth and last containment ring for the two-unit expansion was set in place. The […]The post State Regulators Warn of More Delays at Vogtle appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Nuclear Waste Bill Gains Traction in the House appeared first on POWER Magazine.A bill to amend the Nuclear Waste Policy Act (NWPA) of 1982 and give the Department of Energy (DOE) the authority to site, build, and operate one or more interim storage sites that would consolidate spent nuclear fuel (SNF) from decommissioned nuclear reactors has passed out of committee and been reported to the full House […]The post Nuclear Waste Bill Gains Traction in the House appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Last New York Coal Plant Set to Close appeared first on POWER Magazine.The last operating coal-fired power plant in New York state could close by mid-February. Somerset Operating Co. on Nov. 15 asked the New York State Public Service Commission to waive the state’s 180-day notice requirement to shutter the 675-MW plant, asking regulators to allow the facility to close as early as Feb. 15, 2020. Somerset […]The post Last New York Coal Plant Set to Close appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Regulators: Central Station Generation Will Stay Dominant Despite Emerging Tech appeared first on POWER Magazine.A nationwide survey of state utility commissions suggests regulators are increasingly grappling with issues that could “profoundly” alter energy delivery and utility business models. However, over the next decade, they expect central station generation will continue to dominate state portfolios, and utility-scale solar growth will surpass customer-owned photovoltaic (PV). The survey to take the “regulatory […]The post Regulators: Central Station Generation Will Stay Dominant Despite Emerging Tech appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post EDF Will Bail on Three Nuclear Plants, Exelon Holds the Bag appeared first on POWER Magazine.Exelon Generation said EDF Group—a French integrated electricity company—is exercising a put option to sell its 49.99% interest in the R.E. Ginna, Nine Mile Point, and Calvert Cliffs nuclear energy facilities. The two companies will now begin negotiations for Exelon to acquire full ownership of the plants. EDF’s involvement in the facilities was through the […]The post EDF Will Bail on Three Nuclear Plants, Exelon Holds the Bag appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post ‘GREEN Act of 2019’ Extends Tax Credits for Renewables appeared first on POWER Magazine.The Ways and Means Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives on Nov. 19 released a draft tax package for clean energy projects that includes a five-year extension of the 30% solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC), along with new incentives for energy storage. The legislation also supports incentives for electric vehicles (EVs), offshore and onshore […]The post ‘GREEN Act of 2019’ Extends Tax Credits for Renewables appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Plan to Build New 1-GW Plant in Rhode Island Officially Dead appeared first on POWER Magazine.A project to build a 1-GW gas-fired power plant in Rhode Island has officially ended, after developer Invenergy took no action to appeal the project’s rejection by state regulators, who earlier this year voted unanimously against the plant’s construction. Invenergy had until Nov. 15 to challenge the formal denial of a construction license for the […]The post Plan to Build New 1-GW Plant in Rhode Island Officially Dead appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post GE Will Close Georgia Plant; 200 Jobs at Stake appeared first on POWER Magazine.GE Renewable Energy has confirmed the company will close its GE Grid Solutions manufacturing plant in Waynesboro, Georgia, with the 200 workers at the facility offered the chance to relocate to a similar site in Charleroi, Pennsylvania, or apply for other jobs within the company. The plant is expected to close by year-end 2020. The […]The post GE Will Close Georgia Plant; 200 Jobs at Stake appeared first on POWER Magazine.