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.

The post FERC Regains Full Five Members as Regulatory Fights Loom appeared first on POWER Magazine. The U.S. Senate on Nov. 30 confirmed Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) nominees Allison Clements and Mark Christie, filling out all five seats at the helm of the federal energy regulator with a bipartisan panel for the first time in nearly two years. Clements, a Democrat, replaces former Commissioner Cheryl LaFleur for a term that […]The post FERC Regains Full Five Members as Regulatory Fights Loom appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Designing for Safety: A New Approach to Belt Conveyors appeared first on POWER Magazine. Conveyors are among the most dynamic and potentially dangerous areas of equipment at a coal power plant. Even though their safety and performance are critical to the operation’s success, the impact of their contribution to overall efficiency is often unrecognized by management and workers alike. Operational basics of belt conveyor systems are too often a […]The post Designing for Safety: A New Approach to Belt Conveyors appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Vineyard Wind Puts 800-MW Offshore Project on Hold appeared first on POWER Magazine. Officials with Vineyard Wind said they are temporarily withdrawing the group’s application for federal approval to build the first large U.S. offshore wind farm, saying more time is needed to conduct a final technical review after announcing a change in the turbines expected to be used in the project. Vineyard Wind, a joint venture between […]The post Vineyard Wind Puts 800-MW Offshore Project on Hold appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post GE Hitachi Hits Milestone for SMR Design appeared first on POWER Magazine. Another small modular reactor (SMR) design is moving closer to commercial operation after achieving a licensing milestone. GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH), which is designing the BWRX-300 SMR, on Dec. 1 said the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has issued a final safety evaluation report for the first of several licensing topical reports (LTRs) submitted […]The post GE Hitachi Hits Milestone for SMR Design appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post DOE Initiative Honors Women in Clean Energy appeared first on POWER Magazine. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has recognized nine women for their achievements and leadership in clean energy, as part of the agency’s U.S Clean Energy Education & Empowerment (C3E) Initiative. Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette recognized the winners of the 2020 U.S. C3E Awards on Dec. 1. The nine women will be honored at […]The post DOE Initiative Honors Women in Clean Energy appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post THE BIG PICTURE: EPA Regulatory Roundup appeared first on POWER Magazine. Over its 50-year history, several rules issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have reshaped the power sector. But for at least a few modern rules, the road has been full of turns. Notes: CAA = Clean Air Act; BSER = best system of emission reduction; CO2 = carbon dioxide; GHG = greenhouse gases; […]The post THE BIG PICTURE: EPA Regulatory Roundup appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post The Bittersweet Power of Hybrids appeared first on POWER Magazine. A quest for reliability and flexibility is driving significant interest in hybrid and co-located resources, but their widespread integration could hinge on how they are defined and valued in wholesaleThe post The Bittersweet Power of Hybrids appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post New Technology Keeps Solar on Track appeared first on POWER Magazine. Researchers continue to work on improvements in solar power, developing better cells, using new materials in panels, and focusing on improving efficiency while lowering cost. The solar power industry hitThe post New Technology Keeps Solar on Track appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post A Half Century of Environmental Progress appeared first on POWER Magazine. In the late 1960s, the U.S. was facing an environmental crisis. Air pollution was a serious problem in cities across the country, industrial activities and the widespread use of hazardous pesticides wereThe post A Half Century of Environmental Progress appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Five Emerging Risks That Could Hamper Energy Transitions appeared first on POWER Magazine. At the virtual 2nd Global Ministerial Conference on System Integration of Renewables on Oct. 27, several high-ranking policymakers pointed to a number of localized challenges affecting their countries’The post Five Emerging Risks That Could Hamper Energy Transitions appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post India Expects to Double Power Consumption appeared first on POWER Magazine. Global energy demand has waned in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. The lingering impacts of COVID-19 are expected to continue into 2021, but energy industry experts predict the world’s need forThe post India Expects to Double Power Consumption appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post South Korea Joins Japan and China with Carbon-Neutral Pledge appeared first on POWER Magazine. South Korea, Japan, and China, countries that rely heavily on coal power generation to fuel their economies, separately announced ambitious goals to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions within theThe post South Korea Joins Japan and China with Carbon-Neutral Pledge appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post POWER Digest [December 2020] appeared first on POWER Magazine. Norwegian Group Buying Vietnam Wind Farm. Norway’s SN Power AS in November agreed to purchase 100% of the shares in the 39.4-MW Dam Nai Wind Power project in Vietnam from Mekong Wind Pte. Ltd., a group ownedThe post POWER Digest [December 2020] appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Projected Development of Renewables in Cuba appeared first on POWER Magazine. As part of Cuba’s National Economic and Social Development Plan for 2030, the country aspires to increase the share of renewable energy on its electric grid to 24%. To accomplish this objective, theThe post Projected Development of Renewables in Cuba appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post BWXT: 3D Printing Breakthrough Could Speed Advanced Nuclear Reactor Development appeared first on POWER Magazine. BWX Technologies (BWXT) on Nov. 23 said it has demonstrated the ability to additively manufacture nickel-based super alloys and refractory-metal-based alloys for use in nuclear components. The company also said it has “accomplished component-level qualification, leading to a more efficient certification of nuclear materials configured in complex geometries.” The 3D printing breakthroughs achieved through a […]The post BWXT: 3D Printing Breakthrough Could Speed Advanced Nuclear Reactor Development appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post A Hopeful Narrative for the Nuclear Industry appeared first on POWER Magazine. Although there is only one nuclear power plant construction project in progress today in the U.S., that doesn’t mean the nuclear industry has gone dormant. A lot of research and development are ongoing, and the federal government is putting millions of dollars behind some of the efforts. The Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program “The Department of […]The post A Hopeful Narrative for the Nuclear Industry appeared first on POWER Magazine.