POWER Magazine

In a bid to enhance the reactor oversight process (ROP), staff at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has recommended the commission change qualitative descriptions for some color labels that signify risk, scale back on the time and scope of some annual inspections at the nation’s nuclear power fleet, as well as increase intervals between inspections. […]The post NRC Staff Recommends Scaling Back Reactor Inspections appeared first on POWER Magazine.

According to the Energy Impact Center, a Washington, D.C.-based research institute focused on deep decarbonization, CO2 emissions “must go net-negative by 2040, globally across all energy sectors” to begin countering climate change. The only way it sees to accomplish this is to “produce energy inexpensive enough to make carbon negative fuels that compete with fossil […]The post Reversing Climate Change with Nuclear Power [PODCAST] appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) on July 16 threw its support behind Georgia Power’s plan to add 2,260 MW of new renewable power generation to the utility’s portfolio, on the same day the PSC signed off on the company’s effort to decommission its long-running coal-fired Plant Hammond. Georgia Power earlier this year submitted a […]The post Regulators Back Georgia Power Plan to Close Coal Units, Add Renewables appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Investments in clean energy projects have hummed along in the past few years, with the growth of renewables worldwide continuing to increase levels of solar, wind, and other resources in the global energy mix. Thomas Byrne has been in the middle of this energy transformation. Byrne, co-founder and CEO of CleanCapital and a graduate of […]The post The POWER Interview: CleanCapital Drives Investments in Clean Energy appeared first on POWER Magazine.

New York City-based LS Power on July 15 said it would end a project to expand its natural gas-fired Troy power plant in Ohio if state lawmakers pass legislation to subsidize the state’s two nuclear power plants. LS Power in a news release Monday said, “Handouts to nuclear plants jeopardize the economics of the other […]The post POWER Notebook: Ohio Gas Plant Project in Jeopardy if Nuclear Bill Passes appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A fully digital nuclear reactor instrumentation and control system (I&C)—the first of its kind in the U.S.—at a Purdue University research reactor in West Lafayette, Indiana, has been licensed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Upgrades to digitalize Purdue University Reactor Number 1 (PUR 1)—a pool-type12-kWt reactor (that runs at 1 kW) originally built in […]The post Fully Digital Nuclear I&C Upgrade Gets ‘Unprecedented’ NRC License appeared first on POWER Magazine.

In a recent interview, Raul Pereda, president and CEO of PW Power Systems (PWPS), talked to POWER about the company’s long legacy as a gas turbine manufacturer, advancements in technology it has achieved over the past 60 years, and new applications for its turbines within a transitioning energy system. No one can read a history […]The post The POWER Interview: New Directions for Aeroderivative Gas Turbines at PWPS appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Investments in renewable energy projects slowed in the first half of 2019, primarily due to a 39% year-over-year drop in China, the world’s largest renewables market, according to data published July 10 by BloombergNEF (BNEF). BNEF said investments in China dropped to $28.8 billion, the lowest figure for any six-month period since 2013. China is […]The post POWER Notebook: Investment in Renewables Down in 1H2019 appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and members of Congress are looking at legislation concerning research and regulation of energy storage. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), who chairs the Energy and Natural Resources committee, on July 9 said there is bipartisan interest in combining a handful of bills on energy storage, dealing with research and development […]The post DOE, Lawmakers Looking at Energy Storage R&D, Funding appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is behind on its proposed revisions to the Obama administration’s effluent limitations guidelines (ELGs) for steam electric power plants. In an e-mail to POWER on July 9, the EPA confirmed that the agency was still “working expeditiously” to complete the proposed rule, and it has yet to submit it to […]The post EPA Delayed on Proposed ELG Revisions for Steam Power Plants appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The Czech government on July 8 gave preliminary approval for Elektrárna Dukovany II, a subsidiary of utility ČEZ, to build at least one new nuclear power unit in the country, along with as many as three more at existing nuclear power plants at Dukovany and Temelín. The country’s Ministry of Industry and Trade made the […]The post Czech Republic Plans to Expand Nuclear Power appeared first on POWER Magazine.

July marks two important milestones that set gas-fired generation on its course to becoming a dominant form of power generation: commercial operation of the world’s first industrial gas turbine in Neuchâtel, Switzerland, in 1939, and commercial operation of the first gas turbine in the U.S. used to generate electric power—a 3.5-MW General Electric (GE) unit […]The post A Brief History of GE Gas Turbines appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Adding carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) to two Xcel coal units in Colorado that are slated to be retired by 2025 would push up the cost of power if compared with replacement with wind/storage hybrids. But CCUS, which generates revenues, would still work out to be cheaper than other alternatives mandated under the company’s […]The post Coal Unit CCUS Retrofits More Economic Than Many Alternatives, NETL Study Suggests appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The price of lithium-ion batteries has plummeted over the past decade. Battery pack prices averaged $1,160 per kWh in 2010, according to BloombergNEF, but they dropped to $176 per kWh last year, and experts suggest they could be less than $100 by 2024. Tony Cooper, general manager of Green Cubes Technology’s Motive division, was a […]The post Lithium-Ion Batteries: Costs Down, Benefits Up [PODCAST] appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Faced with the challenge of making the right moves to accommodate a swiftly changing energy ecosystem, one question draws into sharp focus for generators and the entire power and utilities industry: What will their role become in the years ahead, considering evolving portfolio mixes and changing industry dynamics? Leaders know there’s a very real possibility […]The post How to Position Your Power Company for the Future appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The pairing of wind and solar is emerging as a smart strategy to implement renewable energy sources with better economic feasibility. The pairing of wind and solar power is an advantageous complement; the two benefit each other. The synergistic combination is an emerging trend in renewable energy and power generation as costs drop. The pairing […]The post A Fine Couple They Are (Wind and Solar Power) appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Argentina, the first Latin American country to adopt nuclear power when the Atucha I plant began operation in 1974, has plans to expand its nuclear generation, with Russia and China vying to implement theirThe post China, Russia Looking to Build Nuclear Plants in Argentina appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Japan’s government this June adopted a new energy white paper that suggests the country must rely on a larger share of nuclear and renewables to slash its carbon emissions and meet its target of a 26%The post Japan Will Explore New Avenues for Energy Self-Sufficiency appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Iraq’s $14 billion deal with Siemens to develop power generation projects in the country has grabbed most of the headlines this year, but the country continues to develop power projects with GE, and also inThe post Iraq Developing Solar to Complement GE, Siemens Projects appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Taishan-2 EPR Achieves Criticality. A second EPR unit in China’s Guangdong province attained a sustained chain reaction on May 28, marking another major milestone for Framatome, EDF, and China GeneralThe post POWER Digest [July 2019] appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The worldwide movement toward a clean energy future is barreling ahead. Most clean energy advocates seem to focus on wind and solar power as their resources of choice, and it shows, as the installed capacityThe post The Clean Energy Conundrum appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Ultrasonic nondestructive testing, also known as ultrasonic NDT or simply UT, is a method of characterizing the thickness or internal structure of a test piece using high-frequency sound waves. TheThe post Ultrasonic Testing for the Power Generation Industry appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Chile, a country that relied on coal for about two-fifths of its power generation in 2016, in June announced it would mothball eight coal plants, totaling 23 GW, of its existing 28-plant coal fleet over theThe post Chile Presents a Coal Exit Plan appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Coal power, which has seen a marked decline in the U.S., is necessary for reliability and energy affordability, and sustaining it could boost pollution technology exports and “improve lives while driving down emissions worldwide,” said Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler in a speech last week. Wheeler made the remarks at a 90-minute event […]The post Wheeler: Keeping U.S. Coal Sector Alive Will Benefit ‘International Environmental Protection’ appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Teollisuuden Voima Oyj (TVO), owner of the Olkiluoto 3 EPR (European Pressurized Water Reactor) nuclear unit that is under construction in Finland, has said fuel will not be loaded in the reactor before the end of August, while it awaits completion of a schedule review being conducted by the construction consortium. Meanwhile, EDF, which is […]The post Long-Delayed EPR Nuclear Plants Face Further Holdups appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A bill introduced by Senate Democrats on June 26 establishes a national electricity standard that would require large retail suppliers to source at least 1.5% of their power from renewables by 2020 and gradually grow that share through 2035. The measure comes a day after the Energy Information Administration (EIA) revealed monthly generation from renewable […]The post As Renewables Surge Ahead of Coal, Lawmakers Introduce National Renewable Standard appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Power plants are capturing operational data in ever-increasing amounts. However, analyzing all the data can be challenging. A number of tools are available that can help. In this episode of The POWER Podcast, two experts from one technology provider explain how big data can be analyzed to identify trends and create actionable information to solve […]The post How to Monitor and Predict Operational Performance with Digital Analytics [PODCAST] appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on June 24 proposed to partially approve Georgia’s permit program for the disposal of coal combustion residuals (CCR). As it did so, it gave other states some advice: Follow Georgia’s lead and assume oversight of coal ash that power plants dispose within your borders. The preliminary approval marks another important […]The post EPA Urges States to Submit CCR Programs Even as Coal Ash Regulatory Overhaul Continues appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Danish renewables firm Ørsted’s 1.1-GW Ocean Wind project is the winner of New Jersey’s first award for offshore wind, the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) said on June 21. Ørsted, with support from Public Service Enterprise Group’s (PSEG’s) non-utility affiliate, vied for the award with two other offshore wind developers that submitted bids […]The post New Jersey’s First Offshore Wind Farm Will Be a Mammoth 1.1-GW Ørsted Project appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A proposed 900-MW gas-fired power plant was rejected by Rhode Island regulators on June 20, leaving project developer Invenergy pondering its options for the planned facility in Burrillville. Rhode Island’s Energy Facility Siting Board, after a daylong hearing in Warwick, said the plant is not needed. Chicago, Illinois–based Invenergy can appeal the decision to the […]The post Rhode Island Rejects Burrillville Gas-Fired Plant appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Federal courts have been pretty kind to energy infrastructure in recent weeks, particularly in cases involving the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). For starters, this month, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit removed one of the hurdles to construction of the Keystone XL pipeline. The court decided that a new presidential permit—issued […]The post Energy Infrastructure on Tenuous Winning Streak in the Courts appeared first on POWER Magazine.

More than 2 million new solar PV installations were installed in the U.S. in the first three months of 2019—a new record for the first quarter of the year—according to the Wood Mackenzie/Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) U.S. Solar Market Insight report, which was released this week. Utilities led the way, installing 1.6 GWdc of […]The post New Record for Solar PV Installations appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Authorities have initiated a far-reaching investigation into an unprecedented blackout that on June 16 hit a wide swath of South America—most of Argentina and Uruguay, and parts of Paraguay—affecting tens of millions of people. The massive blackout—apagón—is thought to have originated in a disturbance that affected two high-voltage lines, Colonia Elia Y Mercedes and Colonia […]The post Apagón: A Blackout Sweeps South America appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Power plant SO2 and NOx emissions have decreased 92% and 84%, respectively, since Congress passed major amendments to the Clean Air Act in 1990. Meanwhile, mercury air emissions from power plants have decreased 90% since 2000, as federal limits on mercury and other hazardous air pollutants from coal-fired power plants went into effect in 2015. […]The post Power Plant Emissions Down Substantially in U.S. Since 1990 appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A new report from BloombergNEF (BNEF) predicts about half of the world’s power will come from renewable resources, including solar and wind, by 2050. The group’s New Energy Outlook 2019, released June 18, noted the trend will be driven by falling prices for solar, wind, and battery storage, along with trillions of dollars of investments […]The post BNEF Report: As Prices Fall, Renewables Rise Worldwide appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued a final Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) rule to formally replace the Obama administration’s controversial Clean Power Plan (CPP). Like the CPP, the June 19–issued final ACE rule will regulate greenhouse gases (GHGs), and it will be founded firmly on the agency’s 2009 Endangerment Finding. However, the ACE rule focuses […]The post EPA Finalizes ACE Rule, Replaces Clean Power Plan appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Siemens on June 18 said it would cut 2,700 jobs from its Gas and Power division, on top of 10,400 positions the German engineering firm last month said it would jettison as part of cost-cutting measures. The Siemens’ announcement comes one day after U.S.-based rival GE said it would cut 450 jobs at two of […]The post Siemens Will Cut Another 2,700 Jobs; GE Announces Cuts in Switzerland appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The rapid evolution of the world’s power generation landscape is creating challenges for utilities and others in the energy space, as power plant owners and operators adapt to new technologies and changing business models. Jan Vrins, managing director and segment leader for Navigant’s global Energy practice, is immersed in this change. Vrins, who joined Navigant […]The post The POWER Interview: Navigant Navigates Changing Energy Landscape appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Patrick Lee, who founded and leads PXiSE Energy Solutions, a subsidiary of San Diego, California-based Sempra Energy, is a proponent of energy sharing. His company builds enhanced grid management systems, using data, insights, and algorithms “to maximize efficiency and reliability of all DERs [distributed energy resources] as one system.” In other words, a PXiSE-supported microgrid […]The post The POWER Interview: Technology Helps Integrate Renewables to the Grid appeared first on POWER Magazine.

XENOTIME, a cyberthreat activity group thought responsible for TRISIS/TRITON malware attacks on safety instrumented systems (SIS) at an oil and gas Middle Eastern facility in 2017, has been probing power company networks in the U.S. and elsewhere, new intelligence from industrial control systems (ICS) security firm Dragos shows. “In February 2019, Dragos identified a change in […]The post TRITON/TRISIS Cyberattacker Has a New Target: Power Sector appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The natural gas industry is doing quite well and the future looks bright to many observers. “We’re at a really great moment for the natural gas industry in the U.S. Production is growing dramatically. Shale continues to provide tremendous improvements technologically, bringing the cost down and growing the production, extending access to U.S. gas. At […]The post Future May Not Be as Rosy as It Seems for Natural Gas [PODCAST] appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Hurricane season is underway and summer heat already has arrived in many areas, which again puts the spotlight on utilities, the power grid, and disaster response plans after a series of major weather events and wildfires caused outages and other disruptions in the U.S. and Caribbean in recent years. “We’re seeing these events occur, and […]The post Energy Insiders Say Tech, Collaboration Key to Utility Storm Prep appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Through a series of incentives and mandates, New Jersey is planning to produce 100% of its power from carbon-neutral sources, electrify its vehicle fleet and building sectors, and set mandatory efficiency standards for electric utilities by 2050, an energy blueprint released by the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) suggests. The June 10-released “Draft 2019 Energy […]The post New Jersey’s 100% Clean Energy Goal Imperils Gas Generation appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Talen Montana—part-owner and operator of the Colstrip Steam Electric Station—announced that Units 1 and 2 at the coal-fired power plant will be retired by year-end, well ahead of a previously announced July 2022 closure date. “The decision to retire Colstrip Units 1 and 2 comes after extensive review and exhaustive efforts over the last few […]The post In a Surprise Announcement, Colstrip Units 1 and 2 to Close by Year-End appeared first on POWER Magazine.

General Electric (GE) has rolled out a new portfolio of predictive analytics that could allow utilities to use data from transmission and distribution networks to achieve better operational efficiency as more distributed assets are introduced to the grid. The company on June 11 unveiled three new grid analytics—for storm readiness, network connectivity, and effective inertia—that […]The post GE Launches New Analytics Technologies to Boost Grid Efficiency appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Energy Secretary Rick Perry said coal and nuclear power must be part of the nation’s “all of the above” energy strategy, but the Department of Energy (DOE) does not have the “regulatory or statutory ability” to establish economic incentives for struggling U.S. coal and nuclear plants. Perry, who addressed the Edison Electric Institute’s (EEI’s) annual […]The post DOE’s Perry: Coal, Nuclear Must Be Saved appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Utilities need to adapt as businesses continue to focus on sustainability, looking for cleaner energy sources and viewing such measures as an opportunity to create value, according to a Deloitte study released June 11. What’s less-focused is residential consumers willingness to adopt sustainability improvements, with cost and convenience playing a large role in their choices, […]The post Deloitte Survey: Businesses Back Sustainability, Decarbonization appeared first on POWER Magazine.

India is striving to conserve coal and slash its carbon emissions. The country which depended on coal for 56% of its total capacity of 356 GW as of May 2019, wants to reduce coal’s share to 45% of a planned capacity expansion to 480 GW by the end of 2022. During that period, it will […]The post India’s Coal Future Hinges on Advanced Ultrasupercritical Breakthroughs appeared first on POWER Magazine.

In China, though specific achievements are hard to pinpoint owing in part to a dearth of public or internationally available information, coal technology developments appear to be advancing more rapidly than anywhere in the world. China’s efforts to foster technology advancements are in the country’s national interest, said Mi Shuhua, executive vice president of China […]The post How China Is Improving Coal Technology appeared first on POWER Magazine.