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.

The post The POWER Interview: How Industry 4.0 Will Improve Sustainability appeared first on POWER Magazine.As the world continues to face climate uncertainties, industrial companies are looking for ways to ensure they are as sustainable as possible while maintaining profitability. POWER’s recent Distributed Energy Conference included a session on sustainability from the viewpoint of utilities and others in the power generation industry. Many companies are working toward the goal of […]The post The POWER Interview: How Industry 4.0 Will Improve Sustainability appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post IEA World Energy Outlook: Solar Capacity Surges Past Coal and Gas by 2040 appeared first on POWER Magazine.Solar photovoltaic (PV) could surge ahead of coal and gas and become the largest source of installed power capacity in the world in the next two decades if countries pursue stated policies and targets, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said in its newly released World Energy Outlook 2019 (WEO2019). The agency’s annual publication, which it […]The post IEA World Energy Outlook: Solar Capacity Surges Past Coal and Gas by 2040 appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post One Nuclear Power Project Delayed; Three Leap Forward appeared first on POWER Magazine.The long-overdue Olkiluoto 3 nuclear power plant (NPP) in Finland has been delayed again, but nuclear projects in Russia, Canada, and Iran achieved important milestones in November. New Novovoronezh Unit Enters Commercial Operation Rosatom announced on Nov. 1 that Unit 2 at the Novovoronezh Nuclear Power Plant II entered commercial operation 30 days ahead of […]The post One Nuclear Power Project Delayed; Three Leap Forward appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post How the DOE Plans to Modernize the Grid in the Near Term appeared first on POWER Magazine.Twenty-three projects chosen by the Department of Energy (DOE) in response to its 2019 Grid Modernization Lab Call provide a broad look at the critical issues that are roiling the nation’s power sector, as well as the tools and technologies that it has determined will best bolster the grid of the future in the near […]The post How the DOE Plans to Modernize the Grid in the Near Term appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post 2.2-GW Coal-Fired Behemoth Could Permanently Close This Week appeared first on POWER Magazine.The 2,250-MW coal-fired Navajo Generating Station (NGS) in Arizona will permanently close likely this week, ending a long and bitter fight to keep the plant and its affiliated coal mine open. The plant’s utility owners—Salt River Project (SRP), Arizona Public Service Co., Tucson Electric Power Co., and NV Energy—in February 2017 voted to shut down […]The post 2.2-GW Coal-Fired Behemoth Could Permanently Close This Week appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post ExxonMobil Extends Deal for Fuel Cell Carbon Capture Project appeared first on POWER Magazine.ExxonMobil and FuelCell Energy announced a new joint-development agreement to enhance carbon capture fuel cell technology, as the groups work on a process to capture combustion exhaust from power plants and other industrial facilities. The two-year deal, announced Nov. 6 and an extension of an earlier agreement, is aimed at optimizing core technology, process integration, […]The post ExxonMobil Extends Deal for Fuel Cell Carbon Capture Project appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post AES Commits to Build 2.2-GW CCGT Plant in Vietnam appeared first on POWER Magazine.AES Corp. on Nov. 8 signed a memorandum of understanding with the Vietnamese government to build a $1.7 billion gas-fired power plant in Vietnam. The U.S. Embassy in Hanoi made the announcement along with U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross, who was attending a ceremony marking the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the American […]The post AES Commits to Build 2.2-GW CCGT Plant in Vietnam appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Air-Gapped Industrial Control Networks: What You Need to Know appeared first on POWER Magazine.Many networks across a variety of verticals including government, military, financial services, power plants, and industrial manufacturing have been so-called “air-gapped.” This means they are physically and logically isolated from other networks where communication between these networks is not physically or logically possible. This can be a good thing or bad thing depending on your […]The post Air-Gapped Industrial Control Networks: What You Need to Know appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post New Boosts for Commercial Production of HALEU Advanced Nuclear Reactor Fuel appeared first on POWER Magazine.Efforts to commercialize production of high-assay, low-enriched uranium (HALEU) fuel, which is needed for an array of advanced reactors, ramped up this week with two major announcements. As the Department of Energy (DOE) contracted Centrus Energy to demonstrate production of HALEU fuel for advanced reactors at the DOE’s American Centrifuge Plant in Piketon, Ohio, private […]The post New Boosts for Commercial Production of HALEU Advanced Nuclear Reactor Fuel appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post The POWER Notebook: Power Sector Digitalization Accelerates appeared first on POWER Magazine.The pace at which new digitalization technologies are being adopted in the power sector is dizzying, but news from major players in the sector—among them, AES, Invenergy, Google, and IBM—this week suggests it will only accelerate. For more insight into power plant digitalization, including the latest in digital monitoring, diagnostic, analytics, Industrial Internet of Things […]The post The POWER Notebook: Power Sector Digitalization Accelerates appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post EPA Proposes Revisions to Two Obama-Era Rules: Effluent Limitations Guidelines and Coal Ash appeared first on POWER Magazine.The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued long-awaited proposed revisions of two 2015 Obama-era rules that apply to effluent limitations guidelines (ELGs) for steam electric power plants and coal combustion residuals (CCR) management by electric utilities. The agency coordinated the release of the two related revisions, which apply overwhelmingly to coal-fired steam power plants, after […]The post EPA Proposes Revisions to Two Obama-Era Rules: Effluent Limitations Guidelines and Coal Ash appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Alliant Announces Plan for 1 GW of Solar in Wisconsin appeared first on POWER Magazine.Wisconsin-based Alliant Energy has announced a plan to add 1 GW of solar power generation to its portfolio by 2023. The company on Oct. 31 in its “Powering What’s Next Plan” said it would begin construction of its first “Community Solar” site in Fond du Lac County next year. David de Leon, president of Alliant […]The post Alliant Announces Plan for 1 GW of Solar in Wisconsin appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post The POWER Interview: Eaton Targets Skilled Labor Shortage With Hands-on Training appeared first on POWER Magazine.POWER in 2018 reported on the lasting impact that a dip in training programs has had on the utility workforce. In the 1980s, there were fewer training programs and the impact is still being felt today. There are fewer utility workers able to move into middle- and upper-management positions, contributing to a workforce gap as […]The post The POWER Interview: Eaton Targets Skilled Labor Shortage With Hands-on Training appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Dominion Plans 500-MW Gas Plant, Also Adding Solar and Wind appeared first on POWER Magazine.Dominion Energy announced plans for a new 500-MW natural gas-fired power plant and also has taken over a solar farm project in Pittsylvania County in Virginia, with the company saying it would invest about $330 million in the two projects. The Nov. 1 announcement came one day after Dominion said it would it would add […]The post Dominion Plans 500-MW Gas Plant, Also Adding Solar and Wind appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post GE Shelves Plans to Spin-Off Digital Business appeared first on POWER Magazine.GE will retain its lucrative digital business—not spin it off, as had been planned—but it will sharpen the division’s focus on four key markets, including electric utilities and power generation, GE Digital CEO Pat Byrne told customers in an Oct. 31 letter. “I want to affirm that GE Digital is staying in GE,” Byrne wrote. […]The post GE Shelves Plans to Spin-Off Digital Business appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Protecting Critical Infrastructure from Drone Intrusions appeared first on POWER Magazine.Drones represent a classic good news/bad news scenario. The good news is great. The bad news is terrifying. On the good news front, drones can keep utility-sector workers safely on the ground, with theThe post Protecting Critical Infrastructure from Drone Intrusions appeared first on POWER Magazine.