POWER Magazine

The post Former SpaceX Engineers Tout New Microreactor appeared first on POWER Magazine. A California company is gathering funding for development of a portable nuclear microreactor, designed for use in areas where other forms of power generation are not practical. Radiant, founded by former SpaceX engineers, on Sept. 22 said it has raised $1.2 million from angel investors as it designs what the company calls a “clean energy […]The post Former SpaceX Engineers Tout New Microreactor appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post GE Throws in the Towel on Coal-Fired Power appeared first on POWER Magazine. GE said it will exit the new-build coal power market, subject to applicable consultation requirements. “GE’s Steam Power business will work with customers on existing obligations as it pursues this exit, which may include divestitures, site closings, job impacts and appropriate considerations for publicly held subsidiaries,” the company said in a Sept. 21 announcement. It […]The post GE Throws in the Towel on Coal-Fired Power appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Improve Wind Turbine Safety with a Piston Accumulator Retrofit appeared first on POWER Magazine. Wind turbines are designed to maximize power production based on the predicted wind speeds found at the plant site. However, excessive wind speeds are experienced at times, so it is crucial to limit power generation at those times to avoid spontaneous runaway turbine situations that may cause damage to the turbine rotor or other parts […]The post Improve Wind Turbine Safety with a Piston Accumulator Retrofit appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Cyber Risks Are Top of Mind Throughout the Power Sector appeared first on POWER Magazine. The electric power sector in the United States has a long history of facing threats to our infrastructure—whether they are natural or man‐made. While cyberthreats are indeed much more complex, particularly when you consider that some of our cyber adversaries are nation states, the industry has a strong foundation of preparedness, resilience, and response. Though […]The post Cyber Risks Are Top of Mind Throughout the Power Sector appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post The Past, Present, and Future of Powerline Inspection Automation appeared first on POWER Magazine. “Tedious.” If you ask electric utilities for one word on powerline inspection, that would probably be it. “Time-consuming” and “expensive” would probably also feature. Yet, “vital” would be just as valid: there is no way to safely operate a transmission and distribution network without inspecting lines for damage or risk from factors such as vegetation. […]The post The Past, Present, and Future of Powerline Inspection Automation appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Summer 2020 Brought ERCOT Market Challenges, But Nothing Like 2019 appeared first on POWER Magazine. The Texas power market made headlines in August 2019 when wholesale prices for electricity repeatedly spiked close to and even hit the $9,000-per-megawatt-hour (MWh) cap. This August, average hourly prices peaked at “just” $1,700 per MWh, the afternoon of Aug. 15. There were many reasons for the reduced price volatility in Texas this year. First, […]The post Summer 2020 Brought ERCOT Market Challenges, But Nothing Like 2019 appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Hitachi ABB Power Grids’ Report Highlights Greening of the Grid appeared first on POWER Magazine. The use of coal for North American power generation will continue to decline, natural gas will continue as the leading source of power, and the use of renewable resources to provide electricity will continue to grow, according to a report from Hitachi ABB Power Grids. The outlook, titled “North America Power Reference Case: Spring 2020” […]The post Hitachi ABB Power Grids’ Report Highlights Greening of the Grid appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post FERC Order Backs Grid Market for DERs appeared first on POWER Magazine. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued an order that advocates for distributed energy resources (DERs) say will enable DERs, including renewable energy such as solar, wind, and battery storage, to compete on a more-level playing field in the organized capacity, energy, and ancillary services markets run by regional grid operators. FERC Order No. 2222, […]The post FERC Order Backs Grid Market for DERs appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Hitachi Out of UK Nuclear Business appeared first on POWER Magazine. Hitachi will formally end business operations on the Horizon Nuclear Power Plant in the UK, citing an “investment environment” that has become “increasingly severe due to the impact of COVID-19.” The Tokyo, Japan–headquartered conglomerate’s move comes 20 months after it first suspended plans to build the plant in Wylfa Newydd in Wales as part of […]The post Hitachi Out of UK Nuclear Business appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Is Carbon Capture Technology a Viable Solution? [PODCAST] appeared first on POWER Magazine. Carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS) is widely viewed as a necessary technology to facilitate the continued use of fossil fuels in light of climate change concerns around the world. One company that has been highly focused on CCUS research and development, as well as deployment of the technology, is Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI). Tiffany […]The post Is Carbon Capture Technology a Viable Solution? [PODCAST] appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post DOE-Backed Hydrogen Project Underway in Texas appeared first on POWER Magazine. A California energy company is collaborating with its parent and the University of Texas on a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) project to show that renewable hydrogen can be a cost-effective fuel with several applications, including for both the transportation and power generation sectors. Frontier Energy, headquartered in San Ramon, California, and a subsidiary of […]The post DOE-Backed Hydrogen Project Underway in Texas appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Flexible Small-Scale Generation Empowered by Once-Through Boiler Technology appeared first on POWER Magazine. Distributed generation integrated with intermittent renewable generation responds to the growing need for highly flexible small-scale (less than 100 MW) power generation resources. The limiting factor facing plant designers is that the conventional heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) does not enable fast-acting power generation demanded by modern grid systems. John Cockerill Energy’s vertical once-through boilers […]The post Flexible Small-Scale Generation Empowered by Once-Through Boiler Technology appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post BP Buying $1.1 Billion Stake in U.S. Offshore Wind appeared first on POWER Magazine. The move by major oil and gas exploration companies into renewable energy has taken another significant step, as BP announced a $1.1 billion deal to buy the U.S. offshore wind power assets of Norway’s Equinor. BP in announcing the deal on Sept. 10 said it is taking a 50% stake in Equinor’s Empire Wind project […]The post BP Buying $1.1 Billion Stake in U.S. Offshore Wind appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post New Jersey Opens Solicitation to Triple Offshore Wind Commitment, Outlines Pathway to 7.5 GW by 2035 appeared first on POWER Magazine. New Jersey on Sept. 9 opened a second state offshore wind solicitation that could triple its committed capacity from 1.1 GW to 3.5 GW. The state this week also laid out a final strategy for how it will achieve its November 2019–expanded offshore wind target of 7.5 GW by 2035. New Jersey’s five-member Board of […]The post New Jersey Opens Solicitation to Triple Offshore Wind Commitment, Outlines Pathway to 7.5 GW by 2035 appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Vattenfall Ready to Close Largest German Coal Plant appeared first on POWER Magazine. A German plan to provide coal-fired power plant operators with money to offset financial losses, part of the country’s plan to incentivize the closure of coal plants as part of Germany’s plan to exit the fuel, has led energy giant Vattenfall to say it could close its 1.6-GW Moorburg coal plant in Hamburg by the […]The post Vattenfall Ready to Close Largest German Coal Plant appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post South Korea Will Close Half Its Coal-Fired Fleet appeared first on POWER Magazine. South Korea’s president said the country will shutter 30 more coal-fired power plants by 2034, and bring additional solar and wind power resources online in the next five years in order to meet emissions reductions targets. President Moon Jae-in made the announcement Sept. 8 in a speech he delivered virtually for the United Nations’ International […]The post South Korea Will Close Half Its Coal-Fired Fleet appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post DOE Issues Emergency Order to Alleviate California Power Crisis appeared first on POWER Magazine. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) on Sept. 6 took the rare but drastic action of issuing an emergency order under the Federal Power Act (FPA) to authorize the maximum operation of three natural gas–fired facilities on the California Independent System Operator’s (CAISO’s) grid whose full capability had been stranded by federal air quality and […]The post DOE Issues Emergency Order to Alleviate California Power Crisis appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post GE, CTCI Score 6.5-GW Gas Power Contract Win in Taiwan appeared first on POWER Magazine. General Electric International Inc. (GE) and consortium partner Taiwanese engineering services firm CTCI have bagged a multi-billion-dollar engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract for five combined cycle gas-fired power units in Taiwan. The consortium will build three new units at the 3.9-GW Hsinta Power Plant and two new units at the 2.6-GW Taichung Power Plant. […]The post GE, CTCI Score 6.5-GW Gas Power Contract Win in Taiwan appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Georgia Power: New Vogtle Unit Still Set for 2021 Startup appeared first on POWER Magazine. The target in-service dates for two new reactors at the Vogtle nuclear power plant site in Georgia remain November 2021 and November 2022, respectively, Georgia Power said in a filing this week with the state’s Public Utility Commission. The utility on Aug. 31, in its “Twenty-third Semi-annual Vogtle Construction Monitoring Report,” said work on the […]The post Georgia Power: New Vogtle Unit Still Set for 2021 Startup appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post GE Hitachi, TerraPower Team on Nuclear-Storage Hybrid SMR appeared first on POWER Magazine. GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH) and Bill Gates’ nuclear innovation startup TerraPower are ready to demonstrate a “cost-competitive” advanced nuclear reactor system that will integrate a 345-MWe sodium fast reactor (SFR) with a molten salt energy storage system under a unique energy system architecture. The advanced nuclear technology developed under a joint development agreement is […]The post GE Hitachi, TerraPower Team on Nuclear-Storage Hybrid SMR appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post New Fuel Cell Power Plants Deployed in South Korea and California appeared first on POWER Magazine. Two new fuel cell-based electricity generation facilities have been “powered on” in the Gyeonggi province of South Korea. The new installations use Bloom Energy’s solid-oxide fuel cells. One of the power plants—a 19.8-MW installation—is located in Hwasung. It is the largest Bloom Energy project in South Korea, and the company’s second-largest in the world. The […]The post New Fuel Cell Power Plants Deployed in South Korea and California appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post What Is Siemens Energy? CEO Tells All appeared first on POWER Magazine. Siemens announced the spinoff of its Power and Gas division on May 7, 2019. It was part of the company’s Vision 2020+ strategy. On Sept. 1, Siemens Energy laid out its post-spinoff plans during a virtual capital market presentation. Siemens Energy’s Portfolio Leading up to the event, Christian Bruch, who was appointed CEO of Siemens […]The post What Is Siemens Energy? CEO Tells All appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Mitsubishi Power Snags Hydrogen Integration Contracts for 2 GW of New Gas Power appeared first on POWER Magazine. Three major gas-fired power projects—a total of 2.1 GW—in Eastern competitive markets that are slated to come online between 2023 and 2025 have chosen hydrogen pathways to ensure their long-term viability as states increasingly emphasize energy system decarbonization. The plants, which represent a total investment of $3 billion, will adopt integrated green hydrogen solution packages […]The post Mitsubishi Power Snags Hydrogen Integration Contracts for 2 GW of New Gas Power appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post World’s Largest—For Now—Battery Storage Project Online in California appeared first on POWER Magazine. A battery energy storage project in California is set to be the world’s largest in terms of generation capacity when the facility is fully energized later in September. McCarthy Building Companies’ Renewable Energy & Storage group, based in Phoenix, Arizona, on Sept. 1 said the company had recently completed construction of LS Power’s 250-MW Gateway […]The post World’s Largest—For Now—Battery Storage Project Online in California appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Sustainable Building at Heart of Collaborative Project [PODCAST] appeared first on POWER Magazine. The South Landing project in Spokane, Washington, has been called “the five smartest city blocks in the world.” The development is said to feature “the most sustainable large building in North America.” Known as the Catalyst Building, it is intended to anchor a planned “innovation hub.” The five-story, 150,000-square-foot building features two wings around a […]The post Sustainable Building at Heart of Collaborative Project [PODCAST] appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Floating Platforms Are an Offshore Wind Gamechanger appeared first on POWER Magazine. WindFloat Atlantic consists of three 8.4-MW wind turbines installed about 20 kilometers off the coast of Viana do Castelo, Portugal. Although its size is modest compared to other operating offshore wind farmsThe post Floating Platforms Are an Offshore Wind Gamechanger appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post [VIDEO] POWER Insights—Advanced Diagnostics to Monitor and Secure the Grid appeared first on POWER Magazine. The power grid has never been more important. The coronavirus pandemic has accelerated the world’s progress toward a remote and mobile workforce, meaning society in general and certainly businesses are more dependent than ever on reliable, safe, and secure electricity. Doble Engineering has worked to secure the power grid for 100 years. The company, founded […]The post [VIDEO] POWER Insights—Advanced Diagnostics to Monitor and Secure the Grid appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post The POWER Interview: Technology Can Solve Problem of Nuclear Waste appeared first on POWER Magazine. Debate continues about nuclear power’s role in electricity production, particularly as it revolves around climate change. As a zero-emissions source of power, nuclear is seen by many as a complement to renewable energy in the transition away from coal-fired generation. Nuclear power, though, has detractors, who point to nuclear accidents and say the risk is […]The post The POWER Interview: Technology Can Solve Problem of Nuclear Waste appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Developing a Solution for Utility-Scale Storage appeared first on POWER Magazine. A Canadian company is using its proprietary technology, known as A-CAES, to provide a long-duration, cost-effective way for energy storage to provide power for hours at a time. Long-duration energy storage isThe post Developing a Solution for Utility-Scale Storage appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Award-Winning Hydropower Project Helps Electrify Ethiopia appeared first on POWER Magazine. The government of Ethiopia has set a goal of providing access to electricity to all its citizens by 2025. It still has a long way to go, but projects such as the Genale Dawa III hydropower station are helpingThe post Award-Winning Hydropower Project Helps Electrify Ethiopia appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post WindGas Falkenhagen: Pioneering Green Gas Production appeared first on POWER Magazine. Uniper's Falkenhagen site in Germany hosted two major pilots to produce "green" hydrogen and methane from wind power, opening up prospects for lucrative new revenue streams from decarbonized assets thatThe post WindGas Falkenhagen: Pioneering Green Gas Production appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Turning a Brownfield into a Brightfield appeared first on POWER Magazine. A solar array in Indiana is a model project for renewable energy development, with the site providing clean energy at what was once a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Superfund site. Areas of the U.SThe post Turning a Brownfield into a Brightfield appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Delingha: A Leap for Molten Salt Tower CSP Technology appeared first on POWER Magazine. The 50-MW Delingha concentrated solar power tower plant located on the high-altitude Tibetan Plateau in China was developed, built, and continues to be refined by a company dedicated to solar tower technologyThe post Delingha: A Leap for Molten Salt Tower CSP Technology appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Supercritical CO2 Pilot Power Plant Gearing Up for 2021 Demonstration appeared first on POWER Magazine. Construction of the 10-MW Supercritical Transformational Electric Power (STEP) pilot plant in San Antonio, Texas, is inching along, and developers in July announced that the building to house the innovativeThe post Supercritical CO2 Pilot Power Plant Gearing Up for 2021 Demonstration appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Benefits of Reciprocating Engines in Power Generation appeared first on POWER Magazine. Many experts believe power plants constructed with reciprocating engines are the ideal complement to intermittent renewables. Recip plants are extremely flexible. Facilities can be sized for almost any useThe post Benefits of Reciprocating Engines in Power Generation appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post EPA Loosens Limits on Coal Plant Effluent Discharges appeared first on POWER Magazine. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has finalized a rule that revises regulations for coal-fired power plants, a move that will limit the number of generation facilities that could incur costs for failing to comply with pollution limits. The action on Aug. 31 revises a rule established in 2015, when the EPA issued an order […]The post EPA Loosens Limits on Coal Plant Effluent Discharges appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post NRC Gives Final Approval to NuScale’s SMR Design appeared first on POWER Magazine. NuScale Power said the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has completed its Phase 6 review of the Design Certification Application (DCA) of the company’s small modular nuclear reactor (SMR), and said the company’s SMR is the first such reactor to receive NRC approval of its design. NuScale on August 28 announced that with the DCA […]The post NRC Gives Final Approval to NuScale’s SMR Design appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Construction Begins on New Gas Plant in Alberta appeared first on POWER Magazine. Macquarie Capital and a handful of other development sponsors announced they have successfully closed financing for the C$1.5 billion ($1.2 billion U.S.) Cascade Power Project, a 900-MW combined cycle natural gas-fired generating plant near Edson, Alberta. The new facility (Figure 1), expected to meet more than 8% of the province’s average demand for power, will […]The post Construction Begins on New Gas Plant in Alberta appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Exelon Makes Plans to Retire Byron and Dresden Nuclear Plants in 2021 appeared first on POWER Magazine. In a stunning announcement, Exelon Generation, which operates the largest U.S. fleet of nuclear plants—21 reactors at 12 facilities in Illinois, Maryland, New York, and Pennsylvania—said it will retire the Byron and Dresden generating stations next fall for economic reasons. “Although we know in our heads that shutting down the uneconomic Illinois plants is necessary […]The post Exelon Makes Plans to Retire Byron and Dresden Nuclear Plants in 2021 appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Versatile Test Reactor Program Selects Bechtel Team for Nuclear Design, Build Phase appeared first on POWER Magazine. Battelle Energy Alliance (BEA), the entity that manages Idaho National Laboratory (INL), has initiated contract negotiations with a team lead by Bechtel National Inc. (BNI) and supported by GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH) and Terra Power to back the design and build phase of the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Versatile Test Reactor (VTR). The announcement […]The post Versatile Test Reactor Program Selects Bechtel Team for Nuclear Design, Build Phase appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Gulf Coast Utilities Brace for Monster Hurricane appeared first on POWER Magazine. Utilities along the U.S. Gulf Coast are preparing their response to Hurricane Laura as the massive storm bears down on the Texas and Louisiana coastlines. Entergy Corp., whose territory includes those two states along with Arkansas and Mississippi, on August 26 said it had about 7,400 workers ready to respond to the storm, including 5,300 […]The post Gulf Coast Utilities Brace for Monster Hurricane appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post The ELECTRIC POWER Conference and Exhibition Shifts to Virtual and Changes Its Name to Reflect Expanded Content and Experiences appeared first on POWER Magazine. POWER has announced the decision to hold the ELECTRIC POWER Conference and Exhibition virtually, September 28–October 1, 2020, to safely bring the power community together, expand the event, and transition to a new name. HOUSTON, Texas, August 26, 2020 – With the health and safety of all participants and stakeholders as the number one priority, […]The post The ELECTRIC POWER Conference and Exhibition Shifts to Virtual and Changes Its Name to Reflect Expanded Content and Experiences appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Derecho Damage Results in Early Retirement of Duane Arnold Nuclear Power Plant appeared first on POWER Magazine. The Duane Arnold Energy Center (DAEC, Figure 1)—a 615-MW nuclear power plant located in Palo, Iowa—will reportedly not restart after high winds caused extensive damage to the station’s cooling towers. The plant owner, NextEra Energy Resources, had planned to retire the unit on Oct. 30, but after assessing damage caused by an Aug. 10 derecho, […]The post Derecho Damage Results in Early Retirement of Duane Arnold Nuclear Power Plant appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post PI System Software-Maker OSIsoft Being Acquired by AVEVA appeared first on POWER Magazine. In a $5 billion deal, engineering and industrial software company AVEVA has agreed to acquire OSIsoft, maker of the PI System, which is a market-leading operational data software solution. “Combining AVEVA and OSIsoft is yet another significant milestone in our journey to achieving the ambitious growth goals that we have set,” Craig Hayman, CEO of […]The post PI System Software-Maker OSIsoft Being Acquired by AVEVA appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Analysis Supports Competitive Southeast Power Market appeared first on POWER Magazine. A new report from two groups that study energy policy supports the establishment of a fully competitive regional electricity market in the U.S. Southeast, something already being discussed by at least two of the region’s largest utilities. The analysis published August 25 from San Francisco, California-based Energy Innovation, and Boulder, Colorado-based Vibrant Clean Energy (VCE), […]The post Analysis Supports Competitive Southeast Power Market appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Nine Dead in Hydropower Plant Blaze in India appeared first on POWER Magazine. A major fire at the Srisailam Left Bank Hydel Power Station in India’s Telegana state on August 20 killed nine people and seriously injured three others. There is now a wide-ranging federal investigation into its cause. According to plant owner and operator, Telangana State Power Generation Corp. Ltd. (TSGenco), the tragic accident occurred at about […]The post Nine Dead in Hydropower Plant Blaze in India appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post 5 Reasons Why You Need to Increase Remote Operations Capacity Today appeared first on POWER Magazine. In February 2020, TIME magazine described the coronavirus pandemic’s workplace implications as “the world’s largest work-from-home experiment.” Today, it’s apparent that it is no longer an experiment, but a new way of working for the foreseeable future. Globally, 70% of people work remotely at least once a week, as every sector from government institutions and […]The post 5 Reasons Why You Need to Increase Remote Operations Capacity Today appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Financing Secured for New Gas Plant with GE HA Turbines appeared first on POWER Magazine. Financing has been secured for a new combined cycle natural gas-fired power plant in Illinois, a project expected to begin supplying electricity to the Chicago area in 2023. Competitive Power Ventures (CPV), in partnership with GE Energy Financial Services, Osaka Gas USA, Axium Infrastructure, and Harrison Street, on August 24 said it has reached financial […]The post Financing Secured for New Gas Plant with GE HA Turbines appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post California Blackouts Bring Calls for Investigation appeared first on POWER Magazine. California’s governor demanded an investigation into the cause of a series of power outages—the first since since an energy crisis in 2001—that blacked out parts of the state in recent days. California Independent System Operator (CAISO) has struggled to ensure reliability since Friday, Aug. 14, when, amid triple-digit temperatures, it declared a statewide Stage 2 […]The post California Blackouts Bring Calls for Investigation appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post Additional Solutions Needed for California Power Market appeared first on POWER Magazine. Late last week, to manage a potential large-scale power outage driven by triple-digit temperatures, the California Independent Service Operator (CAISO) called on utilities to implement rolling outages across the California grid. The shutdown of three natural gas power plants and a significant decline in available wind power were cited as the primary reasons behind the […]The post Additional Solutions Needed for California Power Market appeared first on POWER Magazine.