POWER Magazine

Dominion Energy plans to build eight new natural gas-fired power plants and speed the pace of its renewable energy efforts, according to the utility’s integrated resource plan (IRP) filed with Virginia regulators on May 1. The company also said its future plans focus on regulations on carbon emissions in part because Virginia is considering joining the […]The post More Gas, Renewables in Dominion’s Future appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A three-year-long initiative spearheaded by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in collaboration with industry has yielded a blueprint that establishes best operational and safety practices and recommended technologies for flying commercial drones beyond the visual line of sight (BVLOS). As part of the FAA’s 2015-chartered Pathfinder Initiative, the agency partnered with three private companies to […]The post FAA Initiative Highlights Best Practices for Flying Drones BVLOS appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The operator of the nation’s largest electrical grid on April 30 reiterated its system will remain reliable even with the retirements of substantial generation resources. But PJM Interconnection, whose system covers customers in 13 states, said it will conduct a review of its operations over the next several months “to understand the fuel-supply risks in […]The post PJM Says Grid Reliable, but Will Analyze Resilience appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The “bomb cyclone,” a winter storm that descended on much of the eastern U.S. from December 27, 2017, to January 8, 2018, renewed the raging debate about resiliency and prompted flashbacks of the “polar vortex,” a similar deep freeze that transpired in January 2014 and was compounded by the loss of 82 GW nationwide for various reasons. […]The post THE BIG PICTURE: A Cold Comparison appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Just weeks after the 12th International Renewable Energy Storage Conference (IRES2018) concluded in Düsseldorf, Germany, newly announced figures from Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) confirmed that battery storage technologies coupled with rapidly expanding renewables are blunting new fossil fuel investments. BNEF’s 2017 figures show that over $330 billion was invested in renewables with comparative costs […]The post Renewable Energy Storage Takes Off in Europe appeared first on POWER Magazine.

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, 22 million people—including nearly all power plant workers—are exposed to potentially damaging noise at work each year in the U.S. HearingThe post Basics of Sound and Noise Propagation appeared first on POWER Magazine.

New low prices for offshore wind energy projects in Europe have excited policymakers up and down the East Coast about prospects in the U.S. and emboldened some to finally pull the trigger on long-mooted plansThe post Offshore Wind May Finally Be Here (Really) appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A continuous emissions monitoring system (CEMS) is required in the U.S. under Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations to continuously collect, record, and report emissions data. CEMS are used toThe post Equipment Showcase – Continuous Emissions Monitoring Systems appeared first on POWER Magazine.

As data volume, variety, and velocity continue to accelerate, power plant operators increasingly encounter situations where 2-D desktop data visualization is insufficient to convey context for advancedThe post Immersive Visual Environments, Advanced Analytics Drive Operational Optimization appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The more I review the Yucca Mountain political boondoggle, the more I am convinced the stalemate will have to be resolved through a grassroots public campaign. At the outset of the Yucca startup, theThe post The Nuclear Waste Impasse Can Only Be Resolved by the Public appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The traditional electricity grid is being transformed, as more businesses look to control their costs by producing their own power. A need for reliable backup power, the push for more resiliency in generationThe post Distributed Gas Generation: Big Power in Small(er) Packages appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A sharp surge in new, larger offshore wind installations in Europe throughout 2017 dramatically shows the viability of a technology that has truly come of age. As costs fall and generation capacity increasesThe post Offshore Wind Has Taken Off in Europe appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) on April 30 updated its summer 2018 planning reserve margin to 11% based on resource updates, but it warned that the regional grid serving most of Texas could still suffer rotating outages under extreme conditions. In its final Seasonal Assessment of Resource Adequacy (SARA) report for the upcoming […]The post ERCOT: Summer Rotating Outages in Texas Still a Possibility appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Despite pleas by environmental groups for more time to review recent dumps of groundwater monitoring data from power companies, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is forging ahead to finalize a proposed overhaul of the Obama administration’s 2015 final Coal Combustion Residuals (CCR) rule. The EPA’s 45-day comment period for the agency’s March 1 proposed rule, […]The post EPA Rampaging on Coal Ash Rule Despite Groundwater Concerns appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Nevada law has included net metering provisions for more than 20 years. Net metering is an arrangement that allows energy generated by a customer’s leased or purchased solar system to offset monthly power bills. It also permits excess energy supplied to the grid to earn credits, which are then automatically applied to future billing periods […]The post Net Metering and Time-Variant Rates Drive Solar Power and Energy Storage Growth [PODCAST] appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The POWER Podcast Archive: Net Metering and Time-Variant Rates Drive Solar Power and Energy Storage Growth http://www.powermag.com/net-metering-and-time-variant-rates-drive-solar-power-and-energy-storage-growth-podcast/ Distributed Energy Systems Are Reliable Solutions http://www.powermag.com/distributed-energy-systems-are-reliable-solutions-podcast/ Power Industry Continues to Face Uncertainty and Change http://www.powermag.com/power-industry-continues-to-face-uncertainty-and-change/ Resource Diversification a Key for TVA http://www.powermag.com/resource-diversification-a-key-for-tva/ Watts Bar 2: The Long and Winding Road to Completion http://www.powermag.com/watts-bar-2-the-long-and-winding-road-to-completion-podcast/ Cogeneration Solution Serves Processing […]The post The POWER Podcast appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A joint venture of two Japanese energy companies reportedly plans to invest $935 million on U.S. power generation projects. Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) and Chubu Electric Power, through their JERA joint venture, would make the investment by 2030, according to Asian news reports. AsiaElec reported that JERA currently has about 3,000 MW of generation in […]The post Japanese JV Will Invest $935M in U.S. Power Projects appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Waypoint Leasing, a global firm that claims to be the world’s largest independent helicopter leasing company, has identified offshore wind farms as a growth opportunity for the helicopter market. Although still a small market, offshore wind power is expected to grow in coming years. According to WindEurope, a Brussels, Belgium-based wind industry advocacy group, a […]The post Helicopter Market Encouraged by Growth in Offshore Wind Farms appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The growth in power generation from renewable energy sources, along with the continued shift from coal-fired generation to natural gas, is expected to drive the global market for turbines over the next several years, according to a report released by international business analysts Research and Markets. The Dublin, Ireland-based company in an April 25 news […]The post Report: Technology, Renewables Will Grow Turbine Market appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is taking steps to more quickly enable flights of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) beyond visual line of the operator’s sight (BVLOS), though no changes are planned to a rule that governs visual line of sight in aircraft operations. The agency that is responsible for the safety of civil aviation under […]The post On the Horizon: Utility Drone Flights Beyond Visual Line of Sight appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Future regulatory actions issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will treat biomass from managed forests as carbon neutral when used for energy production at stationary sources, an agency policy statement declares. EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, who revealed the policy statement on April 23 during a meeting with Georgia forestry leaders, also said the […]The post EPA Declares Forest Biomass Is ‘Carbon Neutral’ appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Lawmakers, industry, and government entities, including the Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), this week released a string of measures responding to mounting cybersecurity attacks by state-sponsored actors. A Revised Cybersecurity Framework On April 16, the Commerce Department’s NIST, a federal standards laboratory, released an updated version of […]The post Alarming Increase in Cybersecurity Threats Prompts Spate of Government Action appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Russian state-sponsored cyber actors are exploiting routers and other network infrastructure devices worldwide to conduct man-in-the-middle attacks that specifically target critical infrastructure providers and other sectors, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the FBI, and the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) warned in a new joint technical alert. In the U.S. Computer Emergency […]The post Russian Cyber Actors Preying on Network Devices, Authorities Warn appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A report released this week by The Brattle Group says that if four nuclear power plants in Ohio and Pennsylvania are allowed to retire early it will cause “substantially higher emissions of CO2 and other pollutants” and that there will be “a significant increase in electricity prices” not only in the two states, but also […]The post Costs and Emissions Will Increase If Nuclear Plants Close appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The Colorado Springs City Council, which also serves as the board for community-owned Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU), approved the settlement of a lawsuit brought against the city’s downtown coal-fired Martin Drake Power Plant, an agreement that in part promises CSU will look at options for 100% of its power to come from renewable sources as […]The post Utility Reaches Settlement in Emissions Lawsuit appeared first on POWER Magazine.

More and more people are finding distributed energy solutions are the answer for their power resource challenges. Distributed energy comes in many forms. Renewables such as solar and wind are top-of-mind when most people think of distributed resources, but natural gas-fired generation is often a good fit too, because it adds reliability to the system […]The post Distributed Energy Systems Are Reliable Solutions [PODCAST] appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A study from an economic, financial, and strategy consulting group says the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a multi-state program designed to cap emissions from power plants in the northeastern U.S., has generated $4 billion in net economic activity even as it has increased electricity prices in the region. The report from the Analysis Group, […]The post Group Says RGGI Has Generated $4 Billion in Economic Activity appeared first on POWER Magazine.

New Jersey’s Assembly and Senate in separate actions on April 12 passed bills to ensure continued operation of PSEG’s Salem and Hope Creek nuclear power plants. Lawmakers also passed bills to modify the state’s renewable portfolio standards and for support of a pilot offshore wind farm. Legislation (S-2313/A-3724) directing the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) […]The post New Jersey Legislature Backs Nuclear Subsidies appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The nation’s paramount nuclear power trade group has launched a wide-ranging strategy to help generators stay profitable in tight markets, the head of the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) told Wall Street analysts on April 12. In an address broadcast on Facebook, Maria Korsnick, NEI president and CEO, said that nuclear plants that operate in competitive […]The post Under Competitive Pressure, Nuclear Industry Doing All It Can, NEI Head Says appeared first on POWER Magazine.

New Jersey’s Assembly and Senate are both poised to vote on controversial bills that seek to subsidize the state’s nuclear power plants, modify the renewables portfolio standard, and support a pilot offshore wind farm. Lawmakers on April 12 could pass the package of bills, which includes S-2313, a bill directing the Board of Public Utilities […]The post New Jersey Lawmakers to Vote on Nuclear Subsidies, Renewables, Offshore Wind Bills appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Debate continues over a proposed $1.5 billion power plant that would be built in North Bergen, New Jersey, and would send electricity to New York City. The project includes a 1,200-MW combined cycle facility, along with a 6.5-mile 345-kV underground and submarine cable that would go through Bergen County, under the Hudson River, and connect […]The post Proposed Power Plant Sparks Debate in New Jersey appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Santee Cooper executives doubted SCANA Corp.’s ability to properly manage the V.C. Summer nuclear expansion project for years before the project was ultimately abandoned in July 2017, according to an article published by The Post and Courier, a Charleston, S.C., newspaper. Santee Cooper—a state-run utility—partnered with SCANA as owners of the project; SCANA holds a […]The post Insiders Doubted SCANA’s Ability to Manage Nuclear Project appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A showcase of winners of POWER magazine’s highest accolade over the past decade (2017 to 2006). If you think your plant or project compares to these winners, submit a nomination form for the 2017 Plant of the Year or Top Plant awards to POWER‘s editors before the April 13 deadline. POWER magazine, which turned 135 years old this year, […]The post [SLIDESHOW] A Decade of POWER’s Plant of the Year Winners appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A report from groups including the United Nations environmental arm and Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) shows renewable energy installations were responsible for 61% of the world’s net power capacity additions in 2017, more than double the new-builds from fossil fuel-powered generation. The Global Trends in Renewable Energy Investment 2018 report, compiled by BNEF, the […]The post Investments in Renewables Dwarf New Coal, Gas Generation appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) CEO Bill Johnson in an exclusive interview with POWER suggested that the power industry continues to face an uncertain future. Johnson said that during his 40-year career, he has seen more change in the last five years than in the previous 35 combined. Several indicators imply that will continue going forward. […]The post Power Industry Continues to Face Uncertainty and Change [PODCAST] appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Data from regional transmission organization (RTO) PJM Interconnection shows about 630 MW of power generation will be taken offline in the grid operator’s territory in April, with more than 3,600 MW scheduled to be retired this year, according to the organization’s website. This month’s deactivations are scheduled to begin April 16. Last week, Ohio power […]The post PJM: More Than 3,600 MW Will Retire in 2018 appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Steam turbine rotors are susceptible to bending during some operational evolutions, which can lead to excessive vibration and ultimately failure. Rotor bending that results in premature failure of steam turbine blades and other internal components is one of the most serious problems experienced in power plants. The problems often reduce plant availability by limiting generation […]The post Test Your Knowledge: Steam Turbine Rotor Vibration appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Duke Energy Florida will commission both units of its new 1,640-MW Citrus gas-fired combined cycle power plant (Figure 1) by the end of 2018. The company on April 3 said the 820-MW Unit 1 will come online in September, with a second 820-MW unit entering service in November. Construction of the $1.5 billion plant began […]The post Duke Energy Ready to Commission New Florida Gas Plant appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Two recent project announcements indicate that the U.S. offshore wind sector is burgeoning, bolstered by falling prices and ramped-up political support. A credit ratings agency warns, however, that the sector’s growth could increasingly pressure profit margins of merchant generators in New England, New York, and New Jersey. On March 14, Danish offshore giant Ørsted and […]The post Offshore Wind Surge Threatens Merchant Generator Profits appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Even in the absence of climate policy, customer adoption of electric end-use technologies over the next 30 years is expected to spur steady growth in energy consumption, a new report assessing U.S. electrification from the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) suggests. The April 3–released report, “U.S. National Electrification Assessment,” is based on findings by EPRI’s […]The post EPRI: Electrification to Reshape Power Landscape appeared first on POWER Magazine.

FirstEnergy Corp.’s competitive arm FirstEnergy Solutions (FES) and several key subsidiaries, including FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Co. (FENOC), on March 31 sought Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. FirstEnergy said the move would facilitate an “orderly financial restructuring” and accelerate its strategy to become a fully regulated utility. FES—the parent company of FE Aircraft Leasing Corp., FirstEnergy Generation, […]The post [Updated] Troubled FirstEnergy Companies Seek Bankruptcy Protection appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The generating fleets owned by some of the largest companies in the U.S. (ranked here by capacity in 2017) have transformed over the past four years, in some cases dramatically, as total revenues fluctuated. Sources: Fidelity Investments (revenue data standardized by S&P Capital IQ); EIA-860 detailed data; SEC 10-K filings, and company websites. —Copy and artwork by Sonal Patel, a […]The post THE BIG PICTURE [INFOGRAPHIC]: Changing Fleets appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Innovative boiler and heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) designs are improving efficiency, reducing emissions, and lowering maintenance costs. Some well-proven technology, such as circulating fluidized bedThe post Advanced Boiler and HRSG Designs Offer Improved Performance appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Diesel-powered or gas-powered engines are the popular options for those wanting a generator as a prime power or standby, backup power source. A recent report from ResearchAndMarkets.com says the generatorThe post Equipment Showcase [April 2018] appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Skill levels generally differ between plant operator shifts. Further, these differences often cause divides among the shifts that result in unequal divisions of responsibility. Comprehensive, performance-basedThe post Operator Qualification and Training for the Power Industry appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Though critical to the nation’s power grid, large power transformers are some of the most vulnerable components in the system. Armed with a shared determination for resiliency, government, industry, gridThe post Disaster Preparedness: The Quest for Transformer Resilience appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The growth of renewable energy, and with it the need for reliable backup generation, along with the increase in combined heat and power applications, is contributing to a rise in the use of reciprocatingThe post Quick Starts, High Efficiency, Grid Balance — Engines on an Up Cycle appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A hybrid fire protection system has the ability to discharge a cloud of hybrid media into protected spaces to extinguish fires without the use of dangerous chemicals. The hybrid cloud is based on cyclonicThe post Innovative Firefighting Technology Improves Equipment, Personnel Safety appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A day after FirstEnergy Corp.’s competitive arm notified PJM Interconnection it would close four uneconomic nuclear units—a total of 4 GW—in Ohio and Pennsylvania between 2020 and 2021, it urged Energy Secretary Rick Perry to issue an emergency order directing the regional transmission organization (RTO) to secure nuclear and coal capacity for long-term reliability. FirstEnergy […]The post FirstEnergy Entreats DOE to Save Coal and Nuclear Plants appeared first on POWER Magazine.