POWER Magazine

The Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station in New Jersey, the oldest operating nuclear plant in the U.S., was shut down on September 17, 2018. For more, see “Oldest U.S. Nuclear Plant Shuts Down.” Visit our video archiveThe post [VIDEO] An Iconic Nuclear Plant Shuts Down appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station in New Jersey, the oldest operating nuclear plant in the U.S., was shut down September 17. Workers marked the closure with a ceremony at the plant, as 400 current employees and former workers watched via a livestream as operators took the plant offline. Oyster Creek, a 625-MW single-reactor plant […]The post Oldest U.S. Nuclear Plant Shuts Down appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit on September 13 upheld subsidies offered by Illinois to help struggling nuclear power plants. The court rejected arguments from power producers and some Illinois energy consumers that so-called zero-emission credits (ZEC) are preempted by the Federal Power Act. Opponents argued the program violates the Commerce Clause […]The post Appeals Court Backs Illinois’ Nuclear Subsidies appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Xcel Energy on September 12 launched a drone to inspect electric power lines near Fort St. Vrain Generating Station in Platteville, Colorado—marking the first flight by a U.S. utility beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) during ongoing inspections. Xcel on Wednesday launched a 35-pound drone that is equipped with two cameras, as local, state, and federal […]The post In an Industry First, Xcel Energy Flies a Drone BVLOS appeared first on POWER Magazine.

As a vote by owners on the fate of the Vogtle nuclear expansion project hangs in the balance, the City of Jacksonville, Florida, and JEA—the city’s municipal utility that serves about 458,000 electric customers—filed a complaint in the Fourth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida on September 11 asking for declaratory judgment on a power purchase […]The post Lawsuits Raise Stakes on Vogtle Nuclear Expansion Vote appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A report this week from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) shows coal-fired power was still the major source of generation on a state-by-state basis in 2017, though natural gas-fueled electricity production slightly outpaced coal overall The EIA’s report, published September 10, said 18 states relied on coal for the bulk of their power generation […]The post EIA Report Says Coal Still King on State-by-State Basis appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on September 10 announced it will hold one hearing to get input from the public and stakeholders on its Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) rule, the Trump administration’s replacement for the Obama-era Clean Power Plan (CPP). The EPA said it has scheduled an all-day hearing October 1 at the Ralph […]The post EPA Schedules One Hearing on Proposed ACE Rule appeared first on POWER Magazine.

California Gov. Jerry Brown on September 10 signed into law a measure requiring the state to produce all its electricity from renewable sources by 2045. It’s a goal that also has been set by Hawaii and is being discussed by other states. Environmental groups and renewable energy advocates immediately praised Brown’s action. Utilities operating in […]The post California Mandates 100% Renewable Energy appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Nuclear power’s share of the world’s power generating mix could shrink dramatically from 10% in 2017 to just 5.6% in 2050 as the industry struggles with “reduced competitiveness,” the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) suggested in a new report. The international organization based in Vienna, Austria, that works to promote the peaceful use of nuclear […]The post IAEA: ‪Global Nuclear Power Industry Is ‘Struggling’ appeared first on POWER Magazine.

More than 10% of the coal mined from eight U.S. regions in the first half of 2018 was sent to coal plants scheduled for retirement between this year and 2032, according to a report from S&P Global Market Intelligence. The trend is another troubling sign for the struggling coal industry. The analysis released September 7 […]The post Report: 10% of U.S. Coal Mined in 1H2018 Went to Plants Scheduled to Retire appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Scientists appear to have unraveled the mystery of uranium ore found at a mine in Oklo region of the Central African state of Gabon that exhibits a lower proportion of uranium-235 (U-235)—the fissile sort. According to an August 10 bulletin from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the first response that physicists had when […]The post ‪The Curious Case of a Two-Billion-Year-Old Nuclear Reactor appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Terrestrial Energy USA, a company that is developing a fourth-generation molten salt nuclear reactor, has joined forces with Southern Co. and several U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) national labs, in a research and development (R&D) project that seeks to pin down whether its reactor technology can produce hydrogen efficiently using nuclear heat and power. The […]The post Demonstration Advances to Produce Hydrogen Using Molten Salt Reactor Nuclear Technology appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Seventeen states have asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit to reject the Trump administration’s efforts to further delay the court’s decision on legal challenges to the Clean Power Plan. In a filing with the court on September 4, the attorneys general of California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, […]The post Several States Urge Federal Court to Rule on Clean Power Plan appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The Trump administration has revived the discussion of using Yucca Mountain in Nevada as a repository for the nation’s nuclear waste. Nevada officials remain opposed to the idea of putting spent nuclear fuel in long-term storage at a site about 100 miles from Las Vegas. But while a bill to resurrect Yucca Mountain as a […]The post Plans Move Forward for Privately Funded Storage of Nuclear Waste appeared first on POWER Magazine.

It is safe to say that all electricity customers want reliable and resilient power service. One way that some end-users are ensuring they get it is by investing in distributed energy resources and building microgrids. But rather than simply using these systems as emergency backups, more and more owners are finding ways to capture economic […]The post How Power Companies Can Influence Customer Behavior [PODCAST] appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) interdisciplinary study found that nuclear power has the potential to contribute greatly to the achievement of deep decarbonization goals, yet despite its promise, cost hinders the expansion of nuclear power. “The Future of Nuclear Energy in a Carbon-Constrained World” was released on September 3. It is the eighth in […]The post Crucial to Decarbonization, Costs Dim Prospects for Nuclear Power appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The Japanese government has pushed for the reuse of mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel in the country’s nuclear reactors, but utilities that finance the reprocessing have not funded those operations since fiscal year 2016, according to financial reports released by the power companies on September 2. Japan’s KYODO News reported that sources said 10 utilities, including Tokyo […]The post Japan Program for Reuse of Nuclear MOX Fuel in Doubt appeared first on POWER Magazine.

President Trump campaigned on a promise to reduce regulation and control regulatory costs. One of his first actions after taking office was to issue an executive order calling for the elimination of two existing regulations for every one new regulation issued. Toward that end, the Trump administration has acted or sought to reverse more than […]The post THE BIG PICTURE: Trump’s Regulatory Targets appeared first on POWER Magazine.

On many combined cycle projects, the major decisions about boiler chemistry are left until after the plant has been designed, equipment is procured, and construction is well underway. However, the best time to make these chemistry decisions is in the design phase of the project. That enables the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractor to […]The post Select Boiler Chemistry in the Design Phase of Project Life appeared first on POWER Magazine.

New natural gas-fired power plants and wind farms are part of Egypt’s strategy to increase the country’s power generation by at least 50%. It began delivering on that plan in July as it brought threeThe post Egypt Brings New Natural Gas and Wind Power Plants Online appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Though tidal energy is still considered by many to be in its nascent stages, power generated from turbines harnessing fast tidal flows in the same way wind turbines catch the wind has entered the commercialThe post MeyGen Array Sets Global Records for Harnessing Tidal Power appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The Solar Energy Industries Association, the national trade association for the U.S. solar industry, reports that solar power has grown in the U.S. at a compounded annual rate of 59% since the solar investmentThe post Let the Sun Shine In: Where Is Solar Power Headed? appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Palo Verde is the largest nuclear-generating site in the U.S. It has three of the five largest nuclear units in the country, with each pressurized water reactor licensed at almost 4,000 MWth. Like many plantsThe post Digital Tools Help Increase Output, Reduce Costs at Palo Verde appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The power industry is changing and leading companies are turning to digital technologies to revolutionize their operations. Monitoring and diagnostics centers are leveraging vast amounts of data from aroundThe post A Reimagined Power Future Enabled by Digital Technologies appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The Frades II pumped-storage hydro project in Portugal took advantage of existing dams to incorporate a scheme that includes the largest variable-speed reversible units installed in Europe. The facilityThe post Award-Winning Pumped-Storage Hydro Facility a Modern Marvel appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Long-distance conveyors are a reliable and energy-efficient method of bulk material transport. Pipe conveyors—fully enclosed material handling systems—offer additional environmental protection and moreThe post The Technology Behind One of the World’s Longest Pipe Conveyors appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The inaugural integrated system plan (ISP) released by Australia’s Energy Market Operator (AEMO) in mid-July warns that the country is in the midst of a “transformative and unprecedented” rate of changeThe post Australia Braces for Power System Transformation, Disruptions appeared first on POWER Magazine.

NTE Energy on August 28 formally began operations of its 475-MW Kings Mountain Energy Center (KMEC) natural gas–fired plant in Cleveland County, North Carolina, marking the third major milestone in recent months for gas-turbine giant Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems (MHPS) Americas. The $500 million KMEC facility features MHPS G-Series advanced-class gas turbine technology. Owned and […]The post MHPS Marks Third Major U.S. Gas-Turbine Milestone in Recent Months appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Lawmakers in California’s Assembly on August 28 cleared a key vote on a bill that would require the state to obtain 100% of all retail electricity sales from renewable and zero-emissions resources by 2045. The state’s Assembly voted 43–32 in favor of SB 100. The bill, which now heads to the state Senate for a […]The post California Assembly Passes 100% Renewables Mandate appeared first on POWER Magazine.

FirstEnergy Solutions Corp. (FES) notified PJM Interconnection, the regional transmission organization (RTO), of its plans to deactivate four fossil-fuel generating plants in 2021 and 2022. In a press release issued on August 29, the company said it “is closing the plants due to a market environment that fails to adequately compensate generators for the resiliency […]The post FirstEnergy Throws in the Towel on Coal Plants appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A spate of major power companies—including American Electric Power (AEP) and Southern Co.—have acquiesced to investor pressure and announced drastic cuts to their generating fleet carbon emissions over the long term. Industry group Edison Electric Institute (EEI) this week launched an official industry-designed template to help its member utilities better inform investors about their environmental, […]The post As More Power Companies Announce Decarbonization Initiatives, EEI Makes Sustainability Reporting Easier appeared first on POWER Magazine.

An executive with the AES Shady Point coal-fired power plant in Oklahoma said the facility could close as soon as January after being notified its power purchase agreement (PPA) will not be extended. Oklahoma Gas & Electric Co. (OG&E) this month said it will not execute another five-year extension of a PPA between the two […]The post Oklahoma Coal Plant Sets Closing Date After Losing PPA appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The Trump administration has extended a potential lifeline to coal-fired power plants with its Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) rule. Now the debate is about how much the plan will actually help coal generation. Energy analysts and other industry experts who spoke with POWER on August 28 say the new rule, which would give individual states the […]The post Coal’s ACE in the Hole? New Rule Still Faces Headwinds appeared first on POWER Magazine.

On August 8, Georgia Power announced that its revised capital and construction cost forecast for its share of the Plant Vogtle expansion project had increased from $7.3 billion to $8.4 billion, based on a revised cost-to-complete estimate from Southern Nuclear. The news was softened somewhat by Georgia Power’s declaration that significant construction progress had been […]The post Fate of Vogtle Nuclear Expansion Hinges on Minority Owners appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The Trump administration’s Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) rule announced August 21 calls for coal-fired power plants to meet state-designed performance standards, most notably focused on increases in heat rate and overall efficiency for individual generating stations. Energy experts speaking at the MEGA Symposium in Baltimore, Maryland, on August 22 agreed it’s a goal worth pursuing. […]The post Experts: Coal Plants Must Adapt to New Energy Landscape appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The power market is changing. It’s being driven more and more by the retail side of the business, according to Roy Palk, Esq., president of New Horizons Consulting. Palk will give a presentation titled “The Rise of Distributed Energy — New Challenges Bring New Opportunities” during the Distributed Energy Conference, which will be held at […]The post Power Market Is Changing — Distributed Energy Gaining Ground [PODCAST] appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) rule is proposed to replace the 2015 Clean Power Plan—which the Supreme Court stayed in February 2016 and never went into effect. According to the EPA, the replacement is necessary because the Obama-era Clean Power Plan “exceeded the EPA’s authority.” However, like the Clean Power Plan, […]The post What Coal Generators Should Know About the EPA’s Proposed ACE Rule appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Energy industry experts speaking at the MEGA Symposium in Baltimore, Maryland, on August 21 agreed that storage is becoming more important to the overall mix of U.S. power sources. They also said utility-scale storage solutions remain “years away,” even as technology advancements in battery systems occur more rapidly. Panelists at the session entitled “The Transformation […]The post Storage Bringing Change to Energy Markets appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The Trump administration has proposed an overhaul of U.S. power plant emissions rules, unveiling a plan that would allow individual states to determine how they will regulate pollutants. The proposal, called the Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) plan and discussed during the keynote address at the MEGA Symposium in Baltimore, Maryland, on August 21, would essentially dissolve […]The post UPDATE: Trump Emissions Plan Aims to Boost Coal-Fired Power appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a proposed rule to replace the Clean Power Plan—a rule regulating greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) from existing coal-fired power plants. The new “Affordable Clean Energy” rule sets GHG guidelines for states to set standards for performance for existing coal-fired power plants. The proposal is the newest development in a […]The post A Brief History of the Clean Power Plan appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The possible new operator of the largest coal-fired power plant in the western U.S. told Arizona regulators this week the company would run the Navajo Generating Station (NGS) at less than half its installed generation capacity in order to maintain profitability. An official for Illinois-based Middle River Power (MRP) also said the plant would operate […]The post Potential Navajo Station Operator—Less Capacity Equals More Profit appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The world’s first AP1000 nuclear reactor—Sanmen 1 in China’s Zhejiang province—commenced 100% power operation for the first time on August 11, China National Nuclear Corp. (CNNC) said. Sanmen 1 was connected to the grid on June 30. Earlier this year, China also put online Unit 5 of the Yangjiang Nuclear Plant on May 23, and Taishan 1, an EPR, on […]The post World’s First AP1000 Nuclear Reactor Reaches Full Power appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Nuclear power generation increased worldwide in 2017 for the fifth successive year according to a report released by the World Nuclear Association (WNA). Production from nuclear plants reached 2,506 TWh in 2017, more than 10% of global electricity demand. The average capacity factor for the world’s nuclear power plants increased year-over-year to 81.1%, continuing the […]The post Nuclear Power Production Up for Fifth Year in a Row appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A New York Supreme Court judge on August 15 said Competitive Power Ventures (CPV) can resume startup tests at its new natural gas-fired power plant in Wawayanda. The decision Wednesday from Judge Roger D. McDonough came one day after CPV sued New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). CPV is seeking an injunction allowing it […]The post Judge Rules New York Gas Plant Can Resume Startup Tests appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A report from POLITICO says the Trump administration’s rollback of the Obama-era Clean Power Plan (CPP) would give individual states more leeway to set their own rules governing emissions from power plants. POLITICO, which covers politics and policy both in the U.S. and internationally, said its review of a draft document, and information from a […]The post States Would Set Rules Under Trump Emissions Plan appeared first on POWER Magazine.

An Indiana consumer protection agency has told state regulators they should reject Vectren Corp.’s plan to build a new natural gas-fired power plant in the state. Vectren wants the plant to replace four of the utility’s retiring coal-fired units. Indiana’s Office of Utility Consumer Counselor (OUCC) on August 13 said it completed a five-month legal […]The post Group: Indiana Should Reject Vectren Plan for New Gas-Fired Plant appeared first on POWER Magazine.

An official with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) told a nuclear industry group this week that the agency and Trump administration officials are trying to identify power plants they consider critical to the nation’s grid. The move is seen as part of the White House effort to prop up the struggling U.S. coal and […]The post Official: FERC, Other Agencies Identifying ‘Critical’ Coal, Nuclear Plants appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Several milestones have been reached at nuclear power plant construction sites around the world including on the Leningrad II-2, Novovoronezh II-2, Barakah, and Plant Vogtle projects. Russian Progress At the Leningrad site, Rosatom—the Russian state atomic energy corporation—reported on August 7 that the main turbine equipment installation for Phase II Unit 2 was completed. The […]The post Nuclear Construction Update: New Progress Made in Russia, UAE, and U.S. appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Siemens reported a 2% rise in industrial profit for its fiscal third quarter on August 2, topping analyst forecasts, though the German engineering giant also reported that revenue for the quarter dropped 4%. The earnings report comes as the company prepares to implement a new strategy that cuts its number of business divisions. The company […]The post Siemens Combining Business Units as Part of New Strategy appeared first on POWER Magazine.

General Electric (GE), long considered the most-prominent business in Schenectady, New York, on April 7 announced another 225 job cuts at its main campus in the city. The announcement comes as GE continues to restructure its operations amid a downturn in global demand for the company’s turbines. GE cut about 110 jobs at the Schenectady […]The post GE Cutting 225 Jobs at New York Campus appeared first on POWER Magazine.