POWER Magazine

After decades of lethargic power demand—and negative growth in 2017—U.S. electricity use is expected to grow steadily through 2050, driven by a healthy economy and increasing efficiency, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) projects in its Annual Electricity Outlook 2018 (AEO2018). However, during that period, direct-use generation will outpace growth in retail sales as more […]The post Direct-Use Power Generation to Outpace Retail Sales Through 2050 appeared first on POWER Magazine.

NRG Energy, in a bid to shed $7 billion in consolidated debt, is selling the bulk of its renewable assets and development platforms along with several coal and natural gas power plants worth 3.6 GW tied to its South Central Generating business. The independent power producer, which recently relinquished bankrupt wholesale generator GenOn Energy to […]The post NRG Sells Renewables Assets, 3.6 GW of Louisiana Coal and Gas Power Plants appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Shareholders of Mississippi Power will have to absorb the majority of outstanding costs resulting from the scuttled Kemper County coal gasification project, as the state’s Public Service Commission (PSC) on February 6 approved a settlement for the remaining liabilities associated with the much-touted “clean coal” plant. Mississippi Power in a statement said it “is pleased […]The post Regulators Back Settlement for Costs of Failed Kemper IGCC Project appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Virginia lawmakers are weighing legislation that would give the state more control over utilities, with some of the measures developed in concert with power companies. State legislators are discussing the proposals, some of which are designed to lift a freeze on utility rates, which could bring refunds for ratepayers—although others warn it could cause rates […]The post Virginia Considers New Utility Regulatory Rules appeared first on POWER Magazine.

American Electric Power (AEP), one of the nation’s largest power generators, will pursue a strategy to reduce its carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 60% from 2000 levels by 2030, and 80% from 2000 levels by 2050. AEP expects to achieve carbon reductions through a variety of actions, including investments in renewable generation and advanced technologies […]The post AEP, American Power Giant, Sets Goal to Slash Carbon Emissions 80% by 2050 appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Exelon Generation will shutter its Oyster Creek Generating Station in October 2018—more than a year before it is required to close the single-unit reactor as part of an agreement with the state of New Jersey. Exelon agreed in 2010 to close the unit by December 2019—10 years before its license to operate expires—after it decided […]The post Exelon Will Close Oyster Creek Nuclear Plant Earlier than Anticipated appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Two more U.S. nuclear power plants are facing early retirement, joining a string of generators whose fate was determined by market conditions, political pressure, or financial stresses assailing the sector. Several others may be poised to join them. The 647-MW Duane Arnold nuclear plant in Palo, Iowa, will likely close in 2025 after a current […]The post More Premature Nuclear Unit Retirements Loom appeared first on POWER Magazine.

China’s State-Owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission reorganized and transferred China Nuclear Engineering & Construction Corp. (CNEC) to China National Nuclear Corp. (CNNC) on January 31, forming a new giant in the nuclear power industry. The combined company is estimated to have nearly $100 billion in combined assets and almost 150,000 employees, according to data […]The post Major Players in World Nuclear Market Merge appeared first on POWER Magazine.

This month’s THE BIG PICTURE infographic is accompanied by an interactive map. For more, visit: http://www.powermag.com/interactive-map-abandoned-nuclear-power-projects/The post THE BIG PICTURE: Abandoned Nuclear appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corp. (NNPC) in December 2017 announced a plan to build three natural gas-fired power plants in the country, thanks to a $2.8 billion pipeline project that would bring natural gas from the southern part of the African nation to its northern region. The plants, sited in Abuja, Kaduna, and Kano, would […]The post Pipeline Project Prompts Plan for Nigeria Power Plants appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A supplement to POWER‘s February 2018 THE BIG PICTURE print infographic, this interactive map offers a sampling of nuclear plant projects that have been abandoned. Double click on the map to activate the zoom function. Click on “Map Overview” to zoom out. Scroll down for an overview. Note: All dollar figures are from the corresponding year. Source: NRC […]The post THE BIG PICTURE: Abandoned Nuclear Power Projects (Interactive Map) appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Top governmental bodies in China in December approved plans for a carbon trading system that will first target power plants and then cover most of the nation’s mammoth industrial body. President Xi JinpingThe post China Advances Plan for Nationwide Carbon Trading System appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Georgia wasn’t looking for an award or recognition when we set out to build new nuclear reactors in our state. Yet, we now find ourselves as the last team on the field as our commissioners unanimously votedThe post Pressing Forward with Vogtle, a Nuclear MVP appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Voith in December announced it has completed the modernization of the Mucomir hydropower station in Scotland, and the 20-MW facility is again producing electricity for the Scottish grid. Voith was responsibleThe post Voith Completes Modernization of Scottish Hydro Station appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Russia’s nuclear engineering and construction firm Rosatom in December brought the fourth unit at its Rostov nuclear power plant (NPP) near Volgodonsk in southern Russia to first criticality. Later thatThe post Russia Prepares to Start Up Two Nuclear Reactors appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Polish Energy Company Puts Large Coal-Fired Unit Online. Enea , the Polish state-owned energy company, in December inaugurated what it calls the largest coal-fired power generation unit in Europe. The companyThe post POWER Digest [February 2018] appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The world’s energy transition took an interesting turn at the end of 2017 as global power firm Engie announced it would switch all its gas operations to biogas and renewable hydrogen, the UK slashed itsThe post Energy Transitions Begin to Leave Out Natural Gas Power appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Documents obtained by The Washington Post show the Trump administration is prepared to ask Congress to cut the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) renewable energy and energy efficiency programs by as much as 72% in fiscal year 2019. The newspaper in a January 31 report says Congress likely would not support many of the cuts, but […]The post Report: Trump Wants Deep Cuts in Clean Energy Programs appeared first on POWER Magazine.

U.S. utilities continue to send workers to Puerto Rico to help restore that country’s electricity and rebuild its power infrastructure, a task that continues more than four months after back-to-back hurricanes left nearly all of the island in the dark. The Puerto Rican government this week said 83% of the island’s generation capacity has been […]The post More Utility Workers in Puerto Rico as Power Restoration Continues appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Overwhelmed by low wholesale power prices and changing customer needs in the Pacific Northwest, the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) on January 30 unveiled a lifeline it hopes will allow it to remain commercially afloat. While the nonprofit federal power marketer headquartered in Portland, Oregon, is part of the Department of Energy, it is self-funding and […]The post Bonneville Power Administration Unveils Strategic Plan to Stay Afloat appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The future of advanced reactors in the U.S. will remain murky unless the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) takes four key steps to support innovation and commercialization of new technology, three key industry groups have warned. U.S. leadership of nuclear technology is “at risk,” and if changes aren’t made it will lose its standing as a […]The post U.S. Nuclear Technology Progress at Risk, Industry Groups Warn appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The nuclear power industry is struggling in the U.S. Several reactors are at risk of early closure due to difficulty competing in the wholesale power markets. New units being built in South Carolina have been abandoned, while the only other nuclear construction project in the U.S.—the Plant Vogtle expansion in Georgia—is behind schedule and over […]The post Is the U.S. Too Reliant on Foreign Uranium for Nuclear Power Plant Fuel? [PODCAST] appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG) President and CEO Ralph Izzo gave NRG Energy a tongue-lashing for its pointed opposition of subsidies for PSEG’s two New Jersey nuclear power plants. The tense moment at a January 25 legislative hearing that sought to revive the measure is illustrative of a growing chasm within the power sector about the […]The post PSEG’s Izzo Blasts Power Company Opposition to Revived New Jersey Nuclear Subsidy Bill appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Can you remember the first car or motorbike you owned? The irresistible look and feel of its solid steel construction, and your proud feeling during the first drive through your brightly lit city. What about your last hard day at work? Pouring cup after cup of coffee from a glass pot into your ceramic mug, trying […]The post A Holistic View Into Gas Pressure Regulators, Focusing on Applications appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Cybersecurity is a topic covered frequently in the pages of POWER magazine, and one that all power plants need to take seriously. A recent simulation proved that the consequences of a hack can be grave. The drill took place in Sweden, but could have been conducted anywhere in the world. The attack used plant control […]The post Exercise Proves Hacking a Threat to Nuclear Power Plants appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The rapid growth of distributed energy resources (DERs) is spawning new financing models that could send growth for the fledgling sector soaring, upending the power sector at an even more breakneck pace. Industry executives at Distributech 2018 in San Antonio, Texas, this week noted that several trends are driving the growth of DERs, which are […]The post Experts: Innovative Financial Models Bolstering Rapid Growth of DERs appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Power plants are designed to operate at their highest efficiency. However, once a plant goes into operation, real life takes over and design outcomes are not always realized, which can seriously hurt a plant’s profitability. That’s why improving plant performance and getting back to design conditions should be every operator’s objective. This quiz is designed to test […]The post Test Your Knowledge: Improving Plant Efficiency appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A lawsuit challenging subsidies for New York’s nuclear plants will head to trial after the state’s Supreme Court rejected motions to dismiss it. The measure deals a small setback for Exelon Corp., whose subsidiaries own the R.E Ginna and Nine Mile Point nuclear plants in upstate New York. Defendants in the lawsuit also include Entergy […]The post Challenge to N.Y. Nuclear Subsidies Will Go to Trial appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Several possible suitors for SCANA Corp. emerged last fall when it became evident the South Carolina utility needed a lifeline, after SCANA subsidiary South Carolina Electric and Gas Co. (SCE&G) and state-owned Santee Cooper pulled the plug on the V.C. Summer nuclear project (Figure 1). Now the question is whether those who lost out to […]The post SCANA Sale in Doubt as Questions Swirl appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The global solar industry on January 23 reacted to President Trump’s announcement on Monday that the U.S. will enact a 30% tariff this year on imports of solar cells and modules, a levy that could begin as soon as next month. Some groups said they will take a “wait and see” approach to the charge, […]The post South Korea Will Fight Solar Tariffs; Others Will Wait appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously reversed and remanded a rule the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers rolled out in 2015 that asserts federal authority over small bodies of water with a broader definition of the statutory term, “waters of the U.S.” (WOTUS). In a ruling for National Association of […]The post SCOTUS Sends Controversial WOTUS Rule into More Legal Limbo appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The Trump administration on January 22 said it would impose a 30% tariff on imports of solar modules and solar cells, in a high-profile trade case in which two struggling solar companies—Suniva and SolarWorld Americas—had asked for a levy on imports of closer to 50%. The decision comes after the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) […]The post Trump Slaps 30% Tariff on Solar Imports appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) recent request that the D.C. Circuit hold a case challenging the Clean Power Plan in additional abeyance until it concludes rulemaking has been strongly opposed by 17 states and several cities. The EPA, in its latest 30-day court-required status report filed on January 10, asked the federal court for continued […]The post Don’t Let EPA Stall on Clean Power Plan, 17 States Tell Federal Court appeared first on POWER Magazine.

New York and Connecticut on January 17 filed suit to force the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to curb ground-level ozone blowing in from Illinois, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia with federal implementation plans (FIPs) issued under the “Good Neighbor Provision” of the 2008 National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). The two states allege in their […]The post New York and Connecticut Renew Interstate Smog Fight in New Lawsuit appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The history of power generation is long and convoluted, marked by myriad technological milestones—conceptual and technical—from hundreds of contributors. Many accounts begin power’s story at the demonstration of electric conduction by Englishman Stephen Gray, which led to the 1740 invention of glass friction generators in Leyden, Germany. This quiz is designed to test your knowledge […]The post Test Your Knowledge: Power History appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A draft law backed by the European Parliament on January 17 proposes to raise the European Union’s (EU’s) renewable targets to 35% by 2030—substantially higher than a 27% target proposed by the European Commission and EU Council. Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) voted 492–88 (with 107 abstentions) to increase the share of renewable sources […]The post European Parliament Adopts Measure to Hike EU Renewables Target to 35% by 2030 appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Though some countries, including the U.S., have moved to support coal-fired power generation over the past year, investments in renewable energy continued to rise, according to a new report from Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF). The research group on January 16 said global investment in clean energy such as wind and solar reached about $333.5 […]The post Report: Clean Energy Investments Hit $333.5 Billion in 2017 appeared first on POWER Magazine.

An executive with the parent company of Tampa Electric said the utility plans to seek regulatory approval to convert its Big Bend Power Station in Florida, the oldest and last major coal-fired facility in its fleet, to natural gas. Rob Bennett, speaking at a breakfast gathering in Tampa on January 12, said an engineering analysis […]The post Tampa Electric Will Convert Big Bend Coal Plant to Natural Gas appeared first on POWER Magazine.

California regulators have approved Pacific Gas & Electric’s (PG&E’s) application to retire the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant by year-end 2025, ending a protracted battle over the generating station that pitted local economic interests against environmentalists and other opponents of nuclear power. The state Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) on January 11 voted unanimously to accept PG&E’s […]The post CPUC Backs PG&E Plan to Retire Diablo Canyon Nuclear Plant appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A control system that smooths out inter-area oscillations—a problem affecting power systems connected by relatively weak tie lines—has been successfully demonstrated by researchers from Sandia National Laboratories and Montana Tech University. The system that uses smart grid technology could allow utilities to push more power through transmission lines, possibly nixing the need for new transmission […]The post Decade-Old Power Grid Problem Solved by Smart Grid Technology appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Underscoring energy storage’s new vital role in power company operations, Siemens and AES Corp. have launched a joint company, Fluence Energy, that provides technology solutions paired with engineering and services capabilities. AES and Siemens on January 11 announced that Fluence, which merges AES Energy Storage and Siemens’ energy storage team, received all government approvals for the […]The post AES and Siemens, Two Power Giants, Join Forces on Energy Storage appeared first on POWER Magazine.

In a press briefing held with Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg on January 10, President Donald Trump said that U.S. could “conceivably” re-enter into global climate change mitigation efforts under the Paris accord. While he has “no problem” with the accord itself, he felt the agreement negotiated by the Obama administration treated the U.S. unfairly, […]The post VIDEO: Trump Says U.S. Could Re-Enter Paris Agreement, Praises Norway’s Hydropower appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) released its first look at expected power generation in 2019, and its conclusions are much the same as those it expects in 2018—the use of natural gas to produce electricity will continue to rise, and the use of coal will continue to decline. EIA’s Short-Term Energy Outlook, released January […]The post EIA Report: Gas-fired Generation Will Continue to Outpace Coal appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The world’s nuclear power industry has been busy in the new year, with several construction projects reaching key milestones as 2018 began. EPR Units Making Progress Four EPR nuclear units are under construction in three countries: Olkiluoto 3 in Finland began construction in August 2005, Flamanville 3 in France began construction in December 2007, and […]The post Several Milestones Reached at Nuclear Power Projects Around the World appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Florida Power & Light (FPL) began the new year by opening four new solar power plants, along with officially retiring one of its two remaining coal-fired plants in the state. The utility on January 8 said the four solar plants began operating on January 1, 2018. They are the Horizon Solar Energy Center, in Alachua […]The post FPL Closes Coal Plant, Brings More Solar Online appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The Johnsonville Fossil Plant in Humphreys County, Tennessee, came online in 1951, and provided power for generations of Tennesseans as part of the Tennessee Valley Authority’s (TVA’s) vast coal-fired fleet. But the end of 2017 also marked the end of an era for Johnsonville, as the TVA shut down the last operating unit at the […]The post TVA Retires Aging Johnsonville Coal-fired Plant appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has rejected the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) controversial proposed rule on grid reliability and resilience pricing, initiating instead a new proceeding that will examine the resilience of the bulk power system. The DOE’s “Grid Resiliency Pricing Rule” proposed on Sept. 29 directed FERC—an independent regulatory government agency that is […]The post FERC Rejects DOE’s Proposed Grid Resiliency Rule appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Georgia wasn’t looking for an award or recognition when we set out to build new nuclear reactors in our state. Yet we now find ourselves as the last team on the field as our commissioners unanimously voted to move forward with a new cost and schedule for the Plant Vogtle new nuclear units—keeping the project […]The post Commentary: Pressing Forward With Vogtle, a Nuclear MVP appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Westinghouse Electric Co., a company that is emerging from a bankruptcy stemming from the half-built AP1000 reactor projects in Georgia and South Carolina, is to be acquired from Toshiba Corp. by business services and industrials company Brookfield Business Partners. Brookfield, a company of Toronto-headquartered Brookfield Asset Management, announced on January 4 that it entered into […]The post Brookfield Business Partners to Acquire Westinghouse from Toshiba Corp. appeared first on POWER Magazine.