POWER Magazine

Continuous condition-based monitoring of electrical conductors and insulation is an effective way to reduce required plant maintenance activities, cut operating costs, and prevent unplanned shutdownsThe post Facilitating Predictive Maintenance of Electrical Assets with Pervasive Sensing Strategies appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Cycling a combined cycle plant places additional stresses on all equipment, but the impacts extend beyond the gas turbine and heat recovery steam generator. Plant owners and managers are beginning to seeThe post Reducing Cycling Damage to Combined Cycle Steam Turbines appeared first on POWER Magazine.

New technology is being used throughout the power industry to improve plant efficiency, predict trouble with degrading equipment, forecast weather trends, and train workers. A recent conference hosted by POWERThe post The Future Is Now: Connected Power Plants Are Here appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Most combined cycle professionals understand that a joint between grade 91 steel and an austenitic stainless steel is considered a dissimilar-metal weld. For that reason, it requires special weldingThe post Dissimilar-Metal Weld Is a Misnomer appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Today, some F-class operators continue to opt for rotor-out major inspections, which are cumbersome and inefficient. They involve complex lifts and moves of the rotor, as well as the need for substantial spaceThe post Using Rotor-In Major Inspections to Shorten Outages and Drive Safety appeared first on POWER Magazine.

India’s Department of Atomic Energy, the entity responsible for research, construction, and operation of the country’s nuclear power reactors, will build two prototype fast-breeder reactors (PFBRs) atThe post India Gears Up to Expand Fast Breeder Reactor Fleet appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Two years after the Energy Union was launched as a strategy to help the European Union (EU) provide secure, sustainable, competitive, and affordable energy, the 28-member bloc is seeing a precipitous drop inThe post A Wrap-Up of the Energy Union’s Second Year appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A comparison of coal power plant fleets from China, the European Union (EU), Japan, and the U.S. by the International Energy Agency’s (IEA’s) Clean Coal Centre yields surprising insights into efforts theseThe post Who Has the World’s Most Efficient Coal Power Plant Fleet? appeared first on POWER Magazine.

China has brought 24 of its 36 operating nuclear reactors online at a breakneck pace since 2010, but there are signs it may roll out future plants that are still under construction more slowly, owing in partThe post China’s Nuclear Expansion Mired in Overcapacity appeared first on POWER Magazine.

I recently bought a house in southwestern Florida, but not without some reservations. Don’t get me wrong, I love the palm trees and sandy beaches, but what worries me is the area’s sea-level trend, asThe post Whether Man-Made or Not, Global Warming Is a Problem appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A decade ago, the annual Platts nuclear energy conference in Washington was brimming with optimism over a coming “nuclear renaissance,” as licensing requests poured into the Nuclear Regulatory CommissionThe post U.S. Nuclear: From Hope to Despair appeared first on POWER Magazine.

There have been numerous pronouncements recently about the upcoming demise of the bulk power grid as consumers are projected to move toward decentralized green energy sources. We don’t believe that the endThe post Reports of the Electric Grid’s Death Have Been Greatly Exaggerated appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A long-planned expansion of Sunflower Electric Power Corp.’s Holcomb Station is a little closer to fruition as of March 17 with a favorable ruling from the Kansas Supreme Court. The state’s high court ruled to uphold a 2010 construction permit, which was amended in 2013, for the plant. The Sierra Club argued that the permit […]The post Holcomb Station Coal Plant Expansion Clears Legal Hurdle appeared first on POWER Magazine.

AES subsidiary Dayton Power & Light (DP&L) confirmed on March 20 that it will close two of its coal-fired plants by 2018 because they have become uneconomic. The Ohio utility announced its intent to close the two plants in January as part of a settlement over its future reliability planning. The plan had been contested […]The post AES Closing Two More Ohio Coal Plants appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Beijing, China—a city known for its dreadful air pollution—no longer has any large coal-fired power plants adding to the problem. The Huaneng Beijing Thermal Power Plant’s final unit suspended operations on March 18, marking the end of coal-fueled generation in the city. Beijing’s power is now being supplied by what Xinhua (the Chinese government’s official […]The post Beijing’s Last Coal Power Plant Ceases Operation, Air Pollution Still a Concern appeared first on POWER Magazine.

In a ruling that stunned the nation, a district court in Japan awarded damages to 62 plaintiffs who lived near the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant before the 2011 disaster, finding that plant owner Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) and the Japanese government were aware of risks to the plant and could have taken measures […]The post Japanese Court Awards Damages to Fukushima Residents appeared first on POWER Magazine.

President Donald Trump’s proposed budget, which cuts funding for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) by 31%, will not be received favorably by the American people, former EPA Administrators Gina McCarthy and Carol Browner said March 17 during a call with the press. “This is clear what’s happening. The White House has made a decision that […]The post Deep EPA Budget Cuts Not What Americans Want, Former EPA Heads Say appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The Kemper County Energy Facility will not reach full operation by its latest mid-March deadline, project owner Southern Company subsidiary, Mississippi Power announced March 16 in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). “On March 9, 2017, Mississippi Power experienced certain tube leaks in one of the syngas coolers for gasifier ‘A’ […]The post Tube Leaks Cause Latest Delay to Kemper Project appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The Trump administration released a blueprint of its proposed 2018 budget on March 16, likely setting off a major battle with Congress. The budget proposal, “America First: A Budget Blueprint to Make America Great Again” makes major cuts in non-defense discretionary spending over 2017. While funding for the Department of Defense is boosted $52.3 billion, […]The post Draft Trump Budget Proposes Major Cuts in EPA, DOE Programs appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Texas has filed a lawsuit in federal court to stop the Department of Energy (DOE) from spending tax dollars on consent-based siting activity, and to force the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and other relevant federal agencies to complete licensing proceedings for the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste permanent repository. The lawsuit filed with the U.S. Court […]The post Texas Sues Federal Agencies to Force Action on Yucca Mountain appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Maria Korsnick, president and CEO of the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI), told POWER on March 9 that the U.S. nuclear industry is optimistic this Congress will work to resolve the nation’s long drawn out spent fuel predicament. Speaking at CERAweek by IHS Markit last week, Korsnick said that optimism was based on Republican domination of […]The post Nuclear Industry Hopeful Congress Will Resolve Spent Nuclear Fuel Impasse appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has accepted NuScale Power’s small modular reactor (SMR) design certification application and will provide a design review schedule soon. The NRC’s acceptance marks a major milestone for the first SMR design to ever attempt obtaining U.S. certification. NuScale, in which Fluor Corp. is a majority investor, submitted its application on […]The post NRC Accepts NuScale Small Modular Reactor Design Certification Application appeared first on POWER Magazine.

An arbitration panel of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) has awarded Southern California Edison (SCE) $125 million in its dispute with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) over the failed replacement of four steam generators at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS), a fiasco that ultimately led to the plant’s premature retirement. Victory for MHI The […]The post SONGS Arbitration Panel Awards SCE $125 Million appeared first on POWER Magazine.

If President Donald Trump truly wants to revitalize the coal industry, he should continue to support the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Fossil Energy’s research efforts, representatives of the coal industry said in a March 10 letter. “In light of recent calls for dramatic cuts to the federal budget, we want to stress that […]The post Coal Industry Urges Trump to Continue Funding Fossil Energy Research appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) administrative priorities will be reined in to focus on process, rule of law, and cooperation with states, the agency’s new head Scott Pruitt told attendees at CERAweek by IHS Markit on March 9. Since the former Oklahoma Attorney General was sworn in as EPA administrator in late February, the agency has […]The post New EPA Chief Scott Pruitt Sets Out to Restrain Agency appeared first on POWER Magazine.

While investor interest in U.S. coal production is seeing a revival, President Donald Trump can do little to directly help the flailing industry, coal producers and investors said at CERAweek by IHS Market, which is taking place in Houston this week. After a period of financial calamity that was prompted by the collapse of natural […]The post Coal Industry Cautious About Future Growth, Trump Rhetoric appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The epic recovery from the 2011 accident at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant, already predicted to take decades and cost at least $35 billion, is encountering delays as a series of robot probes have failed due to encountering more difficult conditions than expected, plant owner Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO) said this month. TEPCO’s head of […]The post Fukushima Cleanup Hitting Snags as Robot Probes Fail appeared first on POWER Magazine.

With a vote of 62–37, the Senate on March 2 confirmed former Texas governor Rick Perry as the new secretary of energy. Perry received the support of 10 Democratic senators: Mark Warner (Va.), Joe Manchin (W.Va.), Heidi Heitkamp (N.D.), Tom Udall (N.M.), Catherine Cortez Masto (Nev.), Debbie Stabenow (Mich.), Claire McCaskill (Mo.), Jon Tester (Mont.), […]The post Perry Confirmed as Secretary of Energy appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Regardless of recent federal support for a revitalization of coal in the U.S., “the economics are challenged,” Lynn Good, CEO of Duke Energy, said March 1 during a presentation at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) Energy Innovation Summit. “I think coal continues to be an important part of a […]The post Odds Are Against a Coal Comeback, Duke CEO Says appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The U.S. is in around “100th place” worldwide when it comes to efforts to automate the grid, Thomas Siebel, chairman and CEO of C3 IoT, said March 1 during a keynote presentation at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) Energy Innovation Summit. “They’re not even in the game, and I […]The post U.S. Lagging in Efforts to Automate the Grid appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Bipartisan lawmakers in Minnesota want utilities in that state to procure 50% of power sold by 2030 from renewable sources. The measure, if passed, could put the state’s renewable efforts on par with California’s. The bipartisan bill introduced in the Minnesota Legislature on February 27 seeks to double the state’s renewable energy standard, which is […]The post Minnesota Looks to Double Renewable Energy Standard to 50% by 2030 appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A bill signed by Minnesota’s Gov. Mark Dayton (D) on February 28 allows Xcel Energy to build a 786-MW combined cycle gas-fired power plant without approval from state regulators. The governor signed Chapter 5, House File 113, a bill that had bipartisan support of the state’s legislators, to allow the Minneapolis-based power company to move […]The post Minnesota Governor Allows Xcel to Bypass Utility Commission Oversight for Major Gas-Fired Plant appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The Edward Hyatt hydroelectric plant at the damaged Oroville Dam in northern California, shut down earlier this month after its spillway nearly collapsed, may reopen soon, officials with the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) said on March 1. The plant was forced to shut down after severe erosion from the dam’s spillway deposited large […]The post Oroville Dam Power Plant May Reopen This Week appeared first on POWER Magazine.

An executive order signed by President Donald Trump on February 27 authorizes the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to rewrite a contentious rule asserting federal authority over small bodies of water. The Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule, also known as the “Clean Water Rule,” finalized by the EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers […]The post Trump Orders WOTUS Rule Rewrite appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post The Big Picture: Shunning Coal appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Power generation need not be another source of strain on diminishing freshwater resources. Well-established water reclamation technologies are enabling producers to conserve resources—and money. Meeting theThe post Reclaimed Water Reduces Stress on Freshwater Supplies appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The boom in renewable energy, spurred by dramatically falling costs, has led some experts and political figures to begin talking seriously about what was once science fiction: A world powered entirely by renewable generation. But is it truly feasible or economic? One series of studies suggests it is—with some important caveats. In the first half […]The post A 100% Renewable Grid: Pipe Dream or Holy Grail? appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Cooling towers serve the vital role of cooling water for power plant heat exchange equipment. Sustaining excellent system performance is important because a one-degree increase in water temperature can cause a 2% increase in energy usage. Proper maintenance and a few upgrades could improve a cooling tower’s efficiency, while also saving water in the process. […]The post Cooling Towers: Efficiency Waiting to Happen appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Reducing emissions from the electricity sector continues as a primary transformational goal of government policy-makers, and the private and public companies managing electricity generation in Canada. Impressive progress has been made. National Overview Emissions from electricity generation made up just 11% of Canada’s total in 2014. Over 79% of generation is non-emitting: hydropower (63%), nuclear […]The post Progress on GHG Emissions Reduction in Canada’s Electricity Sector appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Risk is inherent in all businesses, but power plants face unique perils that require the right protection. Property and casualty insurance may not be enough; equipment breakdown, business interruption, weather risk transfer, and cyber coverage are just a few examples of insurance that may also be worth considering. The right coverage could mean the difference […]The post New and Improved Insurance Offerings Provide Power Plants with More Options appeared first on POWER Magazine.

California’s excess of solar power challenges the statewide independent system operator’s ability to balance its system without curtailing low-carbon supplies and ramping up natural gas generation. It’sThe post Duck Hunting at the California Independent System Operator appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Many informative articles have been published about options for treating flue gas desulfurization wastewater, but new technologies are rapidly changing the treatment possibilities. This article reviews key economic considerations and introduces an innovative treatment solution that lowers costs and the amount of waste generated. Flue gas desulfurization (FGD) wastewater varies widely depending on the source […]The post Lowering Cost and Waste in Flue Gas Desulfurization Wastewater Treatment appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Meeting the requirements of the Effluent Limitations Guidelines (ELG) means careful consideration of the various options. Both biological treatment and zero liquid discharge (ZLD) approaches have their place, but ZLD may offer more flexibility for the future. On September 30, 2015, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued the final effluent limitation guidelines (ELGs) rule for […]The post A Comparison of ELG Compliance Options for Flue Scrubber Wastewater appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Using reclaimed water as a makeup supply for cooling tower systems has become a popular option for reducing impacts on local water resources, but it comes with its own challenges because of its uniqueThe post Using Reclaimed Water in Power Plant Cooling Applications appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of the next four years is going to be a very different beast than the EPA under the presidency of Barack Obama, newly confirmed EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt said on February 25 while addressing the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). “We’re going to restore power back to the people. We’re […]The post Pruitt Pitches New Era of EPA at CPAC appeared first on POWER Magazine.