POWER Magazine

Steam electric power plants preparing to comply with the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) effluent limitations guidelines (ELG) and standards as they concern bottom ash transport water and flue gas desulfurization (FGD) waste streams will get—for now—a two-year reprieve under a new rule the agency finalized on September 12. The ELG rule, which was finalized by […]The post EPA Postpones Compliance Dates for FGD, Bottom Ash Transport Requirements in ELG Rule appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Japan’s nuclear watchdog agency has given Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) conditional approval to restart two reactors at its Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant. The units were taken offline after the Fukushima Daiichi meltdown in March 2011. The country’s Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) on September 13 said TEPCO could restart the units after it provides a detailed plan […]The post Japan Regulatory Group Gives Conditional Support for TEPCO Restart appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A man claiming to have explosives on September 12 drove past the entrance gate at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station in Pendleton, California, and into a restricted parking area, where he was arrested. The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department said in a news release that 27-year-old Erik Jon Norman, the driver and sole occupant […]The post Man Claiming to Have Explosives Drives into San Onofre Nuclear Plant appeared first on POWER Magazine.

U.S. utility-scale photovoltaic (PV) systems have achieved the targets set by the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) SunShot Initiative three years early, the DOE announced on September 12 at the Solar Power International (SPI) conference in Las Vegas. The average cost of utility-scale solar is now 6 cents/kWh. The original 2020 goal of the SunShot Initiative […]The post U.S. Utility-Scale PV Meets Subsidy-Free Price Target Three Years Early appeared first on POWER Magazine.

An official with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on September 12 said as many as 15 million people in Florida lost power during Hurricane Irma, and said damage from the storm means “this will be a situation about rebuilding” power infrastructure, rather than repair.” Christopher Krebs, assistant secretary for Infrastructure Protection with DHS, said at […]The post Official Says 75% of Florida Population Lost Power During Irma appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will propose a replacement rule for the Clean Power Plan (CPP) this fall, according to a September 7 court document filed by EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt. The document, filed with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, provides an update on the EPA’s efforts to develop […]The post Pruitt: EPA Will Have CPP Replacement Proposal in Coming Months appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Florida Power & Light (FPL), the largest utility in Florida, said September 7 it would shut down its Turkey Point and St. Lucie nuclear power plants in the hopes of limiting potential damage from Hurricane Irma. The facilities are the only operating nuclear plants in the state. FPL did not give specific timing for the […]The post Florida Nuclear Plants Will Shut Ahead of Irma appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is kicking off September with a couple of significant funding announcements. The department announced September 6 the selection of 16 projects to receive a combined total of more than $10 million in funding to advance solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) technology. That announcement was followed up September 7 with […]The post DOE Rolls Out Funding for Turbines, Solid Oxide Fuel Cells appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Sempra Energy’s proposed $9.45 billion acquisition of an 80% ownership interest in Oncor Electric Delivery Co. has been approved by a U.S. bankruptcy court. But the company still needs approval from Texas regulators, which have blocked two previous attempts by Oncor’s parent Energy Future Holdings to sell it. The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District […]The post Sempra Gets OK from Bankruptcy Court for Acquisition of Oncor appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Ohio-based FirstEnergy Corp. has dropped the price of several assets as it continues to work toward closing a deal to sell five of the company’s natural gas-fired power plants, along with a hydroelectric facility, to an equity group that specializes in energy investments. FirstEnergy this week said it had cut the price of the facilities […]The post FirstEnergy Cuts Sale Price in Revised Deal to Shed Assets appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A group has launched a new wave of cyberattacks aimed at severely disrupting operations in the European and North American energy sectors, IT security firm Symantec warns. Dragonfly, a group that has been in operation since at least 2011, has re-emerged over the past two years, the firm said in an official blog posting on […]The post Cyberattack Campaign Is Aimed at Disrupting Energy Sector Operations, Security Firm Warns appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Utility workers from across the country have been in Texas in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, and crews are now staging in Florida in preparation for Hurricane Irma as the storm crosses the Caribbean, with officials expecting property damage and power outages from the massive tropical system. Crews from several areas are converging on the […]The post Utilities Prepare as Hurricane Irma Approaches Florida appeared first on POWER Magazine.

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Scotland, which is authorized to set its own energy policy separate from London’s Westminster government, has set a goal of generating 100% of the nation’s annual electricity needs through only renewable sources by 2020, and 100% of its entire power and transportation needs from non-carbon energy by 2030. This decision has created an all-of-the-above clean […]The post Wave and Tidal Power Technology Near Commercialization appeared first on POWER Magazine.

For deploying a novel, groundbreaking gas-battery hybrid technology along with environmentally significant upgrades within a tight installment window, and despite logistical hurdles, Southern CaliforniaThe post Two SCE Gas-Battery Hybrid Projects Revolutionize Peaker Performance appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Unit 3 at the Grand River Energy Center in Chouteau, Oklahoma, was the Grand River Dam Authority’s first construction project in 30 years. Yet, the team put this distinct project—one of the largest andThe post Grand Resilience: How a State Agency Pioneered Gas Technology and Bolstered Critical Supply appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Canadian Solar Expands Solar Power in Japan. Canadian Solar in July started commercial operation of its latest group of photovoltaic solar power plants in Japan as it continues to build its solar presence inThe post POWER Digest (September 2017) appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Times have changed. Not long ago, baseload units came online and went straight to full load for days on end. Now, those same units are being asked to cycle operations to accommodate for variable renewableThe post Upgraded Boiler Feedwater Pump Improves Efficiency and Adds Flexibility appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Thermal insulation is installed on almost every piping system and much of the plant equipment at power generation facilities. It not only saves energy, but also protects workers, reduces noise, helps protectThe post Useful Tips for Designing Thermal Insulation Systems appeared first on POWER Magazine.

It’s no secret that women are underrepresented in the energy industry. According to the Department of Energy, less than a quarter of U.S. workers in the electric power generation field are women, compared toThe post What It Takes to Be a POWER-ful Woman appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Independent System Operator-New England celebrated its 20th anniversary last July with a solid record in its energy and capacity markets, turning around a fragmented regional electric system. Can it repeatThe post Could Success Spoil ISO-NE? appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Georgia Power’s plan to continue construction of its Vogtle nuclear expansion project comes with changes among the contractors, with Bechtel taking over the lead and Fluor Corp., which has long served as a subcontractor, on its way out. Both companies bid to take over construction after Westinghouse Electric, the designer and principal contractor for the […]The post Bechtel In, Fluor Out as Vogtle Construction Continues appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A partnership of companies seeking to build twin AP1000 reactors as part of the Vogtle nuclear expansion in Georgia will seek to complete the project, even as costs could surge well beyond $20 billion. Southern Co. subsidiary Georgia Power on August 31 said the Vogtle project owners—Georgia Power, Oglethorpe Power, Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia […]The post Vogtle Partners Will Proceed with Beleaguered Nuclear Expansion Project appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Harvey—a massive weather system, which has so far killed 38 people, displaced thousands of others, and caused widespread flooding in Texas—downed 7.6-GW of generation resource capacity, along with two major 345-kV transmission lines and 85 other high-voltage transmission lines serving the Gulf Coast. As of 1 p.m. on August 30—about four days and 18 hours […]The post Harvey Ravages Power Generation and Transmission appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Two workers are dead after a pipe ruptured as they were performing maintenance at an underground enclosure at FirstEnergy Corp.’s coal-fired Bruce Mansfield power plant in Shippingport, Pennsylvania. Four other workers were transported to medical facilities, suffering injuries after they were overcome by fumes released by the pipe rupture, Pennsylvania State Police confirmed. FirstEnergy said […]The post Two Dead, Four Injured in Incident at Bruce Mansfield Coal Plant Near Pittsburgh appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Xcel Energy on August 29 said it wants to retire 660 MW of coal-fired generation capacity as part of a “Colorado Energy Plan” that also includes adding as much as 1,700 MW of renewable energy and 700 MW of natural gas-fired power generation to its portfolio in the state. A key element of the proposal […]The post Xcel Energy Plan Would Close Coal Units, Add Renewables appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The Levy County Nuclear Plant is officially off the table in a new settlement agreement between Duke Energy and the Florida Public Service Commission (FPSC). The writing has long been on the wall for the plant; Duke in 2013 announced the termination of the engineering, procurement, and construction agreement for the facility. According to a […]The post Duke Hammers Final Nail in Levy County Nuclear Plant Coffin, Proposes Increased Solar appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The Department of Energy (DOE) has available up to $100 million in cost-shared funding for large-scale transformational coal technologies pilot projects. According to an August 24 funding opportunity announcement (FOA), the money will be distributed in three phases. “The purpose of this FOA is to seek applications for projects to design, construct, and operate large-scale […]The post $100M in DOE Funding Available for Transformational Coal Projects appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A Houston-based microgrid company has used its on-site generators and underground natural gas pipeline system to enable H-E-B grocery stores in the Houston area to remain open despite power outages and massive flooding during and in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. Texas utilities have reported more than 300,000 customers have been without power at various […]The post Microgrid System Keeps Houston Grocery Stores Open in Wake of Harvey appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) new grid study is based on analyses of federal government data collected between 2002 and 2017, a period it notes fostered critical developments in the nation’s power sector. Here are some of report’s most thought-provoking charts. For an in-depth analysis about the DOE’s grid study, see: DOE Grid Study Points Finger at Natural […]The post What 10 Charts from the DOE’s Grid Study Reveal About the State of U.S. Power appeared first on POWER Magazine.

In a long-awaited study of electricity markets and grid reliability, the Department of Energy has called out natural gas as the No. 1 reason for retirements of coal and nuclear plants, breaking from the Trump administration’s prior talking point blaming regulations and renewables for the nation’s shrinking coal and nuclear fleets. The report attributes four […]The post DOE Grid Study Points Finger at Natural Gas appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) much-anticipated study on grid resilience and reliability elicited immediate chatter from a variety of industry stakeholders, from power generators and trade groups to environmental and clean energy advocates. The 187-page study essentially notes that unprecedented changes are transforming the electricity industry. Over the past 15 years, market forces—namely, cheap natural […]The post [UPDATED] Major Power Players Issue Mixed Reactions to DOE’s Controversial Grid Study appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Nine states in New England and the Mid-Atlantic region have said they will cut emissions from power plants by 65% below 2020 levels by 2030, expanding a cap-and-trade program designed to reduce carbon output usually associated with power plants. States in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) agreed to increase emissions cuts by an additional […]The post Eastern States Expand Emission Cuts as Part of Cap-and-Trade appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A lawsuit filed in South Carolina wants state-owned utility Santee Cooper to sell the parts from a coal-fired power plant project it suspended in 2009, saying customers should receive the proceeds as payback for Santee Cooper raising residential and commercial rates after the project was stopped. Conway, S.C., attorney George Hearn Jr. filed the lawsuit […]The post Suit Claims Santee Cooper Charging Customers for Unbuilt Coal Plant appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A settlement Mississippi Power reached on August 21 with stakeholders of the Kemper County facility will ensure customers won’t be subjected to rate increases associated with the now-abandoned gasification portion of the project. While that will affect revenues, the resolution could soften controversy surrounding the project and avoid protracted legal and financial turmoil, the company […]The post Mississippi Power Will Absorb Costs for Failed Kemper Gasification Project appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Between 2006 and 2015, annual average heat rates from the nation’s natural gas–fired power plants plunged 7%, while only decreasing 1% for coal plants, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) revealed on August 21. Heat rates, which are measured in British thermal units per kilowatt-hour (Btu/kWh), refers to energy conversion efficiency, calculated based on the amount […]The post Emissions Controls, Changing Usage Widen Heat Rate Chasm Between Coal and Gas Power Plants appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Houston-based Calpine Corp., which confirmed in July it was looking for a buyer, announced August 18 it has agreed to be bought by Energy Capital Partners (ECP) in a $5.6 billion deal. ECP is a private equity firm that focuses on investments in North American energy infrastructure. The purchasing group also includes a consortium of […]The post Calpine Announces $5.6 Billion Sale to Equity Group appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Final rules issued by Massachusetts agencies to help the state meet its stringent climate goals will require 21 in-state power plants to tamp down their carbon emissions annually. The Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) last week published a set of six rules designed to complement an […]The post Mass. Final Rules Require More Stringent Carbon Emissions Reductions for Power Plants appeared first on POWER Magazine.

In two actions on August 15, the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) signaled its support for the Vogtle nuclear expansion project, provided it can be done economically, Georgia Power must show revised cost and schedule estimates to finish the costly Vogtle nuclear expansion as well as indicate whether it intends to finish the much-delayed construction […]The post Georgia PSC Signals Support Continuing Vogtle Expansion appeared first on POWER Magazine.

SCANA Corp. is withdrawing a petition submitted to regulators seeking to abandon the construction of Units 2 and 3 at the V.C. Summer Nuclear Station in South Carolina. The company’s subsidiary South Carolina Electric and Gas (SCE&G) said on August 15 that it will voluntarily withdraw its abandonment petition filed just two weeks ago with […]The post SCANA Reverses Move to Abandon V.C. Summer Nuclear Project appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Exelon could begin construction as soon as next week on an expansion of its 135-MW West Medway oil-fired peaking plant in West Medway, Massachusetts. The company’s plan to add two units and 200 MW of generation to the existing three-unit facility was deliberated for 29 months by state and local officials before a state board […]The post Exelon Set to Expand Massachusetts Peaking Plant appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The operator of one of the largest coal-fired power plants in the Western U.S. will continue to run the facility, changing course about a year after a company executive said the plant was not economically viable. A spokesman for Talen Energy confirmed to POWER on August 9 that the company will continue to operate the […]The post Operator Reverses Course, Will Keep Running Montana Coal Plant appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The December 2015 extension of the federal production tax credit (PTC) for wind power brought on a massive push for wind energy generation, according to the Department of Energy’s 2016 Wind Technologies Market Report. Nationwide, 8,203 MW of new capacity was added in 2016 and $13 billion was invested. “Supported by favorable tax policy and […]The post U.S. Wind Generation Grew By More Than 8,000 MW In 2016 appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Those waiting for a decision in the court case against the Clean Power Plan are going to have to wait a bit longer. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on August 8 ordered that the case, which pits a coalition of 27 states and numerous energy producers, utilities, and trade organizations […]The post D.C. Circuit Again Delays Action on Clean Power Plan appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A federal judge on August 4 said the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) must dig up coal ash at one of its power plants and move it to a lined waste site. The order came in a suit filed by the Tennessee Scenic Rivers Association (TSRA) and the Tennessee Clean Water Network (TCWN), who said coal […]The post Judge Rules TVA Must Move Gallatin Coal Ash appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Given that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) isn’t going to be taking any substantial action to rewrite the Clean Power Plan anytime soon, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit should not postpone a decision in the court case against the rule, an August 4 document filed by a group of […]The post Enviros Call for Court Decision in Clean Power Plan Case appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) again has a working quorum after the U.S. Senate confirmed Neil Chatterjee and Robert Powelson as new members August 3. FERC had been without a quorum since February 2017 when Commissioner Norman Bay resigned, and with only one member after Collette Honorable left the agency at the end of […]The post FERC Has Quorum as Senate Confirms Two New Members appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Costs to build the two Vogtle AP1000 units under construction in Georgia could range between $18.3 billion and $19.8 billion—and for now, Southern Co. is pinning its hopes to complete the project on approval from the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC). Southern Co. CEO Tom Fanning told investors in a second-quarter earnings call on August […]The post Cost to Complete Vogtle AP1000 Nuclear Units Could Balloon to $20B appeared first on POWER Magazine.

DTE Energy has filed plans with the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) to build a 1,100-MW natural gas-fired power plant on about 100 acres east of the existing Belle River Power Plant, northeast of Detroit near the Canadian border. The August 1 filing confirms the proposal that DTE discussed with local officials last fall for […]The post DTE Plans New 1,100-MW Gas Plant Near Detroit appeared first on POWER Magazine.