POWER Magazine

There is perhaps no industry in the U.S. experiencing a greater range of fortunes than nuclear power. Across much of the country, nuclear plants that must compete in deregulated markets are often economicallyThe post Nuclear Relicensing: The Best of Times, the Worst of Times appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Shell-and-tube heat exchangers have been around longer than anyone reading this article. The heat exchanger offers many advantages. It can be used in condensing, boiling, or single-phase applications; it canThe post Innovative Heat Exchanger Technology Enhances Proven Designs appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Look out Tesla, the Germans are coming. The U.S. residential energy storage market took another step forward on January 29 when German firm sonnen announced that it was partnering with solar manufacturer SolarWorld to offer residential solar-plus-storage systems in the U.S., much like the systems announced by Tesla and Solar City last April. Unlike […]The post German Battery Firm Sonnen Moves into U.S. Home Solar-Storage Market appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The New York State Public Service Commission on January 21 approved a 10-year, $5 billion Clean Energy Fund that is expected to address climate change and strengthen resiliency in the face of extreme weather. It will also bolster Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s aggressive Clean Energy Standard, which calls for the state to meet 50% of its […]The post New York Launches $5B Clean Energy Fund appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The historic winter storm that buried the Eastern U.S. in snow over the weekend shut the lights off for more than a million customers from Arkansas to Massachusetts as it downed power lines and hampered operations at some power plants. According to the Department of Energy’s Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability, at one […]The post Winter Storm Wallops East Coast, Disrupts Power appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) said on January 27 that it had approved the applications for license renewal submitted by Exelon Corp. for Units 1 and 2 of the Braidwood Generating Station in Braceville, Ill. Braidwood, the state’s largest nuclear plant, was originally built by Commonwealth Edison. The two-unit plant operates two Westinghouse pressurized water […]The post NRC Renews Licenses for Braidwood Units 1 and 2 appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Recent news out of Europe shows just how important wind energy has become to the continent. Record wind power consumption, huge capacity additions, and new expansion in previously untapped offshore areas are all making headlines, but policy changes and overproduction could start to become challenging. Denmark Leads the Way In Denmark, 2015 was a banner […]The post Wind Energy Thrives in Europe, but It’s Not Unfettered appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Following the D.C. Circuit’s denial of motions for stay, 26 states have petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to immediately block the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) contentious Clean Power Plan from taking effect. The January 26 application, directed to Chief Justice John Roberts Jr., notes that the states filed petitions for review of the carbon rule […]The post [UPDATED] Halt the EPA’s Clean Power Plan Now, 26 States Urge Supreme Court appeared first on POWER Magazine.

By a 6–2 vote, the U.S. Supreme Court on January 25 ruled that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) had authority under the Federal Power Act (FPA) to issue rules requiring equal market participation by demand response (DR) resources. FERC Order 745, issued in 2011, required the nation’s Independent System Operators (ISOs) and Regional Transmission […]The post Supreme Court Revives FERC Order 745 on Demand Response appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Congressional efforts to block the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) contentious rule asserting federal authority over small bodies of water were derailed on Jan. 21. Senate Republicans voted 52–40, failing to override the president’s veto of the so-called “Clean Water Rule”—also “Waters of the United States” (or WOTUS) well short of the 60 necessary votes. Clean […]The post Senate’s Failed Veto Override Leaves WOTUS Rule Intact appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A federal court has denied the motions for stay requested by 27 states and numerous industry groups to block the Clean Power Plan from taking effect. “Petitioners have not satisfied the stringent requirements for a stay pending court review,” the court said in its two-page order on January 21. The court also ordered that consideration of the […]The post D.C. Circuit Denies Stay of Clean Power Plan appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Entergy has asked a federal court to invalidate a November 6 New York state (NYS) objection to a certification needed for the 20-year license extension of its Indian Point nuclear facilities by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). The state’s Department of State (DOS) claimed in its decision that Entergy’s twin nuclear reactors, which supply nearly 25% […]The post Entergy Sues New York for New Attempt to Shut Down Indian Point Nuclear appeared first on POWER Magazine.

New energy technologies, decreasing renewable energy costs, and low natural gas prices are forcing changes in the way traditional power companies must plan for the future. “A fundamental rethink is now well underway about how energy gets produced, delivered, consumed, and managed in many parts of the world, including the U.S.,” said Ethan Zindler, head […]The post Power Generation Industry Faces Fundamental Changes appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The Department of Energy (DOE) announced on January 15 that it was awarding up to $40 million each in cost-shared funding to Southern Co. and X-Energy to “support work to address key technical challenges to the design, construction, and operation of next generation nuclear reactors.” It also announced on January 18 that it was awarding […]The post Advanced Nuclear, Solar-Storage Projects Get DOE Funds appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Calpine Corp. will idle a 578-MW natural gas–fired combined cycle (CCGT) power plant in northern California for likely the remainder of the year. The Houston-headquartered company told POWER on January 15 that it will put the 2001-built Sutter Energy Center in Yuba City in “cold layup.” That means that while will the plant will not […]The post Calpine to Take Uneconomic CCGT Plant Offline in Calif. appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Acting on President Obama’s desire to improve fossil fuel resource management and push the country toward a “clean energy” economy, the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) announced on January 15 that it is launching a comprehensive review of the federal coal program. The review will be conducted in the form of a Programmatic Environmental […]The post DOI to “Modernize” Coal Program, Halts New Leases in Meantime appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A new grid modernization blueprint released by the Department of Energy (DOE) on January 14 seeks to integrate conventional and renewable power sources with energy storage and efficiency measures, while ensuring the grid is resilient against cyberattacks and climate change threats. The DOE said that the plan will help “frame new grid architecture design elements, […]The post DOE Releases Grid Modernization Blueprint appeared first on POWER Magazine.

In a voice vote on January 12, the Wisconsin Assembly passed AB 384, a bill that would repeal the statute currently preventing the state Public Service Commission (PSC) from authorizing construction of nuclear power plants in Wisconsin. Specifically, Wisconsin law states that construction of new facilities cannot commence until the PSC issues a “certificate of […]The post Wisconsin Assembly Votes to Lift Moratorium on New Nuclear Plants appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The month-old agreements that seemed to provide a lifeline for an array of coal-fired and nuclear power plants in Ohio owned by American Electric Power (AEP) and FirstEnergy have come under attack by other generators who say they can meet the demand at a lower cost to state taxpayers. AEP reached an eight-year power-purchase agreement (PPA) […]The post Fight Over Ohio Power Plant Subsidies Keeps Expanding appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Wholesale power prices across the nation plunged between 27% and 37% at major trading hubs last year compared to 2014, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported. The agency said on January 11 that the drop was driven largely by lower natural gas prices. Natural gas spot prices in 2015 at the Henry Hub averaged $2.61 […]The post EIA: Wholesale Power Prices Saw Sharp Fall in 2015 appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Energy and environment issues have figured prominently in past State of the Union (SOTU) addresses. Here’s a look back at President Obama’s previous speeches. See what Obama said in his final SOTU speech on January 12. 2010: Nuclear Gets the Spotlight In his very first State of the Union address, President Obama called for incentives […]The post The State of Energy, Power, Climate Change in Obama’s Past SOTU Addresses appeared first on POWER Magazine.

In his final State of the Union (SOTU) address on January 12, and arguably less so than in any other address he has given over the last seven years, President Obama made sparse mention of energy and climate change. The president dedicated most of the energy references in his address to “clean” energy, encapsulating wind […]The post SOTU Address Champions “Clean Energy” over “Dirty Energy” appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Advanced drones capable of carrying sophisticated imaging equipment and significant payloads pose a serious threat to nuclear power plants and other high-profile targets, says a report released on Jan. 11 by The Remote Control Project. Analysts for Open Briefing, a London-based civil society intelligence agency, compiled the report. The group reviewed 202 commercially available drones […]The post Terrorist Drones Could Pose Threat to Nuclear Plants appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has granted preemption authority to nuclear facilities in New York and California, allowing plant security forces to possess and use certain firearms and related devices despite local, state, or federal laws and regulations restricting their use. The action follows years of review. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 gave the […]The post NRC Trumps Local Authorities, Authorizes Weapons for Nuclear Plant Security appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Florida regulators on Jan. 5 approved the 1,600-MW Okeechobee Clean Energy Center under development by NextEra Energy subsidiary Florida Power & Light (FPL) near Vero Beach. The plant will be the fifth advanced combined cycle power plant FPL has commissioned since 2009. The three-unit Okeechobee plant will join the 1,335-MW 3,750-MW [Ed.-Corrected 1/14/16] West County […]The post Okeechobee Clean Energy Center to Give Florida Yet Another Big CCPP appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Silicon Valley Power (SVP)—Santa Clara, Calif.’s municipal electric utility—has decided to stop importing out-of-state electricity from the San Juan Generating Station, completely eliminating coal from its power supply. San Juan is a 1,646-MW four-unit coal-fired power plant located in Waterflow, N.M., and operated by PNM. SVP owns an interest in San Juan through its participation […]The post California Muni Says No to Coal Power appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Malware has apparently been used for the first time to prompt a large-scale power blackout. An attack was tied to a Dec. 23 blackout affecting about 1.4 million Ukrainians living in the Ivano-Frankivsk region, reported Ukrainian news media outlet TSN. However, Slovakian information security firm ESET later confirmed that the reported case “was not an […]The post Malware Campaign Reportedly Prompts Large-Scale Blackout in Ukraine appeared first on POWER Magazine.

State renewable portfolio standards (RPSs) provide around $7.4 billion in annual economic benefits and substantial reductions in water withdrawals and consumption, according to a new study from the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and National Renewable Energy Laboratory released on Jan. 6. The study, “A Retrospective Analysis of the Benefits and Impacts of […]The post State RPSs Provide Significant Economic Benefits, DOE Study Says appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Georgia Power (GP) announced on Jan. 4 that the owners of the expansion project at the Vogtle nuclear power plant (GP, Oglethorpe Power Corp., the Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia, and Dalton Utilities) have settled all pending litigation with the original project contractors, Westinghouse and CB&I. According to GP, the settlement resolves “all claims currently […]The post Vogtle Expansion Owners, Contractors, Settle All Claims appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The post THE BIG PICTURE: Future Coal Fleet appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The autonomous region of Xinjiang has an important strategic position in China’s economy—which consumes more energy than any other nation—yet several conditions limit the most effective use of its fuels. This article provides an overview of the situation. Since ancient times, the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (Xinjiang) has been in a particularly important position in […]The post The Energy Industry in Xinjiang, China: Potential, Problems, and Solutions appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Millennials have landed in the workforce. This is the generation that marketing and lifestyle gurus have been attempting to dissect, and now senior executives are starting to internalize what all the fuss was about—Millennials are a little different. At Student Energy, we’re working with university students to create the next generation of energy leaders. We […]The post Engage the Next Generation of Energy Leaders appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a country flush with fossil fuels, so why does its government want nuclear power to form the backbone of its electricity supply? POWER interviewed Emirates Nuclear Energy Corp. CEO Mohamed Al Hammadi to find the answer and to learn more about the world’s largest in-progress nuclear construction project. Located […]The post Oil- and Gas-Rich UAE Banks on Nuclear Power appeared first on POWER Magazine.

In mid-November, current members of POWER’ s Generating Company Advisory Team responded by email to a set of questions about their concerns, challenges, and new initiatives as they plan for the year aheadThe post The Generating Company Challenge: Manage Change While Maintaining Reliability appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Another megatrend has hit the power generation industry: the Internet of Things (IoT)—countless devices with embedded electronics, sensors, and connectivity to digitally communicate with one another andThe post Big Data and the Industrial Internet Meet the Power Plant appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The autonomous region of Xinjiang has a strategic position in China’s economy, yet several conditions limit the most effective use of its fuels. This article provides an overview of the situation. A more detailed version, with maps and tables, appears here under the same title. Since ancient times, the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (Xinjiang) has held […]The post The Energy Industry in Xinjiang, China: Potential, Problems, and Solutions [PRINT VERSION] appeared first on POWER Magazine.

January has traditionally been POWER’ s forecast issue, and there’s one overriding prediction I feel confident making: The speed of changes will continue to exceed the power industry’s ability to fullyThe post The Journey Ahead appeared first on POWER Magazine.

From issuance of the final Clean Power Plan to mammoth mergers, 2015 will be remembered as a tumultuous year. Twelve months ago, as folks were emerging from an eventful 2014, POWER made some bold predictions, including that fuel economics will drive 2015 U.S. power markets, and the labor crunch will complicate the gas turbine arms […]The post A Look Back at 2015: An Electric Year appeared first on POWER Magazine.

POWER‘s monthly infographic sheds light on power sector trends globally, and in 2015, it highlighted changes in plant retirements, sector revenues, rule costs, workforce, emissions technologies, and electricity costs, among other subjects. January 2015: Baseload Retirements How coal plant retirements compare with retirements of other baseload generation sources. February 2015: Power Revenues How revenues for fossil power […]The post THE BIG PICTURE 2015: The Year in Power Sector Infographics appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Ghana’s Ministry of Power released a statement on Dec. 30 proclaiming the end of the country’s load-shedding program. The news may not be welcomed by all of the nation’s residents however, as many Ghanaians were reportedly looking forward to the power minister’s self-promised resignation, if load shedding had not been terminated by year end. Citi […]The post Power Minister: Load-Shedding Over in Ghana appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The Wylfa Nuclear Power Station—the last operating Magnox reactor in the world—came offline permanently on Dec. 30. Located in Anglesey, an island off the northwest coast of Wales in the UK, the plant entered service in 1971. Originally constructed with two 490-MW units, only Reactor 1 has been operating since 2012. The UK pioneered the […]The post World’s Last Magnox Nuclear Reactor Shuts Down for Final Time appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Texas is the latest state to file suit against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) over its recently finalized standards for ozone. The state joins Arizona, Arkansas, Kentucky, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Utah, and Wisconsin, which have legally challenged the final version of the EPA’s National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for ozone since its […]The post Texas Sues EPA over Ozone Standards appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Portland General Electric (PGE) assumed engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) responsibility for the Carty Generating Station on Dec. 18, following the original EPC contractor’s default on its construction agreement. Construction began on the Carty plant on Jan. 9, 2014. It is being built in Oregon next to PGE’s existing Boardman Plant, which is scheduled for […]The post PGE Takes Over Power Plant Construction After Abengoa Filing appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A status update and forecast for solar photovoltaic power in Greece, Croatia, and Italy.The post Greece, Croatia, and Italy Chart a Course to More Solar Power appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A slowing of the Chinese economy and the diversification of its power sector, combined with a worldwide trend toward policies that favor renewable energy and the retirement of older, less-efficient coal-fired facilities, trumped growth in India and the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries, resulting in a decline in coal consumption in 2014, which […]The post Global Demand for Coal Shrinks appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Hackers believed to be connected to Iran infiltrated the control system of a small dam outside New York City in 2013, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal. The Bowman Avenue Dam in Rye Brook, about 20 miles northeast of the city, is small and used only for flood control. While the hackers […]The post Iranian Cyberattack Infiltrated Control System of New York Dam appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Russia and India will finalize a deal for Units 5 and 6 of the Kudankulam nuclear plant during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Moscow this week, according to reports in the Indian media. Russia has been on a major drive to sell its nuclear technology abroad, while India has been on a similar campaign […]The post Russia to Supply Two More Indian Nukes, Reports Say appeared first on POWER Magazine.

As expected, President Obama vetoed two resolutions on Dec. 18 that would have blocked the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) rules on CO2 emissions and halted the administration’s Clean Power Plan. Senate Joint Res. 23 was Congress’ attempt to nullify the EPA’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions standards for new, modified, and reconstructed power plants, while Senate […]The post Obama Vetoes Resolution to Stop Clean Power Plan appeared first on POWER Magazine.

North America’s reserve margins are trending downward, even though electricity demand has generally fallen, the North American Electric Reliability Corp. (NERC) warned in a new report. The international regulatory authority established to gauge and improve the reliability of North America’s bulk power system (BPS) said in its annual long-term report that electricity demand has dropped […]The post NERC: Unprecedented Changes to Power Mix, EPA Rules Pose Reliability Challenges appeared first on POWER Magazine.