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U.S Solar Installations Dip Amid Uncertainty

March 16, 2018

Burdened by a trade case, unpredictable policy-making, interconnection delays, and other market factors, the U.S. installed 30% less solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity in 2017 compared to a record-breaking 2016.

However, the 10.6 GW of new PV capacity added last year represents 30% of all new generating capacity added to the U.S. grid, more than any other power source but natural gas, and according to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), it is characteristic of solar PV’s booming growth. Last year’s capacity addition still represents 40% growth over 2015’s installation total, the trade group noted as it released its U.S. Solar Market Insight Report 2017 Year-in-Review, which it prepared with GTM Research, on March 15.

“The solar industry delivered impressively last year despite a trade case and market adjustments,” said SEIA President and CEO Abigail Ross Hopper. “Especially encouraging is the increasing geographic diversity in states deploying solar, from the Southeast to the Midwest, that led to a double-digit increase in total capacity.”…

Texas Utility Ready to Ramp Up Renewables

March 14, 2018

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The CEO of Texas-based CPS Energy said March 6 that the utility wants to generate at least 50% of its power from renewable sources by 2040, part of a plan that includes the addition of 550 MW of battery storage, as it looks to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels. But the city-owned San Antonio utility will continue to operate coal and natural gas-fired power plants, though the city’s mayor has said he would oppose building more fossil fuel-powered units.

CPS CEO Paula Gold-Williams outlined the company’s “flexible path” strategy in a meeting with the utility’s board of directors on Tuesday. The utility last year announced it would close its two coal-fired units at the 840-MW Deely station (Figure 1) in San Antonio, one of several Texas coal plants being retired this year, though it will continue to operate two natural gas-fired units—the Sommers Gas Plant—at the site, with generation capacity of 892 MW.

1. Closing in 2018. The Deely power plant near San Antonio will be closed in 2018.

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Experts: Warfare Between Coal and Gas Is Nonexistent

March 12, 2018

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Markets may currently favor natural gas, but coal, which has been diminished for “good reason,” will likely have a significant place as a reliable fuel for power generation, a diverse panel of U.S. coal experts—including a generator, a supplier, and a market analyst—suggested at CERAWeek by IHS Markit in Houston on March 7.

Coal lost its dominant role in the U.S. generation mix in 2016 and fell further to a 30.1% share at the end of 2017, drastically lower than the 48.5% it held in 2007. According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), natural gas’s share surged to 31.7% in 2017, a leap compared to its 21.6% share in 2007.

A panel at CERAWeek by IHS Markit on March 7, 2018, discussed the role of coal and gas in American power. From left to right: Jim Thompson, IHS Markit; Paul Bailey, ACCCE; David Ownens, TVA; David Khani, CONSOL Energy; and Samuel Andrus, IHS Markit. Source: POWER

According to Paul Bailey, president and CEO of the American Coalition of Clean Coal Electricity (ACCCE)—an organization that represents the nation’s coal generation fleet, not the coal industry, as is commonly assumed, he noted—the decline is rooted in the mass retirements of coal plants.…

Germany’s New Coalition Government Agrees to Phase Out Coal, but Will Miss 2020 Emissions Targets

March 10, 2018

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Germany’s Social Democratic Party (SPD) members agreed to join their longtime rival and governing partner, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), and reluctantly entered into a third grand coalition government on March 4. While this ended months of anxious handwringing following September’s national elections, the entire process was mired in frustration as the prospect of yet another coalition grew more unpopular each day.

While the only idea more unfavorable was another national election (with the fear that rightwing parties would gain even more support), at the ceremony announcing the SPD’s decision to again join the CDU, there was virtually no applause. Much like a resigned patient about to undergo chemotherapy, the general mood among both SPD and CDU party members (and the general population) was one of begrudging willingness without any marked enthusiasm. Following years of coalition experience behind them, neither party seemed excited to rejoin the partnership and, its fair to say, the new ruling coalition is both weaker and more unpopular now than prior to elections.…

Test Your Knowledge: Boiler Chemical Cleaning

March 7, 2018

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Most engineers and operators know (or should know) that boiler tubes containing deposits create long-term reliability problems for the boiler. Long-term overheating of the metal will result from prolonged operation with heavy tube deposits. The tubes will first bulge and then fail. Because the deposits tend to be widespread, this generally means that large sections of boiler tubing will be damaged and require replacement. With the exception of corrosion fatigue, all water-side boiler tube failure mechanisms occur under deposits. Get rid of the deposits and you also stop the water-side tube failures.

The standard method for determining when to chemically clean a boiler is to take a boiler tube sample and have the deposit amount measured—a deposit weight density (DWD)—and the composition of the deposit analyzed. If the DWD results indicate the need to chemically clean, action should be taken sooner rather than later. This quiz is designed to test your knowledge of boiler chemical cleaning fundamentals.
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To learn more about boiler chemical cleaning, read: “Boiler Chemical Cleaning: Doing It Correctly.”…

FPL Will Build New Gas Plant, Adds More Solar

March 5, 2018

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Florida regulators on March 1 approved Florida Power & Light’s (FPL’s) plan to build a new $ 888 million natural gas-fired power plant, replacing an existing gas- and oil-fueled plant on the same site in Dania Beach that is being retired this year. The utility on Thursday also announced the opening of four new solar power plants in Florida, joining four others that FPL opened in January of this year.

The Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) supported FPL’s plan for the new 1,163-MW Dania Beach Clean Energy Center. The PSC said reusing infrastructure from the existing Lauderdale plant at the site was the most cost-effective way to lower emissions and meet rising demand for electricity in the region. The new facility will use the same gas infrastructure, substation, and transmission lines as the existing plant, and emissions will be 95% lower for nitrogen oxide and 22% lower for carbon dioxide, according to the PSC. Water used by the plant will drop by more than 1 million gallons a day, the PSC said.…