Industry News | EnergyNorthwest.com

Congratulations to the Connected Plant Game Changers

March 3, 2018

The Connected Plant Game Changer Award recognizes those people who are leading the charge in implementing digital technologies in their field: either in the chemical process industries or in power generation.

Nominations are open to individuals who have used tools associated with digitalization to contribute to innovation, solve a problem or make improvements, as well as those who are fast risers or champions in this area. Out of the many nominations received this year, a total of 12 winners were chosen by a committee comprised of staff members from POWER and Chemical Engineering. The winners were honored with the award during a luncheon at this year’s Connected Plant Conference (February 27–28, Charlotte, N.C.; www.connectedplantconference.com).

The 2018 Connected Plant Game Changer Winners

Matt Peters, Manufacturing Engineer from 3M

Matt has been involved in numerous projects leveraging WirelessHART and remote analytics to improve process uptime, asset reliability, worker safety and energy efficiency. He helped create a corporate strategic vision for wireless and integrated smart technologies.…

ICS Cybersecurity Threatened, but Defense Woefully Inadequate

March 1, 2018

| No Comments

| Industry News

Though increasingly serious cybersecurity threats loom, nearly two-thirds of U.S. industrial control system (ICS) vulnerabilities identified in 2017 could cause severe operational impact if exploited, cybersecurity firm Dragos Inc. warned in a series of reports published March 1.

The reports, which cover ICS vulnerabilities, ICS threats, and reactions to existing threats, draw a dire picture of the current state of ICS cybersecurity.

In one report, Reid Wightman, Dragos senior vulnerability analyst, notes that public disclosures issued in 2017 fail to adequately define the industrial impact of vulnerabilities. Most provided no alternative guidance beyond “patch” or recommendations to use secure networks, and the firm concluded that public reporting will need a “huge improvement.”

Another report, authored by Joe Slowik, a Dragos senior threat analyst, noted that 2017 was a defining year in ICS security. Last year alone, two major and unique disruptive attackers were revealed, five distinct activity groups targeting ICS networks were identified, and several large-scale IT infection events with ICS implications occurred.…

More Coal Units Being Mothballed in Indiana

February 27, 2018

| No Comments

| Industry News

An Indiana utility has confirmed it will close three coal-fired power units, replacing that generation with a proposed natural gas-fired facility along with additional solar power.

Evansville, Indiana-based Vectren Corp., a holding company whose assets include Vectren Energy Delivery of Indiana-South, on February 20 released its Smart Energy Future strategic plan, designed to reduce Vectren’s carbon emissions by at least 60% from 2005 levels to comply with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations.

Vectren first talked about retiring coal-fired units in late 2016, a surprising move in a state that has long relied on coal for the bulk of its power generation, ranking second behind Texas in total coal consumption as recently as 2016, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). However, EIA notes how coal’s share of the state’s total electric power generation has fallen in recent years, and after decades of receiving more than 90% of its power from coal—as much as 98% in 1998—Indiana now receives about 71% of its electricity from coal, according to EIA data from 2016.…

Cogeneration Solution Serves Processing Plant Needs [PODCAST]

February 25, 2018

| No Comments

| Industry News

Concentric Power, a California-based provider of high-efficiency energy modules for onsite refrigeration and electric power generation, recently launched a $ 100 million financing program for cogeneration and microgrid projects.

“We are excited to create a new path forward in energy infrastructure financing and development,” Brian Curtis, founder and CEO of Concentric Power, said in a press release. “The next 20 years will be transformative for how electric power is generated and consumed. Industrial and ag consumers see these shifts coming but would often rather invest capital in their core business rather than in plant utilities. Concentric’s technology strategy and finance program enable customers to utilize third-party financing to roll out sustainable infrastructure.”

Concentric has already developed two significant projects: Taylor Farms in Gonzales, California, and True Leaf Farms in San Juan Bautista, California. Both are large agricultural processing facilities that require several MW of power and refrigeration to operate.

Taylor Farms (Figure 1) installed solar panels and a wind turbine to supply some of its power demand, but it wanted a reliable backup to fill voids when the wind and solar couldn’t provide the processing plant’s needs.…

FirstEnergy Suffers Steep Losses, Will Close Massive Coal Plant

February 21, 2018

| No Comments

| Industry News

FirstEnergy Corp. bled $ 2.64 billion from its competitive businesses over 2017, financial losses exacerbated by marked declines in contract sales, higher operating expenses, and costs associated with asset impairment and plant exit.

The Akron, Ohio–based company, which in January received a $ 2.5 billion equity injection from four private investment groups to boost its transition to a fully regulated utility company, on February 20 reported full-year 2017 losses of $ 1.7 billion on revenues of $ 14 billion. In 2016, the company recorded losses of $ 6.2 billion on revenues of $ 14.6 billion.

The losses, though significant, are indicative of progress for the company, which has, since 2016, announced the sale or closure of 2,471 MW of competitive generation operated in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.

Closure of a 1.3-GW Coal-Fired Power Plant

On February 16, FirstEnergy announced it had notified PJM Interconnection of a plan to deactivate its 1979-built Pleasants Power Station in Willow Island, West Virginia. The 1,300-MW plant will be sold or closed on January 1, 2019.…

Cybersecurity Tips for Power Plant Operators [PODCAST]

February 17, 2018

| No Comments

| Industry News

Cybersecurity threats have increased dramatically as sophisticated, nation-state developed hacking programs have been leaked to the general public. Now, common criminals have high-tech tools at their disposal with the capability to cause serious damage. As such, the power industry must take precautions and upgrade security to keep systems safe. While regulations provide a minimum security standard, companies that aren’t going above and beyond the government’s requirements are likely to be setting themselves up as “low-hanging fruit,” that is, easy targets for hackers.

In this episode of The POWER Podcast, Chris Grove, director of industrial security for Indegy, offers some tips for keeping bad actors out of power plants. Gaining visibility into systems is an important first step. Once companies understand what risks they’re exposed to, getting a broad-based team of both information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) experts involved to develop solutions to mitigate the risks is a logical subsequent step. Investing in good security can pay dividends in the end.…