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Power Infrastructure Prominent in Biden’s $2.25 Trillion Blueprint

April 2, 2021

The post Power Infrastructure Prominent in Biden’s $ 2.25 Trillion Blueprint appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A major chunk of President Joe Biden’s $ 2.25 trillion transformational plan to overhaul the nation’s infrastructure is dedicated to re-energizing America’s power infrastructure. The initiatives garnered the industry’s approval—with notable exceptions.

The “American Jobs Plan,” released on March 31, strives to jumpstart the U.S. economy, which drooped under burdens posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. But according to senior administration officials, forward-looking initiatives unveiled on Wednesday are also “about focusing on how can we make a historic capital investment in America to improve our competitiveness, create millions of jobs, rebuild our infrastructure, and position our economy to face the crises and the threats we will face in the future, and finally address the climate crisis as a nation.”

Along with initiatives to fix highways, rebuild bridges, upgrade ports, airports, transit systems, drinking water systems, digital infrastructure, and public institutional infrastructure, the plan seeks to revitalize manufacturing, secure U.S.…

Key Pre-Demolition Considerations for Fossil Fuel Power Plants

March 31, 2021

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The post Key Pre-Demolition Considerations for Fossil Fuel Power Plants appeared first on POWER Magazine.

As the existing electric generation infrastructure matures, electric generation system owners are looking to the future for newer and greener technologies to meet the demands of electric consumption. An important part of this future perspective may include the demolition and removal of older generation plants and facilities to free up land resources for new development.

Prior to the physical work of demolition, there are a number of key considerations that need to be addressed to enable the closeout of one chapter to facilitate the emergence of a new chapter.

It can be safely assumed that all fossil-fueled plants maintained a requisite host of permits, licenses, and regulatory requirements that need to be properly closed out prior to filing for a demolition permit and initiation of physical work. All of these have a variety of lead times that may precede the actual demolition permit or are coincident with it.…

GE Turbines Will Power 1.2-GW Malaysian Plant

March 25, 2021

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The post GE Turbines Will Power 1.2-GW Malaysian Plant appeared first on POWER Magazine.

General Electric (GE) will provide two of the company’s 9HA.01 gas turbines along with other equipment and services to a new power plant in Malaysia. The company on March 24 announced it secured an order from a consortium of three groups, including Mitsubishi Corp., that is serving as the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) lead for the project.

The 1.2-GW Pulau Indah Power Plant is sited in Selangor, Malaysia. The two-block combined cycle plant will feature a modular configuration, according to GE. It also will include an STF-D650 steam turbine, a W88 generator, and a once-through heat recovery steam generator (HRSG). GE said the “HRSG technology is a key enabler in advanced water-steam cycles delivering higher combined cycle efficiency, while GE’s 9HA is the company’s flagship and most efficient 50 Hz gas turbine.”

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Texas PUC Outlines Review of Response to Power Disaster

March 12, 2021

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The post Texas PUC Outlines Review of Response to Power Disaster appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The regulatory group that oversees Texas’ deregulated power market has identified eight areas the agency will focus on as it continues to study the state’s response to a mid-February storm that left millions of electricity customers without power for several days.

The Public Utility Commission (PUC) of Texas on March 12, as part of an open meeting, listed items including weatherization of generation equipment, and also a study on how to improve the state’s power market, as part of its ongoing research into the causes and effects of the extreme winter weather on Texas’ power transmission and distribution system.

“I am proud of the work PUC staff is doing to shed light on the issues that combined to interrupt power for millions of Texans—we must make sure it never happens again,” said Arthur D’Andrea, the PUC chair who was appointed to the post after former PUC head DeAnn Walker resigned March 1, one of several resignations or firings—including the head of the Electricity Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), the state’s grid operator—of officials in the wake of the February power outages.…

Is Nuclear Power Poised for a Resurgence?

February 14, 2021

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The post Is Nuclear Power Poised for a Resurgence? appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Since 1990, nuclear power has consistently supplied about 19% to 20% of the electricity used in the U.S. However, very few nuclear plants have been added to the U.S. fleet over that time. Currently, the only new nuclear project in the U.S. is Southern Company’s Plant Vogtle expansion, which is expected to add two new reactors to the grid by the end of next year. Still, there are 50 reactors under construction around the world—12 of them in China—and several countries are considering adding more.

“There has been a fundamental shift in the thinking around the world. As climate change has become front and center as the number one issue globally—environmental issue and societal issue—the recognition that nuclear can and should play a part in helping us overcome the climate change problems has shifted a lot of thinking in governments that I talk to around the world, but also even with people that are environmental-minded—people that have been, in the past, anti-nuclear—and start seeing that nuclear now is and should be part of the solution.…

The POWER Interview: AI, Big Data, and Efficiency

February 8, 2021

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The post The POWER Interview: AI, Big Data, and Efficiency appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The increased use of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) in the power generation sector has a goal of making electricity production both more efficient, and secure. Developing ways to more quickly analyze ever-larger amounts of data is driving innovation among those people responsible for the operation of power plants and generation equipment.

Many companies are involved in the research and development of technologies to support AI and ML. Beyond Limits, a California company launched in 2014, works in several markets, from energy—including the power generation and oil and gas exploration sectors—to manufacturing and industrial, as well as healthcare. The company says, “Our mission is to create automated solutions with human-like powers of reasoning that amplify the talents and capabilities of people. We specialize in complex challenges in extreme environments.”

Stephen Kwan, the company’s director of product management for Power Generation/Grid Management, provided POWER with his insight into AI and ML as it applies to the electricity sector, with a look at what the future holds as the power generation landscape continues to change.…