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Nuclear Power, Carbon Capture Winners in New Budget Deal

February 11, 2018

The budget bill passed by Congress and signed by President Trump in the early hours of February 9 extends a host of tax credits for energy technologies, including provisions to help the Vogtle nuclear expansion in Georgia as well as U.S. carbon-capture projects.

The legislation also provides support for renewable energy, including for small wind turbines and geothermal pumps. It also gave five-year tax credit extensions to small natural gas technologies, including combined heat-and-power (CHP) and microturbines, along with fuel cells.

The Senate version of the bill reportedly included proposals to boost offshore wind energy, energy storage, waste heat to power, and large-scale geothermal generation projects. None of those efforts survived in the House and are not included in the final legislation.

The bill also includes $ 2 billion to help with rebuilding the electricity grid in Puerto Rico, where about 30% of the island remains without power after hurricanes Irma and Maria battered the Caribbean last September. Those funds are part of $ 89 billion in disaster funding for U.S.…

From the Pages of POWER Magazine: #TBT #ThrowbackThursdays

February 9, 2018

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In early 1882, U.S. industry was still heavily dependent on the water wheel, and many housewives cooked on wood-burning stoves. Power was made where it was used because there was no effective means of transmitting energy long distances. But 1882 was a year of dramatic changes. The world was just beginning to grasp the implications of a new, incredibly versatile form of energy—electricity.

POWER magazine was launched that year, not too long after introduction of the first practical steam engine by James Watt in England. The steam engine enabled development of industries based on mechanical—rather than human or animal—energy. Soon, just about every manufacturing plant had its own steam-engine power plant. During this paradigm-shifting period, POWER participated in the development of the engines that powered the Industrial Revolution.

From the beginning, POWER had to keep editorial pace with a fast-developing technology and a market strongly influenced by the fantastic economic growth of the post–Civil War period. New products and scientific advances proliferated, and the magazine’s pages reflected the changing world around it.…

Exercise Proves Hacking a Threat to Nuclear Power Plants

January 30, 2018

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Cybersecurity is a topic covered frequently in the pages of POWER magazine, and one that all power plants need to take seriously. A recent simulation proved that the consequences of a hack can be grave.

The drill took place in Sweden, but could have been conducted anywhere in the world. The attack used plant control systems against themselves to flood a cooling system, showing that hacking of computer systems can lead to physical plant damage.

Some experts, including Robert M. Lee, founder of cybersecurity firm Dragos, believe cyber incidents go underreported in the nuclear sector. The reason is that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission only requires the reporting of incidents that affect the safety, security functions, or emergency preparedness of the plant.

Although air-gapping systems, that is, keeping them disconnected from the internet, offers some protection, it is not the complete answer. Viruses, such as Stuxnet, have proven that systems can be infiltrated using USB drives, contractor laptops, or through a host of other seemingly innocuous methods.…

Don’t Let EPA Stall on Clean Power Plan, 17 States Tell Federal Court

January 20, 2018

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The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) recent request that the D.C. Circuit hold a case challenging the Clean Power Plan in additional abeyance until it concludes rulemaking has been strongly opposed by 17 states and several cities.

The EPA, in its latest 30-day court-required status report filed on January 10, asked the federal court for continued abeyance of the massive case. The court heard oral arguments on the merits of the Obama administration’s legacy rule to curb carbon dioxide emissions from power plants 16 months ago.

But in a joint filing with the court on January 17, 17 states—California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington—along with the District of Columbia, New York City, Florida’s Broward County, Boulder (Colorado), Chicago, Philadelphia, and South Miami, urged the court to deny additional abeyance.

“Neither EPA’s proposed repeal of the Clean Power Plan nor its prolonged and uncertain plans to replace the rule justify additional abeyance,” the parties argued.…

Decade-Old Power Grid Problem Solved by Smart Grid Technology

January 16, 2018

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A control system that smooths out inter-area oscillations—a problem affecting power systems connected by relatively weak tie lines—has been successfully demonstrated by researchers from Sandia National Laboratories and Montana Tech University. The system that uses smart grid technology could allow utilities to push more power through transmission lines, possibly nixing the need for new transmission lines and help to stabilize the grid.

Electric power grids operate well below transmission capacity to avoid widespread outages due to inter-area oscillations, which occur when the standard frequency of 60 cycles per second increases on the utility side of the transmission line while the frequency on the customer side decreases, switching back and forth every second or two. “Most of the time these oscillations are well-behaved and not a problem—they are always there,” explained Sandia engineer David Schoenwald. “But at a moment when you are trying to push a large amount of power, like on a very hot day in the summer, these oscillations start to become less well behaved and can start to swing wildly.”…

How to Leverage the Value of Outsourcing Electrical Power Maintenance

December 31, 2017

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From deregulation and restructuring to new technology and globalization, the power industry has undergone dramatic changes over the past few decades. Falling barriers to entry have led to the rise of small and independent power producers, and empowered consumers with choices when it comes to where to purchase their energy.

These changes have transformed a once staid, stable industry into a dynamic market driven by competitive pressures rather than traditional cost of service models. Today’s plant managers and operators must focus on customer service and retention, cost and rate control, and new tools and technology to compete.

To maximize profitability, most modern plants run “lean and mean” when it comes to internal staff and resources. This often means the highly skilled specialists who perform complex reliability maintenance are not included as part of the in-house team—they are often too expensive or too hard to find. Yet, system failure and unplanned downtime and outages can be catastrophic, and North American Electric Reliability Corp.…