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Georgia PSC Will Decide Vogtle’s Fate on December 21

December 12, 2017

The Georgia Public Service Commission on December 11 said it will decide December 21 whether to allow construction of two new nuclear reactors at the Plant Vogtle site to move forward, or call for the project to be canceled.

Commissioners voted Monday to move up the timetable for a decision on the troubled nuclear project after noting that Georgia Power CEO Paul Bowers said his company would pass through $ 150 million in tax savings to ratepayers, if the project is canceled by year-end. The move came on the first of four days of hearings in Atlanta, Georgia, to determine the next steps for the PSC and Georgia Power with regard to the oft-delayed construction of two new AP1000 reactors at the nuclear plant near Waynesboro, Georgia.

This week’s hearings had been expected to pave the way for a PSC decision on the project’s fate, a decision originally scheduled for February 2018. POWER magazine has been among those reporting that pending changes to the federal corporate tax rate structure under consideration by Congress could accelerate that timetable.…

Market-Challenged, GE Continues to Improve Gas Turbine Efficiency

December 10, 2017

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GE Power said its 9HA.02 gas turbine reached a new milestone by exceeding 64% efficiency in combined cycle power plants. The company attributes at least part of the achievement to advances in additive manufacturing (3-D printing).

“The HA is our most advanced gas turbine technology, and we’ve never stopped pushing the boundaries of what it can do,” Joe Mastrangelo, president and CEO of GE’s Gas Power Systems, said in a press release announcing the accomplishment.

Efficiency Improvements Offer Hope for the Future

It was only 18 months ago that the EDF Bouchain facility—the first 9HA gas turbine to enter commercial operation—received recognition from Guinness World Records as the most-efficient combined cycle power plant in the world with a third-party verified net efficiency of 62.22%. (The unit was also recognized as a POWER Top Plant award winner in 2017.) The latest improvement, announced on December 4, is worth millions in fuel cost savings for customers, according to GE Power’s estimates.…

New FERC Chair McIntyre Seeks Delay on Grid Resiliency NOPR

December 8, 2017

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Kevin McIntyre, freshly sworn in as chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), has asked the Department of Energy (DOE) for a 30-day extension for the commission to act on the proposed Grid Resiliency Pricing Rule.

FERC is required to take final action on Energy Secretary Rick Perry’s September 28-issued notice of proposed rulemaking (NOPR) within 60 days following publication in the Federal Register, which occurred on October 10. Under that timetable, FERC’s vote on the rule would be required by Monday, December 11.

In a letter dated December 7—the same day McIntyre was sworn in as FERC’s chair to replace interim chair Neil Chatterjee—McIntyre said that FERC had received more than 1,500 solicited comments and reply comments on the controversial NOPR. FERC had also sworn in two new members within the last two weeks, returning to its full complement of five members on Thursday for the first time since October 2015, he noted.

FERC’s membership now includes three Republicans—McIntyre, Chatterjee, and Robert Powelson—and two Democrats, Cheryl LaFleur and Richard Glick.…

Another Coal-fired Plant Will Close in Wisconsin

December 4, 2017

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WEC Energy Group continues to move away from coal-fired power in its portfolio. The Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based utility in November gave WEC investors more details about the plan for Wisconsin Public Service (WPS), a WEC subsidiary, to close the Pulliam Power Plant in Green Bay, Wisconsin, as early as next fall.

WEC subsidiary We Energies last week said it will close its coal-fired Pleasant Prairie plant in the second quarter of 2018. WEC also in 2016 signed an agreement to replace coal units at the its Presque Isle plant in Michigan with natural gas-fired generation; Michigan regulators approved that plan in October of this year. That plant in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is operated by WEC subsidiary Upper Michigan Energy Resources.

Plans for the Pulliam plant’s eventual closure were first announced in October 2016, according to Matt Cullen, a spokesman for WPS. The plant began service in 1927, and at one time had eight coal-fired generating units; it operates two today. The plant is located at the mouth of the Fox River in Green Bay.…

Turbomachinery & Pump Symposia Show Preview

December 2, 2017

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The Turbomachinery and Pump Symposia (TPS) is a vital industry event, a forum for the exchange of ideas between rotating equipment engineers and technicians from across the globe. From the first symposium in 1972, TPS (http://tps.tamu.edu/) has been known for its impact on turbomachinery, pump, oil and gas, petrochemical, power, aerospace, chemical, and water industries through both its technical program and its exhibit hall, where 360 companies exhibited their products and services in 2016. This year’s event, held December 12–14 at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas, promises to be the perfect forum for exchanging ideas and forging new relationships. TPS is organized by the Turbomachinery Laboratory, part of Texas A&M University. A sampling of the exhibitors, and their products and services, are highlighted in this section.

High-Pressure, Rotary Gear Pumps for Severe Applications

Northern Pump manufactures high-pressure, heavy-duty, positive-displacement, rotary gear pumps for industry, designed to perform in severe applications. Among those applications are for seal oil, lube oil, fuel oil, hydraulic oil, coating, and many others.…

California PUC Will Rule Soon on Diablo Canyon’s Future

November 28, 2017

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The fate of Pacific Gas & Electric’s (PG&E’s) Diablo Canyon Power Plant is expected to be decided by year-end, with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) set to hear final arguments about the plant’s future on November 28.

The 2.2-GW nuclear plant has operated near Avila Beach, California, since 1985. A judge in early November supported PG&E’s plan to retire the plant’s two Westinghouse-designed 4-loop pressurized-water reactors when their federal operating licenses expire in 2024 and 2025.

PG&E has said several factors entered into its decision to shutter the plant, which is the last operating nuclear facility in California. On its website, the utility says, “California’s energy landscape is changing dramatically. State policies that focus on renewables and energy efficiency, coupled with projected lower customer electricity demand in the future, will result in a significant reduction in the need for electricity produced by Diablo Canyon Power Plant past 2025.”

Proponents of keeping the plant in operation argue it was built to last a century.…