Power Engineering articles from March 2007

Power Engineering archives from March 2007

TXU-turn.(Opinion)(TXU Corp. future deals)
March 1, 2007... TXU last month cashed in big time as Kohlberg Kravis Roberts and Texas Pacific Group said they plan to acquire the company in a deal valued at around $45 billion. As part of the deal the utility agreed to scrap eight of 11 proposed coal-fired...

Wet, dry and in between.(Xcel Energy Inc. settles for condensation systems from GEA Power Cooling System Inc.)
March 1, 2007... In 2004, as part of a least-cost resource plan filing with the Colorado Public Utility Commission, Xcel Energy proposed constructing a 750 MW supercritical coal-fired unit at the Comanche Station near Pueblo, Colo. To win support for the plan...

Nuclear power's history has role in its future.(NUCLEAR REACTIONS)(Editorial)
March 1, 2007... Not long ago, someone from outside the electric industry asked me about my views on nuclear energy--do I really think it is a viable generating technology of the future? I didn't hesitate to tell him that I think it's not only a viable option,...

Tapping the waste stream.(View On Renewables)(recycling waste to help environment)
March 1, 2007... Each year Americans generate more than 400 million tons of municipal solid waste (MSW) and construction and demolition (C & D) waste. Of that, we recycle only a quarter, leaving 300 million tons of waste to dispose of as we wish. In the United...

TXU acquirers reduce coal plans.(Startup)
March 1, 2007... An investor group led by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. (KKR) and Texas Pacific Group (TPG) is acquiring TXU in a transaction valued at $45 billion. The deal includes an agreement with environmental groups to scrap eight of 11 planned coal-fired...

I'll see that and raise you....(coal power plant construction by FutureGen Alliance)
March 1, 2007... Luring FutureGen, the $1 billion federally funded near-zero-emissions demonstration coal plant, has turned into a game of high-stakes poker between Illinois and Texas, the only two players still sitting at the table. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]...

PJM forecasts solid growth in peak electricity use over 10 years.(Startup)
March 1, 2007... Consumers will increase their peak demand for electricity by 16.7 percent over the next 10 years, according to PJM Interconnection, the electric power supply system operator for 13 states and the District of Columbia. The highest growth rate...

Sale reveals coal asset value.(Startup)(City of Brownsville, Texas acquires American Electric Power Company Inc.)
March 1, 2007... American Electric Power subsidiary Texas Central Co. (TCC) in February completed the sale of its 7.8 percent share of Oklaunion Power Station to the City of Brownsville, Texas (Public Utilities Board Brownsville) for $42.75 million plus...

Global rise reported in key commodity costs (special from Power Engineering magazine's Coal-Gen e-newsletter, February 15).(cost of construction goods and power plant equipment to rise further)
March 1, 2007... Power providers from across the country report an uptick in cost estimates for their proposed coal-fired plants due to what they say are higher equipment, labor and raw material prices. Growing international competition for power plant...

Report offers roadmap for better CHP benefit analysis.(Startup)(combined heat and power)(Survey)
March 1, 2007... Despite a multitude of energy efficiency benefits produced by combined heat and power (CHP) installations, few tools exist for estimating the displaced emissions or predicting how CHP affects constrained transmission systems or distributed...

1,500 kW of rooftop solar.(Lennar Corp. to use SunPower solar energy systems in construction of energy efficient suburb)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Ground has broken on what will be the world's largest solar-powered neighborhood. Construction started in February on the first 80 houses of what will eventually be a 650-home community deploying a cumulative 1,500 kW of photovoltaic (PV) solar...

Natural gas cartel coming?(Qatar and Russia working on a petroleum deal for a natural gas cartel)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Quatar and Russia rank among the world's largest gas producers and Qatar sits atop the largest gas field on earth. If that sounds like a good start for a cartel, it could well be. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Emir Sheik Hamad bin...

SRP decision seen as ending Mohave re-start.(Startup)(Salt River Project )
March 1, 2007... Plans aimed at restarting the Mohave Generating Station plant in southwest Nevada (pictured above), which went into service in 1971 and closed in December 2005, were all but laid to rest in February with a Salt River Project (SRP) decision to...

GE Energy.(Construction & Contracts)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... GE Energy has received a contract valued at more than $100 million to perform an extended power uprate of Xcel's 613 MW Monticello nuclear plant near Minneapolis, boosting the plant's output to 684 MW. The project is scheduled for completion in...

Alstom.(Construction & Contracts)(Halton Hills Power Partners)(TransCanada Corp.)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Alstom has signed a contract with TransCanada and Halton Hills Power Partners to supply two heat recovery steam generators and one 300 MW steam turbine generator for the Halton Hills Generating Station near Toronto.

Wartsila.(Construction & Contracts)(Tierra Energy)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... In a contract worth $50 million, Wartsila will supply 14 20V34SG engines for Tierra Energy's 115.5 MW Eastshore Energy Center in Hayward, Calif., which will enter service in 2009 and provide power for PG & E.

John Wood Group PLC.(Construction & Contracts)
March 1, 2007... Subsidiaries of John Wood Group PLC's Gas Turbine Services Division have been awarded three turnkey contracts, valued at approximately $195 million, by American Electric Power to build and commission three peaking power plant facilities during...

Thermal Engineering International (USA) Inc.(Construction & Contracts)(Fluor Corp.)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Babcock Power Inc. subsidiary Thermal Engineering International (USA) Inc. will supply condensers for TXU's 1,720 MW lignite fired Oak Grove power plant near Hearne, Texas. Fluor Corp. will provide engineering, procurement and construction...

Minnesota Power.(Construction & Contracts)(Hitachi Power Systems America, Ltd.)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Minnesota Power has awarded a contract to design and supply a retrofit Air Quality Control System (AQCS) to Hitachi Power Systems America, Ltd. The system is expected to be installed at the 350 MW Boswell Energy Center-Unit 3. Financial terms...

Babcock Power's Vogt Power.(Construction & Contracts)(Navasota Energy Partners)(heat recovery steam generator )(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Babcock Power's Vogt Power subsidiary will supply four HRSGs for Navasota Energy Partners' Colorado Bend plant near Houston and Quail Run plant near Odessa, Texas. They will be installed behind GE 7EA gas turbines, adding 275 MW of output to...

CH2M HILL.(Construction & Contracts)(Babcock Power Environmental Inc.)(Gainesville Regional Utilities)(CH2M Hill Companies Ltd.)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... CH2M HILL has been selected by Gainesville Regional Utilities to partner with Babcock Power Environmental Inc. for the engineering, procurement and construction of an emissions control system for the Deerhaven Unit 2 Power Plant in Gainesville,...

Thermal Engineering International.(Construction & Contracts)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Thermal Engineering International, a unit of Babcock Power Inc., will supply Feedwater Heaters and Condensers for the new Iatan Unit 2 coal-fired power plant located Northwest of Kansas City, MO.

OG & E Electric Services, Public Service Company of Oklahoma and the Oklahoma Municipal Power Authority signed an agreement with Red Rock Power Partners (RRPP).(Construction & Contracts)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... OG & E Electric Services, Public Service Company of Oklahoma and the Oklahoma Municipal Power Authority signed an agreement with Red Rock Power Partners (RRPP) to begin the first phase of the $1.8 billion, 950 MW Red Rock power plant. The RRPP...

LS Power.(Mergers & Acquisitions)(Mirant Corp.)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... LS Power has agreed to buy six gas-fired plants from Mirant representing a combined capacity of more than 3,600 MW. Sale price is just under $1.5 billion.

Dynegy Inc.(Mergers & Acquisitions)(LS Power Corp. acquired by Dynegy Inc.)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... In a separate announcement, Dynegy Inc. shareholders will meet March 29 to discuss its impending merger with LS Power. The deal already has been approved by the boards of directors of Houston-based Dynegy and East Brunswick, N.J.-based LS Power...

AES Corp.(Mergers & Acquisitions)(Alstom S.A.)(Exelon Corp.)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... AES Corp. purchased two 231 MW power plants in Mexico for $611 million, including the acquisition of equity and subordinated debt totaled at $190 million and the assumption of $421 million in project debt. The purchase price is worth around...

Astoria Generating Holdings LLC and EBG Holdings LLC will combine for $5 billion to form US Power Generating Co.(Mergers & Acquisitions)(Astoria Generating Holdings LLC )(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Astoria Generating Holdings LLC and EBG Holdings LLC will combine for $5 billion to form US Power Generating Co., which will own and operate eight power plants with a capacity of more than 5,000 MW. The merger would create a company with enough...

Atlantic City Electric Co.(Mergers & Acquisitions)(Rockland Capital Energy Investments)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Atlantic City Electric Co. sold its B.L. England Generating Station to RC Cape May Holdings, LLC, an affiliate of Rockland Capital Energy Investments, LLC. Net proceeds from the sale will be determined after the sale.

Calpine Corp.(Mergers & Acquisitions)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Calpine Corp. received bankruptcy court approval to sell its 250 MW Goldendale Energy Center, LLC to Puget Sound Energy Inc., for $120 million, or $480/kW. Goldendale is a combined-cycle, natural-gas fired plant. PSE must secure about 1,500...

Nuclear Regulatory Commission.(Business Briefs)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has renewed the operating license of CMS Energy's 798 MW Palisades nuclear plant, extending its operation to 2031. Palisades went into service in 1971.

GE Energy Financial Services.(Business Briefs)(acquisitions of ERORA Group)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... GE Energy Financial Services is acquiring a 20 percent equity interest in The ERORA Group, which is developing the 630 (net) MW Cash Creek IGCC co-production plant in Kentucky. The plant, estimated to cost $1.5 billion, will use GE IGCC...

Blue Earth Biofuels.(Business Briefs)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Blue Earth Biofuels will develop and operate a biodiesel refining plant on Maui to supply fuel for use in Maui Electric Co.'s diesel generators. The plant is scheduled to be in service by 2009 and will initually produce 40 million gallons a...

DTE Energy Co.(Business Briefs)(Energy Policy Act of 2005)(nuclear power plants construction)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... DTE Energy Co. said it will prepare a license application for a new nuclear power plant, although the company has not yet decided whether it will ultimately build and operate a new nuclear facility. The application will be for a new power plant...

BP Alternative Energy North America.(Business Briefs)(Greenlight Energy Inc. and Orion Energy L.L.C. acquired)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... BP Alternative Energy North America expects to start work this year on five wind generation projects representing a combined capacity of 550 MW in California, Colorado, North Dakota and Texas. BP's U.S. wind portfolio includes the potential to...

Exelon Nuclear.(Business Briefs)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Exelon Nuclear produced 131.4 billion kWh in 2006--the fourth consecutive year that the company has set a new generation record for a U.S. power plant fleet. Altogether, Exelon's 17 reactors produced enough electricity last year to continuously...

Florida Public Service Commission.(Business Briefs)(nuclear power plants construction law)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... The Florida Public Service Commission has adopted new rules to encourage construction of additional nuclear power plants within the state. The rules are designed to spur investment and promote nuclear power development. Investor-owned electric...

AREVA.(Business Briefs)(Evolutionary Power Reactor to make use of nuclear power reactors)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... AREVA has received its 100th order for a nuclear power reactor. Electricite de France chose AREVA to supply the system for the Evolutionary Power Reactor (EPR) soon to be constructed in Flamanville, France. The U.S. EPR plant design is...

Black & Veatch.(Business Briefs)(Clean Energy Technologies launched to construct power plants)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Black & Veatch has launched Clean Energy Technologies (CET) to modify and optimize an early stage biogasification technology originated by Pearson Technologies of Baton Rouge, La. Black & Veatch will engineer, design and construct the first...

NRG Energy and the Lower Colorado River Authority.(Business Briefs)(Lower Colorado River Authority signs memorandum of understanding with NRG Energy Inc.)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... NRG Energy and the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) have signed a memorandum of understanding to work together to meet LCRA's growing wholesale market in Texas by providing LCRA access to up to 700 MW of new NRG generating capacity.

Duke Energy.(Business Briefs)(global warming report of Duke Energy Corp.)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Jim Rogers, CEO of Duke Energy, said a global warming report overstates a trend that can be reversed through government programs that put a national cap on emissions and reduce industrial carbon dioxide production. He said such programs can...

ESCO Corp.(Personnel & Promotions)
March 1, 2007... Francois Baril has been named president of ESCO Corp.'s turbine technologies group. He succeeds Perry Harvey, who retired in February.

North American Energy Services Co.(Personnel & Promotions)
March 1, 2007... Thomas DeNova has been named president and CEO of power industry service provider North American Energy Services Co.

Avista Corp.(Personnel & Promotions)(Gary G. Ely, chief executive officer to resign)(Scott L. Morris appointed as chairman and chief executive officer)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Avista Corp. Chairman of the Board and CEO Gary G. Ely will retire effective Dec. 31, 2007. President and COO Scott L. Morris was elected as chairman and CEO effective Jan. 1, 2008. The board also appointed Morris as a director on the board...

Dominion.(Personnel & Promotions)
March 1, 2007... Thos. E. Capps will not seek reelection as chairman of the board or as a director of Dominion at the company's annual shareholder meeting on April 27, 2007. The board is expected to elect a new chairman at that time. Capps has served as...

DTE Energy Services.(Personnel & Promotions)(David Ruud appointed as president)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... David Ruud has been named president of DTE Energy Services, which develops, and operates energy projects for industrial, commercial and institutional customers and power generation facilities.

Sierra Pacific Resources.(Personnel & Promotions)(appointment of Michael W. Yackira)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Sierra Pacific Resources said that Michael W. Yackira has been elected president and chief operating officer and a member of the company's board of directors, effective immediately. Yackira had served as the company's chief financial officer...

PG & E Corporation.(Personnel & Promotions)(elections of Thomas B. King)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... PG & E Corporation elected Thomas B. King as president, effective July 1. King is currently CEO of Pacific Gas and Electric Co. He will assume the role of president from Peter A. Darbee, who will remain CEO and chairman of the Corporation's...

Peabody Energy.(Personnel & Promotions)(appointment of George J. Schuller)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Peabody Energy named George J. Schuller Vice President of Continuous Improvement. He has served in various management positions at U.S. operations, and most recently was General Manager of Underground Operations and General Manager of Mining...

Public Service Enterprise Group.(Personnel & Promotions)
March 1, 2007... Public Service Enterprise Group elected Frank C. Ameo, vice president-engineering and operations support, PSEG Power; and Robert C. Braun, vice president-operations support, PSEG Nuclear.

Progress Energy Florida.(Personnel & Promotions)
March 1, 2007... Bill Habermeyer Jr., who retired last year as president and CEO of Progress Energy Florida, has joined the board of Southern Co.

Nuclear plant uprates: with the nuclear fleet performing so well, owners are pursuing projects to get even more power from their assets.
March 1, 2007... In this decade, rising fossil fuel prices and a focus on reducing greenhouse gases have made nuclear power more valuable than ever. "When you look at the economics of existing nuclear units versus coal and gas units, it's easy to see why every...

It broke! Are you covered? Upgrades, change-outs and expansions mean component warranties are more important than ever. A guide to what your warranty may (and should) include.(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... A critical component of your facility just broke. Of the many issues you now face, a key one is: "Is this covered by my warranty?" Despite the question's seeming simplicity, the answer, which will likely be found deep within the fine print...

5 common fire protection problems.
March 1, 2007... Fire protection systems are sometimes viewed as a "black hole" by power generation engineering, operations and maintenance personnel. The main reason is that major fires are a rare event and the systems designed to prevent them are seldom...

Comparing emissions: PC, CFB and IGCC; Data from operating coal plants offers insight, and a few surprises, on comparable emissions.
March 1, 2007... The resurgence of coal-fired generation over the past 10 years has been accompanied with a great deal of confusion and controversy over related environmental issues, specifically air quality and air emissions. This article compares the...

Technology could invert the DG world.(distributed power generation throught combined heat and power technoloy application)(Tecogen inverters)
March 1, 2007... A new inverter technology will soon enable combined heat and power (CHP) installations as small as 100 kW to perform as fully flexible, grid-paralleled backup power providers. The new flexibility and compatibility could have profound...

Retrofit decreases dissolved oxygen at low load.(Field Notes)
March 1, 2007... Entergy's Little Gypsy Unit 2 is a 450 MW gas-fired (with an oil alternative) thermal power plant originally designed for base load operation. Since changing over to peaking power operation, the plant has had problems with excessive dissolved...

Selecting the right water scale treatment.(Field Notes)
March 1, 2007... Water scale on any heat transfer surface reduces the effectiveness of that heat transfer, resulting in reduced equipment efficiency and increased energy consumption, costs and even plant downtime. Some equipment found in power plants, such as...

Acoustic wave transmitter.(Products)
March 1, 2007... Hawk Measurement Systems, a provider of level and flow measurement technology, offers the new SULTAN Series non-intrusive acoustic wave transmitter. The SULTA features a non-contact measurement and a low installation cost. The level device is...

Equipment, materials and services Approval Guide.(Products)
March 1, 2007... Product testing and certification organization FM Approvals, a nationally recognized testing laboratory, recently published its comprehensive 2007 Approval Guide on CD-ROM. The 2007 Approval Guide provides up-to-date, detailed engineering data...

Pancake breathing filter.(Products)
March 1, 2007... North Safety Products, a manufacturer of occupational health and safety products, offers a low profile and low breathing resistance Pancake Filter. The filter is designed to fit comfortably under welding helmets, face shields, and narrow shell...

Alarm Analysis tool.(Products)
March 1, 2007... Emerson Process Management introduced an Alarm Analysis tool designed specifically for its Ovation expert control system. The Ovation system is a key component of Emerson's PlantWeb digital architecture that delivers process and equipment...

Fire Pump Flow Meter Systems.(Products)
March 1, 2007... Preso Meters offers its Fire Pump Flow Meter Systems, which provide a simple, precise and economical method of testing fire pump performance. The systems are designed to be used instead of the typical hose valve header and hose method. Flow...

High Temperature Remote Viewing System.(Products)
March 1, 2007... Lenox Instrument Co.'s FireSight High-Temperature Remote Viewing System is an easy and economical way to speed light off and reduce NOx emissions by permitting color video monitoring of combustion and process control in boilers, furnaces, kilns...

Safety switches.(Products)
March 1, 2007... Automation Systems Interconnect Inc. recently released a new line of safety switches. The new KB plastic series and KM metal series of safety switches are compliant with IEC/EN 60947-5-1. Both safety switch families are available with a hinge...

Programmable Controllers.(Products)
March 1, 2007... United Electronic Industries (UEI) has announced the release of the UEIPAC series of Programmable Automation Controllers (PACs). The UEIPAC offers a combination of compact size, industrial ruggedness and flexibility. The new family is suitable...

Here comes the carbon-offset bride.(Generating Buzz)(Portovert magazines introduce wedding carbon calculator alongwith NativeEnergy Inc.)(controlling carbon emissions due to wedding celebrations)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... A magazine called Portovert, which bills itself as the "exclusive magazine for the environmentally and socially responsible bride and groom," is launching a wedding carbon calculator, along with NativeEnergy. Visitors to the site...

Are Martians pro-nuke?(Generating Buzz)(UFO sightings near McGuire Nuclear Plant)(unidentified flying object)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Folks near Charlotte, N.C., called 911 in January to report a weird hovering light in the sky. No plane crashes had been reported and law enforcement officers said they didn't see any extra-terrestrials. But George Lund--described in news...

On the road again.(Generating Buzz)(Willie Nelson endorses BioWillie biodiesel brand of Earth Biofuels Inc.)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Country music icon Willie Nelson used to sing about "Whiskey River." He may want to change the lyric to "Ethanol River." [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Driving through the South you just might run into a filling station selling "BioWillie"...

Only you....(Generating Buzz)(forest fires contribute to mercury accumulation in atmosphere)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Forest fires eject more mercury into the atmosphere than was previously thought, according to a University of Michigan study. Seems that forests act as traps where mercury in the atmosphere can collect on foliage. When the foliage dies and...