Siemens Delivers Steam Turbine-Generator Sets and I&C Components to India

Siemens Energy will supply high-efficiency steam turbine-generator sets with associated instrumentation & control components to power plant projects for Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd. (BHEL), Siemens' licensed partner in India. The machines are destined for the coal-fired units of the North Karanpura Super Thermal Power Project (STPP) and for IB Thermal Power Station Banharpalli. These turbine generators deliver a combined installed electrical generating capacity of over 3,300 MW.

PSEG Long Island and NYSERDA Launch On-Bill Recovery and Smart Energy Loans

PSEG Long Island coordinated an effort with New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) to launch on-bill recovery and smart energy loans. All PSEG Long Island residential customers are now able to apply for solar PV systems from local contractors through a Smart Energy Loan or On-Bill Recovery loan, which provides the convenience of repaying the loan through their PSEG Long Island bill. The program includes two, low-interest loan options through Green Jobs - Green New York (GJGNY).

Exelon Buys 21 MW of Fuel Cells from Bloom Energy

Exelon agreed to buy fuel-cell power plants with 21 MW of capacity that Bloom Energy plans to install at 75 corporate sites in four states. Commercial customers including AT&T will purchase the electricity for each plant’s ability to provide power locally with less pollution and more reliability than the grid. Fuel cell generators produce electricity where it’s consumed from natural gas through a chemical reaction that produces fewer carbon emissions than plants that burn fuel.

Vista Solar Completes 153-kW WestGate Church Array

Vista Solar completed a 153-kW solar array for WestGate Church in San Jose, Calif. The system, which was designed and installed by Vista Solar, is expected to generate more than 250,000 kWh of energy each year. Vista Solar secured a $0 down, 15-year PPA which allowed WestGate to be cash-flow positive from the start. As part of the PPA agreement, Vista Solar will monitor the system for 15 years to ensure it is performing at or above expectations.

Digest (August 2014)

Florida Power & Light Company partners with PetroQuest Energy to develop natural gas production wells in southeastern Oklahoma; First Solar receives financing approval to build a 141-MW solar power plant in Chile; DTE Energy will deploy Tollgrade’s LightHouse MV smart grid sensors and predictive grid analytics platform within its distribution network in Detroit; US DOE chooses Abengoa, together with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and the Colorado School of Mines, to develop a new solar storage technology for thermoelectric plants.

Coal After MATS

A strategy for completely removing mercury from environmental emissions.

Coal-fired power plants subject to EPA’s MATS rule can try a biological treatment option to remove mercury emissions from the environment.

Threat Level Red

Integrating weather and GIS data for more accurate threat assessments.

Weather and GIS are being combined in new ways to provide better storm threat assessments - helping utilities create increasingly effective battle plans to defend against approaching storms.

Reliable But Costly

Recent trends in distribution line undergrounding.

Utility distribution lines increasingly are going underground, but costs are still prohibitive for replacing existing overhead lines.