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GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy's development of its Economic Simplified Boiling Reactor is discussed. The reactor features passive safety systems, design simplification and component standardization. It is also designed to reduce construction and operating costs.

Alstom's GT24/GT26 combustion turbines can provide additional capacity to renewable electricity plants. The turbines can produce around 20 percent plant load. Other turbine features and dimensions are also included.

Cleco Power now owns the largest 100% petroleum coke-fired circulating fluidized bed power plant in North America with commercial operation of Madison Unit 3. Madison Unit 3 is the recipient of POWER's 2010 Marmaduke Award for excellence in operation and maintenance for using readily-available fuel in an environmentally attractive manner.

Luminant, a subsidiary of Energy Future Holdings Corp., has used remnants of the ill-fated Twin Oaks and Forest Grove plants to construct the new two-unit 1,600-MW Oak Grove Plant. The Oak Grove Power Plant was awarded POWER magazine's 2010 Plant of the Year Award for melding two different steam generators in a single project.

Nuclear plant staffing in the United States has decreased in recent years. But the reduction is seen to have resulted in an increase in the number of workers suffering from fatigue. Statistics on nuclear plant staffing are also given.

The efficiency of the coal-fired power plants is discussed with regard to energy efficiency and conservation measures and combined heat and power system operations. Misunderstanding of the term 'efficiency' and details on some of the most efficient coal-fired power plants in the world are presented.

A June 2009 report from the U.S Potential Gas Committee states that the U.S. has more than 1,800 trillion of cubic feet, or 40% above PGC's estimate in 2006. The impact of reserve abundance on drilling projects, gas plant construction and overtaking of coal-fired generation are discussed. Green machines and fuel switching trends are also presented.

The Rio Bravo Rocklin Power Station is a biomass-fired plant that generates 25 MW from urban wood and forest wood wastes. The plant underwent a comprehensive upgrade in 2008 to improve its performance. Details on the plant's fuel management, boiler systems, and challenges regarding high cyclone outlet temperatures are discussed.

The Electric Utility Cost Group (EUCG) offers a set of cost and data definitions for nuclear-related operations that led to the Nuclear Integrated Information Database (NIID). EUCG also provides benchmarking reports on standard performance, continuous improvement and capacity factors.

The Seminole Generating Station in Palatka Florida has two 650-megwatt coal-fired units, with a third one being planned for approval. The power station uses an upgraded gas desulfurization system that reduces the plant's emissions. Details on the plant's scrubber system are also discussed.

Hirakud Power in Orissa, India is the first ISO 14001-certified power plant in Asia and operates circulating fluidized bed combustion technology that provides environment friendly advantages to the plant. Details on the upgrades in the plant's boiler design and its reduced auxiliary power are discussed.

The renovation of Xcel Energy's Riverside Plant in Minneapolis, Minnesota are detailed. The plant has been repowered with a gas-fired combined-cycle. The installation of heat-recovery steam generators has reduced plant emissions.

Electiciteitsfabriek, or Electric Factory, one of the oldest power plants in The Hague, Netherlands, has undergone a repowering and upgrading process to refurbish the combined heath and power plant. 'Power' magazine gave the power plant the 2009 Marmaduke Award for its repowering and effort to protect the historic building that houses it.

'Power' magazine has awarded City Water, Light and Power Co.'s (CWLP) Dallman 4 facility in Springfield, Illinois as the 2009 Plant of the Year. The Dallman 4 is a 200-MW coal steam power plant that features air quality control system and coal-fired technology that meet reduced emissions requirements.

The New Harquahala Generating Project in Maricopa County, Arizona, owned by MACH Gen LLC, upgraded its control system to a T3000 control system from Siemens. The implementation of the new control system resulted in improvements in the 1,080-megawatt combined-cycle plant's reliability.

The US electric power industry's prospects in 2009 are discussed. The administration of Barack Obama has a unique opportunity to formulate energy policy for the coming generation due to flat load growth.

Florida Power and Light Co.&nabs;has successfully replaced its St. Lucie Nuclear Power Plant's Unit 2 reactor vessel head and steam generator. The reactor's coolant pump motors have also been replaced. SGT LLC has performed the steam generator and reactor vessel head replacements.

Entergy Corp.'s Performance Monitoring and Diagnostic Center (PM&DC) aims to improve unit performance and is staffed with specialists who tackle system issues. Entergy considers the failure intercept of Waterford Unit 2 generator as 'the catch', which proved the importance of PM&DC. The center's operations and equipment monitoring are discussed.

The TS Power Plant in Eureka County, Nevada is a 200-MW coal-fired power plant, which is expected to have a 20-year project life and is expected to save $70 million annually in Newmont Mining Corp.'s gold mining operations. Details on the plant's steam cycle design and mercury removal systems are provided.

The Platte River Power Authority's Rawhide Energy Station in Fort Collins, Colorado has a summer production peak that is growing at 3.6% annually and is expected to reach 821 MW by 2017. The plant's 2008 capacity factor is at 95.1% and heat rate is at 10,120Btu/kWh. Rawhide's equipment upgrades and new technology are presented.

Unit 1 of J.K. Spruce Power Plant in San Antonio, Texas has been awarded as the best performer in the large coal plant category of the Electric Utility Cost Group Fossil Productivity Committee in its evaluation over the 2002-2006 period. Details on Unit 1's production and low operation costs are discussed.

Alliant Energy Corp.'s Dubuque Generating Station in Dubuque, Iowa won the 2008 Best Performer award in the Electric Utility Cost Group's small plant category. The 83-MW coal-fired power plant burns about 225,000 tons of coal annually. Other details about the plant's production and coal-burning units are presented.

Air-cooled condensers (ACC) are increasingly being used by power plants to reduce water consumption, with dry-cooling options gaining popularity in plant design. Details on the assembly of the ACC section in the Astoria Energy plant in New York are discussed.

The Port Washington Generating Station, Phase 2 in Wisconsin is a 545-MW gas-fired combined cycle power plant, which had more than 2.5 million construction hours without lost-day injury and started commercial service on May 23, 2008. Details on the plant's reduced air emissions and noise and environment-friendly design are discussed.

Xcel Energy Corp.'s High Bridge Combined Cycle Project in St. Paul, Minnesota started service in May 2008 and is a natural gas-fired plant that replaced the old coal-fired plant. The High Bridge Project has a 570-MW capacity and reduces air pollution in the site. Details on the plant's construction are discussed.

The 564-MW Frank A. Tracy Combined Cycle Power Plant of Sierra Power Resources (SPR) in Reno, Nevada is a $467 million project that adds 50% more capacity to SPR's grid. The plant has had 1.5 million work hours with zero lost-time accidents, zero injuries and zero adverse impact. The plant's construction details are discussed.

The province of British Columbia in Canada has implemented its carbon tax policy, which raises tax revenue on fossil fuels. The carbon tax policy aims for a 33% reduction in the province's carbon dioxide emissions by 2020. Details on the carbon tax's revenue projection and impact on fuel price increases are discussed.

Colorado municipal electric utility Lamar Light and Power, together with Arkansas River Power Authority, repowered its existing plant with old and new steam turbines and coal-fired power circulating fluidized-bed combustor. Details about the plant's design and turbine upgrade are discussed.

POWER magazine has awarded Wisconsin Public Service Corp.' Weston 4 coal-fired power plant as the 2008 Plant of the Year in recognition of its environmental credentials and lower carbon dioxide emissions. The $750 million, 595-MW plant has a supercritical pulverized coal design. Other details about the plant are provided.

PRB Users' Group has chosen Luminant's Big Brown Plant as Plant of the Year for 2008 in recognition of the plant's coal-handling system improvement and safety program. Details on the plant's man-hours, improved fuel quality, fire hazard inspection and housekeeping management are discussed.

A 22% increase in energy generating capacity expected by 2030 and new power plant technologies will require more water for cooling systems. Details on the role of water in power generation and challenges regarding water availability and supply are discussed.

A research program on carbon capture is being funded by Alstom, with the target of having the system available by 2011. The system uses chilled ammonium bicarbonate, with the process involving cooling and cleaning the flue gas first, and then absorbing and separating the carbon dioxide. Other developments in the carbon capture segment are discussed.

Alliant Energy Corp.'s Lansing and Edgewater Generating Stations both won the Best Performer awards in the EUCG (formerly Electric Utility Cost Group) categories of small and large coal plants. Details on the company's employee safety audits, operational and fiscal excellence, staff performance, and asset performance monitoring are discussed.

The Tennessee Valley Authority's Shawnee Fossil Plant Unit 6 has set a new national record for continuous operation at 1,093 days, 11 hours and 24 minutes. Details on the performance of the plant and the people behind it, and the top 10 practices for a successful plant operation are presented.

The prospect of carbon control laws is expected to hinder the growth of coal power plants thereby also brightening renewable energy's prospects for 2008. Residential electric bills are expected to grow by two percent for 2008 while electricity consumption continues its creeping growth.

DONG Energy's Burbo Bank Offshore Wind Farm in Liverpool Bay, UK, which uses Siemen's new 3.6 MW offshore wind turbine, was inaugurated in October 18, 2008. Key information on Siemen's turbines, as well as on America's untapped offshore wind resources, are also presented.

Central Vermont Public Service's Cow Power Program promotes reliance on renewable energy by creating a market for energy generated from cow manure. The program addresses issues such as manure disposal, rising costs of bedding materials, and increasing costs of electricity in operating dairy farms. Key information on the program are presented.

A retrofit project has been completed by Detroit Edison and Washington Group International, replacing two moisture separator reheaters (MSR) at the Fermi 2 power plant. Details of the MSR project are discussed.

R.E. Burger Plant's demonstration of Powerspan Corp.'s 50-MW Electro-Catalytic Oxidation (ECO) multipollutant removal process is discussed. FirstEnergy Corp, which operates the plant, funded the project together with Powerspan and the Ohio Coal Development Office. The details of the project are also presented.

Best practices employee training at the Tenaska Virginia Generating Station has caused a 25 percent reduction average steam turbine start-up and has made the plant more dispatchable and profitable. The station is also considered a good corporate citizen with their numerous community programs.

The Northern Wood Power Project commissioned by Public Service of New Hampshire (PSNH) permanently replaced the 50-MW coal-burning boiler at its Schiller Station with a fluidized-bed wood-burning boiler, reducing emissions and expanding the local market for low-grade wood. The scope, benefits, and logistics of the project by PSNH, recipient of POWER's 2007 Marmaduke Award for excellence in O&M, is discussed.

MidAmerican Energy Co. and its partners' newly constructed Walter Scott, Jr. Energy Center Unit 4 is the first major supercritical plant in the United States and recipient of POWER's 2007 Plant of the Year award. The state-of-the-art Hitachi equipment, and the features, design and construction of the plant, are discussed.

The efforts of the Powder River Basin Coal Users' Group to overcome the shortage of coal for their power plants are described.

The trends of the development and sale of of gas turbines based on G-Class technology by manufacturers of power generation equipment are described.

The maintenance guidance for power transformers in electrical power systems are presented.