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The article focuses on the junior power plat, 600 megawatt John W. Truck, owned by American Electric Power's (AEP) Southwestern Electric Power Co. (SWEPCO) and located on a 2,800-acre tract near Fulton, in Hempstead Country, Arkansas. It states that this is the first modern plant in the U.S. to commercialize ultrasupercritical (USC) boiler technology.

The article offers information on the economic forecasting for the U.S. energy industry. It states that the U.S. carbon dioxide emissions are expected to stay below 2005 levels through 2035, principally due to coal-to-gas fuel switching and a moribund economy. It mentions that the cost of renewable energy mandates was the primary cause of a 2.3 percent increase in the national average cost of residential electricity.

The article reports on the future prospect for the power industry in the U.S. and Europe in 2012. The problem of sovereign debt is likely to impact all major capital projects in Europe, where Great Britain is moving ahead with new nuclear projects while many of its neighbors are finding it difficult to finance their commitment to renewables. The U.S. Federal Reserve Bank has lowered in November 2011 its forecast for economic growth through 2013.

The article focuses on the development of the 510-megawatt FlexEfficiency 50 combined cycle power plant by GE Energy in the U.S. An overview of the FlexEfficiency 50 design is outlined which is a 60 percent thermal efficiency class of plants. Features of the plant are highlighted which include a 9FB combustion turbine, heat recovery steam generator and the Mark VIe digital control system.

The article examines the economic value, public acceptance and political implication of shale gas reserves in Europe Union (EU) countries and in the U.S. It opines that the immense flow of unconventional gas will be a game changer for the global power generation industry. It predicts that shale gas reserves will be undermining the economics of renewable and nuclear projects and provide reductions of carbon and other emissions than retrofitting solid fuel power plants which are expensive.

The article discusses the challenges faced by the U.S. power industry to fit into the parameters of regulations proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It is stated that some coal-fired plants with poor efficiency, limited remaining life, and inadequate capital will be forced to close under the latest regulatory requirements to bring upgrades in the technology. An analytical process to measure coal-fired plant performance metrices is also given.

The article forecasts on the operations of electric power production industries for the year 2011 in the U.S. It mentions that the development in technology helps in the improvement of gas-fired generation plants around the world. It states that the coal-fired plants will be regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the upcoming years.

The article focuses on the efforts of the U.S. government to address the issue of disposal of spent nuclear fuel and radioactive wastes from the closed nuclear Yucca Mountain project in Nevada. It mentions the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has filed a motion with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission withdrawing its pending license application for a high-level nuclear waste depository at Yucca Mountain. It also presents statements from DOE General Counsel Scott Blake Harris regarding the issue.

Several charts are presented depicting the benchmarking data of U.S. nuclear plant staffing, which include the correlation between overall electricity use and Gross Domestic Product (GDP), nuclear electricity production, and total U.S. nuclear industry average staffing by plant.

The article presents information on the gas reserves in the U.S. It states that the U.S. Potential Gas Committee (PGC) estimated that the total gas reserves in the nation is over 1,800 trillion cubic feet. It also states about the plans of Progress Energy Carolina Inc. to close its three coal-fired power plants to build a new gas-fired power plant.

In this article the authors comment on the impact of global financial crisis on the power industry in the U.S. As stated, with the shrinking of international credit markets, high-capital energy projects were constrained to be called off, despite the 700 billion dollar bank bailout package and renewable energy tax cuts in the year 2008. Rick Sergel, chief executive officer (CEO) at North American Electric Reliability Corp., says that major problem in the energy sector is lack of investment .

The article presents information on MidAmerican Energy Co.'s Walter Scott, Jr. Energy Center (WSEC) Unit 4, the first major new supercritical plant in the U.S. in more than 15 years, which won "POWER" magazine's 2007 Plant of the Year award. Burning pulverized coal to produce steam at supercritical pressure and temperature, which increases efficiency by 3% to 6% and reduces carbon dioxide emissions, made the technology even more compelling for MidAmerican and its partners, who built the plant. In 2002, MidAmerican chose a competitively bid, turnkey approach to building Unit 4. It awarded the project's engineering/procurement/construction (EPC) contract to a team led by Mitsui & Co. Energy Development Inc. on February 2, 2003.

The article underlines how the Powder River Basin Coal Users' Group (PRBCUG) in Chicago, Illinois is dealing with supply chain challenges. It is noted that consumption of Powder River Basin coal continues to expand, from 28 million tons yearly in the mid-1970s to what is now 400 million tons per year. The PRBCUG has reiterated the advantages of using PRB coal and served as a forum for trading information on the efficient and safe combustion of this low-cost fuel. This concern on the use of coal as an alternative power source is the agenda of the "ELECTRIC POWER 2007 Conference & Exhibition" in Chicago Illinois in May 2007.

The article reports on the development of Siemens Power Generation (SPG) of the 270-MW-class SGT6-6000G gas turbine. The prototype of this engine first saw service at the Unit 5 of the Macintosh Power Plant, owned and operated by the City of Lakeland, Florida on April 1999. After successful introduction, 22 Siemens G-Class turbines are now operating worldwide and two units are still under construction. It is noted that SGT6-6000G has a nominal output of 400 MW, and has a net efficiency of 58.4 percent at ISO conditions.

The article discusses the challenges faced by U.S. public electric utilities in integrating wind power plants and renewable wind energy development projects into their strategic plans and electric power production portfolio. Wind power requires a perspective different from the approach used by utility resource planners. Key integration issues are wind forecasting tools, wind power grid reliability, and electric power transmission constraints. The policies of the Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security, as well as the actions of the Federal Aviation Administration, have an immediate and potentially costly impact on wind power plant developers.

Focuses on the Seward project of Reliant Energy in Pennsylvania. Information on the industrial operations of the waste coal-fired plant project of the company; Comment from Michael Proffit, project engineering manager, on the industrial performance of the plant; Significance of the project for the elimination of coal refuse in the region.

Focuses on the significance of corporate culture change in the organizational performance of PPL Susquehanna power-plant in Pennsylvania. Details of the organizational development in the company; Information on the benchmarking strategy used to promote leadership at PPL; Discussion on employee selection and recruitment in the company.

Focuses on nuclear power plants in the U.S. Amount of power generated by the U.S. nuclear power plants in 2003; Number of operating nuclear plants in the U.S.; Total power generated by the nuclear plants owned by Exelon in 2003; Developments in the nuclear plants of PPL. INSET: Next-generation reactor options.

Focuses on the actions taken by the nuclear plant engineers of Michigan-based Donald C. Cook Nuclear Power Plant of American Electric Power in response to the April 2003 attack of alewives. Features of the plant's two pressurized water reactors; Comparison of the thru-flow traveling screens and the screens of dual-flow designs which were the retrofit options investigated by the project team; Different flow conditions that were considered by Alden Research Laboratory; Conclusions reached by the computational fluid dynamics model. INSET: Inside the Multidisc machine.

Details how Saint Louis, Missouri-based power plant managing company AmerenUE is seeking to reap the benefits of plant wide integration of real-time data. Functions of a computer in every modern power plant; Information on the performance of the three coal-fired plants of AmerenUE; Effort of the company's management to develop industry-leading plant controls and monitoring systems; Actions taken by the company to achieve cost savings.

Focuses on photovoltaics (PV) or solar cells and its growing presence in the U.S. electrical power generating industry. Percentage growth of the PV market in the U.S.; Reason for California's dominance in the PV industry; Role of PV in the U.S. near-term energy future; Advantages and disadvantages of PV.

Discusses how power plants use old generators to provide synchronous condensing. Use of synchronous condensing in the electrical grid; Reason the Keys Electrical System at the western end of Florida turned to synchronize condensing; Information on the two-stage startup package for the turbine designed by General Electric Co. and Hydro-Mechanical Systems Inc.

Provides information on the High Desert Power Plant (HDPP) of Constellation Energy Group located outside Victorville in California. Role of a partnership between Constellation and the local government in establishing the plant; Challenges faced by HDPP in maintaining its operations; Secret to the success of HDPP.

Provides information on the Brunswick Nuclear Plant (BNP) of Progress Energy in North Carolina. Background on the establishment of BNP; Details on the operating statistics and improvements in the BNP units; Keys to the success of BNP.

Discusses the status of the U.S. power generating capacity as of June 2003. Information on a report released by the U.S. Energy Information Administration; Factors that restrain the power capacity expansion in North America; Possible retirement of several oil, gas, and coal-fired power plants.

Focuses on the plan to repower old coal-fired power plants in the U.S. Factors that influence the closure of some coal-fired power plants; Replacement of coal or oil-fired boiler with a gas-fired combustion turbine or generator set; Background on the concept of repowering a power plant.

Discusses the standards for mercury removal at coal-fired power plants in the U.S. Proposals made by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to reduce mercury emissions from coal-fired plants; Efforts of several states to develop their own mercury regulations; Factors to be considered in mercury removal. INSETS: What are your mercury removal options?;Where do mercury regulations come from?.

Deals with government recommendations on the use of fish-friendly turbines for hydroelectric power plants in the U.S. Examples of fish species which are affected by unaccommodating turbines; Information on the Advanced Hydropower Turbine System of the U.S. Department of Energy; Description of innovated turbine designs and control systems.

Presents updates on issues related to the wind power industry in the U.S., as of March 2003. Wind generation in the U.S.; Launch of the first wind turbine over 3 MW from GE Wind Energy; Description of the wind power project, the Fenner Windpower Facility.

Deals with the difficulty of keeping a coal-fired powerplant competitive and compliant. Reason for such difficulty; Information a controls approach applied by a Siemens Westinghouse Power Corp. team to a supercritical plant in Texas in 1999; Development of a Powerclean system by Diamond Power.

Presents information on the Powder River Basin (PRB) Coal Users Group meeting at the Electric Power 2002 Conference in the U.S. in March 2002. History of PRB coal consumption; Summary of maintenance issues for dust collectors; Discussion on the proper cleaning of furnaces.

Presents a number of case studies that demonstrate the capabilities of computer-based design tools used in the power industry in the U.S. in 2002. Description of a project of Arizona Public Service Co. that used three dimensional design software; Information on the AutoPlant 97 Multi-Steel Modeler; Details of the Sigma IT capability of Siemens-Westinghouse Power Corp.

Discusses the development of circulating fluidized-bed (CFB) power plants in the U.S. Information on how a CFB plant operates; Environmental benefits of coal-fired plants; List of some of the CFB plants being constructed.

Focuses on the reentry of distributed generation (DG) technologies in the midst of the power shortages in the United States in 2001. Developments in the industrial gas-turbine market; Reason of some utilities and industrial facilities for leasing DG powerplants; Problem that a DG developer encounters.

The article offers the company profile of Beacon Power Corp. focused on development of energy storage technology in the U.S. It mentions that the Independent System Operators (ISOs) are focused on balancing of electricity supply and demand on regional grids. It mentions that ISO can send automatic generation control (AGC) signal to utility generators. INSET: How the Flywheel System Works.

The article presents information on the use of dry fogging systems to control explosive dust at transfer points in coal preparation plants. It states about the report of U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) in November 2006 about dangers of combustible coal dust. It further states about guidelines to manipulate fog systems for best results.

The article offers information on the generation of reactive power, or volt-amperes reactive (VARs). It is noted that the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and private companies are working on new technologies that can increase the carrying capacity and lessen the losses of transmission lines. Relative to this, the Western Governors' Association's Draft Report of the Transmission Task Force which was issued in March 2006 predicted the size of the increase caused by the use of high-temperature superconducting (HTS) cables by stating that reactive power consumption is proportional to the square of the current.

The article presents information about the journal "Power," and its history as the journal celebrates its 125th anniversary in 2007. "Power," magazine was launched in 1882, not too long after introduction of the first practical steam engine by James Watt in England. 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 in the U.S. Over the decades, "Power," covered the addition of each new power-generating source--from water and coal to the atom and, more recently, the wind and sun. In short, "Power," and the power industry have continued to be inseparable.

Discusses a proposal of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to regulate mercury emissions from coal -fired power plants, as of October 2004. Provisions of the proposed regulation; Expected percentage of mercury emissions to be reduced with the implementation of the regulation; Concerns regarding the failure of the EPA to compare their proposed regulation approach to the standard required by the Clean Air Act; Stance of the electric power industry on the regulation of other hazardous air pollutants aside from mercury.

Presents information on Sanford Repowering Project power plant owned by Florida Power and Light (FPL) Co. in Sanford, Florida. Details of the repowering project of FPL; Challenges experienced by FPL in the Sanford project; Information on the configuration of the Sanford project.

Focuses on a green power program offered by several electric utilities in the U.S. that allows consumers to support electricity production from renewable resources such as sunlight and wind. List of major companies getting into the green business; Ways to increase the use of green power; Green pricing program renewable energy sales as of December 2002.

Provides information on a public/private project announced by the U.S. Department of Energy in February 2003 to build and operate a FutureGen coal power plant. Role of coal in the U.S. electric power sector; Technology to be used by the prototype plant; Skepticism about the project; Estimated project component costs. INSET: Will carbon sequestration work?.

Highlights the Powder River Basin (PRB) Coal Users Group's (CUG) meeting held on March 22, 2001 in Baltimore, Maryland. Participants of the meeting; Issues addressed in the meeting; Demand for clean-burning coals; Suggestions for PRB coal shift of power plants; Importance of proper design and operations of a PRB coal-handling system; Coal Plant of the Year award given to Kincaid Generation LLC.

The article offers information the insurance market of U.S. It states that companies must build good relationships with insurers to benefit from the insurance program. It also emphasizes on understanding the insurance policy before taking one for an equipment. It also mentions that companies must inquire about the insurer, and not just insurance rates before getting a policy.

An interview with vice president of Mitsubishi Power Systems Americas Inc., Bill Newsom is presented. He states that to support the power generation market, the company continues to develop industry-leading technologies. He mentions that the company invests in the infrastructure of the power generation industry in the U.S. He states that the company is offering products that offers a shift from hydrocarbon supply to renewable energy consuming society.

The article offers information on digital control technologies used in power plants. It states that even old plants are making use of the digital control technology. It highlights the growth of nuclear plants in the U.S. The performance of nuclear plants has reportedly increased, maintaining safety. The improvement in the performance is due to improvised plant management which include better technology and industry practices. It states the conferences to be held related to the International Society of Automation.

The nearly 4-GW, three-unit Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station remains the largest generator of electricity in the U.S. for the 23rd consecutive year, producing more than 30 million MWh in 2014, for the 10th time (the only plant in the U.S. to do so), all while using only treated wastewater for cooling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents information on the top power plants according to "POWER" magazine in 2004. Sanford Repowering Project in Florida; Ravenswood Unit 40 in Long Island, New York; Danahu Thermal Power Station in India; Pusan Combined-Cycle Plant in South Korea; Pagbilao Power Plant in the Philippines.

Announces that the Jeffrey Energy Center, a coal-fired power plant of Westar Energy in Kansas, has received the Plant of the Year Award of the Power River Basin Coal Users' Group. Factors that earned Jeffrey Energy the award; Background of the power plant; Information on the consolidated fuel-handling operation and maintenance of the facility.

Focuses on proposals to repower aging electric utilities in the United States to boost electric power production. Cost consideration of repowering projects; Viability of the proposal for supplying anticipated power demands in the 21st century; Discussion of high technology repowering programs called the Low-Emission Boiler System (LEBS) and the High-Performance Power System (HPPS).