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Trends in Power Generation

Changes in policy, pricing and technology are forcing power producers to adopt new business strategies, implement new innovations and alter power plant operations.

Trends in Power Generation

By Russell Ray, Chief Editor

Changes in policy, pricing and technology are forcing power producers to adopt new business strategies, implement new innovations and alter power plant operations.

The latest trends in power generation are reflected in many of the daily stories published on the Power Engineering website (www.power-eng.com). Here are a few interesting news items that may offer clues about where the industry may be headed:

  • A new study by Zion Market Research indicates the gas turbines market should grow from $16 billion in 2015 to $20.5 billion in 2021, with an annual growth rate of 4 percent. The study indicated that the major driving forces in the market are improved efficiency and durability of turbines, stricter carbon emissions regulations across the globe and lower power generation costs.
  • A new report by the U.S. Energy Information Administration predicts coal may surpass natural gas as the top source of generation this winter. Though coal’s percentage of generation has declined for several months, the new forecast from EIA is for coal’s share to grow slowly in December, January and February compared with the same time last year. Meanwhile, the share of generation from natural gas may see year-over-year declines.
  • A new study by Berkeley Lab suggests that wind turbines could continue to grow in size and further decrease the cost of wind power. The study said larger turbines are on the horizon, and will allow for lower costs. Land-based wind turbines have steadily grown from an average hub height of 18 meters in the 1980s to an average of 82 meters in 2015. The study projects land-based wind turbines will reach an average hub height of 115 meters and power generation of 3.25 MW by 2030.
  • Canada has joined other countries in announcing a complete phase-out of coal power emissions. Canada’s Environment Minister Catherine McKenna announced the country’s goal of eliminating coal by 2030 during a United Nations-sponsored climate-change conference in Morocco, reported the Wall Street Journal.
  • Officials at the Electric Reliability Council of Texas said wind power recently topped 15,000 MW in one day, a record high. The ERCOT system used 15,033 MW of electricity from wind at 12:35 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 27, representing about 45 percent of total demand for electric power at the time. Of the total, more than 8,800 MW was produced from wind in West and North Texas, while nearly 3,800 MW came from the South.
  • Alabama Power announced the company has received 200 renewable energy project proposals through an RFP that recently closed to bidders. Most of the proposals involved solar energy, with some hydro and biomass projects submitted.
  • Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead and Montana Gov. Steve Bullock along with colleagues and officials in 12 other states released a new report Dec. 2 outlining growing opportunities for capturing carbon dioxide for use in enhanced oil recovery (CO2-EOR) with geologic storage. The report notes that market forces and federal and state policy are driving the energy industry to reduce carbon emissions and that carbon capture with CO2-EOR compares cost-effectively with other emissions reduction options.
  • Dominion Virginia Power broke ground on the natural gas-fired Greensville County Power Station. The $1.3 billion, 1,588-MW plant is expected to be the largest gas-fired combined-cycle facility in North America when it begins operations near the end of 2018. Greensville County Power Station follows in the footsteps of Dominion’s 1,358-MW Brunswick County power station, which came on line earlier this year. The two projects have a combined development cost of $2.5 billion.

If you have a question or a comment, contact me at [email protected]. Follow me on Twitter @RussellRay1.

 

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