November/December 2009
New Features
World’s Largest Circulating Fluidized Bed Boiler Begins Commercial Operation
December 10, 2009 | By Bob Giglio
When the Łagisza power plant began commercial operation in late June 2009, it marked the beginning of a new era in the evolution of circulating fluidized bed (CFB) technology. At the heart of this 460-MW plant is the world’s largest CFB boiler, which is also the world’s first once-through unit supercritical CFB boiler. More »
Four Methods of Fly Ash Sampling
December 10, 2009 | By Richard F. (Dick) Storm, PE
There are four approaches to measuring fly ash content and, therefore, the quality of fuel combustion in a boiler. Before choosing one, you should understand their relative levels of complexity and accuracy. More »
Ceramics Win the War on Erosion
December 10, 2009 | By Tim Connors
Erosion can significantly reduce the operational life of boiler components. Abrasion-resistant ceramic parts can be a sound alternative to expensive metallic parts when replacing boiler components. More »
EPA Signals Move to Toughen Ozone Standard
December 10, 2009 | By George Lobsenz
The Environmental Protection Agency has decided it will reconsider the 2008 ozone standards issued by the Bush administration, with the agency suggesting in a court that it would toughen the standards because it has concerns about whether standards “satisfy the requirements of the Clean Air Act.” More »
Expect New Mercury Rules by 2011
December 10, 2009 | By Chris Holly
In a major air regulatory development, the Environmental Protection Agency has agreed to issue rules by November 2011 to reduce mercury and other hazardous air pollution from coal- and oil-fired power plants under a settlement agreement resolving a lawsuit filed by a host of environmental organizations. More »
EPA Tightens Emissions Rules for Coal Processing, Preparation Plants
December 10, 2009 | By George Lobsenz
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has adopted final rules tightening emissions limits for coal preparation and processing plants and imposing new reporting requirements on those facilities. More »
Opinion & Commentary
No 'Cash For Clunkers' In Climate Bill
December 10, 2009
Certain small utilities with some of the nation’s highest carbon dioxide emission rates want to change the climate bill pending before Congress to give themselves more allowances to emit carbon dioxide (CO2). This would be the ultimate “cash for clunkers” program for dirty power plants, with one key difference: Unlike the real program, in this case the clunkers would get to stay on the road. The Senate should reject this change. More » Cap and Trade Allowances: Windfalls or Wind Farms?
December 10, 2009
The commentary "No ‘Cash for Clunkers’ in Climate Bill" creates a fictitious history of climate change and seriously harms good faith efforts within the industry to address the legitimate issues many utilities have raised with the Waxman-Markey bill. More »
Read the latest POWERmag.com blog entry from Kennedy Maize:
What to Make of Climate Science
WASHINGTON, Feb. 3, 2010—Here at my western Maryland farm, we just got the fourth significant snowfall of the winter. We caught four inches while we were on vacation in the South Pacific in late November, over 20 inches on December 20, six inches a few days ago, and four inches last night (Feb. 2). The National Weather Service says we are going to get another foot or so over the weekend.... More »
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POWER magazine recognized the recently completed Dallman Unit 4 owned by Springfield, Illinois, municipal utility City, Water, Light & Power (CWL&P) as its 2009 Plant of the Year. The award was presented during a recent plant visit. From left to right are Chief Utilities Engineer Eric Hobbie, POWER magazine Publisher Brian Nessen, CWL&P General Manager Todd Renfrow (holding the award), CWL&P Major Projects Development Director Doug Brown, and POWER Editor-In-Chief Robert Peltier. Photo courtesy CWL&P
Editor-in-Chief
Dr. Robert Peltier, PE
Time Out!
If the basic science related to man’s contribution to a warming planet is based on flawed fundamental science, a conscious circumventing of the peer review process, political expediency, and refusing to release the fundamental data used by a computer program that has yet to replicate actual ambient temperatures, then it’s time to pause, take a breath, and regroup. More »
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