Category: Electric Power Research

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How AI Is Being Used by Power Utilities to Benefit End Users?

Renewable Energy World.com by Jeremiah Karpowicz:

DTech-Midwest-Conference-AI
Image: Renewable Energy World.com, DTECH Midwest Panel Discussion, “AI Use Cases at the Grid Edge”, Moderator: Fei Ding, NREL

At the DistribuTECH (DTECH) Midwest Conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota, major discussions have taken place on how AI is used to benefit end users. A panel discussion comprised of power utility and electric cooperatives, led by “Fie Ding from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), the panel benefited from her work at NREL, which is connected to developing advanced models and controls for managing grid-edge resources.

These models go far beyond traditional meter data, fundamentally altering how utilities use information in a way that will redefine what customers see and expect in their monthly billing statements.”

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Large Engineering Firm Completes a Renewable Break-Through Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) Study for the UK

PowerMag.com by Darrell Proctor:

PowerMag-B&V-Green-Hydrogen
Image: PowerMag.com (Darrell Proctor) & Black & Veatch

One of the leading engineering firms and “infrastructure developer, Black & Veatch, announced the company has completed execution of a front-end engineering design (FEED) study for the Whitelee Green Hydrogen Project near Glasgow, Scotland. Whitelee is a proposed development by owner ScottishPower Energy Retail Limited. The contract was awarded to Black & Veatch in October 2024.

The project will produce green hydrogen, which is produced using electricity from renewable sources, such as wind, and converting it using an electrolyser, which uses electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen through electrolysis.”

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TVA Submitted the Nation’s First Construction Permit Application to the NRC for a new Small Modular Reactor (SMR) Plant

TVA.com: Scott Fiedler

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Image: TVA.com Clinch River, GE SMR

TVA announced it was “the first utility in the U.S. to submit a construction permit application (CPA) for the GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GVH) small modular reactor (SMR) BWRX-300 technology to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission – the agency that issues licenses for constructing, operating and decommissioning nuclear power plants.

This CPA is TVA’s next step in pursuing an SMR at its Clinch River site, near Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and establishing America’s energy dominance to power artificial intelligence, quantum computing and advanced manufacturing.

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Using AI Technologies for Power System Asset Management

EngineerLive.com

AI-Power-Asset-Management
Image: EngineerLive.com

What new roles will AI play in the future for aiding power utility companies with power delivery asset management techniques? “Utilities face significant challenges with aging infrastructure, extreme weather, rising operational costs and increased demands for reliability. AI offers a promising solution to all of these issues.

Recent advances show how AI can revolutionize asset management for power utilities. Automated systems can now accurately identify and assess components on utility poles, streamline inspections and minimize human error. These systems not only detect defects with high precision but also enhance maintenance efficiency, reduce downtime, and extend the lifespan of critical assets.”

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A North Dakota Coal Plant Approved to Power AI Data Centers

Power-Eng.com: Kevin Clark

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Image: Coal Creek Station, ND: Lignite Energy Council

“North Dakota’s largest coal-fired power plant was recently approved by the McLean County Commission for re-zoning of 800 acres of agricultural land to commercial near Rainbow Energy Center’s 1,151 MW Coal Creek Station.”

This approval would pave the way for Rainbow Energy’s Coal Creek to power new AI data centers. “Rainbow Energy has previously said its plans for the area include construction of new data centers that would source power from Coal Creek.”

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Can the Integrated Circuit Chip Manufacturers Keep Up with the AI Demand?

UtilityDive.com: Robert Walton

Amazon-AI-Facility
Image: Amazon Web Services Data Center: Nathan Howard/Getty

Will the integrated circuit (IC) chip manufacturers be able to maintain AI’s ever-increasing demand for new data center facilities?

London Economics produced a report stating that, “AI demand forecasts have alarmed utilities that are rushing to add energy resources, despite concerns over impacts on power bills. Projected data center demand from the U.S. power market would require 90% of global chip supply through 2030, where such a scenario is unrealistic.”

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