Chattanooga Electrical Engineering News Blog
Topics Related to Electronics and Electrical Engineering
“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.”
UtilityDive.com: Robert Walton
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.”
TVA.com: Scott Fiedler, Jennifer Thelen
TVA recently announced “that it has added 500 additional megawatts of electricity to their power grid – enough energy to power almost 300,000 homes.
With the completion of the 10 new aeroderivative gas turbines at Johnsonville Combustion Turbine Plant, west of Nashville, the Johnsonville site can now provide more than 1,200 megawatts to TVA’s grid, which provides electricity to more than 10 million people across seven states.”
FoxNews.com: Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report
Google recently signed its first ever energy power contract for nuclear fusion technology with Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) in taking the next step forward in renewable clean energy. “CFS is an MIT spin-out working to build one of the world’s first commercial fusion reactors. This Google fusion deal marks a pivotal moment for the tech giant as it looks to secure reliable, carbon-free power for its growing AI operations.”
Google plans to purchase up to “200 megawatts of power from CFS’s planned ARC fusion power plant in Chesterfield County, Virginia, which will help power Google’s expanding network of AI data centers.”
EnergyCentral.com: Jason Huang & T&DWorld.com: Gene Wolf
Since aluminum conductor steel reinforced (ACSR) technology took over nearly all of power utilities’ transmission lines and overhead distribution lines, there has not been many advancements in newer and more feasible power delivery conductors. The ACSR technology has been around for over a century, but a new conductor technology is shaping up as an optimal replacement.
“AECC (Aluminum Encapsulated Carbon Core) technology represents a natural evolution that combines advanced conductor performance with traditional conductor safety and reliability. The design uses a pre-tensioned carbon fiber core protected by a seamless aluminum encapsulation layer, paired with annealed aluminum trapezoidal outer strands.”
“Advanced conductor technologies are gaining acceptance with utilities and grid operators. Reconductoring with advanced conductors can put a huge dent in the transmission capacity shortage”
Copper prices for all imported copper into the U.S. are expected to rise as much as 50% or more due to the threat of new tariffs that are expected to begin as early as August 2025.
The electric power and electronics industries will be impacted the most with paying nearly double for copper related materials needed for new construction, new assembly, power grid improvements, maintenance replacements, and necessary repairs.