Category: Programmable Logic Controllers

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The AI Race Is Causing the Rising Demand for Nuclear Reactor Power Plants

From InterestingEngineering.com: Atharva Gosavi

Nuclear-Pwr-Plant
InterestingEngineering.com: Four-reactor project at Seadrift in Texas (X-energy)

The AI race is causing a rising demand for nuclear power plants. “By 2030, U.S. data centers could consume anywhere between 214 TWh to 675 TWh annually – a 2.6x increase compared to 2023 consumption. Due to intermittency, transmission limitations, and carbon constraints, renewable and fossil fuels fall massively short of fulfilling these demands.

Amazon just announced a partnership with X-energy, Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power (KHNP), and Doosan Enerbility to build advanced small modular reactors (SMRs) in the United States. The partnership aims to accelerate their deployment to meet data centers and AI’s growing power demands. The partnership will deploy X-energy’s Xe-100 SMRs, coupled with TRISO-X fuel – a high-assurance form widely considered one of the safest in the nuclear sector.”

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Costco Is Planning a New Microgrid for its Tire Center Warehouse

From EEPower.com: Shannon Cuthrell

Costco-Tire-Center-from-Trinity
Image: EEPower.com by Trinity Energy (Costco’s Norwalk, CT Warehouse)

Costco is planning a new microgrid (off the grid) for its tire center warehouse in Norwalk, CT. “The modular battery and solar system, engineered and installed by Washington-based Trinity Energy, is designed to deliver up to 2 MWh per day without being tied to the grid. By choosing an off-grid design, Costco avoids interconnection delays and upgrade costs that often stall commercial electrification projects, while gaining a reliable on-site power supply.

Trinity Energy’s microgrid systems are flexible due to their modular architecture and scalable as off-grid infrastructure for sites like fleet depots, multi-family properties, and hospitality buildings. The company’s installations often integrate solar generation, battery storage, energy distribution systems, and inverters.”

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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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Nashville TN Regulators Approve AI Use for Early Warning Water Management Systems

WN.com & The Tennessean:

AI Use for Water Systems

Regulators in Nashville approve to advance “a new pilot program that would use artificial intelligence to improve Nashville’s water management system with an early warning detection system and has made it a step closer to beginning development in partnership with Vanderbilt University.

Vanderbilt University will work with the Department of Water and Sewerage Services, better known as Metro Water Services, to develop a system that would use AI to detect anomalies and patterns in water management systems.”

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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

ND-Coal-Plant-to-Pwr-AI-Data-Center
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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