Fuel cell proponents like to talk about how the devices can use biogas to create zero-carbon power, but that actually doesn’t happen very often. Typically, natural gas is the fuel that feeds the electrochemical process. Not so at the Microsoft Data Plant in Cheyenne, Wyoming, however. This data center was built alongside a wastewater treatment… Keep reading →
Siemens is acquiring gas equipment manufacturer Dresser-Rand for $7.6 billion dollars in a move meant to help the German conglomerate capitalize on the US energy boom. Earlier this year Siemens bought “most” of Rolls-Royce’s civil energy operation for $1.3 billion. The acquisitions are also likely motivated by a desire to remain competitive with rival GE, which… Keep reading →
Germany’s Siemens, a global powerhouse in electronics and electrical engineering, appears to have received approval from California’s Air Resources Board (CARB), one of five units within the state Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), to built a test track and implement its eHighway concept for heavy-duty trucks, as was first reported by Germany’s Spiegel-Online. Emission standards for… Keep reading →
GE’s apparently successful takeover of key segments of Alstom’s prized energy business raised eyebrows when many thought German energy giant Siemens would prevail. Siemens’ unwillingness to part with its train signaling business – a critical concession made by GE – is reportedly one aspect of the deal that tipped negotiations in GE’s favor. Interestingly, the… Keep reading →
The energy industry – oil & gas sector in particular – is bracing itself for a massive wave of retirements over the short to medium term, which has been dubbed “The Great Shift Change.” As the industry prepares for this turnover, companies are looking to the next generation of candidates with skills ranging from finance,… Keep reading →
The founding president of the offshore division of the world’s largest wind turbine manufacturer said that if the industry does not drive down costs, then it risks killing itself off in its nascent phase.
“Offshore wind is a higher cost energy because we are where we are in the learning curve,” said Anders Søe-Jensen, president of the offshore division at Vestas. “We are at risk but we all have to commit to bringing down costs otherwise we’re going to kill our industry.” Keep reading →
Ambitious offshore wind targets in the UK could result in the country becoming the world leader in the technology and help accelerate the global industry through lower costs, a British energy minister said yesterday.
“We have to accept that there are some technologies where we can really influence the global price and there are others where we can’t,” said Charles Hendry, minister of state for the Department of Energy and Climate. “UK offshore is a fantastic example of where the work that we do here will influence the global price. There are other areas, solar for example where the UK market is not significantly large enough to change the price. So we’re focusing our resources and efforts on where we can see the change in the pricing structure.” Keep reading →
Wind is in the forecast for the energy business, if advocates for the technology have their way.
Shrugging off criticism that double-digit targets for share of the country’s energy grid could be difficult to obtain, a panel of analysts this week showed confidence in the sector’s ability to reach a 20% target of total US power capacity by 2030. Keep reading →
