Technology Selection: New Generation of Power Generation and Implications for IT

This publication has been discontinued on September 9, 2011.

Introduction

Abstract

This Energy Insights report handicaps the outlook for different types of generation in the next 5–20 years and highlights the areas where information technology investment is expected. Climate change and availability of federal funding for new power generation is driving an accelerated buildout of new renewable and "clean" generation and the need for additional emissions controls and carbon sequestration.

"Whether new generation is renewables, nuclear, integrated gasification combined cycle,or carbon storage and sequestration, new generation will be more automated than ever in design, operations, and maintenance," according to Jill Feblowitz, program director of Business Technology for Energy Insights. "CIOs should be engaged with power plant development and incorporate corporate plans for generation into their long-term IT investment strategy."

Table of Contents

• Energy Insights Opinion
• In This Report
• Situation Overview
• Information Technology for New Generation
• Planning Begins with Portfolio Optimization
• New Generation Starts with Engineering, Design, and Construction
• The Holy Grail of Operations and Maintenance Is to Inform Design
• Looking at New Generation
• Renewables — Wind and Solar
• Prognosis
• IT Implications
• Wind — Development
• Wind — Operations and Maintenance
• Wind — Trading
• Wind and Solar — Trading
• Solar — Operations and Maintenance
• Renewables — Geothermal
• IT Implications
• Geophysical Models for New Plant Development
• Asset Management and Knowledge Sharing for Existing Plants
• Nuclear
• Prognosis
• IT Implications
• Project Management, Scheduling, and Contract Management During Construction
• Refurbishing Existing Generation Plants
• Cleaner Coal — Carbon Sequestration and Other New Technologies
• Major Financing Released
• IT Implications
• Seismic Processing and Reservoir Modeling Moves to CCS
• Land Lease for Storage and Pipelines
• Pipeline Operations and Maintenance
• Pipeline Nominations and Other Commercial Transactions
• The IGCC Plant
• Future Outlook
• Essential Guidance
• Actions to Consider
• For Power Companies
• For Vendors
• Learn More
• Related Research
• Synopsis
• Table: Funding for Cleaner Coal
• Table: Worldwide Utility Industry IT Spending by Segment, 2007–2012 ($M)
• Table: Summary of IT Implications by Generation Type
• Figure: Generation Under Construction in the United States by Type, June 2009
• Figure: Generation in Planning Stages in the United States by Type, June 2009

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