Power Generation and Distribution Blog

At last month's PackExpo show in Las Vegas, your correspondent saw a fully automated robotic blackjack dealer complete with articulated arms and a vision system. Displacement of human dealers can't be far behind as these robots will work 24/7 and don't require health and pension benefits. Is the increased productivity delivered by these and other robots an unmitigated benefit to society at large?

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Up to now, the main output of the smart grid has been hype. While the idea of consumers controlling power usage in response to price changes has advantages, it's not clear whether the smart grid can be delivered cost effectively. Has the smart grid impacted your use of electricity at home? Can you envision a future where you would willingly restrict power use to save a few bucks?

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Many industrial plant capital and maintenance projects are outsourced. For these outsourced projects, one of the main decisions is whether to go fixed-price or time-and-materials. As the name implies, fixed-price guarantees the final cost to some extent, but time-and-material can be cheaper if closely managed by the owner. Which option do you usually choose, and why?

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Man, in his eternal quest to control his environment, now has devised a plan that would stop hurricanes in their tracks. Cold seawater placed in their path should dilute the fury of these storms. But even if this admittedly far-out plan could be made to work, should it be implemented? Or might tampering with powerful natural phenomena like hurricanes cause unforeseen negative consequences to the world's climate?

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The U.S. is losing the race to build new nuclear plants. While other developed and developing nations are putting shovels in the ground, new U.S. nukes are mired in interminable planning and review. China alone has over 20 plants under construction. Is this a race worth winning, or is the U.S. right to take a wait and see approach?

The preceding article is a "sneak peek" from Power Generation & Distribution, a newsletter from GlobalSpec. To stay up-to-date and informed on industry trends, products, and technologies, subscribe to Power Generation & Distribution today.