grid

In a significant push toward modernizing America’s aging grid infrastructure, the Biden administration, in partnership with 21 states, has launched the Federal-State Modern Grid Deployment Initiative. The measure marks the latest triumph for transmission and distribution (T&D), which has seen “lumpy” progress in recent decades. The initiative unveiled on May 28 essentially seeks to establish […]

Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) and its remote grid program received an honorable mention in the Energy category of Fast Company’s 2024 World Changing Ideas Awards. Winners were announced on May 14, highlighting fresh sustainability initiatives, cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) developments, and other creative projects that are helping mold the world. PG&E is one […]

In an era defined by rapid electrification, the widespread adoption of renewable energy sources, and sweeping digital transformation, the energy sector stands on the brink of profound change. As we cast our sights on 2050, utilities grapple with the colossal task of scaling up to meet burgeoning energy demands and reshaping their operations to be […]

Ameren Transmission Company of Illinois (ATXI), a subsidiary of St. Louis-based Ameren Corp., has been selected by the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO), the regional transmission operator for large parts of the central U.S., to develop a $273 million transmission project across northern Missouri. “We are proud to have won this vital project that will […]

(Updated March 7 with responses from EPA): The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will drop requirements covering existing natural gas-fired power plants in its final Section 111 rule regulating power sector greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which is expected in April.  EPA Administrator Michael Regan on Feb. 29 said in a written statement the agency’s rule—which the […]

Meeting ambitious climate targets while transitioning from fossil fuels remains a key priority for businesses, policymakers, and society in general. The good news is that the grid can play a pivotal role in helping us achieve this. With less dependency on more harmful energy sources such as oil and coal, and increased electrification, we are […]

The increasing threat of seasonal grid failures is a significant concern for energy systems. Failures occur when the demand for electricity surges during certain times, straining the current grids. The risk is compounded by factors like high energy consumption, weather issues affecting renewable sources, and limitations in existing grid setups. Energy professionals must grasp these […]

To understand what the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) is, it helps to understand how the North American electric power system is configured. The contiguous U.S. is comprised of three power grids or “interconnections.” The Eastern Interconnection reaches from central Canada eastward to the Atlantic coast (excluding Québec), south to Florida, and west to […]

Utilities are just beginning their journeys to speed up deployment of electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure in reaction to increasing EV penetration. In the U.S., EV sales have risen nearly 50% between 2022 and 2023, now accounting for 8% of total industry sales (the Biden administration has a goal of 50% new vehicle sales comprising zero-emission vehicles by […]

This year, many of us watched with audible gasps as high temperatures shattered records and extreme weather destroyed homes and displaced people across the globe. These uncontrolled events have undoubtedly strained our old, antiquated electric grids, causing outages and downtime. The Biden administration has stepped up with $167 Million in energy grid resilience funding to assist in modernizing these […]

A New Zealand utility is piloting two software solutions to gauge their efficacy at handling grid constraints. Raglan is a beachside community of just under 4,000 people, about a two-hour drive from Auckland

The Department of Energy (DOE) has initiated a new “enabling” pathway to achieve and sustain a dramatic transformation of the nation’s evolving grid—through its power electronics fabric, with the realization of advanced semiconductor materials, devices, and power module technologies. The agency on Nov. 21 unveiled the agency’s first awards—$42 million for 15 projects across 11 […]

Electrical system operators are seeing an increase in potential projects seeking to connect to the power grid. Ideally, this growth in application activity means that energy systems and networks will become

The energy sector has been characterized in recent years by a crisis that affects the globe. As fossil fuel-based energy production decreases in popularity due to its negative effects on the environment and human health, other means of production are added to the grid. Nevertheless, the new methods, with emphasis on renewable energy forms, are […]

In today’s rapidly changing world, utility providers play an increasingly important role in ensuring that people have access to the vital resources they need to power their homes, businesses, and communities. From electricity and gas to water and internet services, these providers are responsible for delivering critical resources that are essential to our daily lives. […]

COMMENTARY The American grid is reaching a tipping point. With electric vehicles (EVs) making up 5% of all new vehicle sales last year, there is an urgent need to prepare for the unprecedented strain that will be placed on the U.S. power grid as adoption continues to ramp up—and this is to say nothing of […]

Almost all distribution transformers produced or imported into the U.S. could require amorphous steel cores starting in 2027 under new energy efficiency standards proposed by the Department of Energy (DOE). The measure, unveiled as industry grapples with a crippling shortage of distribution transformers, will serve a longer-term role in boosting grid resiliency as a “strategic […]

Boston, Massachusetts, USA – December 7,  2022 – GE Grid Solutions (NYSE: GE), and LineVision, the global leader in Dynamic Line Ratings (DLR), have formed a partnership to deliver the world’s first integrated suite of Grid Enhancing Technologies (GETs), providing utilities with an end-to-end Dynamic System Rating (DSR). GE and LineVision will combine Dynamic Line Ratings […]

Hurricanes are one of the most destructive forces in nature. Hurricane season in North America runs from June 1 to November 30, peaking between August and September, and 2022 would be the seventh straight year of above-average hurricane activity, if predictions are correct. A typical Atlantic hurricane season has 14 named storms, seven hurricanes, and […]

A Fault Isolation Service Restoration module, part of an Advanced Distribution Management Solution, has improved grid reliability, and reduced outages and outage durations, for customers of PPL Electric

In January, the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) launched its new Building a Better Grid initiative. The DoE’s stated intention for the program is to create a more robust transmission system that will restore the nation’s electrical grid through expanded access and greater resilience. The initiative emphasizes supporting generation and distribution of clean energy, and […]

LONDON (Feb. 15, 2022) – Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners (“Quinbrook”), a specialist global investment manager focused on renewables, storage and grid support infrastructure, announced today that it has completed construction and commissioning of a new synchronous condenser installation at Rassau, in Ebbw Vale, South Wales. The Rassau Synchronous Condenser is expected to support the stable decarbonisation of […]

On Friday, November 5, Congress passed a landmark infrastructure bill that apportions $65 billion to rebuilding our aging electric grid. Although we should applaud this long overdue measure, we need to be realistic about its impact. $65 billion is not nearly enough to modernize the U.S. electric grid, nor is it enough to protect against weather-related outages and cyberattacks. We continue […]

GE’s first earnings release after the American conglomerate last November announced it would combine and spin-off its Renewable Energy, Power, and Digital business suggests flagging orders for onshore and offshore wind equipment and gas turbines amid a business environment wrought with uncertainty. GE on Jan. 25 reported revenues of $15.7 billion for its Renewable Energy business, […]

S&C Electric Co., an employee-owned company with global headquarters in Chicago, Illinois, rolled out an innovative solution designed to mitigate nuisance outages for power customers located on the grid edge. The new VacuFuse II Self-Resetting Interrupter has the ability to test if a fault is temporary, and if so, it automatically restores power, eliminating the […]

The power and energy sector is one of the most critical areas of our country’s infrastructure, making it a prime target for cybercriminals increasingly looking for ways to infiltrate and disrupt the sector and ultimately the national grid. In fact, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report in early 2021 that found the […]

The clock is ticking to protect the electric grid from cyberattacks. Adversarial nations, terrorists, and criminal groups have been refining their techniques since before Dan Coats, director of National Intelligence, warned of America’s vulnerability to major electric grid attacks in January 2019. This followed an earlier report from Lloyd’s that a successful, coordinated intrusion could cost $1 trillion. […]

The North American Electric Reliability Corp. (NERC) is warning that much of the central U.S.—a region that stretches from the Great Lakes into southern Texas—may face critical power deficiencies during extreme winter weather conditions over the next three months. Natural gas supply disruptions and low hydropower conditions could also imperil power reliability in New England […]

CARMEL, Ind. (Nov. 8, 2021) — Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) members have re-elected three directors to serve three-year terms on the organization’s board beginning January 1, 2022. Director Phyllis Currie and Director Mark Johnson both joined the MISO Board in 2016 and were re-elected in 2019. Director Nancy Lange was first elected to the […]

The grid must accommodate more inverter-based generation and adequately handle the bi-directional flow of electricity, but it must also apply alternative grid configurations and coordinate planning and operations across multiple participants and jurisdictions. That’s the vision Michael Pesin, deputy assistant secretary for the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Advanced Grid Research and Development division, outlined in […]