Connected Plant

My job has made me a frequent flyer, but I can’t imagine stepping onto a plane without confidence in the air traffic control system and its complex interplay of regulation, technology, communications, scheduling, and human expertise. Many obstacles were overcome to achieve modern aviation—and the same is true where I work: today’s electric grid. Virtual […]

Integrity Mobile enables improved and safer field inspections, connecting data collected to operations decisions. The Integrity Mobile interface gathers all relevant information and recommendations in a single dashboard, helping to improve outcomes and facilitating regulatory compliance across the enterprise. SAN RAMON, Calif. – March 13, 2023 – GE Digital, an integral part of GE Vernova’s […]

Transformative initiative creates clean energy hub for western United States, extends digital foundation for green hydrogen production, storage and power generation PITTSBURGH (Feb. 14, 2023) – Emerson (NYSE: EMR), a global software and engineering leader, has been selected to automate operations at Intermountain Power Agency’s IPP Renewed power plant, a regional energy hub that uses […]

February 14, 2023 – Framatome announced today it has signed a contract with ČEZ to modernize the existing instrumentation and control (I&C) Spinline testers for safety systems installed on four VVER type reactors at Dukovany Nuclear Power Station, located in Czech Republic. “We commend ČEZ for its high standards of safety and vigilance in fortifying […]

SAN RAMON, Calif. – December 13, 2022 – GE Digital, an energy software leader, today announced that ELPEDISON S.A., the first independent energy producer in Greece, has chosen its cloud-based Asset Performance Management (APM) Reliability application to improve the reliability of its combined cycle fleet. The software will be installed at ELPEDISON’s Thisvi and Thessaloniki power plants, […]

ARLINGTON, Va. – The Department of Energy today awarded a $15 million award to the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association to help electric cooperatives expand their cyber monitoring capabilities of their industrial control facilities. The award will be spread over three years, with $10 million disbursed in 2022 and the remaining $5 million in subsequent […]

Advanced analytics solutions empower utilities to predict asset failures before they happen so they can progress from reactive to proactive maintenance. As the digital transformation of the power industry

Amid an industry-wide labor shortage and global supply chain disruptions, the energy sector is under immense pressure to increase production. These issues, in addition to geopolitical tensions, are deeply complex and cannot be addressed on an individual scale. In addition, the energy industry faces major challenges pertaining to communication given that the workforce and equipment […]

DeltaV IO.CONNECT enables manufacturers to keep existing I/O infrastructure, shorten downtime, accelerate ROI and increase flexibility of capital expenditures AUSTIN, Texas (Oct. 12, 2022) – Emerson, a global software and engineering leader, has released DeltaV™ IO.CONNECT, a new subscription software service designed to help plants simplify modernization with an open architecture pathway that makes it […]

Businesses in the Industry 4.0 sector face unceasing demands to become faster, smarter, leaner, and more profitable. We’ve all heard of Smart Cities and Smart Homes, but the fully automated and IoT-enabled Smart Factory is also on the horizon. Indeed, it’s already possible today. The IoT (Internet of Things) has proved its potential to revolutionise […]

There are no boundaries in cyberspace. That fact has accelerated sharing of threat intelligence across the defenders, but it exponentially raises the threat of cyberattacks. This reality is underscored by the war in Ukraine, “the first major conflict involving large-scale cyber operations,” according to the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency (CISA). A major concern is […]

When reflecting on recent years, the exacerbating climate crisis has resulted in a paradigm shift where attitudes and actions are concerned. Rather than being a subject of ongoing debate and divided opinions, global warming has instigated radical reform throughout Middle Eastern society, inspiring nations to introduce abatement imperatives, enact meaningful change, and embark on a […]

CLEVELAND (August 16, 2022) — Intelligent power management company Eaton today announced new research on the relevance of the energy transition in digital transformation planning for power-critical businesses. Commissioned by Eaton, this S&P Global Market Intelligence report – The Intersection of Digital Transformation and the Energy Transition – highlights that although 77% of companies surveyed expect to transition away […]

Digital transformation is key to making industries more agile, resilient, and sustainable. These are essential qualities if businesses are not only to survive but thrive in the Industry 4.0 era—and the energy industry is no exception. With price volatility set to continue in the natural gas and carbon energy markets, and growing pricing pressure coming […]

The U.S. will rely on utility leaders to scale smart grid infrastructure and reduce carbon emissions. Climate change has captured the world’s attention for decades. We’ve seen countless intergovernmental summits, worldwide protests, and documentaries on global warming over the years. Although momentum has been building across the public and private sectors, leaders are preparing for […]

The energy and utilities sector is not just the lifeblood of the world’s economy, but fundamental to society’s existence as a whole. Yet, recent events have highlighted just how volatile and unpredictable it can be. Output is influenced by everything from weather patterns to war, and no business, consumer, or household is immune from the […]

Designed to enable increased situational / contextual awareness with 3D plant models for inspection, maintenance, and engineering activities Ability to access and contextualize enterprise data helps to optimize asset management processes and facilitate decision making SAN RAMON, Calif. – JUNE 6, 2022 — GE Digital today announced a technology partnership with Visionaize, a provider of […]

“Cyber-physical systems” are the next generation of closely integrated physical and cyber systems. Several critical systems such as the power grid, autonomous transportation systems, and process control systems are examples of cyber-physical systems. They are liable to be attacked by malicious agents who can compromise the sensor measurements being used to control them. Indeed, there […]

The Fourth Industrial Revolution is arriving in a most timely manner to help resolve the world’s energy trilemma—the transition to net-zero, energy security, and energy affordability. For many years, the World Economic Forum (WEF) has been at the forefront of discussions on climate change and the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Below, I outline our key takeaways […]

With the advent and implementation of smart grid infrastructure across power utilities, there has been a paradigm shift in the efficiencies of the grid. The use of digital communication technology has led to high-speed communication enablement across various components as well as better data analysis and real-time control. This has proven to be advantageous not […]

In the utility industry, downtime and outages—from losing power to water shortages and burst pipes—can impact a customer’s day-to-day life, causing safety concerns and costly damages. This is especially true during sweltering summer months or freezing winter seasons caused by extreme weather and climate change. Today, digital transformation is shifting customer expectations as they demand […]

Reports from U.S. agencies indicate the use of renewable energy continues to grow. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the U.S. consumed a record amount of renewable energy in 2020. In addition, renewable energy in the U.S. grew for a fifth consecutive year, accounting for 12% of the total U.S. energy consumption. It was […]

The traditional approach to maintenance has two motors that keep it running. The first motor is proactive service: regularly maintaining equipment, following a schedule to ensure each element is running smoothly before repairs are needed in order to prevent a breakdown. The second motor is to repair once a breakdown happens. While the first part […]

Some cybersecurity experts believe hackers today pose a greater threat than ever to power plants and electric grids. Much of the operational technology (OT) used in power stations and throughout the grid was installed at a time when cybersecurity was more of an afterthought than a focal point in the system design. Furthermore, the pool […]

The benefits of renewable energy continue to grow, with wind generation supplying 9.2% of generation in the U.S. and up to 22.6% in other western countries like Germany. Solar is at 2.8% in the U.S. (for utility-scale installations) and near 10% in Germany. Through diversification and greater distribution system integration, the application of renewable energy […]

Maintenance equipment and tools have always been important for plant operators. In the early days, the tools were likely made entirely of iron and steel, copper and brass, lead, leather, rubber, or glass. Some

While virtualization has been a trend in the information technology sector for some time, it is also becoming increasingly attractive for operational technology. An Austrian steel producer therefore decided to

Duke Energy Florida Will Use Itron’s DER Optimizer Solution to Monitor Residential EV Charging LIBERTY LAKE, Wash. — March 22, 2022 — Itron, Inc. (NASDAQ: ITRI), which is innovating the way utilities and cities manage energy and water, and Duke Energy Florida, which supplies electrical services to 1.9 million customers throughout Florida, are collaborating to […]

I’ve come to depend on the navigation system in my car. It predicts traffic jams, gives me the fastest route, informs me of store hours, and even tells me where to get a burger. To give me this experience, the navigation system draws on multiple data sources, puts it into context, and presents it through […]

HOUSTON, TX, March 4, 2022 – The 6th Annual Connected Plant Conference is proud to announce Southern Company as the Host Utility Partner. The 2022 event will convene in-person at the Renaissance Waverly Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia, from May 23 to 26. Hosted by POWER and Chemical Engineering, the Connected Plant Conference will provide attendees with the […]