Smart Grid

Artificial intelligence (AI) is playing a huge role in heat rate optimization. In some cases, AI-driven models have analyzed operational data to recommend control settings that reduce heat rates by 1.5% to

People in the power industry understand inertia and its importance to grid stability. As large thermal power plants and other inertia-providing units are replaced with renewable resources that provide no inertia, grid stability is at risk. Cost-effective solutions are available today, however, to maintain and even enhance grid operations. Concerning power grid operation, inertia refers […]

The world’s electricity grids are facing unprecedented strain as demand surges from electrification, data centers, and renewable energy integration, while aging infrastructure struggles to keep pace. Traditional approaches to grid expansion—building new transmission lines and substations—face mounting challenges including sometimes decade-long permitting processes, escalating costs that can reach billions per project, and growing public resistance […]

TESCO Metering is proud to announce its recognition as one of the first manufacturers to achieve certification in the National Electrical Manufacturers Association’s (NEMA’s) new Make It American program. As a pilot partner in the program, TESCO is helping set the benchmark for domestic manufacturing compliance under the Build America, Buy America Act (BABA)—reinforcing its longstanding […]

Advanced Distribution Management Systems (ADMS) and Distributed Energy Resource Management Systems (DERMS) are crucial grid management technologies in today’s modern power delivery system. ADMS integrates multiple utility operational systems into a unified control platform. It combines functions like outage management, supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems, and distribution automation (DA) to provide operators with […]

As electric vehicles (EVs) surge in popularity, many American homeowners are discovering a hidden obstacle to the EV transition: the aging electrical infrastructure of the nation’s housing stock. While

Smart Grid technology arrived with a bang more than two decades ago, but the first implementations often overpromised and underdelivered. Smart Grid 2.0, however, integrates new technologies to provide

As the global energy landscape undergoes unprecedented transformation, Hitachi Energy stands at the forefront of technologies driving the transition toward a more sustainable and flexible power system. In this exclusive interview with POWER, Massimo Danieli, managing director for Hitachi Energy’s Grid Automation business unit, offers valuable insights into how electrification, renewable integration, and digital solutions […]

The flexibility market is gaining ground within the electricity industry. The reasons for this are twofold. Firstly, there is more and more electricity generated from volatile renewable sources of energy that has to be integrated into the grid. And secondly, the increasing digitalization of power grids means that even decentralized market players can use flexibility […]

Utilities seek to pursue critical advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) 2.0 outcomes, such as advanced analytics, demand response programs, outage management, distributed energy resource integration, and improved customer technology adoption by focusing on information technology strategy as an enabler to successful grid modernization. Ryan Fehrenbacher and Michael Juchno, EY As the electric distribution sector evolves, smart meters […]

A virtual power plant (VPP) is a network of decentralized, small- to medium-scale power generating units, flexible power consumers, and storage systems that are aggregated and operated as a single entity through sophisticated software and control systems. Unlike a traditional power plant that exists in a single physical location, a VPP is distributed across multiple […]

Landsnet owns and operates Iceland’s power transmission system and is responsible for building and maintaining a secure and reliable electrical grid. Monitoring the grid in Iceland is uniquely challenging because of the country’s rugged, often inaccessible terrain and extreme weather conditions—particularly severe winds and sub-zero temperatures. Between December 10 and 11, 2019, northern Iceland experienced […]

The rise in customer voltage complaints is one of the hot topics in play within the industry forum we recently hosted, “Voltage Matters.” The forum brings together members from across the electricity industry to share their concerns and experiences on all things voltage-related. More than 60 forum members were presented with figures from a UK […]

Artificial intelligence (AI) and natural language processing (NLP) promise to transform the energy sector by enhancing efficiency, optimising power systems, and improving consumer engagement. AI can enable grid operators to predict demand, optimise renewable integration, and enhance grid stability. Meanwhile, NLP helps extract insights from policy documents, technical reports, and consumer feedback, making energy systems […]

Power grids operate like an intricate ballet of energy generation and consumption that must remain perfectly balanced at all times. The grid maintains a steady frequency (60 Hz in North America and 50 Hz in many other regions) by matching power generation to demand in real-time. Traditional power plants with large rotating turbines and generators […]

Battery energy storage systems (BESS) play an essential role in balancing grids with high renewable energy. They can charge during low price hours and discharge during high price hours in the wholesale markets, or support grid stability participating in the ancillary markets. It is important for BESS owners to maximise their profit by deciding how […]

As the world accelerates toward an electrified future driven by renewable energy, electric vehicles (EVs), and industrial electrification, energy distribution grids face unprecedented challenges. From grid overloads and delays in connecting distributed energy resources (DERs) to frequency instabilities and inadequate infrastructure upgrades, the need for transformative action is clear. These challenges, however, present a unique opportunity to rethink and […]

The Los Angeles wildfires of January 2025 highlight a critical vulnerability in disaster response: power failure. With insured losses potentially reaching $45 billion and more than 170,000 residents displaced, reliable power could have supported essential emergency services and potentially saved lives. Space Solar Power (SSP), which can beam energy directly to disaster zones from space, […]

Cisco, a global technology company, and Gridspertise have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to develop and deploy new solutions for the digital innovation in electricity grids. The companies announced the deal on Jan. 28. The MoU is a collaborative framework that leverages both Cisco and Gridspertise’s technological and business expertise. The companies on Tuesday […]

As you enjoy the comforts of air-conditioned homes, chilled watermelons at outdoor gatherings, or a cold beer at a barbecue, or perhaps as you charge a new electric vehicle, have you ever stopped to think about where the electricity comes from to make all these conveniences a reality? According to the International Energy Agency, global […]

Transmission congestion currently affects approximately 70% of the U.S. grid. Bottlenecks delay the interconnection of cost-effective clean energy sources, limit the transfer of electricity between regions, and raise operational and consumer costs. Dynamic line rating (DLR) technology mitigates these challenges with valuable newfound transmission capacity. DLR allows operators to utilize the maximum capacity of existing […]

The electric power sector is undergoing a digital transformation with mobile applications playing a crucial role by enabling real-time data sharing and more efficient grid management. Innovative technology is

The future of clean electricity is dependent on modernizing America’s electric grid. At the heart of the U.S. grid are 75,000 substations that have not been updated to meet the standards of a truly smart grid. Electric utilities are grappling to control and monitor bilateral energy flows with their current substations. This is a result […]

ABB Electrification Service recently launched a digital monitoring solution for power and distribution transformers that it says will enhance performance, reliability, and availability of equipment. The transformer sensor is reportedly quick and easy to fit, requiring no screws or tooling for installation. Instead, the sensor, called TRAFCOM, can be mounted magnetically to the transformer within […]

The U.S. electric grid is under more strain than ever to support exponential electricity demand due to artificial intelligence (AI), data centers, electric vehicles, and hotter temperatures. Its infrastructure is made up of 180 million power poles spread out over 5.5 million miles that are frequently bombarded with increasingly severe storms and weather. Worsening SAIDI […]

The Australian state of Queensland is in the midst of a rapid changeover from coal to renewables. From 70% coal generation today, it is switching to 70% renewables by 2032. This means phasing out 8.1 GW of coal and some of its 3 GW of gas generation, while simultaneously building at least 25 GW of […]

U.S. energy needs have changed dramatically over the last few decades, and questions are growing as to whether our grid can manage these new demands. Aside from rising temperatures—the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration declared 2023 the hottest year on record—the energy sector is managing a trio of additional challenges: City populations are growing, creating […]

Digital technology poses critical challenges for the power sector. As the backbone of modern society, any disruption to power infrastructure can have far-reaching consequences. To learn steps leading power companies can take to protect their systems, POWER interviewed Apu Pavithran, founder and CEO of Hexnode. Hexnode’s award-winning Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) platform has empowered organizations […]

To secure federal funding, developers must navigate various financing and investment options related to grid resiliency and modernization, transmission deployment, and critical electric generation facilities. Responding to funding demands, however, can pose significant challenges. Balancing early-stage project commitments with application requirements blurs the line between speculating about long-term project details, being non-responsive, and making costly […]

Solar energy is one of the main ways to curb greenhouse gas emissions and take action against the impact of climate change. Solar power offers security that homeowners can continue to generate their own electricity and potentially store it, especially in areas prone to natural disasters and power outages. There’s been a surge in adoption […]