T&D

AEIC announces its support for the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 (IIJA), passed by the United States Senate. CEO, Steve Hauser, says AEIC’s 180 member companies, comprised of the nation’s leading electric utilities, stand ready to work with the Department of Energy and other industry stakeholders to ensure that these investments are strategically […]

Like any equipment, each piece of a power distribution system has a chance of failing at some point. Even if installed properly, there are several factors that can cause failures, such as extreme currents and voltages, animal interference, inclement weather, and so on. Here are four problems that you need to know about. Overhead Line […]

The U.S. electric grid is a complex web of interconnected power lines. It functions remarkably well, considering that it is a constant work in progress. Yet, what has served adequately in the past may not be

Energy companies continue to work on providing solutions to optimize the power grid, part of their efforts to support the integration of renewables and help ensure the reliable delivery of electricity. Such systems are part of the digital transformation of power generation, bringing increased flexibility to the power supply, supporting faster power restoration after outages, […]

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) has unveiled a roadmap outlining crucial improvements designed to enhance grid reliability, taking into account recent legislation, regulatory mandates, and a recent push by the state’s governor for market incentives that will help the grid bulk up on “adequate and reliable” resources, like natural gas, coal, and nuclear […]

Hitachi ABB Power Grids, the behemoth joint venture firm officially launched last year when Japanese technology conglomerate Hitachi acquired a majority share in Swiss conglomerate ABB’s Power Grids business, will be known as “Hitachi Energy” starting in October 2021. The name change reflects the firm’s business evolution amid a rapidly evolving energy landscape, the company […]

Utilities across the Pacific Northwest are bracing for exceptional stress on the grid as record-breaking temperatures continue to fester across the region, and at least one utility—Avista Corp.—this week began rolling outages as a measure to alleviate strain on the electric system. Despite pleas to customers to reduce their power consumption, Avista, which supplies power […]

Cambridge, UK (15 June 2021) — IQGeo (AIM: IQG), a developer of geospatial productivity and collaboration software for the telecoms and utility industries, today announced that IQGeo was selected by the Western Area Power Administration (WAPA) to support their electrical transmission line inspection process. This new project will see the WAPA team using the IQGeo […]

Two groups concerned with issues regarding the regulation and production of U.S. electricity have announced formation of a joint federal-state task force on power transmission, an effort to better identify the costs and benefits associated with electric power projects, and support the buildout of renewable energy resources. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), an independent […]

CHICAGO, May 20, 2021 – S&C Electric Company, a leading innovator of advanced electrical grid equipment, today broke ground on a new 55,000-square-foot manufacturing expansion in Franklin, Wis. Adjacent to the company’s existing 80,000-square-foot facility, the new expanded space will increase the company’s U.S. manufacturing operations and bring an additional 50 skilled jobs to the […]

Large-Scale Mapping in Plains of Nebraska Kevin Kenna has lots of experience with GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) and major projects for utilities, government agencies, and large-area mapping. He’s used GPS (Global Positioning System) and GNSS for more than two decades and estimates that he has worked on mapping/surveying more than 20,000 miles of power […]

Extreme weather patterns, net zero acceleration, and shifting regulatory regimes demand a new methodology to assess and mitigate network challenges across both the immediate and long term. The integrity, performance, and flexibility of energy networks have become progressively more important in the face of rapid technological, economic, and environmental change. And the challenges in maintaining […]

Zurich, Switzerland (May 13, 2021) – Hitachi ABB Power Grids announced the successful commissioning of a 500 kV – 1400 MVAr series capacitor bank, one of the largest in the world, on March 31, 2021 for Minnesota Power’s Great Northern Transmission Line project, helping ensure the delivery of more clean hydropower from Manitoba, Canada – to […]

Most people are aware that wireless charging technology is available today for small electronic devices, such as cell phones and watches, but when it comes to larger-scale power systems, the concept of wireless transmission of electricity probably seems like science fiction. The truth, however, is that systems have been developed and are being tested that […]

Bolstering the Biden administration’s recently announced initiatives to modernize the nation’s grid and improve its resilience, the Department of Energy (DOE) on April 27 made up to $8.25 billion in loans available to expand transmission capacity nationwide, while the Department of Transportation (DOT) offered new guidance to help speed the siting and permitting of transmission […]

2020 was a catastrophic year for wildfires across the U.S. The National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) reported that almost 60,000 fires ran rampant across more than 9 million acres in the U.S. last year, nearly 1.5 times the 10-year average of 6.6 million acres. Not only this, California saw its first-ever “gigafire,” a devastating single […]

Natural calamities challenge businesses and create problems with customer experience (CX). How can a utility demonstrate the desired experience attributes such as speed, quality, consistency, and so on at the same or even at a higher level after a catastrophe? Following a winter that saw record-breaking bomb cyclones in the northern Pacific. and the biggest […]

An industry first, two global leaders in power technologies have entered into a non-exclusive, cross-licensing agreement that will allow them to expand their range of high-voltage equipment using a game-changing gas alternative to sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) SF6 an insulating and switching gas commonly used in high-voltage electrical equipment, is a potent greenhouse gas This historic […]

The EconiQ™ portfolio of products, services and solutions contribute towards a carbon neutral-future and accelerate the green energy transition Zurich, 21 April 2021 – Hitachi ABB Power Grids today launched EconiQ™ – its portfolio of products, services and solutions that are proven to deliver exceptional environmental performance. With EconiQ, the global technology and market leader […]

HOUSTON, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — RESA Power, LLC, a market leader in power systems services and life extension solutions for power distribution equipment, is pleased to announce the launch of the Transformer Assessment Portal (“RESA TAP”) as part of our continued commitment to expanding best available options that deliver high expertise and expert advice […]

The severe winter storm that knocked out Texas’ electricity grid in February, plunging millions of people into a cold, dark ordeal, has led to a number of takes about what went wrong. The state’s deregulated energy market has been frequently singled out as the root cause. But, while a contributing factor, it wasn’t the only […]

A major chunk of President Joe Biden’s $2.25 trillion transformational plan to overhaul the nation’s infrastructure is dedicated to re-energizing America’s power infrastructure. The initiatives garnered the industry’s approval—with notable exceptions. The “American Jobs Plan,” released on March 31, strives to jumpstart the U.S. economy, which drooped under burdens posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. But […]

As society contends with the impacts of climate change, we need to aggressively pursue strategies for reducing carbon emissions. Although states in the U.S. are taking a variety of approaches to greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction, and following an equally diverse set of timelines, most state-level GHG emission goals announced so far are fairly consistent—to reduce […]

TOKYO, Apr 1, 2021 – Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501) announced that the operations of the Hida-Shinano frequency conversion facility have commenced, enabling the Shin-Shinano Substation of TEPCO Power Grid, Inc. (TEPCO) to be connected to the Hida Converter Station of Chubu Electric Power Grid Co., Inc. (Chubu Electric Power), to which Hitachi delivered a line […]

The mid-February blackouts in Texas have raised a lot of questions about power grid reliability. While investigations into the underlying causes of the outages could take a while to complete, and I don’t

Reliability performance is core to the utility industry. Utilities strategically design and invest in their system to maximize reliability performance—traditionally measured by System Average Interruption Frequency Index (SAIFI), System Average Interruption Duration Index (SAIDI), and/or Consumer Average Interruption Duration Index (CAIDI). These quantitative metrics largely drive utility investment decisions, shape strategic priorities, dictate regulatory approvals, […]