T&D
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Markets
DOE Issues Emergency Order to Alleviate California Power Crisis
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) on Sept. 6 took the rare but drastic action of issuing an emergency order under the Federal Power Act (FPA) to authorize the maximum operation of three natural gas–fired facilities on the California Independent System Operator’s (CAISO’s) grid whose full capability had been stranded by federal air quality and […]
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Press Releases
Hitachi ABB Power Grids innovates world-first disaster recovery solution based on modular mobile substations
Game-changing ‘plug and play’ solution vastly reduces time to restore power from 18 months to seven days, contributing to affordable, reliable and sustainable energy Zurich, September 2, 2020 – Hitachi ABB Power Grids has pioneered a ground-breaking modular mobile substation solution which vastly reduces the time to restore power in the case of major disruptive […]
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Energy Storage
Energy Storage: America’s New R&D Priority to Secure the Grid
The U.S. Department of Energy has made the research and development (R&D) of long-duration energy storage at fossil fuel generating stations a priority to keep reliable and affordable supplies of
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T&D
Putting Idle Turbine Generators to Work
As more wind and solar generation is added to the power grid and large coal and nuclear plants are retired, a reduction in reactive power is becoming a concern. Underutilized gas and steam turbines can be
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Hydrogen
Power and Gas Research Giants EPRI and GTI Join Forces to Explore Hydrogen Pathways
The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and the Gas Technology Institute (GTI) are teaming on a notable five-year-long initiative to accelerate development and demonstrate low-carbon technologies that they say are needed to help private companies and governments achieve increasingly ambitious decarbonization goals by 2050. The Low-Carbon Resources Initiative (LCRI), officially launched on Aug. 10, is […]
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POWER Podcasts
How to Find the Lowest-Cost Option for Electricity in Competitive Markets
How electricity is delivered to customers in the U.S. is complicated. Consumers in some states have no choice who supplies their power; state commissions regulate utilities as vertically integrated electricity providers. Other states utilize a competitive model in which power producers can openly access transmission infrastructure and participate in wholesale electricity markets. Yet, there isn’t […]
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Technology
Mobile Devices to Support the Utility Industry
Field service workers often log long hours at remote job sites where no two days are the same. To support daily tasks, whether they be at a power plant, oil rig, or other hard to access environments, advanced technologies have become more commonplace to get the job done. With the rapidly evolving nature of technology […]
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Press Releases
Hitachi ABB Power Grids wins major HVDC order linking Shetland islands to the UK grid
First multi-terminal HVDC interconnection in Europe will boost renewable energy and enhance power security Zurich, 03.08.2020 Hitachi ABB Power Grids has won a major order from Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) Transmission, part of the UK energy giant SSE plc, to enable Europe’s first multi-terminal high-voltage direct-current (HVDC) interconnection. The link, which will connect […]
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O&M
Emerson Introduces New Greenlee® GRE-6: One Tool to Cut Wire, Crimp Connectors and Punch Electrical Boxes
Patented QuickChange System™ increases tool versatility on the job ROCKFORD, Ill. (August 3, 2020) – Electrical workers searching for versatility with a multi-functional tool to cut wire, crimp connectors and punch electrical panels now have a practical option with the new Greenlee GRE-6 Interchangeable Head 6-in-1 Cable Termination Tool, powered by a Makita® battery. The […]
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T&D
Electric Transmission Grid Problems and Solutions
Many of the electric transmission grids in service around the world were designed and built more than a half century ago. While changes and upgrades have obviously been made over the years, the systems were
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Connected Plant
AI-based inspection software aides post-Public Safety Power Shutdown inspections on America’s West Coast
Baltimore, U.S – 24 July 2020: A transformative Transmission and Distribution (T&D) inspection solution is supporting post-Public Safety Power Shutdown (PSPS) inspections across North America’s wildfire-hit West Coast. Sharper Shape’s Sharper CORE application is a first-to-market solution that gives utilities a single, holistic view of an electricity T&D system. The software integrates asset inspection data […]
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T&D
E.ON Debuts ‘Resilience-as-a-Service’ for Remote Markets
German energy supplier E.ON is collaborating with UK energy firms Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) and Costain Group to roll out an innovative business model that monetizes resilience and grid stability services to remote areas. E.ON Innovation, one of Europe’s largest distribution system operators (DSOs) and the transmission and distribution arms at SSEN and […]
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Finance
Rural Electric Cooperatives: Debt Rules Need to Change
The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) is working feverishly to get a provision into the next COVID-19 stimulus package that would allow electric cooperatives to reprice loans from the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) at current low interest rates without penalties. The change could save co-ops more than $10 billion. The RUS, which is a […]
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T&D
LineVision Partners with OSIsoft to Improve Power Grid Resiliency
July 20, 2020, Somerville, MA – LineVision, a provider of solutions to monitor, optimize, and protect the world’s critical energy delivery infrastructure, today announced the launch of a new partnership with OSIsoft, a leader in operational intelligence for critical operations. The relationship includes tight integration between LineVision’s V3 overhead line monitoring solution and OSIsoft’s PI […]
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POWER Podcasts
What Is DERMS and How Can It Help Utilities?
A distributed energy resource management system, or DERMS, is a software platform used to manage a group of distributed energy resource (DER) assets—such as rooftop photovoltaic solar panels, behind-the-meter batteries, or a fleet of electric vehicles—to deliver vital grid services and balance demand with supply to help utilities achieve mission-critical outcomes. As a guest on […]
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Markets
Minutes Matter in the Energy Imbalance Market
An energy imbalance market (EIM) is a voluntary market that provides a sub-hourly economic dispatch of participating resources for balancing supply and demand every five minutes. One such market is the Western
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T&D
Rural Electric Cooperatives Get Big Money to Improve Infrastructure
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said it will provide loans and loan guarantees to rural electric cooperatives and utilities to build or improve infrastructure in 21 states. The funding was announced on June 22 and amounts to more than $1.6 billion, including nearly $386 million for investments in smart grid technology, which uses digital […]
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Connected Plant
How to Securely Transition to Remote Plant Operations in Response to Today’s Challenges
Sponsored by:Xona Systems -
T&D
The Importance of a Resilient Power System
It’s hurricane season in the U.S., which runs from June 1 through the end of November, and there have already been three named storms. The most recent was Tropical Storm Christobal, which was the earliest third-named Atlantic storm on record when it formed on June 2. It made landfall in the U.S. along the northern […]
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T&D
Siemens HVDC power bridge will connect Crete with mainland Greece
• Attica-Crete interconnection will ensure a more secure power supply and increase integration of renewable energy • HVDC project will reduce half a million tons of CO2 emissions in first year of operation • Total order volume for Siemens-led consortium €370 million A consortium led by Siemens Gas and Power (Siemens Energy) has been awarded […]
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T&D
Radix Develops Artificial Intelligence Tool to Improve Control Room Management and Operations for ISA CTEEP
June 9, 2020—Houston, Texas – Radix Engineering and Software today announced that ISA CTEEP, one of the main private electric power transmission concessionaires in Brazil, will rely on an Artificial Intelligence (AI) toolset created by Radix to improve its services. The objective is to improve decision-making and implement best practices that provide a comprehensive and […]
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COVID-19
NERC: Summer 2020 Reliability Rife With Unknowns
Despite COVID-19’s impact on power demand, disrupted pre-season generation preparation, and an expected highly active hurricane and wildfire season, industry appears well-positioned to meet peak demand this summer under anticipated weather in nearly all parts of the North American bulk power system (BPS). Other than in the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), anticipated reserve […]
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Smart Grid
Smart Neighborhood Wins Smart Grid Award
Alabama Power’s Smart Neighborhood integrates a microgrid into a community filled with high-performance homes containing energy-efficient systems and connected appliances. The innovative initiative, which
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Markets
COVID-19 Makes for an Interesting Summer Peak Season
It’s peak season for the U.S. power industry. While actual dates may vary from one utility to another, generally the summer peak period spans from Memorial Day (May 25 this year) to Labor Day (Sept. 7)
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T&D
How Our Current Power Grid Is Failing Us
As coal prices fluctuate and regulations increase, utilities are phasing out dirty coal sources. With renewable energy like solar and wind set to become the fastest-growing sources of electricity generation in
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T&D
Sumitomo Electric secures >€500M “Corridor A-Nord” High-Voltage DC Underground Cable Project in Germany which sets new innovative benchmarks in the HVDC Industry
Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd., with the support of its technology partner, Südkabel GmbH, to deliver the highest voltage 525-kV XLPE(*1) Insulated High-Voltage DC (HVDC) underground cable system for German Corridor Project to supply renewable power generated in the North Sea of Germany to the central and southern part of the country. Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. […]
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Business
GE’s synchronous condensers help Terna provide reliable electricity for Italy
GE Steam Power receives new order for two synchronous condensers and flywheel units for the Brindisi Terna substation in southern Italy Will supply a combined 500 MVAr reactive power and 3500 MWs inertia to help stabilize Italy’s grid and support the integration of more renewable energy Powered by GE’s portfolio of renewable steam power offerings, […]
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Electric Vehicles
Electric Vehicle Fleets and Load Demand: Are You Ready for the Surge?
Electric vehicle adoption is expected to continue growing, especially in delivery and service company fleets. That means load demand could surge, particularly around charging depots, and utilities must plan
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Cybersecurity
NERC Moves to Defer Reliability Standards, Provide COVID-19 Flexibility
The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) has asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to delay the implementation of seven reliability standards that relate to cybersecurity, training, disturbance monitoring and reporting, generator relay loadability, and coordination of protection systems for performance during faults. In an April 6 filing to FERC, NERC noted the rules […]
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Coronavirus
PJM Ramps Up Preparations as COVID-19 Hotspots Emerge in Its Footprint
PJM Interconnection, the nation’s largest regional transmission organization (RTO), is intensifying its response to the COVID-19 pandemic, preparing campuses for worker sequestration and closely coordinating with generators and transmission owners across its system as they grapple with workforce and supply impacts. Although most of PJM’s employees—with the exception of system operators and other essential personnel—are […]