T&D

Depending on the hazard field, electromagnetic pulses (EMPs) resulting from detonation of a nuclear weapon at high altitude or in space could cause significant damage to electronics on the bulk power system and even prompt a regional voltage collapse, the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) says in much-anticipated findings from its three-year study on high-altitude […]

Utilities deploying precise timing in their networks have an additional choice in evaluating solutions based on whether or not the devices are IEEE certified for compliance to the appropriate IEEE 1588 Power Profile. To reach this point, years of effort from the IEEE, International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and […]

Only months after ABB announced Hitachi would acquire a majority stake in its flagship power grids business for $11 billion, the company’s board of directors ousted CEO Ulrich Spiesshofer and officially launched a search for a new leader.  The Zurich-based technology giant said on April 17 that the board of directors and Spiesshofer “mutually agreed […]

Construction activity on wind projects across the U.S. surged to a record level of more than 20 GW in the third quarter of 2018, and about 35.1 GW of new wind capacity was under construction or in advanced development at the end of 2018, according to the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA).  In 2018, the […]

Creating a faster-than-real-time Energy Management System (EMS) is a huge challenge for the power industry. In order to be considered faster-than-real-time, the EMS must be capable of executing within a

If you’ve been following the news, you know that Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) recently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection because it is facing tens of billions of dollars in liability for

One of the largest hurdles to delivering substantial amounts of renewable energy is transmission constraints. Los Angeles’ current in-basin transmission infrastructure is based largely on delivering power

Some high-tech security features meant to protect U.S. power plants from physical attack may not be as effective as good old-fashioned fences and concrete, according to a Georgia Institute of Technology graduate who modeled security measures in a computer simulation while earning her PhD in Public Policy. Jenna McGrath, who graduated in December 2018, published […]

Critigen is proud to have been the Esri partner that helped the very first Utility Network customer, National Grid, with their deployment of Esri ArcGIS Pro and Portal and continue with its deployment for the rest of National Grid’s gas operating units.  The deployment was on time and on budget and is being adopted by […]

SUNNYVALE, Calif., Feb. 04, 2019 — Ondas Holdings Inc., through its subsidiary, Ondas Networks Inc., a developer of private licensed wireless data networks for mission-critical industrial markets, today announced the launch of Ondas Labs, a partnership program and innovation lab for advanced edge computing and connectivity in mission-critical applications. Ondas Labs will provide an innovation hub and […]

China’s power sector reforms represent perhaps the world’s largest industrial reform program, with important consequences on both domestic and global levels. In 2015, Erdaoqiao, a settlement in southwest

January 31, 2019 — The Department of Energy has awarded four Virginia Tech researchers a $1.8 million grant to reduce the stress renewable energy sources put on the U.S. power grid. The Virginia Tech Center for Power Electronics Systems (CPES) and the Power and Energy Center (PEC) will partner with Siemens to tackle this challenge. […]

Hydro One, Ontario’s largest transmission and distribution provider, and Spokane, Washington–based U.S. utility Avista Corp., have dropped their merger, citing separate denials of the $5.3 billion deal by regulators in Washington and Idaho. The companies said on Jan. 23 they “mutually agreed” to terminate a merger agreement they announced in July 2017. As required by […]

Not only does the Westinghouse design live on, but iterative improvements to insulators, mountings and housings make this IPB design even more rugged and reliable Isolated-phase bus (IPB) systems are the critical first link in the power transmission chain.  As a highly reliable method of construction for moving bulk electrical power, Iso Phase Bus Duct […]

What is the impact of all electric vehicles (EVs) today and what will be the transformative effect on the grid and energy market? In recent data from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) on plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV), the U.S. had 764,666 light-duty vehicles sold (third in sales behind […]

Getting proper sag between power line towers can be time-consuming. However, a new surveying tool allows workers to make adjustments in real-time. The method saves time and money, while also providing

NV Energy plans to retire a 254-MW coal-fired unit in a power-constrained region of Nevada at the end of 2021, four years ahead of schedule. The company will instead purchase 1,001 MW from new solar photovoltaic projects equipped with 100 MW of long-term battery storage, effectively doubling its total renewable generation from 14% in 2017 […]

Hitachi Ltd. and ABB on December 17 announced that Hitachi will acquire 80.1% of ABB’s Power Grids unit in an $11 billion deal. Reports of the possible acquisition surfaced December 16, with several media outlets including POWER  discussing the agreement, citing sources familiar with the deal who asked not to be identified. Hitachi plans to […]

Hitachi Ltd. and ABB could announce an $11 billion deal as soon as December 17 in which Hitachi will acquire 80% of ABB’s power grids unit. Reports of the possible deal surfaced December 16, with Bloomberg and others citing sources familiar with the agreement who asked not to be identified. Neither ABB nor Hitachi commented […]

Additional Diablo Canyon Power Plant Proposal Affirms PG&E’s Commitment to Meet California’s Renewable and Clean Energy Goals SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Reflecting the company’s commitment to address the growing threat of wildfires, PG&E is proposing a series of important additional safety investments as part of its 2020 General Rate Case (GRC) to help further protect the 16 […]

NEW YORK, Dec. 5, 2018 — Peak Power Inc., a leading energy services provider, announced today that it has successfully completed the installation of 375 kW / 940 kWh of battery energy storage with GHP Realty, a division of Houlihan-Parnes Realtors, LLC, at their headquarters at 4 West Red Oak Lane, White Plains, New York. […]

Nemo Link interconnector is a joint venture between the Transmission System Operators Elia (Belgium) and National Grid (UK), to exchange electricity up to 1,000 MW between the UK and Belgium, using high voltage direct current (HVDC) technology. Nemo Link connects the Belgian and the British power grid with a combination of subsea and underground cables. […]

FRACTALGRID; Bringing Powerful Machine Learning to Assist Utility Grids’ Transition to Green Power and Energy Storage San Diego, CA. (Nov, 20, 2018) — A patent for the Fractalgrid was awarded to CleanSpark in April 2018. The Fractalgrid is an information technology construct with the ability to spread intelligence and adaptability throughout a utility grid. The […]

ABB has won an order to supply its ABB Ability™ Ellipse Asset Performance Management (APM) solution to support Ameren Illinois’ multi-million dollar modernization of the energy delivery infrastructure across their service territory in Illinois. The software solution will allow the energy company to better predict and prevent the failure of mission-critical equipment that delivers electricity […]

The Zhangbei high-voltage direct current (HVDC) grid in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei area of China will enable the integration of remote wind, solar and hydro energy in a transmission ring that ensures optimization of power flow. This unique “HVDC grid” is designed by State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC), one of the world’s leading power utilities. ABB will supply […]

Low power factor reduces an electrical system’s distribution capacity by increasing current flow. Therefore, having a low power factor is inefficient and expensive. But what is power factor and what affects

The California Independent System Operator’s Energy Imbalance Market (EIM) is a real-time energy market, the first of its kind in the western U.S. EIM’s advanced market systems automatically find low-cost

The U.S. power system is separated into three major components—the Western Interconnection, the Eastern Interconnection, and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas. The three operate almost independently

Electric vehicles (EVs) have the potential to realign the transportation sector and present an opportunity for the power industry to transform and reinvent itself in fundamental ways. But whether this

Along with producing power from 99 turbines, the 309-MW Hornsdale Wind Farm in South Australia has helped trial new technologies that could ramp up power system security and reliability. At first glance, the