T&D
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News
After 18 Months of Dramatic Turns, Hydro One-Avista Merger Deal Officially Dead
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 […]
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Press Releases
Improving on the Original Westinghouse Iso-Phase Bus Design
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 […]
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Electric Vehicles
EVs Will Overload the Grid: 5 Ways the Industry Must Self-Correct
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 […]
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T&D
Adjusting Power Line Sag in Real-Time
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
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News
NV Energy Accelerates Retirement of One of Nevada’s Last Coal Units
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 […]
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News
Hitachi Acquires ABB Power Grids Business in $11 Billion Deal
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 […]
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News
ABB Nears Sale of Power Grids Division to Hitachi in $11 Billion Deal
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 […]
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Press Releases
PG&E Proposes Critical Investments to Enhance Wildfire Safety and Help Reduce Wildfire Risk
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 […]
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Connected Plant
Battery energy storage system uses artificial intelligence to lower energy bills and provide utility grid services
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. […]
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Press Releases
Siemens connects electricity grids of UK and Belgium with HVDC link
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. […]
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Press Releases
CleanSpark Announces Foundational Software Patent for Fractalgrid
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 […]
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Press Releases
ABB to deliver predictive maintenance solution as part of U.S. grid upgrade
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 […]
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Press Releases
ABB enables world’s first HVDC grid in China
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 […]
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O&M
What Is Meant by Power Factor?
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
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O&M
How Does the Western Energy Imbalance Market Work?
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
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Renewables
It’s Time for a Macro-Grid Overlay in the U.S.
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
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Commentary
Power Industry Should Wholeheartedly Support Electric Vehicles
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
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T&D
A Wind Experiment: The Hornsdale Wind Farm
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
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Renewables
Cerro Pabellón: Taking Geothermal Power to New Heights
South America’s first and only geothermal power plant, the 48-MW Cerro Pabellón project, sits at an elevation of 4,500 meters above sea level in Chile’s harsh and remote Atacama Desert. Building and
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Press Releases
Siemens has commissioned HVDC back-to-back link between India and Bangladesh
Two back-to-back links with a transmission capacity of 500 MW each ensure a reliable electricity supply of Bangladesh’s population and growing economy HVDC Classic technology helps stabilize the connected systems in the event of grid disturbances The high capacity power link helps to avoid transmission bottlenecks In June 2018, Siemens has fully commissioned the second […]
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IIOT Power
Short-Term Financing for Microgrid Communication Systems Will Payoff Long-Term
Energy companies are currently taking a hard look at distributed energy and microgrid technologies. That’s a good thing. Microgrids also need advanced communications networks to operate at optimum efficiency. That’s a fact. Microgrids offer incredible potential benefits, including the ability to disconnect from the traditional power grid and deliver electricity during blackouts, natural disasters and […]
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Press Releases
GE Power Launches New Innovations at CIGRE 2018 Including Revolutionary HVDC Control System
Product launches emphasize commitment to deliver innovative, software-enabled solutions to help customers navigate the shifting energy landscape Exciting product innovations to help customers meet evolving challenges include eLuminaTM HVDC Control System, 72.5kV compact Gas Insulated Switchgear (GIS), new “Digital Twin” for Power Transformers, Intelligent Digital Substations, Asset Lifecycle Management Services and advanced Energy Management System (EMS) […]
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T&D
Benefits of High-Voltage Direct Current Transmission Systems
High-voltage direct current (HVDC) technology offers several advantages compared to alternating current transmission systems. For example, it allows more efficient bulk power transfer over long distances
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O&M
Clinging to Power: Why Extending Transformer Life Is Key
Through much of the developed world, we have come to rely on a steady flow of electricity just as we have a steady flow of air. Power outages are still disruptive, but they are few in number, and we have
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Coal
A Captive Power Plant’s Quest for Reliability
An aluminum smelter in Odisha, India, built a 900-MW coal-fired captive power plant for its own power consumption. Though the plant features new generation turbogenerator sets, it was completed on time and on
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Press Releases
ABB Will Upgrade Historic New Zealand HVDC Link
ABB has received an order from Transpower New Zealand Ltd to upgrade its high-voltage direct current (HVDC) link which interconnects the transmission grids of the North and South islands. The link is a vital element of the country’s transmission system and is used as an energy-balancing system, between the two islands. ABB Ability™ MACH control system, […]
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O&M
Using Drones to Increase Net Safety in the Utility Sector
Across the country, energy and utility companies are adopting and using drone technology to increase their business operations and improve overall safety of their workforces. Many companies are also discussing the risks and rewards of implementing new safety technology on job sites. With workplace fatalities in the transportation, warehousing, and utilities sectors comprising 17.3% of […]
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Commentary
Has Germany Paved the Way for the World’s Energy Transition?
Germany is often touted as a leader in the global energy transition. Energiewende has been part of the country’s public discourse since the 1970s, stemming from an anti-nuclear movement prevalent at the
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IIOT Power
NYPA’s iSOC: The Path to a Digital Utility
The New York Power Authority’s Integrated Smart Operations Center (iSOC) is the first step in the public power utility’s goal to become the first end-to-end digital electricity system. And it’s a big
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Press Releases
Maxwell Technologies Launches Advanced Energy Storage Power Delivery Solutions for Utility Grids and Microgrids
First-of-their-kind ultracapacitor subsystems address the power gap caused by increasing renewable energy generation SAN DIEGO, June 27, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — Maxwell Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: MXWL), a leading developer and manufacturer of energy storage and power delivery solutions, today announced the launch of two new highly scalable products to deliver reliable, fast responding, long lifetime storage […]