T&D

In May 2024, stargazers and smartphone photographers witnessed a spectacular moment in time over the course of two nights. Social media and news outlets were dazzled by incandescent light plays from around the world—magenta skies gleamed over the city of Vienna, rainbow hues illuminated a lighthouse in England, emerald displays lit up the lakes of […]

As climate change accelerates, rising humidity is causing an increase in the number and severity of storms occurring in the northern hemisphere. An academic study found that the frequency of unstable atmospheric conditions increased by 8% to 32% over most land areas from 1979 to 2020. “Storm intensity is increasing much faster than the average […]

Three major high-voltage direct current (HVDC) technology giants—GE Vernova, Siemens Energy, and Hitachi Energy—will join forces with four German transmission system operators—50Hertz, Amprion, TenneT and TransnetBW—to develop multiterminal hubs with direct current circuit breakers. The initiative is the latest development in ongoing European collaboration to enhance the interoperability of HVDC systems, facilitate the integration of […]

By now, with the most devastating effects of the pandemic behind us, it’s important to remember the key takeaway—there’s no such thing as “business as usual.” As a result, companies have learned that to be able to thrive are those that quickly adapt to sudden, unforeseen changes is essential. This is especially true for energy and […]

More than $106.5 billion in large-scale clean energy project investments have been announced in Republican-held congressional districts in the U.S. during the period from August 2022 through June 2024. The figure was released by E2, a national, nonpartisan group of business leaders, investors, and professionals from every sector of the economy who advocate for “smart […]

A new report from Guidehouse Insights, the Colorado-based dedicated market intelligence arm of Guidehouse, estimates global revenue for hydrogen-capable gas turbines (HGTs) will grow to more than $7 billion by 2033. The group said HGTs will help to buffer intermittent electricity output from renewable resources, and provide stability for the power grid. The report released […]

Economics Could Bring Early Closure for Slovenia Coal-Fired Plant. Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob in May said the Termoelektrana Šoštanj (TEŠ) facility, the country’s only remaining coal-fired

There has been a growing consensus in recent years that the transmission planning process must be reformed to ensure reliability in the face of a rapidly changing grid. Despite the need for new transmission to

The danger of wildfires has risen dramatically over the past two decades as more extreme temperatures and more volatile weather patterns have increased the frequency and intensity of fires. The most prominent examples of this have been in the western U.S. and Canada, but wildfire risks are rising in every geographic area of North America. […]

Many power companies have turned to digital technology to streamline operations and improve worker efficiency. One example is Omaha Public Power District (OPPD), the 12th-largest public power utility in the U.S. OPPD recently decided to deploy hundreds of semi-rugged TOUGHBOOK 55 devices across multiple units, including meter technicians, troubleshooters, line crews, and system protection and […]

The U.S. transmission and distribution (T&D) network is reliable and well-maintained, but as renewable energy continues being added to the grid, and demand increases due to growing data center needs and the electrification of transportation and manufacturing processes, work is necessary to keep up with the changing times. The U.S. government understands the need for […]

The power generation industry continues to grapple with a multitude of challenges when it comes to producing more electricity, and to ensure that power is delivered where and when it is needed. There is pressure to integrate more renewable energy resources to help meet net-zero targets and other decarbonization goals. Electrification efforts, notably from the […]

GE Vernova said it has been awarded a contract by National Grid’s upstate New York business to supply and construct two separate 115 kV synchronous condenser sites at the company’s Coffeen and Taylorville substations. GE Vernova on June 26 said it will install three synchronous condenser machines, including Prolec GE generator step-up (GSU) transformers, at […]

Risks posed by geomagnetic disturbance (GMD) and electromagnetic pulse (EMP) events add challenges to an already complex power system environment. But they remain crucial to address. How prepared is the power grid to withstand these powerful natural and man-made disturbances? On the evening of May 10, grid operator PJM Interconnection activated a rare geomagnetic disturbance […]

The need for more reliability and resilience of power delivery, both in the U.S. and worldwide, has utilities and grid operators looking for solutions to the challenge of bolstering the electricity supply. Electric grid infrastructure, both in the U.S. and other parts of the world, needs an upgrade. Increased power demand from energy-intensive industries such […]

Facing unprecedented lead times and skyrocketing costs, the transformer supply chain crisis threatens the backbone of the electric power industry, driving urgent calls for increased manufacturing capacity and innovative solutions. Can the industry rise to the challenge? For several years now, the power sector has frantically raised the alarm about an impending transformer supply chain […]

An array of technologies, both thermal and renewable, are being used in the design of microgrids, supporting distributed power generation across several sectors. The use of microgrids to provide reliable power for critical infrastructure is growing, and these off-grid installations also are becoming more prevalent as part of commercial and industrial (C&I) enterprises and residential […]

High-voltage power transmission systems are more important today than ever before because power generated at renewable energy sites in remote locations must often be transmitted to distant load centers. Several state-of-the-art projects being done around the world are reviewed below. The majority of major electric power transmission lines in the U.S. are 115-kV, 230-kV, or […]

In the U.S., regional transmission organizations (RTOs) and independent system operators (ISOs) are responsible for overseeing the reliable operation of the high-voltage transmission system within their respective regions. In other countries, transmission system operators (TSOs) perform similar roles. In most cases, the primary objectives of these entities are to ensure the reliable and efficient operation […]

As coal, gas, and nuclear plants are retired, and wind and solar resources are added to the power grid, stability can become a problem. Understanding the solutions that are available to help manage potential issues is important for decision-makers so they can select the best options for their system. Grid stability and system strength have […]

Dynamic line rating (DLR) enables utilities to unlock up to 40% additional capacity from existing infrastructure, allowing grid operators to rapidly increase energy throughput. This capability is crucial in today’s energy landscape, where the proportion of renewable energy sources is quickly expanding, and the existing aging infrastructure cannot support this growing demand. Operating power lines […]

The future of energy may depend on technology with roots in the video game industry, by a company founded more than 30 years ago that wanted to use accelerated computing to improve the look and feel of the gaming experience. Jensen Huang, NVIDIA’s CEO and president since co-founding the Santa Clara, California-based company in 1993, […]

The utility industry is an unsung hero for nearly every community—until the power falters. A prime example is the extreme weather that passed through much of the central U.S. this spring. In Houston, where my company is based, we recently experienced severe storms that left around a million businesses and homes without power. These acts […]

SAIDI (System Average Interruption Duration Index) and SAIFI (System Average Interruption Frequency Index) are widely used reliability indices that measure the performance of power distribution systems. SAIDI represents the total duration of interruptions for an average customer over a given time period, typically a year. It is calculated by taking the sum of all customer […]

Global energy company GE Vernova and Seatrium Limited, a Singaporean state-owned group, said their consortium has been awarded a third contract by Dutch transmission system operator TenneT for construction of a 2-GW high-voltage direct current (HVDC) electric offshore transmission system in the Netherlands. The groups on June 10 said construction is set to begin this […]

In a significant push toward modernizing America’s aging grid infrastructure, the Biden administration, in partnership with 21 states, has launched the Federal-State Modern Grid Deployment Initiative. The measure marks the latest triumph for transmission and distribution (T&D), which has seen “lumpy” progress in recent decades. The initiative unveiled on May 28 essentially seeks to establish […]

CORE Electric Cooperative to Deploy Technosylva’s Wildfire Risk Mitigation Solutions LA JOLLA, CA, and SEDALIA, CO, May 30, 2024 – Technosylva, the leading provider of wildfire mitigation technology solutions, and CORE Electric Cooperative (CORE), the largest electric distribution cooperative in Colorado, today announced a new partnership and collaboration to reduce the impacts of wildfire to […]

Wildfires have had a devastating impact on California and on the state’s largest utility company, Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E). PG&E’s equipment has been linked to several major wildfires in the past including the 2018 Camp Fire (the deadliest wildfire in California history, killing 85 people, according to CAL FIRE, the state agency responsible for, […]

Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) and its remote grid program received an honorable mention in the Energy category of Fast Company’s 2024 World Changing Ideas Awards. Winners were announced on May 14, highlighting fresh sustainability initiatives, cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) developments, and other creative projects that are helping mold the world. PG&E is one […]

It’s no secret that the U.S. electric power system has undergone a remarkable transition that continues today. Coal-fired generation, which was the leading source of power generation during the 20th century, often providing more than half of the country’s electricity supply, fell to about 16.2% of the mix in 2023. Meanwhile, the U.S. solar market […]