T&D
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Commentary
Energizing the Grid: Insights into the DOE’s GRIP Program
To secure federal funding, developers must navigate various financing and investment options related to grid resiliency and modernization, transmission deployment, and critical electric generation facilities. Responding to funding demands, however, can pose significant challenges. Balancing early-stage project commitments with application requirements blurs the line between speculating about long-term project details, being non-responsive, and making costly […]
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T&D
FRP Delivers Resiliency for Power Plants
The chemicals and water present in power generation plants can have a corrosive effect on metal. Integrating fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) into power plants can help reduce downtime due to maintenance. Power generation plants almost have “too much of a good thing.” The demand for power in the U.S. alone has skyrocketed in the last few […]
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Interview
How Trump or Harris Would Alter the U.S.’s Energy and Power Landscape
A new U.S. president will be inaugurated in less than five months. Polls show the race between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris to be very close, with potentially only a few swing states deciding the election. While energy policy may not be a deciding factor for many Americans in choosing who they will vote for, […]
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T&D
Composite Pole Manufacturer Grows Through Acquisition, Boosting Grid Hardening Capabilities for Utilities
Creative Composites Group (CCG), a leading manufacturer of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites, announced that the group has acquired the assets of Schaumburg, Illinois-based Trident Industries (Trident), a manufacturer of ultra-resilient single- and multi-layer composite poles (Figure 1). This marks CCG’s third acquisition in less than two years. Power demand and storm frequencies are increasing, severely […]
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T&D
$2.2B for 13 GW of New Transmission Capacity: DOE Unveils Latest Boost for U.S. Grid Modernization
The Biden administration will invest $2.2 billion in eight projects under its Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnership (GRIP) program to bolster the nation’s power grid with nearly 13 GW of new transmission capacity across 18 states. The funding, announced on Aug. 6, marks the second round under the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) GRIP program, a […]
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T&D
NYISO Announces Interconnection Enhancements and Improvements
The New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) has launched a new interconnection process with significant improvements and enhancements, crucial for integrating a high volume of new generation facilities onto the grid. NYISO’s “Cluster Study” process and other improvements were developed in collaboration with stakeholders through the NYISO’s governance process in recent years. Collectively, these enhancements […]
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Connected Plant
Vietnamese Distribution Grid Automation System a Winning Project
Vietnam Electricity Group’s Ho Chi Minh City Power Corp. (EVNHCMC) deployed a distribution automation system that facilitates automatic—and very quick—fault detection and handling with a success rate of
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T&D
Viking Link: The Epic Build of the World’s Longest Onshore and Subsea HVDC Interconnector
A marvel of modern engineering, Viking Link—the world’s longest onshore and subsea interconnector—began commercial operations in December 2023. The project garners POWER’s inaugural Transmission and
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T&D
Achieving Operational Flexibility with Voltage Control
Using voltage data down to the consumer level is essential for grid optimisation and operational flexibility in the new era of intermittent generation and fast-changing user demand. Power grids were designed
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Commentary
Connecting Infrastructure’s Dots to Solve Today’s Urban Management Issues
Connected infrastructure offers a holistic approach to creating a smarter, greener, and more livable world. More people are moving to urban areas than ever before, even as the impacts of climate change are
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Commentary
Let’s Get the Lights Back On, Then Act on Beryl’s Lessons to Harden Houston’s Power Grid
After Hurricane Beryl laid a path of destruction through the greater Houston area, the storm’s impact on the local power grid is having an outsized effect on the ongoing debate about the future of Texas’ energy and electrical infrastructure. The lessons we take from this incident, which left 2.5 million people without power at the height […]
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Energy Security
Risks Associated with Geomagnetic Storms
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 […]
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T&D
AI and Storm Resilience: How Utilities Can Optimize Storm Solutions and Mitigate Risks
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 […]
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Trends
Industry Giants, German TSOs Team to Revolutionize HVDC Grid With Multi-Terminal Hubs
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 […]
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Connected Plant
Logical Data Management for the Energy and Utility Industries
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 […]
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Renewables
GOP-Held Congressional Districts Cash in on Clean Energy Projects
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 […]
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Hydrogen
POWER Digest [July 2024]
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
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Legal & Regulatory
FERC Adopts Transmission Reform; Commissioner Cries Foul
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
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O&M
Next-Gen Geospatial, AI, and Other Tech Is Critical for Utilities to Mitigate Wildfires
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. […]
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O&M
Rugged Mobile Devices Enhance OPPD Operations
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 […]
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T&D
Strengthening America’s Electric Power Grid: How the Government and Industry Are Improving T&D Systems
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 […]
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Interview
The POWER Interview: Solving the Challenges Facing the Grid
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 […]
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News
GE Vernova Building Synchronous Condenser Sites to Support New York Grid
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 […]
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Energy Security
Mitigating EMP and GMD Risks for Power Grid Resilience
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 […]
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T&D
Building a Better Grid—Infrastructure Upgrades Require Ingenuity, Innovation, and Investment
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 […]
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T&D
The Transformer Crisis: An Industry on the Brink
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 […]
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Distributed Energy
Microgrids Take Major Role for Reliability, Resiliency
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 […]
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T&D
High-Voltage Power Transmission Projects Are Booming Around the World
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 […]
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T&D
Planning for a Reliable and Resilient Electric Power Grid
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 […]
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T&D
What Does It Take to Bring Stability to a Renewable-Focused Grid?
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 […]