White Papers

Jeff Foley Managing Partner and Co-Founder, Propeller With technological, regulatory and market shifts driving continued change across the global generation industry, a strong sense of purpose has never been more important. GE has one, with a values-based program targeted at increased employee compliance. Outside the industry, Zappos is another example: The online retailer is well […]

Glenn Reitman, Mark Radcliffe, Deanna Reitman DLA Piper Introduction Blockchain technology (sometimes referred to as distributed ledger technology) is the technology behind cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin and Ether (the cryptocurrency of the Ethereum blockchain), and it is fast becoming a platform for innovation in peer-to-peer transactions.  In this article, we attempt to consider blockchain technology in […]

Scott Cramer CEO, Go Solar Group As a solar company CEO, I’ve learned many unexpected lessons about a form of energy seemingly different yet related to solar energy – energy in the workplace. I know how to manage people’s electricity usage within the walls of their homes, helping them reduce power bills and establish energy […]

By Ken W. Irvin and David E. Kronenberg Sidley Austin, LLP In one of the first decisions of its kind, the Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware held in In re La Paloma Generating Company, LLC that a power plant can be sold under Section 363 of the bankruptcy code free and clear of […]

Savvy utility company CIOs frequently ask themselves if their technology is helping them meet their goals or simply adding to the challenges of an already complex industry. If you’re one of those CIOs, you’re probably working hard to find new and better ways to meet those challenges using technology to connect and improve every aspect […]

Utility executives worldwide face a precarious balancing act: how to plan, build, and operate assets within an increasingly challenging business environment. A global financial crisis translates to a small pool of capital available for projects, thus driving up the cost of capital while regulatory uncertainty increases risk. Raw material costs fluctuate often, but are generally […]

Process manufacturing companies in the oil and gas, utilities, chemicals and natural resource industries rely on proprietary infrastructure to run their operations. Much of this infrastructure is rapidly aging, thus increasing the risk of failure. Subsequent disruptions hamstring operations and impede opportunities for growth, with the impact of these interruptions felt worldwide. As a result, […]

Mitigation is defined as, “to make milder, less severe or less violent”. When applied to electrical workplace safety, arc flash mitigation involves taking steps to minimize the level of hazard and/or the risk associated with an arc-flash event. The most effective arc flash safety programs look to incorporate “safety by design” through Engineering Controls. Administrative […]

Understanding Differences in Elemental Analysis Methods Elemental analysis is one of the most important tests on an oil analysis report. It determines concentrations of wear metals, contaminants, and oil additives in a sample. When reviewing metals on an oil analysis report, it is important to determine what procedure was performed to obtain the results as […]

It seems that just about everyone is looking for more power. As our dependency on electricity continues to grow, so does the need to design larger back-up generation systems. The transition from low voltage to medium voltage on-site generation is influenced by a mix of economic and system design considerations including: cabling distance, bus capacity, […]

How to choose the right accelerometer for power gen applications Reliability Centered Maintenance managers at power generation plants use sensors & condition monitoring to keep their critical rotating machinery, such as pumps, motors, and cooling fans, running. Not only is it critical to monitor industrial machines, but it’s just as critical to choose the right […]

Traditionally, the choice between diesel-fueled and gaseous-fueled generators has been relatively straightforward. Power density as well as capital cost advantages in large-kilowatt applications typically favored diesel for standby power of 150 kilowatts of electricity (kWE) or more—large commercial and industrial standby applications. However, technological innovations are making gaseous-fueled generators both more powerful and more cost […]

This eBook shows how project portfolio management solutions can help utility company optimize and operate projects for success, by providing real-world answers to your toughest challenges.

Asset-intensive companies like those in the utilities, oil, gas, chemical, steel and mining industries, need to invest heavily in order to maintain operations and continue to grow their business, yet they are faced with an uncertain economic situation. Because of this challenge, it is essential that companies are able to fully optimize investment decisions and […]

In today’s business environment, a continuous, reliable source of electricity is critical to a company’s successful operations. Businesses can mitigate the economic risk of power outages by implementing a strong backup power plan. For decades, diesel has been the traditional fuel source for backup power and standby gensets. However, today, diesel is not the only […]

In this IDC Energy Insights white paper, the author provides recommendations the management of the asset life cycle, from planning all the way through to decommissioning. Systems and tools that support a project framework that can leverage information from a multitude of sources to drive decision making are also discussed.

Nat Gas and Power sectors are on a path of convergence in terms of reliable electricity supply across the American mainland. Reliable electricity supply is the key driver in the power sector with marginal cost power markets, where firm vs non-firm gas supply with bilateral contracts is the means for monetization and supply in the […]

Given that electricity prices present a long-term upward trend, the imperative for greater energy efficiency is becoming more urgent. While regulation and legislation do have some effect in forcing change in the business community, a compelling business case — with clear methodology, reliable return on investment and financial efficiency — is much more powerful. Finance […]

When it comes to large rotating equipment, medium-voltage variable frequency drives (VFDs) offer a significant opportunity to save on operating and maintenance costs. Siemens SINAMICS Perfect Harmony VFDs are a particularly cost-effective solution because they can be applied to both new and retrofit installations. By matching the motor speed to the load, VFDs conserve electrical […]

Investments in asset management software can provide benefits that far exceed the costs and technical challenges. A key to success is to manage assets on a lifecycle basis, tracking all relevant data from concept and commissioning through end of life and disposal. An asset lifecycle information management (ALIM) strategy can optimize visibility into current operations […]

Medium voltage variable frequency drives (MV VFD) are high consideration, high cost assets engineers are incorporating more and more into manufacturing process. There are plenty of benefits these drives afford, such as energy efficiency and process control. However, being able to quantify these benefits between manufacturers of MV VFDs challenges engineers to identify which solution […]

Utility executives worldwide face a precarious balancing act: how to plan, build, and operate assets within an increasingly challenging business environment. Utilities face massive upgrades to aging infrastructure, so an increase in the number of capital projects in the near future is certain. The loss of institutional knowledge resulting from widespread workforce retirements within the […]

Productivity is the key to survival in today’s globally competitive environment. When you think about the basic inputs to production – time, labor, and materials – you can see there isn’t much room for optimization. You have 24 hours per day, labor is costly, and you don’t have much choice in materials. Thus, every company […]

This report from the Aberdeen Group explores the challenges that those in asset intensive industries face when it comes to managing their asset’s lifecycles. Leaders in this industry turn to three areas to transform their business – Risk and Financial Management, Operational Excellence, and Innovation.

Asset intensive organizations, like those in the Utilities sector, have their own industry specific challenges when it comes to managing their asset’s lifecycles, but one area that is often overlooked or pushed off until the last minute is the decommissioning phase of their assets. Leaders in the industry turn to three areas to transform their […]

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With budgets in the billions, timelines spanning years, and life cycles extending over decades, water and power projects present enormous management challenges for the organizations sponsoring them. Oracle helps utilities rise to these challenges – and reap the corresponding rewards – by providing an enterprise project portfolio management (EPPM) solution that gives them visibility into […]

Process manufacturing companies in the oil and gas, utilities, chemicals and natural resource industries rely on proprietary infrastructure to run their operations. Much of this infrastructure is rapidly aging, thus increasing the risk of failure. Subsequent disruptions hamstring operations and impede opportunities for growth, with the impact of these interruptions felt worldwide. As a result, […]

Mega-projects have become commonplace in the oil and gas industry. Offshore oil and gas development increasingly tilts toward the mega-project scale because of the burgeoning exploratory success the industry is enjoying in ultra-deep waters, where development projects costs routinely run into the billions and schedules can span half a decade or more.