Electrical Substations

Substation Automation

Substation Focused on Environmental Design

One of the important trends in design of new overhead lines over the past 20 years has been development of structures and designs that are less obtrusive and more pleasing visually. Much the same process has also been going on at substations. For example, even 25 years ago, efforts had already been...

Substation Protection

High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) Substations: Revolutionizing Long-Distance Power Transmission

High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) technology is revolutionizing long-distance power transmission, offering improved efficiency and reliability over traditional alternating current (AC) systems. This article explores the latest developments and applications of HVDC substations, providing a...

Breakers & Relays

FERC Approves Interconnection for Talen Energy, Amazon Data Center

In a significant move that underscores the growing demand for reliable and sustainable energy to power the expanding digital infrastructure, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has approved an interconnection agreement between Talen Energy, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and Exelon. This...

Physical Security & Monitoring

Preventing Losses Due to Wildlife Contacts in Electrical Substations

Intrusion of wildlife into electric substations is a problem experienced by electric utilities worldwide. In the United States, substation outages caused by wildlife contacts create a financial impact of approximately $20 to $30 billion annually based upon recent EPRI research. This impact is the...

Substation Testing & Maintenance

Advanced Automation in Substations: Enhancing Grid Reliability and Efficiency

The rapid evolution of technology has brought significant advancements in the field of electrical substations, transforming them into highly automated, efficient, and reliable components of the power grid. These advancements are crucial in managing the increasing complexities of modern power...

Substation Technologies

Protection of Electrical Power Transformers

INTRODUCTIONIn most large electrical systems, generators and power transformers are the two most expensive pieces of equipment. In addition to the capital cost of purchase, these two key devices are also the most critical to continuous and reliable operation of the system.Consider, for example, the...

Home Transformation Electrical Substations

Ensuring Compliance vs Building Resilience

The realization that the vast majority of substations have significant security vulnerabilities was crystalized after the Metcalf incident of April 2013, during which unknown assailants caused the failure of 17 transformers at the Silicon Valley PG&E transmission substation in Metcalf, California. Jon Wellinghoff, then Chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), later told the Wall Street Journal that it was “the most significant incident of domestic terrorism involving the grid that has ever occurred.”

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