Physical Security & Monitoring
Digital Twins for Substations: Bridging the Physical and Digital Worlds
Reducing Nuisance Alarm Rates from On-Site Security Systems
Physical Security & Monitoring

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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Related Articles

Reducing Nuisance Alarm Rates from On-Site Security Systems
The physical security of electrical generation, transmission, and distribution sites is critical. The potential risks of a security failure are clear: disruption to service, damage to equipment, and intruder fatalities.To prevent costly incidents and meet the National Electrical Reliability...

Animal Outage Prevention
According to the American Public Power Association, squirrels are among the top causes of power outages across the United States. Depending on your geographic region, there may be no “quiet” season - squirrels and other “Critters” can be active all year long.Since...

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...

Animal Mitigation for Electric Utilities
Prevent animal- and bird-caused outages to improve reliability BY MARTY NILES, Cantega Technologies Utilities in North America are under enormous pressure from regulators, customers, and investors to improve reliability performance. Many of the mergers and acquisitions of utilities around North...

FERC Complaint Targets Duke, PJM Transmission Planning
A coalition of large energy consumers and ratepayer advocates has filed a complaint with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), urging the agency to prohibit transmission owners from independently planning "local" transmission projects exceeding 100 kilovolts (kV). The coalition argues...

FERC Rejects PJM Transmission Planning Change
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has rejected a proposal from PJM Interconnection, one of the United States' largest regional transmission organizations, to alter its transmission planning protocol. The decision represents a significant victory for state regulators who had expressed...

FERC Conference Highlights Challenges in Resource Adequacy
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) recently hosted the Co-Located Load Conference, a significant event that focused on resource adequacy, energy reliability, and the challenges of ensuring sufficient electricity supply amidst changing grid dynamics. As the energy landscape continues to...

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...

Digital Twins for Substations: Bridging the Physical and Digital Worlds
In the rapidly evolving landscape of power grid management, digital twin technology is emerging as a game-changer for substations. By creating virtual replicas of physical assets, digital twins bridge the gap between the physical and digital worlds, enabling enhanced operational efficiency and...

Three Serious Questions to Ask Now About Condition Monitoring
While condition monitoring is becoming an integral part of daily power grid operations, there’s a huge difference between simply checking on assets and truly proactive intervention. When a ‘check engine’ light goes on in a car, taking the directive literally and opening the...