Birds wreak havoc at hundreds of substations every year, undermining system reliability and costing millions. Bird incursions can have disastrous results: equipment damage, outages and expensive cleanups due to corrosive droppings.
Even worse: the traditional deterrents provide only temporary, spotty relief.
Now, there’s an innovative solution to the problem: lasers. TransGard, the company focused solely on substation protection, recently introduced Laser Bird Defense to the utility industry. This exciting alternative uses silent, cost-effective lasers to...
There are over 70,000 electrical substations in the United States. A simultaneous attack on several of them could destabilize the grid and cause widespread blackouts. But even a non-targeted event like vandalism or copper theft can also cause substantial damages, easily reaching into the tens of...
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...
Birds have been a problem for electrical substations since the first power distribution systems were built. The elevated components of substations create ideal perches and overhangs for birds to nest and find safety. Critical electrical substation design principles now include deterrent elements...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
