How mobile solutions improve restoration efforts
BY JIM MENTON, ClickSoftware
Electric utilities are modernizing the power grid to meet the demands of an increasingly digital society. In the same way, mobile solutions are helping service personnel (line crews, contractors, and supervisors) respond to catastrophic storm events in ways that were unforeseen a few short years ago. These mobile solutions can provide technicians with a range of logistical and emergency response capabilities.
Common mobile capabilities can...
Moving mobile technology to the job site BY SCOTT BALL, Motion Computing The world looks very different from the top of a utility pole, or from a manhole on an underground power junction. As electric utilities expand the deployment of technology to their field workers, it is becoming more...
Valuable state-of-the-art tools for electric utilities BY JOE CAYWOOD, Terex Utilities With all the challenging demands of a utility marketplace, increased understanding of ownership and operating cost, as well as utilization, fleet managers must work through several different scenarios when making...
In June 2012, the Ontario Legislature unanimously passed Bill 8, the Ontario Underground Infrastructure Notification System Act, which, among other things, requires owners of buried infrastructure in the public right of way – including municipalities, universities, hospitals and private...
Taking the next step in field communications BY JIM MENTON, ClickSoftware Electricity remains the same as it always has, but the entire context around providing a safe and reliable supply has changed, and continues to evolve. New challenges have emerged for electric utility executives spanning...
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...
Remote field operations present the safety organization with a myriad of challenges when it comes to ensuring the safety of the people that you send out to work in the field every day. Without a doubt, this includes the line workers, but it also includes nearly every member of the staff whose...
For many utilities, scheduling each day’s construction and restoration work means manually organizing and keeping tabs on ever-changing crew schedules and resources. Managers meticulously update whiteboards dotted with color-coded magnets representing crews and trucks. Augmenting the...
In June 2012, the Ontario Legislature unanimously passed Bill 8, the Ontario Underground Infrastructure Notification System Act, which, among other things, requires owners of buried infrastructure in the public right of way – including municipalities, universities, hospitals and private...
Utility workers are often subjected to challenging working conditions for hours at a time, yet are responsible for many mission-critical tasks. These workers must communicate with the entire organization while also representing the customer-facing side of their company. Equipping workers with...
Utility workers and linemen work in one of the most mobile industries in the country. Think about it: utility workers are always moving from one project to the next as efficiently as possible. Since utility workers rely so heavily on their work vehicles, it is critical that they drive a vehicle...
