Utilities worldwide have been on a roller-coaster ride, and an often painful one, over the past decade. Despite the sharp growth in global demand for electricity, many utilities have lost value or posted below-average returns. A McKinsey analysis of 50 major publicly listed utilities from Asia, Europe, and North America showed average total cumulative returns to shareholders of about 1 percent from July 2007 to July 2017, compared with 55 percent for the MSCI World...
Fitting wireless networks into substation automation applications BY ADAM GUGLIELMO, ABB Tropos Wireless Communication Systems As with all Smart Grid applications, two-way communication is foundational to substation automation. To enable monitoring and control, substation computers, as well as...
Currently, the power industry is experiencing profound changes that pose a number of uncertainties for electric utilities. Now, utility executives must consider new business models, become acquainted with new industry participants, and understand the new roles emerging for technology, customers,...
Asset and risk management for electric utilities BY SIRI VARADAN, UISOL, & SERGE VANASSE, Clevest Aging transmission and distribution (T&D) infrastructure is a critical issue for electric utilities, resulting in the need for utilities to make decisions regarding the replacement, repair,...
In the evolving landscape of power grid management, the integration of advanced sensor technologies in intelligent transformers and substations is revolutionizing monitoring and control. These sensors provide real-time data collection and analysis, significantly improving asset management and fault...
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's (FERC) failure to act on ISO New England's (ISO-NE) proposed interconnection reforms is raising alarms, as it could prevent up to 3 gigawatts (GW) of new resources from participating in the region's upcoming capacity auction. The delay, if unresolved,...
Puerto Rico's electric utility, LUMA Energy, recently revealed plans to integrate nearly 1 GW of renewable energy and over 700 MW of energy storage into the island’s power grid. This initiative is part of a broader effort to move away from fossil fuels and to enhance the resilience and...
New York State's transition to a clean, zero-emissions energy grid could include up to 8.5 gigawatts (GW) of grid flexibility by 2040, according to a new report from the Brattle Group. This projection, while contingent on achieving ambitious decarbonization goals, illustrates how the state could...
In a strategic move to tackle the growing electricity demand and bolster energy security, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), under Secretary Chris Wright, has announced plans to focus on expanding baseload and dispatchable power generation. This shift in priorities, outlined on January 5, 2025,...
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...
Novonix, an Australian battery materials and technology company, has secured a conditional commitment for a $754.8 million loan from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to construct a synthetic graphite manufacturing facility in Chattanooga, Tennessee. This facility is poised to become the first...
