Evaluating pole selection for increased protection
BY BUTCH BERNHARDT, North American Wood Pole Council
The number of wildland fires reached record levels in many states in 2014, prompting questions about what poles perform more efficiently in fires: steel or wood. Research from a bulletin entitled, “The Performance of Distribution Utility Poles in Wildland Fire Hazard Areas”, published by the North American Wood Pole Council and authored by independent engineer Stephen T. Smith, P.E., contains some...
Nine capabilities required for an effective OMS system BY MICHEL GILLES, Intergraph Increasing or maintaining power reliability is the fundamental charter for utility companies. For electric utilities to meet customer expectations and adhere to government regulations, they require an efficient way...
Examining the evolution of outage management systems BY GERALD GRAY & JOHN SIMMINS, Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) Once again, a major storm event, in this case Hurricane Sandy, has brought increased attention to a utility’s capability to respond to and mitigate damage to its...
Improving power grid reliability is a major goal of the electric power industry and can reduce economic losses, lost productivity, and customer inconvenience from power disruptions. For several utilities, Smart Grid Investment Grant (SGIG) funding accelerated the application of fault location,...
Sargent & Lundy has provided comprehensive engineering, development, permitting, high-level consulting, construction management, and commissioning services for electric power generation and power delivery projects worldwide—approximately 2,000 clients in nearly 100 countries—since...
IntroductionIn November of 2018, the deadliest, most destructive wildfire in California history burned a total of 240 square miles, destroyed 18,804 structures and resulted in 85 civilian fatalities. Known as the Camp Fire, it devastated several communities including the towns of Paradise and...
Insulators under fire, what are we talking about? A line directly in the fire is considered as lost A line near the heat of a fire can be saved What is the condition of insulators on a line nearby a fire? Reliability of insulators during or after a fire is a key consideration for T&D...
Based in Brighton, CO, United Power Inc. is the 2nd largest electric cooperative in Colorado. With over 5,000 miles of power lines and nearly 83,000 meters, they serve over 200,000 customers along the north central range of the Colorado Rockies. A section of the United Power service area also heads...
Sargent & Lundy has provided comprehensive engineering, development, permitting, high-level consulting, construction management, and commissioning services for electric power generation and power delivery projects worldwide—approximately 2,000 clients in nearly 100 countries—since...
In a survey conducted in September 2016 by ARCOS LLC (a provider of emergency resource management software), the software provider asked utilities how they manage damage assessment in the wake of major events like storms and earthquakes. Thirty-five percent of utilities polled said they relied on...
The occurrence of severe weather events is on the rise at an alarming rate. According to the Insurance Bureau of Canada, extreme weather events that used to happen once every 40 years now occur as frequently as every six years in some regions; severe weather is expected to become even more frequent...
