Every day across the country, animals enter substations for warmth, food, security, or simply out of curiosity. In many areas, wildlife intruding into power equipment has become the #1 cause of outages, according to a report from the American Public Power Association (APPA) – even more common than storms or vegetation.
A single substation outage can cost tens of thousands of dollars in equipment repair or replacement, man hours and more. The annual cost to utility...
Siemens proposes 10 mini-grids that will cover most of Puerto Rico and will be designed to enhance resiliency to withstand or recover quickly from future natural disasters.Design enhances reliance on renewables and exceeds the established renewables penetration goal by 15 percent.Today, Siemens...
Study shows growth from now to 2020 Aging infrastructure and increased demand for power has amplified the demand for transmission towers. In their latest report ,“The Global Market for Electricity Towers and Poles 2014 to 2020”, StatPlan Energy, specialists in the electricity sector,...
Background:For over 100 years Transmission Engineers have relied on aluminum conductors strengthened by steel core wires, commonly referred to as ACSR conductors. These conductors offered reasonable performance and durability and were capable of operating at temperatures up to 93° C. Above this...
One of the important trends in design of new overhead lines over the past 20 years has been development of structures and designs that are less obtrusive and more pleasing visually. Much the same process has also been going on at substations. For example, even 25 years ago, efforts had already been...
A Smart substation digitizes protection and control, enabling utilities to detect faults faster, manage DER volatility, and reduce outage risk. The payoff depends on architecture, cybersecurity, and edge analytics, not just new relays. The shift toward smart substations is inseparable from broader...
Duke Energy Florida has announced plans to build four new utility-scale solar energy facilities across the state, aimed at adding 300 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy to the grid. This expansion is part of the company’s broader strategy to increase its solar generation capacity and...
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...
The rapid shift toward renewable energy resources (RERs) has placed significant demands on traditional power systems. To address these challenges, modern energy infrastructure is evolving into smart grids, leveraging advanced technologies like Virtual Power Plants (VPPs) to enhance grid...
Louisiana, known for its robust oil and gas industry, is experiencing a significant shift as some of its largest industries express frustration over delays in the state’s renewable energy transition. These major players are pushing for accelerated development and implementation of renewable...
