Upgrading and deferring existing wires and substations may be the most common application of battery storage utilized for transmission and distribution. However, batteries also provide a range of solutions designed to maximize the lifetime of T&D infrastructure. Also referred to as T&D asset optimization, these energy storage systems (ESSs) are designed to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of existing T&D assets to provide electricity in a given service territory. Ensuring that these systems are reliable...
Need-to-know info for electric utilities BY LEN WHITTEN, SunGard Availability Services The electric power industry has often been a first-mover in adopting new technologies before other industries move forward with implementation. For example, electric utilities were among the first companies to...
Increasingly violent weather, probably caused by global warming, is increasingly taking down electricity distribution lines and poles and cyberattacks are increasingly taking out electricity, apparently just as trials for major terrorism of this sort. Little wonder that the price of grid...
Using enterprise tools to secure wireless field area communication networks BY BERT WILLIAMS, ABB Tropos Wireless Communication Systems Utility grid modernization applications such as automated metering infrastructure (AMI), distribution automation (DA), substation automation (SA), and mobile...
The traditional utility business model of selling electricity from large-scale thermal power plants and expanding grids to meet rising demand historically has supported strong balance sheets. With this financial strength, utility retained earnings served as the primary financing source for the...
Alliant Energy has officially brought Iowa’s largest solar facility online, marking a significant milestone in the state's renewable energy landscape. The 200-megawatt (MW) Pleasant Creek Solar project, located in Linn County, is now operational and supplying clean electricity to Alliant...
Texas is at a pivotal crossroads in its energy policy, with legislative actions that could significantly reshape the state's electricity landscape. A recent report by Aurora Energy Research, commissioned by the Texas Association of Business, warns that proposed restrictions on renewable energy...
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...
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has launched a review of the rules surrounding the colocation of large energy consumers, such as data centers, with power plants within the PJM Interconnection region. This review follows concerns raised by stakeholders, including major energy...
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...
