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Smart Metering T&D


Texas PUC Shelves $1B Grid Credit Mechanism

The Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) has unanimously decided to shelve the proposed $1 billion Performance Credit Mechanism (PCM) for power generators, concluding that it would not deliver the anticipated grid reliability benefits. The PCM was conceived as a means to incentivize power...

Utility Automation & Monitoring T&D


Protecting SCADA Systems with Defense-in-Depth Strategies

How utilities can utilize multi-layered security approaches BY RICHARD CLARK, InduSoft Defense-in-depth is a security strategy first developed by military leaders in which multiple layers of safeguards are placed throughout a system. The concept behind the strategy is that it is more difficult to...

Energy Storage & Grid Integration


Distribution Automation


Critical Infrastructure Communications

Using technology to improve response and recovery BY TOM BERGER, Mutualink The electric utility industry has an outstanding performance record of providing reliable power to public agencies, private enterprises, and the general public for over 100 years. However, when outages occur due to...

Substation Automation T&D


Utilizing Fault Resistance to Test Distance Relays

Taking power grid protection to an all-new level BY JASON BUNEO & RENE AGUILAR, Megger The testing of distance relays has evolved from testing simple electromechanical relays to the newest modern microprossesor relays. Most modern relays employ advanced algorithms that not only compare the...

Asset Management & Maintenance


Evolution of Outage Management Systems

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...

T&D Automation

Control Center Security

How utilities can protect bulk electric system control centers

BY ANDREW GINTER, Waterfall Security

While industry experts debate the likelihood of an attack against the power grid, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has already issued an alert that such threats are real and are on the rise. In fact, anything that is accessible directly or indirectly via the Internet is open to hacking, and the power grid is no exception.

Unfortunately, the...

T&D Automation Articles