Electricity Forum Intelligent Power Today Magazine Arc Flash Clothing

Distribution Automation


Optimizing Enterprise with Analytics

How utilities can become data-driven organizations As industry challenges continue to grow, the pressure on utilities to optimize their operations has never been stronger. From amplified pressure to manage customer relationships more effectively to the ever-present need to cut operational costs,...

A Grid With Multiple Applications

Examining the foundational elements in architecture decision BY TOM WILSON, Itron In recent years, the utility industry has seen a diverse set of use cases for Smart Grid deployments emerge. North American electric utilities are carefully considering architecture decisions to ensure that the...

Estimating Transmission Costs for New Generation Technologies

Often when project developers talk about the cost of a new power plant, wind farm, or solar installation, they’re referring to the capital cost of building a facility. Certainly those development costs have dropped over time—especially for wind and solar. But developers overlook the...

Distribution Automation

Trends in SCADA Security

The importance of up-to-date critical system monitoring

BY MARLEE ROSEN, Rosen Associates

Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) networks contain computers and applications that perform critical capabilities in delivering essential services and commodities (for example, electricity, natural gas, water, waste treatment, wind farms, transportation) to consumers. As such, they are part of America’s critical infrastructure and require protection from a variety of threats that exist in cyber space and even more commonly today, the mentality that “if it isn’t broken then don’t fix it”.

To optimize the collection and analysis of the data and control of equipment such as pumps and valves from remote locations, SCADA networks provide great efficiency and are widely used but many have been set up roughly 15 years ago and left to run without any further concern for product updates or enhancements.

MITIGATE RISK
These legacy SCADAs present a tremendous security risk. SCADAs were initially designed to maximize functionality and automate processes, product updates and new revisions. However, SCADA companies merged, ceased to exist or evolved more into manufacturing execution systems (MES). Also, tremendous changes have occurred in the automation industry that have left multitudes of outdated SCADAs in the field. As a result,...

Related Articles


Estimating Transmission Costs

Estimating Transmission Costs for New Generation Technologies

Often when project developers talk about the cost of a new power plant, wind farm, or solar installation, they’re referring to the capital cost of building a facility. Certainly those development costs have dropped over time—especially for wind and solar. But developers overlook the...

Extracting Value From Big Data

Moving forward with distribution automation and intelligent electronic devices BY JOHN MCDONALD, GE Digital Energy The ongoing rollout of interval (aka “smart”) meters and the resulting deluge of data have rightly received much attention and triggered the initial impetus for electric utility...

Future-proofing Substations with Ethernet Technologies

Nine steps to help develop a future-proof infrastructure for your substation BY TIM WALLAERT, Belden Substations with Ethernet technologies: the convergence of industrial Ethernet technologies, Smart Grid practices and the increased need for security has provided an opportunity for power...

BIG DATA ADVANTAGES

Currently, modern electric utilities are facing an avalanche of new data. Each new system deployed presents a tremendous amount of information that can provide great value to the utility. Unfortunately, the tools available to work with this information are often rudimentary and create difficulties...


FERC Complaint Targets Duke, PJM Transmission Planning

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...

magazine_sep_oct_2023_article_2

FERC Approves Interconnection for Talen Energy, Amazon Data Center

In a significant move that underscores the growing demand for reliable and sustainable energy to power the expanding digital infrastructure, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has approved an interconnection agreement between Talen Energy, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and Exelon. This...

Smart Transformers: Enhancing Grid Efficiency and Reliability

The evolving demands of modern power grids necessitate the adoption of advanced technologies that can provide enhanced efficiency, reliability, and flexibility. Smart transformers are at the forefront of this technological revolution, offering a range of capabilities that significantly improve the...

distributed resources impact on grid

How Much DER Fits?

The electric power industry is increasingly having to evaluate the growing penetration of distributed energy resources (DER). New sets of challenges exist for planning and operating the grid, especially with the distribution systems in which these new resources must be integrated. Now electric...

new digital technologies to be integrated within existing utility grids

Smart Utility Distribution Automation Training

Increasing the hosting capacity of distributed generation in power distribution systems is identified as key low-carbon solution to help meet the aggressive greenhouse gas emission reduction targets in the energy sector. The deployment of distributed generation technologies is creating a paradigm...

NEURAL GRID TAKES SMART GRID INTO THE CLOUD

FROM SMART GRID TO NEURAL GRID

NEURAL GRID TAKES SMART GRID INTO THE CLOUD The Neural Grid represents more than Smart Grid v2.0—much more. Today, the smart grid implies the legacy mechanical power transmission and distribution (T&D) networks enhanced by pockets of automation, connectivity, and centralized IT systems. The...

Page 1 of 9