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Latest News From The T&D Industry

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Nexamp and Walmart Expand Community Solar Partnership

Nexamp, a leading developer in community solar, has joined forces with Walmart once again to expand access to renewable energy. The two companies have announced plans to develop 31 new community solar projects across five U.S. states. This partnership will add more than 120 megawatts (MW) of clean, renewable energy to the grid, benefitting communities in Maine, Massachusetts, New York, Illinois, and Minnesota. The projects are expected to serve around 8,000 residential customers and help...

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Climate Change News

Biden Sets Ambitious GHG Target Amid Trump Plans

In December 2024, President Joe Biden's administration set an ambitious target to reduce U.S. greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 61% to 66% by 2035, compared to 2005 levels. This goal aligns with the Paris Agreement's framework, which requires participating nations to update their emission reduction...


Climate Change News

A Natural Solution for a Changing Climate

The article from The Nature of Things explores how beavers, often seen as pests, could become an unexpected solution to the increasing challenges posed by climate change, particularly in relation to droughts impacting farmlands. By examining how these industrious creatures could offer a natural way...

T&D Trends


Climate Change News

Canada Urged to Boost Climate Adaptation Spending

As climate change continues to impact communities across the globe, a growing body of research suggests that Canada should shift its focus from primarily fighting climate change to investing more in adaptation strategies. According to experts, while efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions remain...

Climate Change News

UN Warns of Deadly Heat as Hottest Decade Ends

In December 2024, the United Nations reported that the world has endured a "decade of deadly heat," with 2024 marking the tenth consecutive year of unprecedented temperatures. This period has been characterized by record-breaking heatwaves, severe droughts, and devastating wildfires, underscoring...

Electrical Substations

AI at the Substation Edge: Digital Twins and Predictive Maintenance for Transformers and Switchgear

From Data Collection to Insight

Modern substations generate vast amounts of data—temperatures, gas levels, vibrations, contact wear, and breaker operations. Historically, much of it went unused. Now, with advances in edge computing and AI, that data can be analyzed in real time to forecast failures before they happen.

A digital twin models the behavior of a physical asset, updating continuously with sensor input. When combined with machine-learning algorithms, it becomes a powerful tool for predictive maintenance.

How Predictive Maintenance Works

AI systems learn normal operating patterns from historical data and flag deviations that may signal early degradation. This approach replaces fixed maintenance intervals with condition-based action, saving time and resources.

Key applications include:

  • Transformer oil-gas analysis for insulation breakdown detection.
  • Circuit-breaker wear prediction using contact resistance and operation counts.
  • Partial-discharge pattern recognition in cables and bushings.
  • Thermal-imaging analytics for hotspot detection in switchgear.

Each insight allows maintenance crews to intervene...

Electrical Substations Articles


How Dangerous is Linemen Work?

Many occupations pose risks to workers, but few match the dangers that linemen face daily. Linemen play a critical role in maintaining and restoring the power grid, often working in extreme weather conditions, at significant heights, and around high-voltage electrical systems. Their work is...
Substation Automation

Substation Focused on Environmental Design

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...
Substation Technologies

Ethernet Cable Selection for Utilities

Electric utilities are constantly searching for the most efficient, reliable and cost-effective methods to deliver electricity to customers. A vision for accomplishing this is the migration of the electrical grid from a reliable, but inflexible system to the Smart Grid, which promises adaptability...