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BLM's Western Solar Plan

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has unveiled a pivotal Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for its Western Solar Plan, a strategy designed to significantly boost solar energy development across the American West. This ambitious initiative aims to streamline solar project approvals and foster a more sustainable energy future, balancing environmental conservation with the urgent need for renewable energy.

The Western Solar Plan focuses on a vast expanse of public lands managed by the BLM, covering...

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Climate Change News

Funding Freeze Clouds Solar For All's Future

The "Solar For All" program, which was designed to bring affordable solar energy to low-income communities across the United States, is now facing significant challenges after a pause in funding imposed by the Trump administration. This program, which was part of the Biden administration’s...

Utility News

New York City’s New Energy Policy

New York City unveiled a groundbreaking energy policy aimed at transforming the sustainability and efficiency of its buildings and facilities. This ambitious new initiative, designed to tackle energy emissions and enhance demand response capabilities, marks a significant leap towards the city's...

Overhead T&D

The Evolution / Revolution of Overhead Conductors… and why it matters

Brief Background:

In the early 1900's Aluminum Conductor Steel Reinforced (ACSR) conductor was developed to replace copper wires, due to the war effort when copper was needed for munitions. In the 1970's growing demand for electricity inspired the development of higher capacity Aluminum Conductor Steel Reinforced (ACSS) conductor. The ACSS conductor became known as the first "High-Temperature, Low-Sag" (HTLS) conductor. The design used the same steel core as ACSR (with improved galvanized coatings) and fully annealed aluminum so it could operate at higher temperatures and allow the delivery of more electric energy. While fully annealed aluminum is slightly more conductive than non-annealed aluminum, it is somewhat weaker, so overall conductor strength was slightly decreased. In the 1990's a number of conductor manufacturers began using higher strength steel to make up the difference. Comparative data can be found in the chart below.

Something New:

In the early 2000's, a handful of manufacturers...

Overhead


ArmorBuiltTM Wildfire Shield Proven Protection for Utility Poles

IntroductionIn November of 2018, the deadliest, most destructive wildfire in California history burned a total of 240 square miles, destroyed 18,804 structures and resulted in 85 civilian fatalities. Known as the Camp Fire, it devastated several communities including the towns of Paradise and...

Underground


Monitoring Underground Lines with SCADA

How SCADA can help prevent repairs and service disruptions BY RICHARD CLARK, InduSoft Underground transmission and distribution lines create unique challenges, as they require special insulation materials to protect conductors, and complex cooling systems because heat cannot be dissipated in free...

Infrastructure


SAME DAY SWITCHING

Same day switching avoids the extended outages and human and equipment costs associated with inoperable and broken switches.The vast majority of air break disconnect and ground switches in electric power networks typically receive no appreciable maintenance. This invariably results in the inability...