Most utility customers now pay an average price for electricity that changes little (if at all) over the course of the year. Average, flat-rate, real-time pricing is akin to a form of insurance, where a premium is paid to hedge against market volatility and price spikes. Yet this approach misses the system-wide benefits of dynamic electricity pricing, in which customers pay for power through time variant rates.
Until recently, quantifying the cost of this trade-off...
From Hardwiring to Data Networking The modernization of substations is as much a communications revolution as a protection one. For decades, copper conductors carried analog signals from instrument transformers to relays and controls. Each new circuit meant more wiring, more panels, and more room...
What to ask to ensure proper circuit breaker testing and maintenance BY ROBERT FOSTER, Megger Protecting a utility’s assets is essential. There are many different apparatus in electrical substations that need to be protected. The circuit breaker (CB) is designed to stop the flow of...
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...
A closer look at animal-caused outages at substations BY BILL REICHARD, TransGard Systems Every year, squirrels, raccoons, snakes, and other climbing animals cause substation outages across North America. According to a 2010 University of Minnesota study, the resulting estimated cost to electric...
From Hardwiring to Data Networking The modernization of substations is as much a communications revolution as a protection one. For decades, copper conductors carried analog signals from instrument transformers to relays and controls. Each new circuit meant more wiring, more panels, and more room...
Reliable and secure communication infrastructure is essential to the safe and efficient operation of the modern power grid. As utilities transition to digital substations, integrate distributed energy resources (DERs), and deploy real-time monitoring systems, the need for robust, scalable grid...
The power industry is undergoing a profound transformation driven by grid modernization, renewable integration, and increasing demands for resilience and efficiency. At the heart of this evolution lies the smart substation—a next-generation facility equipped with advanced sensors, digital...
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...
In the rapidly evolving landscape of power grid management, digital twin technology is emerging as a game-changer for substations. By creating virtual replicas of physical assets, digital twins bridge the gap between the physical and digital worlds, enabling enhanced operational efficiency and...
The increasing frequency and intensity of climate-related disasters are placing unprecedented strain on the world's electricity networks, with severe implications for global energy security. According to a recent Bloomberg report, the effects of climate change are pushing many electricity grids to...
