Reflections:
Nearly twenty years ago when I got into the energy business, reliability was a second-tier design objective for most transmission engineers. Safety factors had already been established and the materials we used for structures and powerline wires (conductors) were well known. While demand for electricity wasn’t growing at a super rapid pace, many existing transmission lines were congested – meaning they couldn’t deliver power from the lowest cost source of generation. While that didn’t...
In a strategic move aimed at enhancing its power supply reliability, FirstEnergy is actively exploring alternatives to the PJM capacity market. This development reflects the company’s proactive approach to addressing challenges within the existing market structure and ensuring a more robust...
Insulation Resistance (IR) test, often called Megger test, is more than 100 years old and assumed to be a very straightforward test. During my inspection and testing work in the past 15 years in Canada, US, and internationally, I have seen different practices of performing and interpretation of IR...
Background:For over 100 years Transmission Engineers have relied on aluminum conductors strengthened by steel core wires, commonly referred to as ACSR conductors. These conductors offered reasonable performance and durability and were capable of operating at temperatures up to 93° C. Above this...
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...
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 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...
In a strategic move aimed at enhancing its power supply reliability, FirstEnergy is actively exploring alternatives to the PJM capacity market. This development reflects the company’s proactive approach to addressing challenges within the existing market structure and ensuring a more robust...
Essentially, cable cleats are devices designed to secure cables and to ensure the retention and support of them, reducing the load that the cable may be exposed to under its own weight. They are also designed to contain the cables under fault conditions, protecting the cables and the cable...
To support decarbonization mandates in the U.S., many utilities and transco's have proposed new transmission lines to link load centers with new renewable generation assets and move power from one region to another over vast distances. While the U.S. government continues to struggle to find ways to...
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...
