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Underground Distribution


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...

Distribution Protection


Underground Distribution Sensors

Exploring the benefits of wide-area monitoring BY TED MYERS, On-Ramp Wireless The average citizen and business experiences over 120 minutes of electricity outage duration a year. This has a significant societal impact costing 10s to hundreds of billions of dollars annually. Furthermore, the measure...

Overhead Distribution


Building a better world of smart structures on the smart grid

It is a truth universally acknowledged that billions of people around the world live in poverty. But does it have to be that way? Today’s technological progress means that tomorrow we will be able to produce more, more efficiently – lifting people above the breadline with accelerated...

Case Study


I Need To Hire a Utility Contractor. Where Do I Start?

In June 2012, the Ontario Legislature unanimously passed Bill 8, the Ontario Underground Infrastructure Notification System Act, which, among other things, requires owners of buried infrastructure in the public right of way – including municipalities, universities, hospitals and private...

Wire and Cable


Conductors & Materials


Converting Power Lines to Smart Wires

Increasing the observability and control of the transmission network BY FRANK KREIKEBAUM, JERRY MELCHER, & JULIE COUILLARD, Smart Wire Grid, Inc. The North American power grid has evolved into a connected set of four major interconnections delivering low-cost and reliable energy. The U.S....

Overhead T&D

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 air as with overhead lines. Despite the additional expense of specialized insulation materials and cooling systems, not to mention very high construction costs, underground electric lines are standard in large, congested cities.

Underground...

Overhead T&D Articles