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Conductors & Materials


How Modern Conductors are Improving Grid Reliability and Much More

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...

Pole Line Hardware


Roping Electrical Equipment

How synthetic ropes show results for heavy lifts BY BILL PUTNAM, Yale Cordage Years ago in Oklahoma, an investigation ensued after a pole-mounted transformer dropped thirty feet off a wire winch line and onto the foot of a line worker during a routine maintenance operation. Initially thought to...

Disaster & Recovery


Outage Management Toolbox

Nine capabilities required for an effective OMS system BY MICHEL GILLES, Intergraph Increasing or maintaining power reliability is the fundamental charter for utility companies. For electric utilities to meet customer expectations and adhere to government regulations, they require an efficient way...

Vegetation Management


Outage Management & Restoration


Q&A: PSE&G Reflects on Hurricane Sandy

Q: Reflecting back at Hurricane Sandy two years ago, what steps did PSE&G take to restore power? What were the lessons learned? OUR EXPERT | Richard Wernsing, Manager of Asset Strategy, Electric at Public Service Electric and Gas (PSE&G) Prior to any storm, PSE&G (Public Service...

Underground Distribution


Underground Smart Grid

In recent years, the cost to bury high-voltage power lines has decreased dramatically. The American Transmission Company reports that installation costs for underground transmission lines (over 100 kilovolts) are now only 2.5 to 10 times the cost of an equivalent overhead line. Consequently, the...

Overhead T&D

Vegetation Management Best Practices

Reduce common risks and maintain system reliability

BY SARA SANKOWICH, Unitil Corporation

Most North American electric utilities understand that vegetation management is a key factor in maintaining system reliability. While many utilities have designed and implemented vegetation management programs to mitigate risk on an ongoing basis, successful execution of these programs requires specialized staff with forestry expertise, as well as cross-team collaboration.

Utilities can help ensure a successful vegetation management program by being aware of...

Overhead T&D Articles