As the substation RTU takes on more applications, such as Human-Machine-Interface (HMI), alarm annunciation, math & logic and “relay communication processing”, its need for high availability increases. Anything that takes the RTU out of service – configuration change, firmware update, or component failure – means not only loss of SCADA but also loss of local visibility, loss of non-operational data and, in some applications, loss of local control. Redundancy can address the needs for higher...
Utilize industry guidelines for modern and future technologies BY W. CHARLTON ADAMS JR., IEEE Standards Association (IEEE-SA), Huawei Technologies A vision is coalescing worldwide of people ubiquitously connected across smart cities, smart buildings, smart cars and, perhaps, even through sensors on...
How utilities can yield significant operational benefits BY JEFF WALZ, Siemens Smart Grid As North American electric utilities continue to transform their existing electric delivery assets into a smarter grid, strong emphasis is placed on systems, products, and services that provide value in...
How utilities can become data-driven organizations As industry challenges continue to grow, the pressure on utilities to optimize their operations has never been stronger. From amplified pressure to manage customer relationships more effectively to the ever-present need to cut operational costs,...
Why not all static UPS systems are created equal BY KARLA E. BERT, P.E., Mitsubishi Electric Power Products, Inc. In our cloud-based digital world, data must be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week—no matter the state of the electrical grid. Computer downtime not only affects...
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...
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has rejected a proposal from PJM Interconnection, one of the United States' largest regional transmission organizations, to alter its transmission planning protocol. The decision represents a significant victory for state regulators who had expressed...
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) recently hosted the Co-Located Load Conference, a significant event that focused on resource adequacy, energy reliability, and the challenges of ensuring sufficient electricity supply amidst changing grid dynamics. As the energy landscape continues to...
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 conference room in early 2017, a group of Transmission operators, supervisors, and executives at Ameren sat down in an effort to craft a strategic analytics roadmap that would tackle the new challenges associated with transmission operations. One of the first questions the group posed to...
When it comes to T&D Sensing and Measurement, the electric grid is changing. The industry is undergoing a dramatic shift in the mix of generated electric power, driving demand for grid transparency, reliability, and utility accountability. To meet these demands, utilities must change the way...
