Moving utilities toward a modern energy system
BY RONNY SANDOVAL, Environmental Defense Fund
The need to build a smarter energy infrastructure has never been greater. Storms and other extreme weather events such as Hurricane Sandy continue to test the limits of the existing, century-old electric grid, prompting the need for increased resiliency in design and operation. Furthermore, a growing number of Americans have begun to show an interest in self-generation through renewables and other forms...
Siemens proposes 10 mini-grids that will cover most of Puerto Rico and will be designed to enhance resiliency to withstand or recover quickly from future natural disasters.Design enhances reliance on renewables and exceeds the established renewables penetration goal by 15 percent.Today, Siemens...
Asset management evolves as microgrids play various roles BY MASSOUD AMIN, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Microgrids, as many readers are aware, are small power systems of several megawatts (MW) or less in scale that possess three primary characteristics: distributed...
Examining the foundational elements in architecture decision BY TOM WILSON, Itron In recent years, the utility industry has seen a diverse set of use cases for Smart Grid deployments emerge. North American electric utilities are carefully considering architecture decisions to ensure that the...
The importance of up-to-date critical system monitoring BY MARLEE ROSEN, Rosen Associates Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) networks contain computers and applications that perform critical capabilities in delivering essential services and commodities (for example, electricity,...
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...
A Smart substation digitizes protection and control, enabling utilities to detect faults faster, manage DER volatility, and reduce outage risk. The payoff depends on architecture, cybersecurity, and edge analytics, not just new relays. The shift toward smart substations is inseparable from broader...
Alliant Energy has officially brought Iowa’s largest solar facility online, marking a significant milestone in the state's renewable energy landscape. The 200-megawatt (MW) Pleasant Creek Solar project, located in Linn County, is now operational and supplying clean electricity to Alliant...
Texas is at a pivotal crossroads in its energy policy, with legislative actions that could significantly reshape the state's electricity landscape. A recent report by Aurora Energy Research, commissioned by the Texas Association of Business, warns that proposed restrictions on renewable energy...
Duke Energy Florida has announced plans to build four new utility-scale solar energy facilities across the state, aimed at adding 300 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy to the grid. This expansion is part of the company’s broader strategy to increase its solar generation capacity and...
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has launched a review of the rules surrounding the colocation of large energy consumers, such as data centers, with power plants within the PJM Interconnection region. This review follows concerns raised by stakeholders, including major energy...
