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Utility Automation & Monitoring T&D


Enabling Smart Grid Volt/VAR Control

Optimizing power flow using a distribution model BY TIM TAYLOR, Ventyx Today’s emphasis on implementing energy efficiency programs and limiting peak demand growth has driven renewed interest in the most effective method to implement Smart Grid volt-ampere reactive control, or Smart Grid volt/VAR...

Distribution Automation


RTU and HMI Redundancy in Electrical Substations

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...

Energy Storage & Grid Integration


North Carolina Town Sues Duke Energy for Climate Fraud

A small town in North Carolina has filed a lawsuit against Duke Energy, one of the largest utility companies in the United States, alleging that the company has been deceptive in its efforts to downplay the environmental impact of its operations. The lawsuit, filed by the town of Smithfield, claims...

Smart Metering T&D


Texas PUC Shelves $1B Grid Credit Mechanism

The Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) has unanimously decided to shelve the proposed $1 billion Performance Credit Mechanism (PCM) for power generators, concluding that it would not deliver the anticipated grid reliability benefits. The PCM was conceived as a means to incentivize power...

Substation Automation T&D


Distribution Grid Monitoring Technologies

How to improve situational awareness of grid operations BY MARK FEDERLE, QinetiQ North America The adoption of Smart Grid technology in recent years has accelerated the modernization of the electric utility grid. This is a positive development given that the grid infrastructure in North America is,...

Asset Management & Maintenance


Trends in SCADA Security

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,...

T&D Automation

Protecting Smart Grid Electronics

Properly selecting outdoor enclosures to increase reliability

BY ERIN BRESNAHAN, Purcell Systems

The largest deployments of a utility’s communications system tend to occur in areas with little supporting infrastructure other than the transmission and distribution lines, and much of this equipment, including backup batteries, will require protection from the elements, thermal management to maintain the proper operating temperature ranges, and security to prevent malicious access and tampering. In many cases, the installation of a thermally-managed...

T&D Automation Articles