February 1, 2008
Global Viewpoint
A Helluva Engineer
I first ran into doug at the t&d world expo in baltimore a decade back. We decided to get together for drinks in a lobby bar prior to dinner. Discovering...
Features
Nor'easter No Match for OMS
A powerful windstorm swept across vermont in april 2007. It did more damage to Central Vermont Public Service's system than any storm in the utility's...
A Thorough Examination of Circuit Breaker Health
The philosophy behind maintaining circuit breakers focuses on preventive maintenance to maximize the longevity of the electrical apparatus. The transmission...
Partial Discharge Signals Switchgear Condition
In 2002, a post-fault forensic investigation revealed that an insulation failure was the root cause Of a catastrophic failure of switchgear that occurred...
Relay Protection Goes Modular
There have always been a handful of methods to draw management's attention some good, some not so good. Methods involving open flame, billowing smoke...
BGE Automates Capacitor Switching
In 2005, baltimore gas and electric co. initiated a project to address aging and obsolete capacitor control equipment in substations. Unlike the majority...
LIPA Takes a Journey on the Integration Bus
To deliver safe, reliable and economical electric service to its customers serving as a role model of what a public power company should be in the 21st...
Business Developments
Utilities Partner to Fund Advanced SCADA Security Research and Testing
Twelve utilities across the United States and Australia have formed a consortium with ABB to privately fund advanced research and testing on securing...
BCTC to Invest Billions in Network
British Columbia Transmission Corp. (BCTC; Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada) has filed its third annual capital plan with the B.C. Utilities Commission...
Consortium to Form Smart Grid City
The Smart Grid Consortium, formed by Xcel Energy (Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.) in December 2007, will select a city with a population of approximately...
Technology Updates
Elster Electricity Launches Advanced Grid Infrastructure Initiative
Elster Electricity (Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S.) recently launched its Advanced Grid Infrastructure (AGI) Initiative, a collaborative effort between...
Hubbell Power Systems Introduces Technologically Advanced Insulator
When the engineers at Ohio Brass took a critical look at transmission insulators, they found a better way to design and manufacture them. Ideas began...
Seattle Utility to Install IEE Meter Data Management
To improve billing processes for its largest commercial and industrial (C&I) customers, Seattle City Light (SCL; Seattle, Washington, U.S.) will deploy...
Kuwait Int'l Airport Orders Siemens MV Power System
As part of the expansion of Kuwait International Airport, Siemens Energy has been awarded an order worth 80 million euros for planning, delivery, installation...
Duke's Utility of the Future Includes 57,500 Echelon Smart Meters
Duke Energy (Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S.) and Echelon (San Jose, California, U.S.) announce an expansion of the Duke Energy Utility of the Future...
Character Call
Do you know a real character? Transmission & Distribution World is looking for exemplary industry professionals who are passionate about their personal...
Quarterly Report
Customer Exchange Portals
As smart grid systems are developed and refined, automated metering infrastructure (AMI) will no doubt play a key role in a fully automated grid, and...
Characters with Character
Shattering Stereotypes
A mere 20% of engineering undergraduates in the united states are women, according to statistics from the Society of Women Engineers (SWE; Chicago, Illinois,...
Products and Services
PRODUCTS & Services
Pneumatic Rotary Hammer Drill CS Unitec's SDS Plus Air Rotary Hammer is safer than similar electric hammer drills in hazardous atmospheres and wet environments,...
Straight Talk
A New Look at Smart Grid
Expect to see an increasingly high penetration of distributed energy resources. These resources would include demand response, energy storage, distributed...
Electric Uility Operations
Derek Bell
Born in 1968 in Hartwell, Georgia, and raised on the family farm with his two sisters. Married for 16 years to his wife, Susan. They have two sons, Austin...
Protect Line Crews in Utility Work Zones
A driver spun out of control and crashed into a Trench-It Inc. (Union, Illinois) line truck. The lineman inside the truck walked away without an injury,...
NU Finds Success with Implosive Splicing Project Replacement Project
Northeast Utilities (NU; Hartford, Connecticut) had to come up with a solution quickly when its 40-year-old in-line and dead-end splices began failing....
Fleet Management Critical to the Safety of Linemen
Well-maintained, safe vehicles are critical to the livelihood of Mississippi Power linemen. Without the fleet services department, our linemen wouldn't...
