December 2008
Global Viewpoint
In Good Times and in Bad
The United States will Consume Only Four-tenths of a Percent More Electricity in 2009 than in 2008, according to the Energy Information Association....
Features
The Role of Phasor Data in Emergency Operations
Hurricane Gustav Reached the Louisiana Coast on the Morning of September 1, 2008. As the storm moved inland, many of the transmission lines throughout South Louisiana experienced outages....
Plugged In for Progress
You Don't Have to Go Far to Get Much is a Phrase Heard around Giles County, Tennessee. Since 2007, this has taken on a broad new meaning with the launch...
Batteries are Key to Wind Integration
Southern California Edison Anticipates a Significant Amount of New Wind Generation on its transmission system, more than 4000 MW within the next several...
Monitoring Produces Higher Cable Ratings
Vancouver Island is Nestled Tightly Along the Lower Southwestern Coast of British Columbia, Canada. The island is 460 km (286 miles) long and 130 km (80...
Wireless Communication Across 10,000 Lakes
A Group of More Than a Dozen Distribution Cooperatives Across Minnesota are now connected to a private, licensed 700-MHz wireless broadband IP communications...
Iran Examines Insulator Contamination
Pollution Deposits Can Accumulate on an Insulator Surface and become conductive paths when the insulator surface is wet due to rain or fog. This creates...
Business Developments
Great Basin Transmission Requests Proposals for Southwest Intertie Project
Great Basin Transmission, LLC held an open season in November 2008 to receive proposals for the purchase of long-term point-to-point transmission rights on the Southwest Intertie Project....
Xcel Energy Partners with SmartSynch
Xcel Energy has selected SmartSynch to provide smart metering, energy management, demand response and carbon monitoring solutions to...
Irby Helps with Hurricane Recovery
Electrical distributor Stuart C. Irby Co., a subsidiary of Sonepar USA, was one of the first responders for both Hurricane Gustav and Hurricane Ike in September 2008....
Co-op Deploys Broadband Network
East Central Energy is deploying a Smart Grid-ready communications system linking 36 substations with a 700-MHz licensed wireless broadband communication network from...
Lapp Insulators Acquires Argillon Insulators, Argillon Alumina
Lapp Insulators, LLC, through its German subsidiary Lapp Insulator GmbH & Co. KG, has acquired Argillon Insulators GmbH and Argillon Alumina GmbH....
Burns & McDonnell Nabs NU Contract
Northeast Utilities has contracted with Burns & McDonnell to provide program management services on one of the largest electric transmission line projects currently under development in the country....
Technology Updates
EPRI Research Confirms Effectiveness of Manhole Cover Restraint System
Research conducted by the Electric Power Research Institute supports the effectiveness of a manhole cover restraint system that may prevent or limit damage caused by...
PPL Customers Gain Access to Hourly Usage Data
PPL Electric Utilities is the first major electric utility to provide hourly usage data in a full-system deployment via the Web....
New Zealand Utility Takes Step Toward Smarter Grid to Improve Reliability and Reduce Negative Impact of Power Outages
With goals of improving power reliability for consumers and adding more renewable energy, such as wind and solar to the grid, WEL Networks is implementing GE Smart Grid technology....
Editor's Note
In the November 2008 article ENEL Automates Distribution, the interruption penalty was stated incorrectly. The negative effect should have read...
Quarterly Report
Benefits of Field-Force Automation
An Effective Mobile Strategy Links the Corporate Back Office to the Field Workforce. Today, electric utilities can achieve measurable business benefits...
Characters with Character
Renewable Renegade
Being Called A Wind Weenie by Her Former Coworkers Doesn't Bother Abigail Krich. In fact, the 27-year-old engineer is so passionate about advancing...
Products and Services
Products & Services
Transformers Protection Relays | Field Mapping | Unified Fleet and Mobile IT Management Platform | Data Logger with Sensors | Ethernet Switch | Vibration Analysis Tools | I/O Modules | Tree Trimmers | AC Logger | Overvoltage and Undervoltage Monitor | Vacuum Switch | Power Factor Transducers | Power Management Software | Business Processes | Industrial Networks | IT Software | Home-Area Network...
Straight Talk
On-Ramp to the Smart Grid
For Over 30 Years, Our Research Firm Has Been Studying the Early Development of the T&D automation building blocks, the embryonic and emergent stages of...
Electric Utility Operations
Lifeline: Ernie Dominguez
Born in Marfa, Texas. He and his wife, Rita, of 37 years have two children, Vince and Danielle, and six grandchildren. Enjoys riding his motorcycle and tending...
Minimize Accidents with Proper Training
DTE Energy is training its linemen to think before they act with a company-wide safety program called Stop, Think, Act, Review (STAR)....
From Linemen to Mountain Climbers
Veteran Virginian linemen never thought they would live to see the day when an old line would be reconductored in the Blue Ridge Mountains of central Virginia....
Drilling Crews Confront Challenging Crossing
Missouri's directional-drilling crews must visually locate, or "day light" the location of, all utilities being crossed through hand digging or with a hydro-excavation system....
Products & Services
Fuse Tool | Online Tool Training | Pulling Grips | Mulcher Tools | Rescue and Retrieval System...
