July 1, 2011
Digital Edition
July 2011 Digital Edition
View this issue in our digital edition format...
Global Viewpoint
High-Phase What?
I was innocently perusing the IEEE Power & Energy System contents and there it was, an article on 12-phase transmission lines. This caught my attention...
Features
Oncor Leads with SVCs
In 2009, Oncor began using leading-edge power delivery technology in the form of static VAR compensators (SVCs) to maintain the reliability of the grid...
BGE Engages Customers
One thing is certain, like the established consumer markets of days past, utilities will need to engage consumers in a whole new way to be successful....
PPL Breaks the Mold with Polymer Concrete Cutouts
For years, electric utilities in the United States have relied on cutouts in the power distribution grid and on the overhead distribution system to provide...
Integrating DG
In the Netherlands, combined heat and power (CHP) plants are used extensively in areas designated for horticultural use and more are planned for the future....
Survey-Grade GPS Replaces the Transit
No utility can deny that surveying plays a crucial role in the design and placement of its infrastructure. Maybe not so much for the small jobs, but the...
AEP Automates Callout
There were no computers on managers' desks 30 years ago. Managers relied on assistants to take dictation and type memos on typewriters. With the advent...
ABB Wins Power Order in Algeria
ABB has won orders worth about $42 million from Sonelgaz (Soci Nationale de l'Electricit et du Gaz), the national power utility of Algeria, to build three...
Business Developments
TrAIL Line Boosts Deliverability of Power
A new 500-kV electric transmission line, the Trans Allegheny Interstate Line (TrAIL), is now in service and is improving reliability of the grid by enabling...
Investments in Reliability and Clean Energy Prompt PSE to Seek Electric and Natural Gas Rate Increase Request for 2012
Puget Sound Energy filed a proposal with state regulators today to establish new electric and natural gas rates in 2012 to recover the costs of work done...
Letter to the Editor
Rick, Your October editorial on dynamic pricing hinted one problem but missed another. You mentioned the price shock issue. That is a major concern on...
BC Hydro and S&C Electric Partner on Energy Storage
BC Hydro has selected S&C Electric Co. for an energy storage project that will greatly improve service reliability for a remote mountain community in...
Utilities Rank Social Media Efforts of Peers
According to the utilities that participated in the 2011 E Source Utility Social Media Survey, Avista is the top utility when it comes to using social...
Alliant Orders OSI's Advanced Volt/VAR Control System
Alliant Energy of Madison, Wisconsin, U.S., has ordered an advanced, centralized Volt/VAR Control (VVC) system from Open Systems International (OSI)....
Smart Grid
South America Smart Grid Market to Reach 104.5 Million Smart Meters by 2020
Northeast Group, LLC's South America Smart Grid Market Forecast (2011-2020) projects the smart meter market alone will reach 104.5 million meters and...
Con Edison Connects Homeowners with Energy Savings
With the summer season heating up, Queens Borough President Helen Marshall joined Con Edison's Green Team at a Queens Village, New York, U.S., home to...
Minnesota Utility Selects Communications Network for AMI
The Hutchinson Utility Commission in Hutchinson, Minnesota, U.S., has selected a communications network as its advanced metering infrastructure (AMI)...
Technology Updates
VCCT Project Progresses in Vancouver
Constellation Group LLC, working with Michels Canada, has successfully installed thermal grout in an 810-m (2,660-ft)-long horizontal directionally drilled...
Singapore PowerGrid Selects Telvent for Next-Generation Utility Technology
Singapore PowerGrid (SPPG) has selected to work with Telvent on implementing the next generation of geographic information system (GIS) and outage management...
EPRI Tests Confirm Thermal Direct Sensor Can Accurately Measure Transmission Line Temperatures
An evaluation conducted at the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) confirmed that the Utility Risk Management Corporation (URMC) new thermal sensor,...
Quarterly Report
Creating a Greener Tomorrow
Working together to manage our community tree resources has never been an easy task. Regulation and shrinking budgets have forced many small and large...
Characters with Characters
On the Job Trainer
David Nelson recently received the President's Volunteer Service Award, but do not expect the modest manager of engineering at Kandiyohi Power Cooperative...
Products and Services
PRODUCTS & Services
Spacer Cable Turnkey Services Hendrix's spacer cable turnkey services save utilities money and time, and reduce outages by an estimated 90%. Utilities...
Straight Talk
Renewable Energy Solutions
As use of renewable energy sources continues to escalate, we must take a realistic look at how generation from these energy sources impacts current transmission...
Electric Utility Operations
James Schuster
Born in New Rockford, North Dakota. Married for 37 years; he and his wife have four children and eight grandchildren. Enjoys spending time with his family,...
Sharpening Your Executive Safety Skills
On every line crew, a utility has a blend of new apprentices and seasoned veterans. These linemen are often at different stages of their lives and careers,...
Tornadoes Wreak Havoc in Entergy Territory
Tornadoes crumpled up Entergy's lattice towers like tin foil during a recent severe weather event in the South. Unlike other tornadoes, which touch a...
Blue Hat Program Takes Field Safety to Next Level
When a fire blazes through a building, the safety leaders wear blue hard hats as a symbol of their leadership. Similarly, the union created a Blue Hat...
PRODUCTS & Services
Digital Monitor The SeeSnake CS-10 digital monitor is designed for simple, full-feature digital recording. The one-touch feature enables the monitor to...
Parting SHOT
Founded in 1985, the NRECA International Foundation partners with electric cooperatives in the United States to foster economic development and electrify...
