From hurricanes and tornadoes to ice storms and fire storms, significant weather events are increasing, and the damage they cause is costly. You need a supplier that has the experience to help you quickly and effectively prepare for storms and is adept at advanced planning, is flexible, and can communicate effectively. Storms are stressful for everyone. Let us coordinate with you before, during, and after the storm to help keep your electrical system standing against the storm.
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DIVERSITY THRIVES IN EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP
At Davey, we believe in fostering an inclusive environment where growth and well-being thrive. Our commitment to diversity fuels innovation and ensures exceptional client results. Through employee ownership, we empower our team, driving unparalleled satisfaction and loyalty. Together, guided by shared values, we’re shaping a brighter future.
New on tdworld.com
Electric Utility Operations: Hurricane Beryl: Scenes of Power Restoration
These photos from CenterPoint Energy depict the devastation and the lineworkers’ response to the recent hurricane in Texas. https://tdworld.com/55127136
Utility Business: AEP Lures New CEO From Infrastructure Services Company
The successor to Julie Sloat ran Berkshire Hathaway Energy for more than five years before taking on his current job in January.
https://tdworld.com/55091921
Disaster Response:
CenterPoint Eyeballs $450M in Costs From May Storms
The company has secured a loan from three banks and will pursue a storm restoration customer charge. https://tdworld.com/55092185
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AS ONE ASPLUNDH WE DELIVER HIGHLY SKILLED PEOPLE RESOURCES THROUGH A SINGLE POINT OF CONTACT ACROSS OUR FULL SUITE OF VEGETATION, ENGINEERING, AND UTILITY INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICES.
AS ONE ASPLUNDH WE STREAMLINE OUR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, SAFETY, AND TRAINING PRACTICES TO RESPOND WITH THE SPECIALIZED CAPABILITIES AND READINESS TO MEET THE EVOLVING NEEDS OF TODAY’S UTILITIES.
BY NIKKI CHANDLER
Backlash from Beryl
Electric utilities have been on the front lines of many bad storms, the names of which have become synonymous with damage, hardship, and victory — with our industry pulling together to rebuild, restore and recover. Katrina, Sandy, Harvey, Ike, Ian and now Beryl are all named storms that will forever remain in utilities’ collective conscience. But in my 30 years of watching and covering this industry, I have never seen the same public derision and criticism of a utility that I saw with CenterPoint Energy over the last couple of weeks in the aftermath of Beryl.
Any time a weather disaster hits the U.S, causing catastrophic damage and power outages, we see scrutiny of the utility response: that’s par for the course. The tendency is to blame some one when terrible things happen, and some of that scrutiny may help in that we have learned lessons over the years and improved resiliency and response on many fronts.
Hurricane Beryl made landfall in Texas as a Category 1 hurricane on July 8. With significant sustained winds, storm surges and torrential rain, the hurricane caused widespread outages in CenterPoint’s service territory. At its peak, 2.2 million electric customers were impacted. Before the hurricane even made landfall, the utility activated its emergency response plan to pre-position crews, set up staging sites, call for mutual assistance and take an all-hands-on-deck approach.
Seventy-five percent of CenterPoint’s distribution circuits were affected by vegetation; 16 transmission structures were damaged; more than 2,000 distribution poles were damaged; six CenterPoint-owned substations and 15 customer-owned substations were out at the peak of the storm. Vegetation crews had removed more than 12,100 trees from lines as of July 13.
By July 19, 10 days after Beryl made landfall, CenterPoint had restored power to 98% of affected customers. This was a record recovery; Ike knocked out power to about 2 million of CenterPoint’s customers in 2008, and only 74% of impacted customers were restored by Day 10 at that time. If you look at the pure restoration efforts, CenterPoint knocked it out of the park.
But if you followed local Houston media you saw headlines such as: “Why are CenterPoint repair trucks sitting in parking lots? Here’s what we found out” and “After Hurricane Beryl, why does Whataburger have a better power outage map than CenterPoint?” If you were on any social media sites and followed or searched for information around the storm, you would see complaints, misinformation and nastiness. Someone even painted “Centerpointless” under a Houston overpass. There were also reports of attacks on lineworkers; Houston police had investigated at least five cases involving threats
made to workers and other employees, whether in person or online. In one of the cases, police arrested Anthony Leonard, 38, charging him with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Authorities allege Leonard threw rocks and pointed a gun at a group of CenterPoint Energy workers who were at a staging area.
CenterPoint Energy employs 9,000 people; it’s sad to see that vitriol and anger directed at utility workers; they are the heroes who keep society running. Some associated or formerly associated with the utility tried to share what it takes to respond to a massive storm like that. One former employee published a letter to the editor in the Houston Chronicle explaining what goes into storm response: the amount of damage assessment, the amount of supplies needed, the commitment and dedication of all the employees no matter their role; and the balance between customers who demand reliable power but don’t allow their trees to be trimmed.
The local and state government leaders even jumped in on the criticism; with a local city mayor tweeting using the words failed and disastrous. Texas Governor Abbott held a press conference slamming the utility. CenterPoint, in return, released a statement outlining what it did do to prepare for Beryl, including the staging of 3,000 crew members and coordination with mutual aid utilities, and details of what materials were on hand ready to put into service. CenterPoint also tried to correct misinformation swirling around in the media, such as “payment of mutual assistance crews.”
I do not have to tell you what goes into storm preparation and response, but as utilities, be prepared for increasingly outspoken criticism when big storms like that hit. Particularly, with the proliferation of social media, derision, negativity and misinformation can spread like wildfire. Or like in this case, the temperatures are hotter or colder, making people miserable and emotions exacerbated. And the fact that we rely more on electricity for everything like never before.
While the dedicated efforts of CenterPoint Energy in response to Hurricane Beryl showcased remarkable restoration capabilities and a swift recovery, the public reaction highlighted a growing challenge for utilities in this age of social media. Despite record-setting restoration achievements, the scrutiny and criticism, fueled by misinformation and heightened emotions, underscore the necessity for better communication and transparency. As the demand for reliable electricity continues to rise, utilities will not only focus on improving infrastructure and response strategies, but also on engaging with and educating the public to foster understanding and support during these critical times.
SHOW INSIGHTS
BY NIKKI CHANDLER, EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
Spotlight on Super Sessions
T&D World has long been the magazine that is written by electric utilities, for electric utilities. In these pages, we have shared many stories, projects, best practices, technology choices, and even opinions on the issues facing us. T&D World Live brings the same content to you in a live event; the sessions are chosen by a utility board and cover the grid transformation, resiliency and T&D operations. The event will be in Atlanta, Georgia, from Oct. 1-3, 2024.
This year’s super sessions address four topics or questions that utilities are dealing with, particularly in the energy transition.
Hydrogen Applications for T&D
Several major utilities have started hydrogen pilot projects. Attend this session to learn what LADWP, National Grid and others are doing today to prepare for the hydrogen future. Panelists will answer questions like: Who in the utility organization can conduct the pilots? What technologies do they favor? When do they expect results and plan to deploy customer facing technologies? How can hydrogen benefit electric T&D operations? Where does a hydrogen fuel cell make the most sense and why? These big questions with candid answers will help you prepare and position for the hydrogen future.
Speakers:
• Mike Beehler, Power Delivery Intelligence Initiative
• Louis Ting, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
• Pradheep Kileti, National Grid
• Doug Houseman, 1898 & Co.
FERC 2222 and Resiliency
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Order 2222 requires the integration of distributed energy resources (DERs) into the legacy transmission and distribution (T&D) system using the principles of transactive energy. To meet FERC 2222 requirements, grid owners and operators must respond with new innovative strategies and techniques to create a highly reliable and resilient T&D system. This panel will define FERC Order 2222 and transactive energy, and discuss how strategies, including undergrounding electric distribution systems, can enhance system reliability and resiliency as the industry works toward achieving net-zero energy and carbon-free generation portfolios.
Speakers:
• Ronald Critelli Jr., Florida Power & Light
• Douglas Foley, Eversource
• Stephen Martz, Xcel Energy Services, Inc.
• Elizabeth Cook, AEIC
Delivering the Real Zero Grid
Regulators, politicians and customers seem to be reaching a consensus. The future of electricity will have a net zero, and
eventually, real zero carbon content. Net zero or real zero energy by 2050 has dramatic implications on the current planning, design, operations and maintenance of the electric transmission and distribution (T&D) grid that delivers that energy.
Net zero energy is defined as “the generation of electricity from non-carbon generating resources like nuclear, hydro, wind and solar with allowances for government approved off-sets and credits versus real zero energy which does not include the theoretically based off-sets and credits.
This panel will discuss their utility’s efforts to build a safe, reliable, resilient and affordable grid that will deliver real zero electricity.
Speakers:
• Mike Beehler, Power Delivery Intelligence Initiative
• Ronald Critelli, Jr., Florida Power & Light
• Robert Kondziolka, CAISO Western Energy Imbalance Market
• Satvir Deol, DTE Energy
Enabling Technologies for Utility-scale Long Duration Energy Storage Integration
Long-duration energy storage (LDES) technology plays a critical role in decarbonizing the electric grid by addressing the intermittency of renewable sources. Despite its potential benefits, the adoption of LDES faces technical hurdles that could hinder rapid deployment onto the existing grid. This session aims to identify the technical barriers and explore the technologies and solutions available to overcome them.
This session will feature a panel of experts representing key stakeholders in the innovation and deployment of LDES technologies. Panelists will provide insights into the latest technological advancements and development initiatives aimed at revolutionizing energy storage technologies, highlight case studies and collaborative efforts within the industry, and touch on the role of interconnection compliance in accelerating adoption. They will identify and explore challenges such as distribution system upgrades, interconnection procedures, and LDES integration with Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems. Barriers include issues related to scalability, compatibility, and regulatory frameworks that need to be addressed for successful deployment at scale.
Speakers:
• Salam Baniahmed, Smart Electric Power Alliance
• Chico Hunter, Salt River Project
• Ronald Hart, Dominion Energy
• Nate Blair, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
To register for the event, visit https://events.tdworld.com/2024.
Calling
Application
Tech-Savvy Consumers
Last week the trusty Wolfmobile needed maintenance, so a visit to the dealership was in order. After turning in my wheels, the service manager called me a ride. Instead of the old-school curtesy van, they use digital ridesharing apps. Within five minutes my ride silently stopped in front of me. It’s one of those spooky things about EVs (electric vehicles), they’re quiet. My rideshare was a sparkling Tesla model 3.
I haven’t been in a Tesla before, and I was going to make the most of my opportunity. The stars aligned for me because my driver was a tech-nerd and was just as nerdy as I am. It was a case of two techies reaching critical mass. He was totally sold on his Tesla and his depth of technical knowledge about the EV was amazing. After a quick introduction and explanation of T&D World, I got an amazing tour of the cockpit’s touchscreen system.
addition to investing in an EV, he had rooftop solar plus storage at home, which made it possible for him to lower his monthly electricity bills. It also provided renewable electricity for his EV that reduced both his carbon footprint and the EV’s fuel bill to zero dollars each month. This was a tech-savvy consumer.
He was also attuned to his EV’s battery technology and its limitations. His battery provided a range of a little over 300 miles (480 km). The EV’s charger took hours to recharge the battery, but he did that overnight, so no problem, still... He was very interested in Toyota’s progress with their latest solidstate battery technology. Early reports indicated it will have a range of around 750 miles (1,200 km), with an ultra-fast 10 minutes recharging time.
Toyota is planning to introduce this solid-state battery around 2027, which fits his planned schedule for trading in his EV for a new one. We stayed with battery technologies for a little longer, and talked about developments with nanoelectrofuel batteries (see Charging Ahead May 2024 for details) and their unique recharging abilities, which led us to discussing road trip recharging.
Last month’s “Charging Ahead” article touched on GETs (grid enhancing technologies) and getting the most out of the power grid’s assets. As I looked around the Tesla’s control system, I got the same feeling as I have had in a digital substation’s control building. This EV was getting the most out of its assets. Take the driving visualization mode; it eliminates blind spots among other things. It’s much like a digital substation showing congestion points along its connected power network.
Cultural Shift
As we discussed the EV’s features I found my new friend not only had a vast technological understanding of his EV, he was one of those informed consumers we talk about when we discuss the behind-the-meter technology adoptions. In
Technology Solves Problems
I was surprised that he wasn’t really concerned about finding chargers out on the road. With all the horror stories about road trips in EVs, it seemed logical this would be a major issue for an EV owner, but it wasn’t. Once again, data management technology was in the process of making this a non-issue. When we stopped at a traffic light, a couple of voice commands brought up a trip-map on the touchscreen showing our present location and the best route to Los Angeles.
Along with the routing, there was an abundance of useful information like all the EV chargers along the way, the status of how many were at each location and how many were open for charging at that time. It also identified which ones were superchargers with faster charging times. It provided this information for driving around town too – talk about user-friendly!
I know there are many apps with this type of information like Google Maps or EVgo, etc. They all, however, require extra steps on the part of the driver. Having this information at the driver’s fingertips, with no distractions, is a huge plus for the motorist. One thing that has been pointed out continuously with consumer technologies is that consumers are more prone to opting for the user-friendly approach.
At that point we had reached my destination and my rideshare dropped me off. It was really fun getting a viewpoint of some behind-the-meter technologies from the customer who operated them. It touched all the hot topics on the power grid from renewables to EVs to storage. The customer continues moving forward, and we need to be doing likewise!
Don’t Underestimate Wire Technology
There’s a way to add capacity and resolve aging infrastructure issues simultaneously.
There’s a great deal of work being done on the power delivery system to assist the world’s transitioning from fossil-fuels to clean energy. The grid needs modernization from its distribution networks to its bulk transmission systems. Worldwide, there are proposals to establish transmission corridors, refurbish distribution lines, and add overall system capacity. Exacerbating these challenges is the growing demand for more electricity worldwide, but the 800-pound gorilla in the room is the grid’s aging bulk transmission system.
When it comes to aging infrastructure, the power delivery system leads the pack. It has been identified as a major target for being overhauled and enhanced. Last year the IEA (International Energy Agency) released a report titled “Electricity Grids and Secure Energy Transitions.” It shocked readers by stating that the world needed to add or refurbish over 50 million miles (80 million km) of transmission lines by 2040 to meet decarbonization goals. The IEA report went on to say, “That is the equivalent of the entire existing global grid.”
Just thinking about building and/or refurbishing thousands of miles can be an intimidating responsibility. The IEA study isn’t the only attention-grabbing report that has been published lately on the necessity of improving the robustness of the world’s bulk transmission systems. Each study comes
with a slightly different approach, but the conclusions are pretty much the same. Something needs to be done to the overall bulk transmission system and it has to happen quickly. The IEA objective of 2040 has been met with skepticism on the part of utilities, ISOs (Independent System Operators), and RTOs (Regional Transmission Organizations) alike.
They understand that building a single large-scale, highvoltage transmission project can take over 10 years. Imagine the effect that multiple large-scale transmission projects taking place concurrently worldwide will have on the industry. Supply-chain issues alone would be insurmountable not to mention their cost. Wouldn’t it be amazing if there was a technology available that increases transmission capacity and modernizes the transmission infrastructure simultaneously?
Transfer Capacity
Well, it does, thanks to the advancements in wire technologies. Modern conductors have been developed to attain the maximum power capacity with the lowest sag and the most tensile strength. It’s called advanced conductor technology, but it covers many applications. The most interest for this discussion is the overhead conductor portion. They’re attracting the power delivery industry’s interest for both new construction and reconductoring projects. Since speed is a leading consideration, let’s focus on the reconductoring of existing transmission lines as our prime interest.
A few months ago, FERC (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission) issued its Order No. 1920, “Building for the Future Through Electric Regional Transmission Planning and Cost Allocation.” Order 1920 addresses many of the critical issues affecting the transmission grid. Basically, the approximately 1,300 page Order 1920 tackles the remedies for what FERC says are the deficiencies in the existing processes when it comes to planning, building and paying for transmission facilities needed for today and the future.
One of the more interesting reforms is alternative transmission technologies. Providers have to include these technologies when evaluating new regional transmission facilities and upgrades to existing facilities. Providers are defined as ISOs, RTOs, and utilities not included in ISOs or RTOs. It goes so far as to say that providers must explain why or why not these technologies were incorporated into the selected transmission facilities.
Linemen installing conductor. Photo courtesy of North American Lineman Training Center
Modern Material Science
The upgrades mentioned in Order 1920 also include reconductoring existing transmission. Logically advanced conductors should be the go-to technology when it comes to upgrading transmission facilities. Modern advanced conductors take advantage of the latest innovations for increasing the amount of power they can move to market. FERC says advanced conductors include, but are not limited to, “superconducting cables, advanced composite conductors, advanced steel cores, high temperature low-sag conductors, fiber optic temperature sensing conductors, and advanced overhead conductors.”
Let’s keep this discussion focused on advanced overhead conductors. That would allow an in-depth look at this wire technology. The recent study performed by the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) is a good place to start. It’s titled, “Advanced Conductor Scan Report,” and is available at INLs’ website for anyone interested.
Examining the INL report revealed some interesting details concerning these innovative wires. Many of the advanced conductors listed by INL should be familiar to readers. They include ACSR (Aluminum Conductor Steel Reinforced), AAC (All Aluminum Conductor), ACSS/TW (Aluminum Conductor Steel Supported), AAAC (All Aluminum Alloy Conductor) to name a few. There is, however, some controversy concerning them.
There are experts who contend that these conductors are no more than improved overhead conductors. Others say it’s all about cutting-edge material sciences improving modern conductors. FERC says it best, “Advanced conductors include present and future transmission line technologies whose power flow capacities exceed the power flow capacities of conventional aluminum conductor steel reinforced conductors,” and that seems adequate.
Dynamic Technologies
INL’s report stated, “A key characteristic of advanced conductors is their ability to withstand the high-conductor temperatures that occur when heavily loaded without excess thermal sag.” It also points out that reconductoring upgrades line performance at a much lower cost with less impact to communities than new construction and it’s much faster. This would be a good place to get an expert’s opinion on advanced conductors and all of the offshoots from this technological family tree. “Charging Ahead” contacted Daniel Berkowitz, Bekaert’s Strategic Market Manager to discuss this complex subject and get his viewpoint on advanced conductor technology and how familiar conductors like ACSR fit in the scheme of things.
Berkowitz began our discussion saying, “As you are aware, ACSR is a very generic term. The traditional ACSR/GA2 conductor is one with a standard zinc coating strength grade 2 steel core. It comes in various sizes and is great at being inexpensive and robust. This is what the grid is generally outfitted with. The advanced steel cores that we are developing can of course be used in either an ACSR or ACSS conductor. However, the conductor manufacturers tend to use the Bezinal
(95% Zinc, 5% Aluminum) coating with a strength grade 5 steel core (sometimes referred to as “ultra”) in the ACSS/TW/ MA5 conductor. Europe is already using even higher strength cores like strength grade 7 and 8 (“mega” and “giga” respectively). We achieve these strengths in part by adding more carbon content to the steel. This helps with the rated breaking strength of a conductor and allows the utility to string the conductor with more tension.”
Berkowitz explained, “One of the goals of the government’s transmission infrastructure modernization program is to add approximately 100,000 miles (160,935 km) in the next ten years or so. Given the problems with regulatory and permitting issues along with acquiring right-of-way, supply-chain issues, etc. that is a very ambitious goal. Reconductoring existing transmission lines, however, with advanced conductors can eliminate or shorten these concerns. Reconductoring utilizes the existing rights-of-way, and towers. Also, the majority of the other existing components are usable, all of which saves both time and money.”
Berkowitz continued, “Studies have been performed using a variety of advanced conductors replacing similar existing traditional conductors used on existing transmission lines. The results have been extremely positive. As an example, one case compared the replacement of an existing traditional ACSR conductor transmission line with an ACSS/TW (editor note - trapezoidal wire) advanced conductor. The ACSS/TW had a higher strength grade and an advanced metallic-coating. It was the same diameter as the original conductor. The results indicated the reconductored transmission line’s characteristics were improved and the capacity was increased by 218%. Tomorrow’s transmission grid has to have a higher efficiency than today’s system. Advanced conductors are one of the most cost effective and efficient tools in a utility’s toolbox.”
Holistic Approach
There’s an old folktale about how to eat an elephant. It says it’s done one bite at a time. That has to be the approach for adding or refurbishing 50 million miles (80 km) of transmission lines. Granted, building a new transmission line can be both time consuming and expensive, but it’s needed. And what about all the congested existing transmission lines? That has needs addressing too because new builds only go so far. Why not take a holistic approach?
In addition to new power lines, the reconductoring of existing transmission lines has to be included. It not only relieves the congestion, it provides a bigger bang for the buck! A high-performance, advanced conductor like the ACSS/ TW discussed in the example above, increased the capacity of that existing line by 218%. That is the equivalent capacity of two transmission lines in one right-of-way. In most cases reconductoring costs less than a third of new line construction and it can usually be accomplished in months rather than years. If dynamic line rating technology is added we get an additional 30% to 40% capacity. Wire technology is a win/win for both the distribution and transmission grid along with the providers and customers!
ENTERGY TEXAS ANNOUNCES RESILIENCY PLAN TO STRENGTHEN THE SOUTHEAST TEXAS POWER GRID
Entergy Texas has filed an application with the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC) for approval of Phase I of its comprehensive Texas Future Ready Resiliency Plan to protect the Southeast Texas power grid from extreme weather and improve service reliability.
The investments included in Phase I are expected to help customers by reducing future storm restoration costs by approximately $129 million and minimizing the duration of power outages following significant weather events by 4.5 billion minutes, over the next fifty years, upon receiving approval.
Phase I of the company’s Resiliency Plan is a multiyear proposal including six measures to prevent, withstand, and recover from damage imposed by significant storm events.
The accelerated hardening projects included in Phase I total a $335 million investment in the Southeast Texas power grid. Entergy Texas plans to seek $198 million in non-ERCOT grants from the Texas Energy Fund to help finance these projects and minimize the impact on monthly customer bills.
The company has also applied for federal dollars under the Department of Energy’s Grid Innovation and Resilience Partnerships program to invest more than $107 million to strengthen the Port Arthur grid, a portion of which would offset the cost of hardening projects included in Phase I. It also plans to study an expedited storm securitization process, which is expected to save customer expenditures over the long term as compared to traditional financing methods.
The efforts proposed in Entergy Texas’ Resiliency Plan are a key component of the company’s Southeast Texas Energy Plan. The initiative aims to add 1,600 MW of generation capacity to the Southeast Texas power grid by 2028 with affordable rates, building more generation, investing in a diverse mix of generation resources, and strengthening the grid to withstand extreme weather.
Photo courtesy of Entergy.
NEW YORK STATE AIMS FOR 6 GW OF ENERGY STORAGE BY 2030 IN NEW FRAMEWORK
The New York State Public Service Commission approved a plan for the state to achieve 6 GW of energy storage by 2030, which represents about 20 percent of the peak electricity load of New York State, according to a statement from the governor’s office.
The roadmap is a complete set of recommendations to expand New York’s energy storage programs to cost-effectively reveal the rapid growth of renewable energy across the state and bolster grid reliability and customer resilience. It will also support a buildout of storage deployments estimated to reduce projected future statewide electric system costs by nearly $2 billion, with benefits like improved public health due to reduced exposure to harmful fossil fuel pollutants.
The roadmap will initiate programs toward procuring an additional 4.7 GW of new storage projects across the bulk (large-scale), retail (community, commercial and industrial), and residential energy storage sectors in the State.
The future procurements, combined with the 1.3 GW of existing energy storage being procured or already under contract with the State and moving toward commercial operation, will allow the State to achieve the 6 GW goal by 2030.
Roadmap details include:
• 3,000 MW of new bulk storage, enough to power approximately one million homes for up to four hours, to be procured through a new competitive Index Storage Credit mechanism, which is anticipated to provide long-term certainty to projects while maximizing savings for consumers;
• 1,500 MW of new retail storage, enough to power approximately 500,000 homes for up to four hours, and 200 MW of new residential storage, enough to power 120,000 homes for up to two hours, to be supported through an expansion of NYSERDA’s existing region-specific block incentive programs;
• Utilization of at least 35 percent of program funding to support projects delivering benefits to Disadvantaged Communities (DACs) and targeting fossil fuel peaker plant emissions reductions, with program carve-outs for projects sited in the downstate region, given its high concentration of DACs and peaker plants;
• Requiring electric utilities to study the potential of high-value energy storage projects toward providing cost-effective transmission and distribution services
not currently available through existing markets;
• Continued prioritization by existing programs on investing in research and development related to reliable long-duration energy storage technologies; and
• Payment of prevailing wage as a programmatic requirement for energy storage projects with a capacity of 1 MW and above, demonstrating the state’s continued commitment to driving family-sustaining jobs in clean energy.
NEW YORK TRANSCO SUBMITS PROPOSALS TO DELIVER OFFSHORE WIND ENERGY TO NEW YORK CITY
New York Transco has submitted Energy Link NY electric transmission proposals to the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) for the delivery of energy from future offshore wind facilities to New Yorkers’ homes and businesses.
Energy Link NY proposed solution sets were developed in response to the NYISO’s New York City Offshore Wind Public Policy Transmission Need Project Solicitation (NYC PPTN). The proposed solutions include new underground and submarine electric transmission components that reflect innovation, area system expertise, and state-of- the-art technologies balanced
with community and environmental stewardship.
“Energy Link NY represents the best and the brightest in NY coming together to advance innovative transmission solutions that will help transition New York’s energy grid to a greener future and enhance the resilience of Downstate New York’s energy system,” said Victor Mullin, president of New York Transco. “These solutions represent decades of energy and utility area experience to deliver efficient, cost-effective solutions that reflect stakeholder feedback and minimizing local impacts, prioritizing community needs through design and construction, while planning for tomorrow’s decarbonized future.”
The Energy Link NY project will bring several benefits to New Yorkers, including:
Increased energy delivery capabilities to power over 4.5 million NYC area average homes, which will help meet the increasing demand from electrification requirements in the State’s Climate Leadership and Community Project Act and the City’s Climate Mobilization Act.
Enhanced reliability by creating new paths in the transmission network to deliver more clean energy to high-demand areas.
Improved resiliency to withstand the effects of climate change by strengthening the transmission system with state-of-the-art, modern, and durable infrastructure.
Creation of clean energy and construction jobs, engaging New Yorkers in advancing a clean energy economy.
The NYISO’s Project Solicitation calls for transmission proposals that would deliver a minimum of 4,770 megawatts of anticipated offshore wind generation into the New York City area (NYISO Zone J) by Jan. 31, 2033. The solicitation was in response to a New York State Public Service Commission (PSC) order issued on June 22, 2023, recognizing the need for transmission solutions to deliver offshore wind generation to New York City, in line with the clean energy goals outlined in the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA), which requires 9,000 MW of offshore wind generation by 2035.
Energy Link NY encompasses various transmission infrastructure components to accommodate the anticipated additional offshore wind generation and needed bulk transmission connections. Specific details regarding components, lines, and connections will be evaluated as part of NYISO’s assessment process. After a solution selection by the NYISO Board, the selected developer(s) will initiate permitting activities. Energy Link NY reflects early stakeholder consultations with federal, state and local
agencies to determine important criteria for siting and design. If selected, New York Transco will broaden consultation and public engagement activities to educate communities about the project
and solicit feedback for use during design and permitting phases. The Energy Link NY project team is committed to working with communities and stakeholders at every stage.
UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AND UNIVERSITY AT BUFFALO PARTNER TO DEVELOP AI MODEL TO PREVENT POWER OUTAGES
University of Texas at Dallas researchers have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) model to help electrical grids prevent power outages by automatically rerouting electricity in milliseconds.
The UT Dallas researchers, who collaborated with engineers at the University at Buffalo in New York, demonstrated the automated system in a study published online in Nature Communications. The work was supported by the U.S. Office of Naval Research and the National Science Foundation.
The study was built on a self-healing grid technology, which uses AI to detect and repair problems such as outages autonomously and without human intervention when issues occur, such as storm-damaged power lines. The researchers demonstrated that their solution is capable of automatically identifying alternative routes to transfer electricity to users before an outage occurs.
While AI can automatically reroute electrical flow in milliseconds, current human-controlled processes to determine alternate paths take longer duration.
Dr. Jie Zhang, associate professor of mechanical engineering in the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science and his colleagues used technology applying machine learning to graphs to map the
complex relationships between entities making up a power distribution network.
Graph machine learning involves describing a network’s topology, the way the various components are arranged in relation to each other and electricity movement through the system.
According to Dr. Yulia Gel, professor of mathematical sciences in the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, network topology is also important in applying AI to solve problems in other complex systems, such as critical infrastructure and ecosystems.
Led by co-corresponding author
Dr. Souma Chowdhury, associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, University at Buffalo researchers focused on the reinforcement learning aspect of the project.
Roshni Anna Jacob, a UTD electrical engineering doctoral student and the paper’s co-first author stated that the system is able to reconfigure using switches and draw power from available sources in close proximity, such as from large-scale solar panels or batteries on a university campus or business, if electricity is blocked due to line faults.
The researchers will also aim to develop similar technology to repair and restore the grid after a power disruption.
From left: Dr. Yulia Gel, Dr. Jie Zhang and electrical engineering doctoral student Roshni Anna Jacob demonstrated that their artificial intelligence system can automatically identify alternative power routes and then transfer electricity to users within milliseconds before an outage occurs.
Photo courtesy of The University of Texas at Dallas.
Transmission lines connecting the Isle of Skye with mainland Scotland. SSEN Transmission plans to install bird diverters using robots and drones at this power connection.
Photo courtesy of SSEN Transmission.
A combination of drones, robots and specially designed visual signals can divert birds from Scottish power lines.
By LEWIS BATES, SSEN
Keeping animal life and transmission and distribution equipment separate is in everyone’s best interest, from the engineers and electricity customers to the animals themselves.
Scottish & Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) Transmission, which is responsible for the transmission grid in the northern parts of Scotland, maintains a network of 132kV, 220kV, 275kV and 400kV transmission lines as well as underground and subsea cables and associated substations. SSEN Transmission works closely with National Grid ESO, which operates Great Britain’s power grid.
Producing more than 9 GW of renewables and another 40 GW planned, Scotland is a net exporter of renewable energy and a green power laboratory of sorts, with offshore wind as well as wave and tidal generators being tested off Scotland’s shores. About two-thirds of the power generated in SSEN Transmission’s network is transmitted to load centers in the south.
Operating as a natural monopoly, SSEN Transmission is regulated by the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets, or Ofgem, which has the power to decide how much
revenue SSEN is allowed to take in and invest in boosting the power grid.
Protecting Birds and Grids
And with the goal of net zero carbon by 2030, SSEN Transmission has a twin responsibility: To keep power lines safe from animals and vice versa. Birds are a
particularly major concern due to the substantial risks they pose to the grid, from hazardous nesting to unsafe perching to fatal power line collisions.
In 2022 at its Alyth Substation, the grid operator built nesting platforms for a mated pair of ospreys migrating from Africa. This operation was a success as the
Bird Diversion Installation Technology
FulcrumAir’s LineFly drone and robot technology
The LineFly is placed on the overhead wire with either Fulcrum’s E2500 heavy lift drones or a bucket truck from every second structure, according to FulcrumAir.
• Weight: 22.5 lbs.
• Dimensions: L= 41.3”, W=28.4”, H=32.75”
• Can be loaded with 12 bird diverters at a time.
• BFD Spacing: Any spacing specified by customer with accurate placement (+/- 2”)
• Maximum Wire Slope: 20°
• Wire Diameter: 0.25” to 0.68” & 0.69” to 1.05”
• Weather Conditions: 14° F to +112° F
• Time to Install 12 BFDs: Already on the line: 2 minutes. Starting from the ground: 10 to 12 minutes
• The LineFly installs Power Line Sentry’s Hawk Eye Bird Flight Diverters at a recommended meter spacing.
• FulcrumAir’s technology can install around
500 Hawk Eye diverters per day, with GPS coordinates recorded.
• Assuming good operating conditions, the LineFly can install 400 BFDs per day.
• The installation with drone and robot can be done on energized lines and requires no human workers to be nearby.
FulcrumAir E2500 Heavy Lift Drones
• Four-bladed electric multi rotor drone.
• Weight: Under 53 lbs, including camera and battery pack.
• Top speed of 80km/h.
• Dimensions: 47.2” x 47.2
• Carrying Capacity: 121.25 lbs
• Uses: Construction, Agriculture, Law Enforcement
• Modular construction allows the drone to be carried in a small container after disassembling into four units.
Power Line Sentry’s Hawk Eye Bird Flight Diverters (BFD-050 or BFD-075)
• Shape provides visibility to birds from all angles.
• Highly reflective, high-visibility fluorescent yellow bands, plus a 24-hour glow band that illuminates all night.
• Rubber hose cradles the conductor wire without damaging OPGW.
• No mechanical components that could potentially fail.
• Rated for systems up to 345 kV.
• Quick installing with zero downtime when installed with the LineFly robot system or a hot stick.
• Visible in low light or foggy conditions, as most birds are killed during these inclement weather conditions.
• Constructed from flame retardant material.
A bird diverter on a line during the day. The diverters were designed with the help of bird biologists to make sure they offer birds a visual cue to change their flight path from any angle, regardless of time of day or weather. (Inset) A bird diverter reflecting light at night. Photos by Power Line Sentry.
raptors were able to mate, hatch and raise healthy chicks, each of whom made the trip back south. The raptors have since been spotted roosting atop one of SSEN Transmissions 48-meter high transmission pylons during a regular maintenance check. By providing them with an alternate nesting space, SSEN prevented contact between birds and T&D equipment that neither the birds nor the power grid would have benefitted from. This is one way to divert birds away from potentially hazardous power equipment.
Additionally, as this net zero carbon goal nears and the need for additional powerlines through sensitive avian habitat increases, SSEN has set a new target to install the bird flight diverter with the most contrasting shape and design in order to enhance visibility and prevent fatal collisions.
Diverting Birds Safely
Another way to keep birds and T&D equipment safe from one another is to provide a visual warning that allows a bird to alter its flight path and avoid
During tests at the Keltbray training yards, the rotor-powered drone was able to lift the robot and maneuver them into place on earth wires in about a minute and a half, or about 500 per day, including recording the positions of the diverters using GPS.
danger. Birds often find power lines an attractive place to perch or an obstacle to their flight paths. Keeping birds and power lines separate is in everyone’s best interest. Bird flight diverters are simple
The bad news: Wildfires are increasing in number and intensity. The good news: Ductile iron poles provide a fireproof, heat-resistant solution for replacing existing lines or expanding service.
Ductile iron is one of the best solutions for line hardening, which can minimize damage to your system and reduce the risk that one of your downed lines is the culprit.
To learn more about how ductile iron can help utilities harden their grid and prevent millions of dollars in damage, visit www.mcwanepoles.com.
devices that can give birds a visual cue to avoid power lines by making the lines more visually conspicuous.
In a search for the highest contrasting diverter, SSEN Transmission found
Colorado-based Power Line Sentry, a wildlife mitigation firm, who worked with bird ophthalmologists to develop today’s Hawk Eye BFD. This diverter is unique among marker options with its high visibility features. The Hawk Eye has an A-frame tent shape, contrasting prismatic colors and 24-hour rated glow in the dark bands, it offers a movement effect without mechanical components or line slippage, it provides low wind and ice loads, and is rated for systems up to 345kV with no corona, and it can be safely installed with the FulcrumAir LineFly robot. All vital characteristics for diverting birds away from powerlines, and for a safe and efficient installation.
Working together with SSEN Transmission, FulcrumAir and Power Line
Sentry’s technology made the bird diversion concept work.
FulcrumAir creates and manufactures unique drones and robots and in 2020 they designed the LineFly to install North America’s favored diverter: the Power Line Sentry Hawk Eye BFD. The installation process is straightforward, safe and efficient: their powerful heavylift E2500 drone lifts the LineFly robot, stocked with Hawk Eye BFDs, onto the line and installs full spans of the BFDs in sequence, automatically, while being controlled by FulcrumAir’s operators from the ground.
Safety and Efficiency
SSEN Transmission had the goal to combine effective avian protection, safe installation, and no network downtime. The combined robot and drone solution practiced by FulcrumAir and Power Line Sentry met all three of these requirements. The LineFly robot places full spans of Hawk Eye bird flight diverters in about a minute and a half, and can operate on ground or shield wires with transmission lines energized, or directly on energized distribution lines.
More orthodox methods of placing diverters on lines would use elevated work platforms and line workers with hot sticks — thus introducing safety risks. Drones and robots can do their work without requiring any people to work at height. This opens up maintenance crews to larger time windows, more access to remote areas or harsh environments as well as an efficient workflow.
Robot Capabilities
The robot is also capable of Hawk Eye BFD removal, a skill requested by SSEN’s engineering team. FulcrumAir’s technology can install around 500 Hawk Eye diverters per day, with GPS coordinates recorded.
Crews with Fulcrum Air load up the Linefly. Photos by Power Line Sentry.
Fulcrum Air’s technology can install around 500 Hawk Eye diverters per day at our recommended meter spacing, with GPS coordinates recorded.
Fulcrum Air’s Linefly drones lift the Power Line Sentry robots into place, which in turn place the diverters.
This streamlined installation, removal and maintenance process offers a 100% reduction in safety risk and is more timeand cost-efficient than current methods.
SSEN Transmission tested this bird diversion and the deployment application at a recent demonstration day. The grid operator plans to pilot the technology fully at the proposed Skye Reinforcement Overhead Line project, which begins construction in 2025.
Future Uses
The Skye Reinforcement project is meant to replace a transmission line built from 1956 to 1989, which is nearing the end of its operational life. The replacement is essential to maintain security of supply to homes and businesses along its route, as well as to the Western Isles which is supplied by two subsea cables from the north of the Isle of Skye. Due to recent development of new sources of renewable energy on Skye, there is demand to connect that capacity, which requires an increase in capacity of the overhead line. Furthermore, integrating new sources of renewables is a cornerstone of the government’s net
This streamlined installation, removal and
maintenance process offers a 100% reduction in safety risk and is more time- and cost-efficient than current
methods.
zero climate change targets, in support of moving to net zero power grid emissions.
Project partners are drawing up proposals to reinforce the high voltage power grid from Ardmore on the Isle of Skye to Fort Augustus, located in the Inverness
area on the southern end of Loch Ness. The 132 kV overhead line that currently connects these two communities is the only connection from the mainland power grid to the Isle of Skye and the Western Isles. According to studies, the section of overhead line between Quoich substation and Ardmore substation needs to be rebuilt, and the existing line would be best removed on completion of the new line.
SSEN Transmission has made biodiversity commitments on all of its projects, introducing a policy of no-net-loss in biodiversity on all projects gaining consent from 2020, and biodiversity net gain on all new projects from 2025. This means teams will leave the environment no worse than when they found it, and where possible making it even better, leaving a positive environmental legacy at all SSEN Transmission sites.
LEWIS BATES is based in Inverness, Scotland, and is an assistant overhead line project engineer at SSEN. He led the Innovation Committee and the charge for sourcing the industry’s safest and most efficient bird flight diverter installation and removal in the name of effective avian protection.
Nordic’s Home for Fiber Enclosures
● Nordic’s PSP-151530-MG-CB-FIBER pedestal is the enclosure for a fiber optic enclosure.
●Lockable & Removable lid allows open access foreasytrainingoffiber strands inside the flared base.
●Pedestal’s built-in mounting bracket makes it easy to attach the fiber optic enclosure.
●Large expansive interior cavity for easy fiber enclosure installation.
●Accommodates a variety of fiber enclosures
●The word “FIBER” is imprinted on the top lid.
●*Hand holes available for other fiber applications.
Common Distribution System Upgrades, Part II
In part II of this series on the customer DER interconnection process, Ameren Illinois looks at reverse power flow.
By BRAD BARNES and EDDIE CREIGHTON, Ameren Illinois
In the March 2024 issue of T&D World, Ameren Illinois shared valuable lessons learned from its distribution energy resources enablement (see Consider A Customer DER Interconnection Process article). One takeaway was even interconnections that appear straightforward can become a challenge. Part II of this series explores the four system impacts Ameren Illinois considers when generation is being connected to its distribution system.
When a utility’s customers want to connect their renewable generation system, like solar, to the utility’s electric distribution system, an interconnection study is usually the first step in maintaining safe and reliable operation of the grid. This review may take several different forms — ranging from a simple set of screening questions (for example, to determine whether a residential customer’s rooftop solar installation will cause impacts to their service equipment) to a complex N-1 contingency study on the sub-transmission system (for example, to measure the impact of a megawatt-scale distributed energy resource system).
The interconnection process is a safeguard that prevents reverse power flow on systems designed for one-directional power flow, as well as the opportunity to identify and address voltage and thermal loading violations. In Illinois, the interconnection process for regulated utilities is governed and driven by the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) and Illinois Administrative Code, specifically parts 466 and 467. The Admin Code, as it is commonly referenced, defines the interconnection process for each project based on the size of the generation system proposed in the application.
Smaller systems (residential and small commercial) are screened using a simple set of review questions that mostly focus on ensuring service equipment is adequate to serve the customer’s proposed generation. Larger solar projects typically are reviewed using a model of the distribution system, investigating for potential grid impacts resulting from the distributed energy resource (DER) interconnection. If distribution system modifications are
Bank of three single-phase oil-circuit reclosers (OCRs). This type of protective device does not have an adjustable reclose timing and is subject to timing variability from age and weather conditions. These devices can be replaced with electronically controlled devices if there is the potential for reverse power flow to occur.
Photos courtesy of Ameren.
When a utility’s customers want to connect their renewable generation system, like solar, to the utility’s electric distribution system, an interconnection study is usually the first step in maintaining safe and reliable operation of the grid.
identified during this study, then the interconnection customer must cover the expenses incurred by the utility to modify the grid and enable the generation to connect in a safe and reliable manner.
System Impacts
Ameren Illinois considers four system impacts when generation is being connected to its distribution system. The first is thermal loading, a constraint that utilities must also consider for load. The only difference is generation would have the potential to cause an overload in the reverse power flow direction. For solar, this is most likely to occur when system loading conditions are low but solar output is near its peak. This analysis relies on the use of minimum circuit loading data that utilities did not need to track at such a granular level before parallel generation sources became common.
The next constraint is voltage — more specifically, overvoltage from parallel generation sources injecting power to the distribution system. For many years, power flow on the distribution system was one directional. As more distributed generation is served on the wholesale grid, this two-way flow must be managed. Power exported to the grid from a generation source typically will cause a rise in voltage at the point of interconnection. In some cases, this increase leads to high voltage for both interconnection customers and non-generation customers located near the generation.
A separate but related impact of these DERs is voltage fluctuations from output variations that are uncommon in dispatchable
generation facilities. The output from solar generation is intermittent — that is, the sun does not always shine. This makes the generation source both unpredictable and uncontrollable. These voltage impacts must be identified to avoid passing grid costs incurred by parallel generation interconnections to the rate base.
The final issue to consider is the potential for reverse power flow through devices on the system that were not designed or intended for this condition. Protective devices in this category include breakers with electromechanical relaying and hydraulic reclosers. These devices are mechanically controlled and the
Renewable generation projects often necessitate the construction of interconnection facilities at the point of interconnection.
reclose delay on such devices is variable due to ambient conditions. Relay-controlled devices may be able to be retrofitted with modern relaying to address reverse power flow, but often the protective devices need to be upgraded to modern electronically controlled devices. This is to ensure a recloser does not open and reclose before an inverter is able to detect a loss of utility power and cease generation, which could cause the two power sources to be out of phase.
Unintentional Islanding
In addition to replacing the relaying that controls protective devices, sometimes additional protective schemes are needed to prevent unintentional islanding. This may include additional metering inside the substation to allow relays to sense and react to the presence of generation and can be used to facilitate direct-transfer trip (DTT) to large distribution voltage direct interconnections. DTT is a high-speed communication and protection function initiated by a protective relay device upstream of any generation. When the device trips to clear a fault, it sends a signal to the protective device at the point of interconnection that will cause the device to open. The intent of DTT is to rapidly disconnect the generation from utility system faults, so it does not cause any unexpected impacts (such as overvoltage or islanding) to the other customers connected to that circuit.
Voltage regulation devices, including substation transformer load-tap changers, are also subject to reverse power flow concerns. Some of these devices are not designed to regulate voltage bidirectionally. In many cases, this can be rectified through a
Vacuum bottle substation recloser equipped with electronic relaying. This type of device would typically be installed to replace incompatible substation protective devices.
Voltage regulators and their controls.
settings adjustment to the existing device, but in other cases, this requires either replacement of the controller or the device.
Generation Metering
collaboratively with customers and various teams within the utility. He received his BSEE degree from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in 1988.
Renewable generation projects often necessitate the construction of interconnection facilities at the point of interconnection. The type of interconnection equipment depends on the size of the project. Smaller residential customer systems often connect with no additional interconnection facilities, while larger behind-themeter systems require generation metering. This metering measures the generation output. The resulting data, combined with revenue meter data, is used to identify the full site load critical for system planning. This meter also includes real-time communications with the utility’s supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system to provide system operators visibility and enable distribution automation schemes to account for behindthe-meter generation when performing self-healing switching operations.
Some renewable generation systems connect directly to the distribution system at medium or high distribution voltage (from 4.16 kV to 69 kV line to line). These interconnections require a protective device at the point of interconnection, which serves multiple functions. The protective device is connected to SCADA and can provide real-time voltage and power flow at the point of interconnection. The SCADA functionality of the device also enables distribution operators to temporarily disconnect large generation facilities during switching events or for outage restoration as needed to maintain grid stability and safe working conditions for electrical workers. At Ameren Illinois, this device is used to facilitate DTT functionality, which provides additional safeguarding against an unintentional island when an upstream device trips to clear a fault.
As DER penetration continues to increase on the distribution system, these types of devices will become commonplace in most substations as older devices are replaced. Until then, this type of work will be a prevalent component of DER interconnection projects.
BRAD BARNES is a consulting engineer with Ameren Illinois. He started his career with Ameren Illinois in 2018, leading smart grid technology research efforts at the Ameren Illinois Technology Applications Center. Barnes transitioned to the Ameren Illinois DER integration team in 2021 and now works to continuously improve the DER interconnection process by working
EDDIE CREIGHTON is an electrical engineer on Ameren Illinois’ clean energy transition team. He works with engineers and DER developers to facilitate DER interconnections on a daily basis. Much of this includes leading the efforts to update interconnection standards, policies and procedures. Prior to this role, Creighton served almost five years as a distribution planning and operations engineer. Among other duties, he performed dozens of interconnection studies to facilitate the Illinois Renewable Energy Credit lottery, studied the impacts of parallel generation on load forecasts, and worked with customers and developers to commission several customer-owned solar fields. Creighton received a BSEE degree from Clemson University in 2015.
THE POWER OF PEOPLE
EXCEPTIONAL PEOPLE PROVIDING SAFE AND RELIABLE VEGETATION MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS.
Building the Georgia Grid for a Growing State
Georgia Power strengthens reliability for customers with continued investments resulting in fewer power outages and quicker restoration times
By CLEVE FANN, Georgia Power
Georgia Power understands the importance of reliability for every customer and shares a commitment to working safely around the clock, and across the state, to deliver the power that our customers require. As we continue to upgrade our state’s power grid, we’re making purposeful investments using a data-driven approach, and increasingly incorporating automated technology that helps our electric system better respond not only during storms, but every day.
Part of our commitment to building the future of energy is making valuable investments in Georgia’s energy grid to make it stronger and more resilient for our customers. Over the past 10 years, we have invested more than $10 billion in strengthening the power grid through programs and initiatives approved by the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC). Georgia Power continued this ongoing work on projects throughout Georgia communities in 2023 resulting in a strong year for reliability performance.
Reliability is measured in two ways: frequency of service interruptions, or “System Average Interruption Frequency Index” (SAIFI), and duration of service interruption, or “System Average Interruption Duration Index” (SAIDI). Last year, Georgia Power’s SAIFI score was among the best in the company’s history, with customers experiencing an average of 15% fewer power outages than the previous year. Additionally, when customers did experience power outages, restoration times were approximately 27 minutes faster than the previous year. This duration measurement, or SAIDI value, was one of the best performances in recent years.
Investing in a Stronger Grid
Our grid is stronger and more resilient in part due to our multi-year Grid Investment Program, which has resulted in an up to 50% improvement in reliability for some customers. During the first phase (2020 – 2022) of the multiyear Grid
Crews install a new, more resilient transmission pole in Albany. Georgians benefit from an integrated transmission system that includes nearly 20,000 miles of high-voltage power lines used by all the state’s power companies to deliver energy from power generation sources to customers. As Georgia continues to grow, the company invests in this system to help keep reliability high for every Georgian year-round.
Photos courtesy of Georgia Power.
Investment Program, Georgia Power invested approximately $1.4 billion. This investment allowed the company to replace approximately 4,450 transformers, install about 1,450 smart devices, improve more than 20 substations and place over 350 miles of power lines underground, enhancing service for more than a quarter million customers across the state. Phase Two is currently underway beginning in 2023 and continuing through the end of 2025.
The Grid Investment Program targets underperforming circuits and takes the most reasonable approach to improving reliability using a cost-benefit analysis. This analysis determines that a system wide SAIDI score of 80 provided the most reliability improvement for the least cost to our customers, and the Grid Investment Program aims to achieve this. This is important because we keep the customer at center of all we do and that’s one reason why affordability is central to our planning. We work hard to deliver the most reliable service for the lowest total cost to our customers. The program aims to improve our system wide SAIDI while keeping customer bills affordable.
Crews place power lines underground in North Georgia where ice, snow and high winds during winter storms impact overhead lines. Placing power lines underground makes the grid more resilient because they’re less vulnerable to storms and wind, but it’s not fault proof. In areas prone to flooding, traffic accidents, digging, root vegetation, and other underground activity, it’s not always an option.
An Eye on the Grid
Throughout the state, Georgia Power analyzes its system of 38,000 miles of distribution lines and 12,000 miles of transmission lines and based on historical outage data and in the case of transmission, the age of the assets, selects the lowest performing circuits
and substations for investment. Each specific circuit’s outage data is analyzed to determine the cause of outages, and the type of investment is based on this. For example, if car accidents repeatedly break power poles causing the main source of outages in the area, the investment type might include undergrounding or relocating the pole. The cause of outages on another circuit might show that strengthening the line or adding a smart device would be the best investment to make.
High service reliability in 2023 was driven, in large part, by the continued installation of smart, automated devices throughout the power grid, making it a “self-healing” network. Last year alone, crews installed more than 1,000 automated devices across the state, which can be controlled remotely. This technology allows Georgia Power’s operations team to reroute power and segment a power line, which isolates issues and results in fewer customers affected by an outage, and faster restoration for others.
Our self-healing energy grid provides fault detection sensors and monitoring devices at various points to de -
spreading further and causing more extensive outages. After isolating the fault, the system automatically restores power to as many customers as possible by rerouting electricity through alternative paths. All of these processes are automated and controlled by advanced algorithms and software systems, minimizing the need for human intervention and speeding up response times.
Boosting Reliability
In addition to installing smart technology, Georgia Power’s ongoing investments in the grid in recent years include upgrading or rebuilding transmission lines and dozens of substations across Georgia for safe and reliable power delivery to homes and businesses; relocation of hundreds of miles of power lines underground, where it made the most impact; and improvement or installation of tens of thousands of power poles. All this infrastructure works together to improve reliability through a stronger and more resilient power grid and helped deliver last year’s high reliability.
Georgia Power replaces over 20,000 poles every year that are damaged or identified through an inspection program. Pole replacements, such as this one, are just one of many programs Georgia Power uses to improve power system reliability and keep customers’ lights on. This program allows the company to replace poles without disrupting service to customers.
Georgia Power’s Distribution Control Center monitors smart devices and other technology allowing for greater visibility and enhancement of the self-healing network that’s designed to respond to power outages automatically and remotely, without having to roll a truck. More than 60% of the company’s distribution grid can now be considered “self-healing,” helping avoid thousands of power outages each year.
Georgia benefits from an integrated transmission system that includes nearly 20,000 miles of high-voltage power lines used by all of this state’s power companies to deliver energy from power generation sources to customers. As our state continues to grow, we’re investing in this system to help keep reliability high for every Georgian year-round.
Working in concert with the transmission and distribution network is Georgia Power’s diverse mix of generation resources, which also plays an essential role in providing reliable electric service to customers. In 2023, our generation fleet helped keep reliability high with experienced teams at hydro, natural gas, nuclear and coal-fired generation plants managing plant operations and maintenance activities at a level of excellence well above industry standards. Non-nuclear generation assets measure reliability with plant outage rate or “equivalent forced outage rate” (EFOR). Last year, Georgia Power’s EFOR score was among the best in company history and among the best in the industry, with an outage rate of 1.49%. We also continue to add renewable energy and battery energy storage to our generation mix, with reliability at the center of our planning process, and our existing solar generation performing strongly as well in 2023.
Additionally, Georgia Power’s focus on reliability is important for businesses that grow and expand in state. Georgia is growing at a rapid pace. Many businesses coming to the state are bringing large electrical demands at both a record scale and velocity. Recent energy projections from Georgia Power reflect energy growth of approximately 6,600 MW through 2031, and that’s up from approximately 400 MW previously forecasted in January 2022.
Georgia on the Grow
We are working with the PSC as we plan to serve the added demand for electricity resulting from Georgia’s strong and growing economy. The state is experiencing new and expanding economic activity across several industries, including automotive, electric transportation manufacturing, technology, clean energy manufacturing (i.e., solar panels), agriculture and aerospace all of which are contributing to the load growth. We plan and build our system to serve our customers with clean, safe, reliable, and affordable energy. We view this as an opportunity for our state to further demonstrate that Georgia is open and ready for business.
Additionally, when extreme heat or cold, like we saw with Winter Storm Heather, drives increased demand for electricity, our Generation teams are at work 24/7 in Georgia’s power plants. We’re proud of the performance of our fleet last year and thank our team for their continued focus on reliability,
High service reliability in 2023 was driven, in large part, by the continued installation of smart, automated devices throughout the power grid. Last year alone, Georgia Power crews installed more than 1,000 automated devices across the state, which can be controlled remotely. Here, crews install a smart recloser device in Savannah, which helps prevent power outages, and when interruptions occur, they can help restore power faster.
as well as affordability by keeping production costs as low as possible for customers.
Georgia Power continues to invest in a stronger and more resilient power grid through our successful multi-year Grid Investment Program, which has already resulted in an up to 50% improvement in reliability for some customers, expansion of self-healing networks, industry-leading operations and maintenance of our diverse generating fleet and the successful completion of the first two nuclear units in a generation. As this work progresses, the company aims to deliver even more reliable energy for customers in the coming years.
CLEVE FANN serves as the vice president of Strategy and Support. In this role, he is responsible for leading the team working directly with strategic development and execution of capital programs, implementing best practices and identifying innovative processes for the grid investment plan, stakeholder engagement, forestry and right-ofway, customer operations, capital governance and budget oversight. Additionally, he is responsible for shaping and overseeing our industry-leading storm center team.
Editors’ Note: Georgia Power is the largest subsidiary of Southern Co., which will host the 2024 T&D World Live Conference and Exhibition on Oct. 1-3, in Atlanta, Georgia. Visit https://events. tdworld.com/2024 to register and check out the technical program.
Communications Transformation
Building upon a successful smart grid grant project, Glendale Water and Power Department continues to upgrade its utility-owned communications network.
By STEPHEN KIM, Glendale Water & Power; and DORN HETZEL, FIONAN BURKE and ERIC BAYER, Hitachi Energy
California’s Glendale Water and Power Department (GWP) has a nearly century-long history of supplying power and water to its citizens. A municipally owned utility serving over 93,000 electric and 34,000 water customers, the utility emphasizes high reliability and embraces new technologies – especially for grid modernization and customer satisfaction. In recent years, updates to GWP’s grid and communications systems have been a top priority, with increased urban growth driving the need for increased connectivity to more remote locations.
Growing Pains
In October 2009, GWP received a U.S. Department of Energy Smart Grid Investment Grant funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. With this $20 million grant (part of overall project funding of $51 million), GWP and Itron installed smart water and electric meters across the network to modernize its power and water systems. By the time the project wrapped up in September 2011, the utility had also added water leak detection, electrical sensors, a meter data management system, customer-facing web portals and reclosers to support distribution automation (DA). The project
covered GWP’s entire 120,000-customer service territory. After modernizing the GWP grid using Tropos broadband mesh routers, the network quickly and consistently sent large volumes of data across the GWP grid, delivering end-point performance of up to 15 MB/sec. According to Itron, GWP was the first utility in the nation to apply for and acquire Department of Energy American Reinvestment and Recovery Act funding, and it is also one of the first to put those funds fully in to use
Over the past decade, urban population and economic growth, changes in foliage, technological advances, and increased data use combined to create even greater demand for grid reliability , increased capacity, and reduced latency. A larger population meant more remote end-point locations. These remote end-point locations required multiple hops from GWP’s Operations Center, adding congestion to the network. GWP’s operators recognized that the communications system needed to be upgraded as part of grid modernization.
A Hybrid Approach
GWP needed a comprehensive, cost-effective solution to account for increased throughput requirements, vegetation
Glendale, California. GWP’s communication system for its smart grid is a wireless broadband mesh network, which the utility owns and operates.
Photos courtesy of Glendale Water and Power Department.
growth and urban development. So the utility sought advice from its vendors.
Suggestions ranged from upgrading the metering system and adding more LTE gateways, but the performance of this upgrade was 750 KB/sec to 1 MB/second or selectively adding hybrid LTE routers in areas where communication performance was inadequate. After a detailed analysis, GWP partnered with Hitachi Energy to implement a hybrid solution to resolve operational communication challenges at the optimal cost/benefit.
Hybrid Mesh Integration
GWP’s communication system for its smart grid is a wireless broadband mesh network, which the utility owns and operates. It is based on open standards such as 802.11 and Internet Protocol. Hitachi Energy leveraged hybrid Tropos/LTE routers to add gateway backhaul locations where fiber was not cost-effective or in areas needing upgraded communication throughput. The solution met the physical challenges of steep terrain, heavy vegetation and new multi-story buildings.
The collaboration between Hitachi Energy and GWP led to the development of a Hybrid LTE design using GWP’s existing broadband mesh and leveraging the LTE capabilities of Hitachi Energy’s TRO620 router to add remote backhaul gateways. The remote gateways could then add increased capacity, performance, and resiliency.
The current mesh deployment includes 382 routers to connect the following:
GWP needed a comprehensive, cost-effective solution to account for increased throughput requirements, vegetation growth and urban development.
• 170 Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) devices covering backhaul, meter readings, and disconnection/ reconnection.
• 6 devices for capacitor banks.
• 32 devices for reclosers.
• 45 devices for the PLC used to monitor and control water tank pumps.
GWP conducted initial testing for LTE connectivity from remote locations used as backhaul gateways. By adding two TRO620 Hybrid Tropos/LTE routers, encrypted data was passed through an IPsec tunnel over non-private infrastructure, creating a ‘virtual fiber cable’ between the two routers.
Virtual Fiber
GWP placed one TRO620 router at the lower-performing network edge before connecting it to GWP’s broadband mesh network. The second TRO620 unit was installed at a substation, leveraging existing fiber cable to create a virtual connection to the Glendale Wide Area Network (WAN). These changes significantly improved Glendale’s network
connectivity performance to over 5 MB/second in the low-performing locations.
This virtual fiber connection has proven to have multiple operational benefits.
Four additional remote links were added to GWP’s system, and future connections will likely follow a similar hybrid mesh integration model. This enables GWP to establish flexible communications networks, deploying fiber where needed while leveraging broadband mesh to legacy devices to extend network lifespan and reduce CapEx and OpEx.
GWP and Hitachi Energy’s hybrid router collaboration enables continual, cost-effective improvements to GWP’s existing network, supporting the performance required by multiple smart grid applications. Hitachi Energy’s TRO620 router supports legacy technology and prevents stranding previously deployed assets. The ability to seamlessly install and implement a solution within days without compromising network availability is critical for GWP to support future growth.
Glendale will expand the use of the hybrid LTE gateway for capacity injection and performance improvement. By the end of 2024, Glendale plans to phase in the installation of the TRO670 to replace older Tropos routers. The TRO670 is an external mount cellular/ hybrid router designed for harsh outdoor environments.
Its design will provide Glendale with short- and long-term cost advantages in the following ways:
• Reduced installation costs because of its ready-to-mount & ready-to-wire design, requiring no holes or external antenna drilling.
Utility crews perform installation work on a distribution line.
Sending encrypted data through an IPsec tunnel to increase network performance at the edge.
Remote endpoint locations experiencing loss of data before capacity injection
• Provide power and swappable battery backup to other radios or end-point devices.
• Optimize the use of pole real estate by allowing consolidation with other wireless devices in a prebuilt enclosure, e.g., 3rd party AMI collector radios.
• Support a phased implementation of new devices that will work in concert with the existing ones, allowing GWP to upgrade performance and leverage the interoperability of the 802.11-based network.
• Minimize OpEx through the selective use of LTE where needed.
• Unify the network management system of private broadband mesh and LTE devices with a single FCAPS (Fault, Configuration, Accounting, Performance, and Security) solution.
Glendale realizes that there is no single solution that supports every application, but by using a solution that incorporates an expandable range of communication technologies, GWP can cost-effectively future-proof their network and improve reliability that will support multiple applications required for all GWP’s grid modernization projects.
DORN HETZEL, Senior Technical Consultant, Hitachi Energy, is a Senior Technical Consultant at Hitachi Energy. Prior to joining the company in 2012, Dorn had an extensive career in software and systems engineering, including positions with Georgia Tech, Digital Equipment, Control Data, and Ricochet Networks. Dorn has honed his expertise in network and software architecture, as well as software archaeology, with
over 40 years of experience in software design and development and more than 25 years in network architecture and engineering, in addition to founding the first commercial ISP in Georgia, Internet Atlanta, in 1992.
FIONAN BURKE, Technical Sales Engineer, Hitachi Energy, has over 20 years of experience in Networking and Telecommunications, from Triple Play over Fiber and Copper to Wireless Communications for Electrical Utilities and the Oil and Gas industry. In his current role Fionan is leveraging his expertise in Falling Conductor and Protective Relay applications. Fionan received his BA Degree 1991 in Business Administration from Trinity College, University of Dublin, Ireland.
STEPHEN KIM, Senior IT Application Specialist, Glendale Water & Power, is a Senior IT Application Specialist at Glendale Water & Power. His work involves managing Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) applications and servers which include the backhaul (AMI network, SCADA Network, Hitachi Energy Tropos routers (Hybrid Mesh network), etc.) Stephen joined the company in 2012 and holds Masters of Public Administration from California State University, Northridge and a BA from California State University, Fullerton.
ERIC BAYER is a Director at Hitachi Energy. Eric joined the company in 2017 after over 20 years in the technology industry working with utility-focused design and engineering tools from Intergraph and Autodesk. Recognized in the GIS, civil, and utility industries as a technologist, Eric excels in supporting projects including drone assessments, outage management, substation design, distribution design and cloudbased applications for fleet and project management. Now, with the proliferation of smart devices Eric has turned his focus to wireless communications infrastructure as an enabling technology for a smarter grid.
P HASE T RAKKER J R +
The most advanced, user-friendly Phase Identification system available, the PhaseTrakker Jr+ is the essential tool for identifying phase and phase angle on overhead, underground and substation assets. Works indoors or outdoors, 0.5V - 500kV, or 10A - 600A.
Energized by Innovation: 2024 Southeastern Electric Exchange
Dallas, Texas, welcomes this year’s S.E.E. annual conference and trade show.
By JEFF POSTELWAIT, Managing Editor
Texas, now the eighth largest economy in the world according to some counts, was the venue for the 2024 Southeastern Electric Exchange. It was a fitting host for this organization of investor-owned electric utility companies. In 2023, Texas produced more electricity than any other state and generated more than twice as much as second-place Florida. Texas accounted for 13% of the nation’s total electricity net generation in 2023.
The general session kicked off the conference on June 26, with a host company welcome from Jim Greer, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Oncor; and then a lively panel on industry challenges and innovative solutions featuring Emily Henson of Duke Energy; Fran Forehand, senior vice president, Transmission, of Georgia Power; and Joe Woomer, SVP Electric Transmission at Dominion Energy.
The S.E.E also announced its industry excellence award winners, as it does at each annual conference, with Florida Power & Light, Duke Energy and Georgia Power winning awards in training, distribution, supply chain and substation, just to name a few. Following are highlights of this year’s S.E.E awards:
Chairman’s Award, Training Category
The top award in training went to Florida Power & Light for its integrated apprentice training program. Building on the virtual training programs the utility developed during COVID-19 restrictions, FPL moved to include virtual training across all training programs. Organizational training now uses Cisco WebEx as well as augmented reality (AR). These methods allow for greater customizability across the service territory to meet each trainee’s needs. Quizzes and interactive modules improve knowledge retention and allow apprentices to fit lessons seamlessly into their lives.
Distribution
Duke Energy’s Hurricane Idalia Response: Hitting Duke Energy Florida’s service territory Aug. 30, 2023, the Category 3 Hurricane Idalia cut 200,000 customers off from power. Duke brought advanced forecasting, damage modeling and practices from its decades of experience in dealing with storms to bear, moving some 4,000 lineworkers and others into the damaged areas. Power was restored to 90% of affected customers within 24 hours.
A power line project at Mt. Storm in Dominion’s service territory.
Photo by Dominion Energy.
Duke’s focus on safety provided the foundation to complete the restoration “event free,” on and off the system.
At the event, Duke Energy shared its storm preparedness and EOC engagement process, along with its storm hardening efforts. Duke also shared that it continues to help rebuild those communities that it serves. In advance of the storm, Duke Energy donated $250,000 to the American Red Cross disaster responder program, $50,000 to the Volunteer Florida Foundation as well as an additional $100,000 post storm to support communities impacted by Hurricane Idalia.
Distribution
Florida Power & Light’s Hurricane Ian Restoration: Ian’s impact on Sept. 28, 2022, as a powerful Category 4, smashed Florida for three days. Despite this impact, FPL’s experience and training in dealing with hurricane impacts allowed for crews to spring into action, using innovative methods such as airboats, kayaks and drones to address hard-to-reach areas. More than 1,000 out-of-state personnel as well as trucks and equipment were mobilized. FPL also deployed its mobile office containers (cFORTs) to serve as local command posts and communications hubs. The utility also observed that its many storm hardening improvements to its power grid paid off, as zero transmission structures were damaged and water dams prevented storm surges from swamping substations.
FPL also learned several lessons from Ian and is working on future hardening guidelines for coastal communities, improving pre staging stie conditions and leveraging emerging technologies to increase resilience for any future storms.
Supply Chain
Duke Energy’s Transformer Acquisition: At a time of global transformer supply chain constraint, Duke Energy’s demand for transformers has grown 31% since 2020 mostly because of ratepayer growth and system resiliency work. Duke faced a shortfall of thousands of transformers, but its supply chain and customer delivery workers came together to build a prioritization model, alter distribution standards and adjust policy to help close the gap. This helped shrink the gap, but team members also crafted a mitigation strategy that moved transformers to urgent projects and reassigned zero-load units. Thanks to these efforts, Duke acquired more transformers in 2022 than in the year prior, and successfully addressed a 10,000-unit gap while meeting nearly all project deadlines and receiving few customer complaints.
Substation
Florida Power & Light’s Alton Substation: Miami’s South Beach neighborhood has tremendous electricity demand and some of the most valuable real estate in the world, leading to space concerns. FPL’s Alton substation was built on a relatively tiny 51’ by 150’ postage stamp of a lot in a high-density area. It includes a five-breaker 69 kV high side, 2-transformer 13.8 kV low side station with eight feeder positions into a vertically constructed space. More than 20 designs were considered that could still meet project demands, leading to this “tiny but mighty” substation.
Environmental
Florida Power & Light’s Sustainable Permit Portal: FPL developed its Permit Tracking Management Program based on the Salesforce platform. The system supports more than 1,000 active projects and helps engineers and consultants track T&D projects that have environmental considerations. The system has led to work efficiencies, better communications and enabled decisions to be more data-driven. The system was also designed to be artificial intelligence-ready.
Real Estate and Right of Way
Florida Power & Light’s PGA Building A: FPL found that its Juno Beach corporate headquarters could be vulnerable to storm surge and wind damage, leading the utility to plan a new, hardened four-building campus further inland. The new Building A houses three control centers, a main data center and a training center. The facility also provides for continuity of business and emergency operations. With modifications, the building can sleep 200 outage workers or accommodate 500 extra staff to work if another building becomes inoperable. The building and its parking can survive a Category 5 hurricane and a 500-year flood event. Its design specifications will serve as the model for future planned buildings at FPL.
Georgia Power found that its drone program located problems on its lines with lower costs, increased safety and fewer workers deployed into the field.
Photo by Georgia Power.
Transmission Line
Georgia Power Co.’s UAS Inspection Program: Georgia Power developed an in-house team of pilots and subject matter experts to combine the best advantages of uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) with an efficient system for making use of all the data
the drones produced. The program has sharpened the utility’s outage restoration efforts and minimized customer downtime. At the same time, the utility saw a 60% cost savings compared to its former inspection programs.
Rates and Regulation
Duke Energy’s Comprehensive Rate Design Study: Duke’s CRDS is a years-long reform study of nearly all of Duke’s rate designs in the Carolinas. It resulted in improvements to time-of-use, net metering, demand charges, EV rate designs and other reforms. To build this study, Duke used AMI and data analytics, estimating costs for almost every customer. The North Carolina Utility Commission approved all the major recommendations of the plan, responding to the tremendous amount of stakeholder engagement throughout the process.
Safety
Georgia Power Co.’s Eyes on the Wire project: In addressing the danger of arc flash or contact injuries to workers, Georgia Power found that inexperienced line workers were a factor. To help, the utility hired back some recent retirees to share their knowledge. They provided front-line workers with a trained set of eyes already familiar with critical risks, policies and best practices.
The event concluded on June 28, with the announcement that the 2025 S.E.E conference and trades show will be welcomed in Orlando, Florida, on June 24-27, 2025.
Georgia Power presented on its in-house drone program, which also won an award at the SEE conference. Photo by Georgia Power.
International Competitive Bidding
National Electric Transmission System of Chile.
Within the framework of the General Law of Electrical Services of Chile, in accordance with the provisions of Article No. 157 of the Regulation of Transmission Systems and Transmission Planning approved by Supreme Decree No. 37 of 2019 of the Ministry of Energy , the National Electrical Coordinator will carry out the call for International Public Bidding for the Award of Construction and Execution for the following works, with constructive progress, of the Transmission System:
Grades:
• The final list of works will be confirmed during the bidding process.
• The referential VI and AVI values correspond to those indicated for each work in the respective Expansion Decree.
To participate in this process, Interested Parties can acquire the Tender Rules corresponding to the Call, which will be available from the second half of August 2024, and request registration in the Registry of Participants, in the manner that will be indicated in the aforementioned Bases, through the Website: https://www.coordinador.cl/desarrollo/documentos/licitaciones/ampliacion/relicitaciones-art-157/. These Tender Rules will be available free of charge at the link to the Website.
Legal persons, both Chilean and foreign, may acquire the Bases and register in the Registry of Participants, who may participate
or as part of a consortium or association, complying with the demands and requirements established in the
and in the Bidding Rules.
EnBw, ABB Collaborate to keep Stuttgart’s Power Reliable
More than 1,000 switchgear improves electricity quality and service reliability to German city.
With a combination of upgraded power equipment, reusing still-useful gear in a clever way, and the power of collaboration, a German utility and its technology provider were able to boost safety and reliability for Stuttgart, the capital and largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg.
The two companies were able to upgrade more than 1,000 draws in 120 cubicles across five switchgear rooms in just 10 weeks. The project succeeded in modernizing how power is transmitted from EnBW’s Altbach /Deizisau energy plant in Stuttgart
EnBW, one of Germany’s largest suppliers of electricity, went to Swedish-Swiss multinational ABB to modernize and upgrade its legacy power grid infrastructure around the Altbach/ Deizisau plant.
To deliver a project of such a comprehensive scope in a tight timeline, EnBW engaged the support of ABB to install and commission its latest low-voltage, digital switchgear solutions at the plant, which contributes to an electrical output of approximately 1,200MW. The two companies collaborated to deliver the needed upgrades in a timely fashion with no interruptions.
A Project With Scope
EnBw realized that it needed to do something about its aging low-voltage switchgear at the plant. The existing MNS2.0 system was from the earlier generation and the supply chain for spare parts was not reliable anymore. If the switchgear fell out of service, this could risk cutting off the power plant from the local grid. Altbach/Deizisau currently has an electrical output of 1,022 MW and can decouple up to 407 MW of district heating.
Instead of buying entirely new switchgear and replacing it outright, ABB’s concept was to replace the legacy MNS2.0 system with the MNS 3.0 in combination with ABB Universal Motor Controllers 100.3. With such a system, the owner-operators could use smart power components alongside the existing MNS switchgear to enable interconnectivity, smart automation and improved condition monitoring.
Maintaining Service
In bringing this system up to date, the grid operators could make sure there was a plentiful and reliable supply of power to the local grid even as they retained much of the switchgear
The Altbach/Deizisau plant. Photo courtesy of ABB.
that was still fully functional, boosting the plant’s the overall safety, sustainability and reliability.
Engineers with ABB’s Electrification Service found that about half of components like metal cabinets for switchgear, steel plates and busbars do not actually need replacing and can be used indefinitely so long as more sensitive pieces such as circuit breakers, relays and internal components are upgraded, regularly monitored and maintained, according to the ABB team.
A project of this size and scale required EnBW and its technology supplier to work together closely over the more than 12-month planning and implementation period. The effort involved bringing on board engineers from across Germany and beyond to come up with the most efficient project plan.
Making the Old New Again
Since project completion, EnBW’s critical infrastructure has benefited from greater safety and electricity reliability while keeping downtime minimized. Operational expenditure also dropped thanks to the reliability of the new equipment and cutting out the need to stop to make repairs and perform maintenance quite so often as with the previous, outmoded system.
The UMC 100.3 motor controller / MNS 3.0 system solved a set of problems for EnBW and Stuttgart energy consumers. Engineers found the combination of the two worked well in an existing installation even as it upgrades a legacy system that needed replacing. The project offered the opportunity as well to bring the facility into a common communications
platform, thereby making the MNS switchgear future-proof. The utility also plans to modernize the Altbach/Deizisau plant itself, swapping its fuel feedstock from hard coal to natural gas or some combination of hydrogen gas. EnBW pitched plans to local city councils to use natural gas for a time, followed by hydrogen for the long term. With the aid of green fuel, the CCGT plant in Altbach/Deizisau could also be climate-neutral by the mid-2030s, for instance, and still be used flexibly for energy generation.
Celebrating
30 years of the RTDS® Simulator
Three decades of real-time simulation for the power industry
RTDS Technologies is celebrating 30 years of the RTDS Simulator – the world standard in realtime simulation and hardware-in-the-loop testing. The RTDS Simulator revolutionized the testing process for control and protection systems when it was introduced to the power industry. Today, the technology is at the heart of innovative laboratories in more than 57 countries around the world. Leading utilities, manufacturers, research and educational institutions, and consultants rely on the RTDS Simulator to de-risk new technologies for a secure energy transition.
NHAT LINH HOHN-PHUNG is a project manager for EnBW.
AXEL SIEBERT is a project manager from ABB’s Electrification Service in Germany.
As a journeyman lineworker, she has traveled across Canada and the U.S. to construct new lines and join storm response teams.
Early Years
My grandfather, who played a huge role in my upbringing, received his master status in the heavy equipment trade. His strong work ethic and “can do” approach was very motivating for me. When I was taking university courses at a local college, an opening became available in the powerline course. I quickly decided to make the switch. I wasn’t sure what to expect or what I was getting myself into, but after the first week, I really enjoyed line work. My uncle just so happened to be in the same powerline course. It was great to have a family member complete the powerline journey with me. Now I have another lineworker in the family besides myself.
Day in the Life
Line work brings us to a lot of places, where we work on different voltages and framing. We also meet all kinds of people. I’ve been lucky enough to work in distribution, climbing, tying in structures, to terminating underground dip poles, splices, switch cubes and transformers. I’ve also worked in the mountains doing H-frame structures and crossarm and glass changes. I’ve been a part of an erection crew of towers and clipping wings of towers to working on a helicopter stringing crew. I’ve also been dropped off on towers to working off ladders. Helicopter work was the most fun, exciting and rewarding hard work I’ve done throughout my career.
• Born in St. John’s Newfoundland, Canada, but raised in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Labrador, Canada, and has one sister.
• Has a common law partner of five years, Zack Granberg, an equipment operator who she met in the trade. He started in powerline when he was 18 years old and knows the value of hard work. She says they make a good team, even though they work together.
• Enjoys interior decorating of their home, sightseeing, traveling, reading books, visiting her family on the east coast of Canada and going side by siding with her boyfriend and in-laws
• Works 10 days on and four days off as part of her shift work responsibilities.
• In the summer of 2018, she participated in the Enmax Powerline Rodeo Competition in Calgary, Alberta, Canada and was the first female to have ever competed in the event.
• She won Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Skilled Trades award and was featured in an article in the national post. She has also been a guest on the Line Talkers podcast and Powerline Podcast and will be featured on T&D World’s Line Life podcast in the future.
Memorable Storm
My most memorable storm was Hurricane Michael in 2018, which was my first time on a U.S. storm response. Another storm that stood out was Hurricane Henri, a storm in Detroit. After that storm, we headed to Louisiana for Hurricane Ida where we were working basically in eye of where the storm hit. We worked in swamps and saw alligators in floating bogs. It was the most devastation I’ve ever seen. Even so, I remember the hospitality from the people. They washed our clothes and came to our staging area to cook us meals at the end of the day after everything they had been through. I’ll always have a soft spot for that. Canada doesn’t get a lot of storms like in the U.S., and it’s great to feel the gratitude and appreciation from the people you helped following a storm.
Field Experiences
I’ll never forget working In Saskatchewan Canada, on a 35 kV Hendrix insulated cable line. This line consists of 225 structures with gang switches, delta three-phase/single-phase transformers and stringing of 2x fibers.
Life in the Line Trade
The path to journeyman status has not been an easy one as a female in a male-dominated profession. It was very challenging and intimidating at times. Despite this, I have met some great mentors and friends who have encouraged and supported me. If you ever get to the point of feeling discouraged, accept it as a challenge, and push yourself. There are struggles, like not being able to lift heavy things, or being short when working at heights. All that stuff takes time. You just need to learn a different way to go about the situation or position yourself and not give up when things get tough. I would encourage all those with a passion for powerline to work hard, follow your dreams and reach out and seek support.
PRODUCTS & SERVICES
Ethernet Switch
Red Lion has launched the N-Tron NT116 unmanaged industrial Ethernet switch, designed for industrial applications needing dependable performance for missioncritical applications under harsh conditions.
The NT116 unmanaged switch offers reliability and performance for data acquisition, Ethernet I/O and process control. Compact in size and including 16 high-performance copper ports (10/100BaseTX RJ45), the unit is housed in a rugged industrial metal enclosure. The NT116 offers high shock and vibration tolerance, and all ports have built in ESD and surge protection. Users benefit from an exceptional 1.2M hour MTBF rating, in a slim, space-saving design that operates in temperatures from -40°C to 85°C.
For robust network support, the NT116 supports full wire speed communications of up to 3.2 Gb/s throughput. The unit uses store-and-forward technology and supports full and half duplex operation. Two 10-49 VDC power inputs are provided for redundancy. In addition to IEEE 802.3 compliance and marine, railway and rolling stock certifications, the new switch carries UL Ordinary and Hazardous locations as well as ATEX and IECEx certification.
The NT116 makes critical performance data easier to gather. Its rugged and hardened design provides the durability and reliability needed to withstand the extreme conditions found in utilities applications.
Red Lion | www.red-lion.net
Rugged Tablet
Getac has launched the next-generation F110 tablet, which combines fully rugged reliability with a new upgrades for performance and efficiency in the field. The new F110 offers upgraded processing power, brightness, and connectivity, alongside energy efficiency, for full-shift performance in a variety of challenging indoor/outdoor working environments.
Key features include an upgraded Intel Core 13th Gen i5/i7 processor, with Intel UHD Graphics offering new levels of processing speed and graphical performance. Additionally, the ultra-bright 1,200 nit LumiBond screen, with multitouch modes (touch, glove, pen) - the brightest ever available on the F110 - optimizes productivity in weather conditions ranging from full sun to rain and snow. For maximum mobility and productivity, the F110 can be used with a wide range of Getac accessories, including detachable keyboard, hard carry handle, and secure vehicle docks.
The new F110 offers a wide array of connectivity options as standard. These include Intel Wi-Fi 6E AX211, 802.11ax, and Bluetooth 5.3, enabling personnel to quickly communicate with colleagues and share data as needed. Connectivity can be enhanced even further with optional 4G LTE and 5G Sub-6 modules (dual sim design including a physical sim and an e-sim),
while a 5MP webcam provides clear and detailed pictures during video calls and remote guidance activities.
The next generation F110 features DDR5 memory (up to 32GB), which offers higher base speeds and lower power consumption than previous generations, making it suitable for full-shift operation. Its user-friendly hot-swappable batteries can also be easily replaced in the field if needed. If even more operation time is required between charges, the F110 is compatible with Getac’s optional high-capacity Li-ion batteries as well.
Getac | www.getac.com
Cable-in-Conduit System
Southwire offers an innovation in electrical infrastructure technology: the SIMpull Cable-In-Conduit (CIC) system. Developed to meet the evolving needs of the industry, the SIMpull CIC system offers efficiency, safety, and reliability.
Key features include:
• Quality Sourcing & Manufacturing: Using premium-grade HDPE resin and other high-quality raw materials, Southwire ensures the ruggedness and durability of its conduit.
• Full Qualifications: Rigorous testing and evaluations, including mechanical properties before and after thermal aging, direct burial evaluations, deflection under heat and load, and moisture penetration tests, ensure the reliability and durability.
• Enhanced Jobsite Safety: The system minimizes field injuries and reduces loss time by preventing cable damage during shipment, handling, and installation.
• Improved System Reliability: With its hydrophobic nature, HDPE repels water and offers superior protection compared to PVC.
• Fully Compliant with Industry Standards: The system is fully compliant with multiple industry standards, including NFPA 70 NEC, UL-1990, UL-651A, NEMA TC-7, ASTM D3350, ASTM D3485, ASTM F2160, and CSA C22.2 No. 327-18 for conduit and UL 514B for cable fittings.
• Environmental Sustainability: Made of a neat polyethylenebased resin, HDPE is lead-free and naturally halogen-free, emitting zero acid gases.
Southwire | www.southwire.com
AI-Enabled Software
Honeywell has introduced Forge Performance+ for Utilities, a platform designed to help utilities improve their operations and enhance performance of existing utility grid assets and IT investments. The new solution is built on Honeywell Forge, which incorporates artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and digital twin capabilities intended to help utilities monitor assets, effectively identify root-cause, and introduce predictive analytics to become more proactive with grid asset management. Forge Performance+ for Utilities also enables automation processes like demand response and distributed energy resource management to increase grid reliability and stability.
Honeywell Forge Performance+ for Utilities delivers near realtime insight to help utilities improve grid operation and address variability associated with new energy sources. The solution also provides a “bottom up” forecast of energy demand, available distributed power generating assets and controllable loads designed to provide heightened operational visibility. With this
visibility, utilities are able to better balance energy supply and demand which contributes to grid reliability and resiliency. Honeywell | www.honeywell.com
FRP Poles
Creative Composites Group has launched a full line of utility poles with StormStrong technology for power transmission, distribution, data and municipal lighting applications. With existing diameters of 10”, 12” and 16” now including 8” for telecommunication and 14” and 18” for transmission, this enables FRP poles to be installed in broader applications while offering more sustainable, resilient solutions.
StormStrong transmission poles are manufactured with a toughened thermoset resin, reinforced with high-strength, electrical-grade e-glass fibersand are engineered for both standard use and grid-hardening applications. These poles are offered in various lengths, ranging from Class 1 through H6. StormStrong distribution poles are now offered in lengths up to 80 feet, ranging from Class 10 through 1, and are classified as ANSI 05.1 wood equivalent poles. Diameters now range from 8” up to 18” with a wall thickness ranging from ¼” to ¾”.
StormStrong poles are now offered in 8” and10” diameter for light pole applications, are available in multiple lengths and are strength rated based on the ANSI 05.1 pole classification and or EPA, weighing just over 10 pounds per foot. They feature hand holes and adaptors for National Electrical Manufacturer Association (NEMA) standard electrical boxes.
Creative Composites Group | www. creativecompositesgroup.com
Substation Interface Unit
Hitachi Energy advances its digital substation technology with the SAM600 3.0, a process interface unit (PIU), to help transmission utilities accelerate the adoption of digital substations. The new one-box, modular SAM600 consolidates three units within a single device, enabling it to be configured as a merging unit, a switchgear control unit, or a combination of both, supporting different installation approaches.
With only one device to engineer, wire up, test, and commission, customers gain improved device flexibility and maintainability while lowering the carbon footprint of their operations.
As a merging unit, SAM600 speeds the upgrade of conventional substations to digital substations. They bridge the gap by converting analog signals and digitally distributing current and voltage information throughout the substation and to the control center. As a switchgear control unit, the device directly interfaces circuit breakers, disconnectors, and earthing switches in the field. This helps to substantially reduce wiring to the control building by providing an IEC 61850 digital interface to operate and monitor such equipment.
Hitachi Energy | www.hitachienergy.com
STRYKER ST SERIES
- Allows for independent control of 2 units with 1 remote
- Multiple users can operate lights in close proximity
- Quick and simple pairing without dipswitches
- On-Command return to 0° home
- Simultaneous Pan + Tilt
- Fluorescent Remote Buttons
SOCIAL MEDIA HUB
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We decided to upgrade our look. The glow up is real! What do you think?
#FlashbackFriday
Dominion Energy @ DominionEnergy
Yesterday at North Anna Power Station, @governorva joined us in celebrating another step towards a bright and innovative energy future.
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Nikki Chandler @powereditor
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Amy Fischbach @amyfischbach
Puget Sound Energy @ PSETalk
The return of the Baker Salmon sockeye means members of Upper Skagit Indian Tribe can participate in their traditional Tribal Harvest. The most recent harvest from July 8-10 saw about 25 boats in the water fishing for about 75-80 households.
Clarissa McClain Communications Strategist, TVA
How did I end up on a barge in the middle of the Tennessee River? �� Skilled crews, mostly working underwater, are restoring the foundations of 8 river towers near Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant. It was awesome to see the transmission system improvements the Tennessee Valley Authority is making up close!
Texas-New Mexico Power (TNMP)
#HurricaneBeryl Update: TNMP calculates a little under 24,000 customers remain without power. As mentioned previously, TNMP has been experiencing issues with external carriers, which has been causing connectivity problems for our Customer Service number and delays in the outage map updating properly.
Carim Khouzami, President and CEO at Baltimore Gas & Electric
A few weeks ago, Baltimore Gas and Electric celebrated the 5th anniversary of its EVsmart program by opening the first public EV fast charger in Annapolis. With continued partnership with local leaders and communities, we can make strides toward more access to chargers to support our customers!
McWane Poles 21 www mcwanepoles com Megger 1 meggerpowergrid com
Newpark Mats & Integrated Services 17 newpark com
Nordic Fiberglass, Inc
Osmose Utilities Services Inc
PPC Insulators
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Quanta Services BC quantaservices com
RTDS Technologies, Inc
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Southwire Company IFC southwire com
T&D World Live IBC events tdworld com
The Davey Tree Expert Co 3 daveyutilitysolutions com
Underground Devices
Wilson Construction
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www wilsonconst com
System Efficiency and the New Era of Grid Operations
In the drive toward the clean energy transition, energy efficiency is perhaps a bigger potential contributor than all other elements combined. Most of the energy used in the electricity system is wasted before it gets to the consumer.
As little as 5% of the primary energy source ends up becoming useful electrically powered work. To date, much of the energy efficiency focus has centered on the generation and consumption of power – for instance, the use of combined cycle gas turbines or LED lighting. But now there’s more attention being paid to the transition and distribution system, where so much energy loss is occurring.
Technical Approaches to Improving T&D Efficiency
Given the transmission and distribution network is made up of conventional metal cables that possess electrical resistance, losses are inevitable. These losses come from the generation of heat in cables, but also across every stage of the transmission process including conversion losses in transformers and condensers. An advanced economy will typically see T&D losses of around five to seven percent, although these losses vary wildly between nations. According to the World Bank, Singapore records T&D losses of around 2% while the United States hits 6%. There are multiple factors at play, but the advent of HVDC technologies has improved grid efficiency.
Additionally, the more widespread deployment of HVDC has coincided with the increased use of renewables. This is primarily because the best renewable energy resources are not usually found near demand centers and must therefore be transmitted long distances from the site of production to the demand location. Given transmission losses are a function of the distance traveled, the increased capital costs of HVDC — which require converter stations at each end of the link — are more than offset by the gains in efficiency. Depending on voltage level, HVDC losses are around 3.5% per 1,000 km compared with about 6.7% per 1,000 km for AC lines at the same voltage.
Alongside HVDC, other technological approaches to conductors can reduce losses. For instance, using high-efficiency, low resistance, and high conductivity cables offers improvements over conventional copper cables — e.g., aluminum conductor alloy reinforced (ACAR), aluminum conductor steel reinforced (ACSR), or high-temperature low-sag (HTLS) conductors like the more recent development of Carbon Fibre Composite cables.
Besides optimizing through the choice of conductor, selecting the best voltage level for an individual conductor according to the network’s demand, distance, and capacity can also reduce losses. A higher voltage is associated with lower currents and thus reduced losses, but higher voltages also place higher requirements on insulation and regulating equipment for example, and therefore increases capital and maintenance
costs. Effectively balancing these characteristics offers another route to higher network efficiencies.
Another approach to optimizing the physical asset base to maximize efficiency is a comprehensive maintenance program including inspection and monitoring to prevent or repair any defects that might cause losses. This might include replacing or repairing worn-out or damaged components cleaning and securing cable connections and joints and addressing corrosion and erosion in electrical contacts.
Operational Strategies to Reduce T&D Losses
With real-time data collection and analysis, so-called smart grid technologies can be implemented to help reduce transmission losses and increase efficiency. For instance, techniques like better management of demand, more effective voltage and frequency regulation to minimize loss-causing harmonics, or detecting and isolating faults to prevent cascading failures can all maximize grid performance and thus reduce network losses.
Other approaches to improve system efficiency include changes to regulatory structures that can enable assets to be fully maximized. Grid capacity and the transmission capability of any specific line are typically calculated based on conservative margins and the potential worst-case scenario. Given that a conductor’s maximum transfer capability depends on its temperature, ambient weather conditions can precipitate a significant variation in maximum capacity. Air temperature, wind speeds, and its direction can all have an impact.
Many utilities use broad seasonal average temperatures to set transmission line ratings to guarantee capacity on the network, but, in the U.S., the introduction of Federal Energy Regulatory Commission ruling 881 is set to make a profound change to extract more capacity from the existing infrastructure. Since the ruling passed in 2021 the energy regulatory authorities have mandated that system operators increase the frequency of their capacity ratings using current weather conditions. Transmission operators must implement the ruling no later than July 2025.
During daylight hours, independent system operators, regional transmission organizations, and transmission owners are to apply hourly ratings and, while the calculation is not as frequent at night, these measurements serve to provide a realtime capacity rating more accurately. The ruling, which covers the bulk electric system, transmission lines above 100 kV, and some sub-transmission and distribution, is designed to use the available transmission grid capacity more efficiently.
By determining the line rating capacity more accurately, it is often the case that more energy can be transmitted across the network. This increases the resiliency of the network and can also lower consumer costs.
JAMES DRUMMOND is managing director, North America and Europe, at PSC Consulting.
