Silicon Valley is known for disruption, so when the mayor of the high-tech industry’s hometown, San Jose, suggested a split from the major utility there, it wasn't entirely out of character. Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E)...
Following the unprecedented power blackout by PG&E during the week of Oct. 7 that affected almost 800,000 homes and businesses, up to a total of 2 million people in the state, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC)...
With the fourth heat wave of the past summer in the Northeast becoming a distant memory, some of the power-related issues that surfaced then are still worth revisiting. The laws of physics don’t change with the seasons, even...
In late July, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials said, last summer, Russian hackers gained access to power company control rooms, according to The Wall Street Journal . On March 15, DHS and the Federal Bureau of...
Electric utility Westar Energy has shut down the Jeffrey Energy Center in St. Mary’s, Kan., for investigation after two employees died from severe burns received during an equipment failure on Sunday, June 3. According to the...
Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood is one step closer to getting a microgrid courtesy of ComEd. Though the project received crucial support from Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) administrative law Judge Jessica L. Cardoni,...
As I discussed last month, one of the most complicated problems electrical utilities face is integrating alternative-energy sources into the traditional grid. In addition to the traditional large electrical generation sources...
If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em. That seems to be the attitude of electric utilities these days, as growing numbers of large energy users negotiate agreements to buy electricity directly from new wind and solar developments....
