For electrical contractors and electricians concerned about the possibility of reduced demand by the nation's electric utility industry for new infrastructure projects, there is some good news. According to a December...
Thanks to a climate that is growing both warmer and drier, California’s investor-owned utilities are facing an existential crisis. As the state sets new records for fire damage with each passing year, utility transmission...
While not specifically referencing Armageddon, the President's National Infrastructure Advisory Council (NIAC) has released a report, titled "Surviving a Catastrophic Power Outage," that may not be too far away from that...
As reported in late November , while utility power lines are often the victims of wildfires, they can, in some instances, also be the causes. In the case of the devastating Camp Fire in California, the preliminary evidence...
“Parity” is a term followers of renewable-energy technology have used for years to describe that moment when the cost for electricity generated from wind, solar and other alternative energy sources falls to the level of power...
Concern over grid reliability has been coming to the forefront in recent years, and a newly announced cutting-edge project involving a Midwest utility, an energy technology company, and the U.S. Department of Homeland...
Over the years, utilities around the nation have had to deal with wildfire-related damage to their transmission and distribution lines, especially those that traverse wilderness areas. Now, there is growing evidence that, in...
In South Carolina, electricity providers are ensuring everyone benefits from energy efficiency, and the federal government is helping them do it. Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a $13...
The term “smart meter” has been used for a couple decades now. Such devices have been promised to boost grid responsiveness and enable customer participation in time-of-use rate plans that can reduce peak demand. However, as...
Category 4 Hurricane Michael, with 155-mph winds, hit the Florida Panhandle on Wednesday, Oct. 10. According to Reuters, over 2.6 million utility customers were initially without power as the storm cut a path of destruction...
As the nation’s energy mix goes through profound changes, the grid that delivers that power has to keep up. This month, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced a major funding opportunity for research projects that will...
Even as recently as two years ago, utility-scale lithium-ion batteries were considered cutting edge technology, and just a few forward-thinking utilities were experimenting with the concept. These days, though, it seems there...
The need to support the nation’s growing demand for electricity and its increasing appetite for power generated from renewable sources has brought its aging transmission and distribution infrastructure into sharp relief....
Unlike renewables and natural gas, which are on the rise nationally, nuclear energy faces numerous challenges that are forcing the industry to contract. However, the industry is defying that trend in one region. According to...
If utility lines serve as the lifeblood to electrical systems, stations that feed those lines are the heart, so upgrading those stations to meet growing, changing demands is critical. However, only a limited number of...
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...
Living in rural areas has a quiet, slow-paced appeal compared with the hustle and bustle of the city, but the slower-paced life also comes with a unique set of challenges. Not the least of these is the cost of electricity....
With the increase in customer generation, such as solar power and microgrids, as well as the continued focus on energy efficiency, electric utilities' profits have sagged. That is, not only are utilities losing revenue as a...
In their efforts to incorporate more wind and solar into their resource portfolios, one of the biggest challenges electric utilities face is meeting demand during a single three- to five-hour period every day, especially...
The sun almost always shines in Los Angeles, but it never seems to get too hot, even in the dog days of summer. This fourth of July holiday, the sun was much less forgiving, and the local utility struggled to keep up. Several...
