Utility Automation & Engineering T&D articles from July 2007

Utility Automation & Engineering T&D archives from July 2007

As the vendor world turns.(FROM THE EDITOR)
July 1, 2007... I remember when Cellnet was Cellnet the first time around. I haven't been covering the power industry all that long, but I've been around long enough to feel like an old-timer when the subject turns to vendor mergers and acquisitions. I...

Con Edison launches "Project Hydra".(NEWS)
July 1, 2007... Consolidated Edison Inc. has contracted American Superconductor Corp. to develop and deploy a new high temperature superconductor (HTS) power grid technology in Con Edison's New York City power delivery network. The Department of Homeland...

TVA to facilitate NERC CIP secure IED access.(NEWS)(Tennessee Valley Authority)(SUBNET Solutions Inc.)(North American Electric Reliability Corporation)(Critical Infrastructure Protection)(Improvised explosive device)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... SUBNET Solutions Inc. (SUBNET) of Calgary, Alberta, has been awarded the PowerWAN Secure Remote Device Access Project by Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). TVA, like most utilities, is faced with the task of securing access to its...

Substation with IEC 61850 solutions energized.(NEWS)
July 1, 2007... Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories Inc. (SEL) has reported that Wind Park La Venta II, the "world's first" substation to implement multiple suppliers' IEC 61850 products, is successfully operating in Juchitan Oaxaca, Mexico. [ILLUSTRATION...

Lincoln Electric System chooses Integrify.(NEWS)
July 1, 2007... Lincoln Electric System, the utility servicing the Lincoln, Neb., area, has chosen Integrify 4.3 request management software to automate the request-for-change (RFC) process in its IT department. LES currently uses Integrify to increase the...

FPL Energy files application to build in Texas.(NEWS)
July 1, 2007... Lone Star Transmission LLC, a subsidiary of FPL Energy LLC, filed an application with the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC) for a Certificate of Convenience and Necessity to establish a new regulated utility business unit to construct,...

Eye on Europe.(NEWS)
July 1, 2007... In late May, the 19th CIRED Conference and Exhibition continued its tour of Europe--having previously visited Nice, Amsterdam and Turin--with a stop in Vienna, home to symbolist Gustav Klimt and the world-famous Sachertorte chocolate cake. ...

Recent HVDC highlights.(NEWS)
July 1, 2007... * ABB has secured a $54 million order for an underground and underwater power link that will connect Denmark's existing grids. The company will supply cable for the high-voltage direct current (HVDC) link that is scheduled for completion in...

Blowin' in the wind: AWEA stats.(NEWS)
July 1, 2007... * Texas generates the most electricity from wind, with over 2,700 MW installed at the end of 2006 and some 1,000 MW currently under construction. * California ranks second with 2,361 MW installed. * Iowa ranks third with 936 MW...

Overheard.(NEWS)(North American Electric Reliability Corporation)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... "Voluntary guidelines worked very well to a point, but they were not enough.... To avoid future blackouts, everyone must follow all the rules, all the time. Mandatory standards are the next logical step toward achieving that." --NERC...

Just the FACTS.(NEWS)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... * A 525-kV, three-phase, 60 Hz, -110/+440 MVAR SVS at Devers Substation uses the Siemens static volt ampere reactive (VAR) compensation system (SVC), installed in September 2006. This FACTS installation, currently the largest in North America...

Clarification.(Correction notice)
July 1, 2007... The authors wish to credit the Cooperative Research Network of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association for some of the materials quoted within the article "Communications for Distribution Automation" that appeared in the April 2007...

How vendor mergers are shaping T & D.(Cover story)
July 1, 2007... The energy delivery industry has seen its share of major mergers and acquisitions (M & As) over the past few years among companies such as MidAmerican-PacifiCorp and Duke-Cinergy. Equally interesting has been the robust M & A activity among the...

Can wind power plug into the grid?(Interview)
July 1, 2007... The buzz on wind power continues to grow in the U.S., with even the end-consumer becoming interested in the possibility of making their energy choices more "green." But, problems remain in making those consumer visions a reality--problems with...

5 areas of cyber security you may be overlooking.
July 1, 2007... Much has been written lately about cyber security and the NERC Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) cyber security standards. There has been a prevailing view that meeting the NERC CIP standards will make the utility compliant and secure....

NERC/CIP compliance: headache or opportunity?
July 1, 2007... The cyber security compliance challenge is like that of the Y2K event in enterprise computing nearly a decade ago. FERC and NERC timetables are forcing significant changes in utility networking and computing infrastructure. Utilities can look...

Solving peak issues through demand response.
July 1, 2007... Austin, Texas, is known for a great university, lots of music, and one of the largest, most progressive municipal utilities in the nation. Its 380,000 customers and 880,000 residents make Austin Energy the 10th largest municipal utility in the...

Raising the bar for AMI technology.(advanced metering infrastructure)
July 1, 2007... In "Crossing the Chasm," the widely read book on marketing high-technology that was first published in 1991, author Geoffrey Moore asserted that for new and innovative technology to "cross the chasm" from a few early adopters to broad market...

Visualizing the network.
July 1, 2007... To these ends, the... ministers have agreed on the following objectives:... Putting more abundant energy at a cheaper price at the disposal of the European economies constitutes a fundamental element of economic progress. That is why all...

Reducing [SF.sub.6] emissions and consumption.
July 1, 2007... The installed base of electric utility equipment using Sulfur Hexafluoride ([SF.sub.6]) continues to increase. While the gas started mainly as an insulator for electrical switchgear and control-gear rated for voltages greater than 1 kV, it is...

Ethernet switches.(NEW PRODUCTS)
July 1, 2007... With a minus-40 degree to plus-85 degree Celsius operating range, Uber-Rugged MACH1000 Ethernet switches from Hirschmann are applicable to electrical power generation and distribution, and a variety of other demanding and mission-critical...

Cable locator.(NEW PRODUCTS)
July 1, 2007... Radiodetection's new RD4000PL cable and pipe locator delivers precision location of power infrastructure, even in crowded and electrically noisy environments. The RD4000PL has current indication and both null and zero to aid discrimination...

Transmission conductor products.(NEW PRODUCTS)
July 1, 2007... Designed for aluminum-based transmission conductors, Cushion-Grip Suspension and Cushion-Grip Support (pictured) products from Preformed Line Products reduce bending strain by as much as 50 percent compared to bare conductor in a bolted clamp,...

Cyber security and compliance.(NEW PRODUCTS)
July 1, 2007... The HP Trusted Compliance Solution for Energy (TCS-e) helps power and energy companies mitigate security risk by providing protection against computer hacker threats. The automation technology in HP TCS-e also helps energy companies reduce...

Vacuum interrupter monitor.(NEW PRODUCTS)(Joslyn Hi Voltage Corporation)
July 1, 2007... The new VacStat vacuum interrupter monitor from Joslyn Hi-Voltage provides real-time monitoring of vacuum interrupters. If a loss of vacuum is detected, it blocks operation of the switch, provides local indication and actuates a relay contact...

Bird repeller.(NEW PRODUCTS)
July 1, 2007... BroadBand PRO from Bird-X targets pest birds with a combination of four different sound types. Its development is based on 40 years of success with sonic repellers that featured one of the four types; this machine combines all four. Ideal for...

Rugged in-vehicle computer.(NEW PRODUCTS)
July 1, 2007... Glacier Computer's Magnum series is specifically designed for use in utility vehicles. The Magnum is Intel-based, configured with either XP Pro or XP Embedded. An array of standard I/O allows for attaching numerous peripherals, including...

Compliance Suite.(NEW PRODUCTS)
July 1, 2007... The updated Symantec Control Compliance Suite is designed to reduce IT policy management and compliance cost and complexity by automating assessment of policies against industry regulations, standards and best practices. It helps ensure...

Digital Voltage Indicator.(NEW PRODUCTS)
July 1, 2007... HD Electric Co.'s DVI-100T Digital Voltage Indicator with capacitive test point mode is a direct contact, compact instrument designed to read voltage on a conductor up to 99 kV line-to-ground. The 2.5-inch-tall LED display is easy to read on...

Calendar.(Calendar)
July 1, 2007... DistribuTECH 2008: The utility industry's most comprehensive conference on automation, information technology and T & D engineering Jan. 22-24, 2008. Tampa, FL. // Phone 918.832.9265 // www.distributech.com JULY 16-17 T & D Asset...

Securing demand response.(SMART GRID PERSPECTIVES)
July 1, 2007... Demand response applications are coming under the same technical scrutiny as SCADA systems have over the past three years, primarily due to the fact that information wirelessly transfers between a business and electric system end-points. Over...