Utility Automation & Engineering T&D articles from June 2008

Utility Automation & Engineering T&D archives from June 2008

How "recession-proof" are utilities?(FROM THE EDITOR)
June 1, 2008... While economists and the government bicker about whether we are or are not in an actual, literal "recession," just about ever)' American is feeling the pinch. Articles, news clips and entire books abound about how to weather the recession and...

Africa's electricity can't match its economy.(NEWS)
June 1, 2008... You can't make a product without power. As Africa's economy expands exponentially--and its generation and grid fail to keep up--that statement, though obvious, is being proved repeatedly with real-world examples. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

EPRI analysis boosts the positives of energy efficiency programs.(NEWS)
June 1, 2008... Energy efficiency improvements in the U.S. electric power sector could reduce electric consumption by 7 percent to 11 percent more than currently projected over the next two decades if key barriers can be addressed, according to a preliminary...

CenterPoint energy files to deploy up to 250,000 meters.(NEWS)(CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric L.L.C.)
June 1, 2008... CenterPoint Energy's electric transmission and distribution subsidiary, CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric, filed with the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC) an advanced metering system initial deployment plan. The plan is subject to...

Eye on europe.(NEWS)(European Investment Bank)(Terna-Rete Elettrica Nazionale S.pA)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... EIB finances submarine link: The European Investment Bankis advancing a EUR 300 million loan to Terna-Rete Elettrica Nazionale S.pA, which is responsible in Italy for electricity transmission and dispatching over the high-voltage and extra-high...

Utilities Commissioner confirms investigation into 2007 power line fires.(NEWS)
June 1, 2008... California Public Utilities Commissioner Timothy Alan Simon has confirmed an ongoing investigation into the cause of several 2007 power line fires and proposed that the full commission adopt a detailed scope of the investigation and a deadline...

SmartSynch jazzes up the big easy.(NEWS)
June 1, 2008... SmartSynch held their 13 Symposium in New Orleans April 14-16. They kicked off the three-day conference with a dinner at the Ritz-Carton on Canal St. featuring local football legend Archie Manning as keynote speaker. A football great in his own...

Board approves critical transmission project.(NEWS)
June 1, 2008... The Imperial Irrigation District (IID) Board of Directors in Southern California unanimously approved a critical transmission upgrade project. Phase 1 involves the construction of an eight-mile portion of the planned 35-mile transmission...

HVDC and FACTS go global.(T&D PROJECTS)
June 1, 2008... Electric power supply is essential for the survival of society, like the blood in the body. Lack of power brings about devastating consequences for daily life and for business. However, deregulation and privatization are posing new challenges...

The New Breeds of HVDC.(HVDC)
June 1, 2008... Since its commercial introduction in the 1950s, high-voltage direct current (HVDC) systems have proved themselves as a viable alternative to alternating current systems for the bulk transmission of electric power. In some instances, HVDC can be...

NERC CIP for substations: what now, what later?(CYBER SECURITY)
June 1, 2008... Substation cyber security is getting a lot of attention these days. Until recently, one might imagine a utility manager saying something like, "I have too many greater worries; it would take an act of Congress to get me to invest time and money...

Managing the advanced metering lifecycle.(ADVANCED METERING)
June 1, 2008... A number of utility advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) initiatives are in various phases of evaluation, vendor selection, deployment and management. Like most aspects of business, AMI systems have their own lifecycles. The AMI lifecycle has...

Deputizing data: using AMI for revenue protection.(REVENUE PROTECTION)
June 1, 2008... For almost as long as utilities have been installing automated meter reading, revenue assurance professionals have mourned the loss of "eyes and ears in the field." Even with 95 percent of the utility's meters automated, "we can get leads...

SaskPower uses dynamic rating to increase line capacity.(GETTING EQUIPPED)
June 1, 2008... SaskPower has been able to increase the power capacity of a 72-kV overhead line serving a potash mine in Tantallon, Saskatchewan, by installing a real-time rating system. The customer served by the line required a fast but inexpensive increase...

Cable portfolio for wind power.(NEW PRODUCTS)
June 1, 2008... Hendrix Wire & Cable offers a complete product portfolio for the wind power industry, including the 34.5-kV TRXLP-insulated medium-voltage underground cable and Spacer Cable for primary distribution systems. The 34.5-kV underground cables are...

Ant repellent for electrical panels.(NEW PRODUCTS)
June 1, 2008... Kleer-Out and Keep-Out from Fasst Products safely repel fire ants from electrical enclosures. Kleer-Out and Keep-Out were developed in response to requests from field service personnel who were uncomfortable using potentially toxic insecticides...

Lock-out relay.(NEW PRODUCTS)
June 1, 2008... The new Electroswitch Series 24 Serial Lock-Out Relay (SLOR) is an addressable network device (certified DNP 3.0 protocol) that provides remote trip and reset capability, trip-coil monitoring, IRIG-B sequence-of-events reporting, system battery...

Energy forecasting tool.(NEW PRODUCTS)
June 1, 2008... MetrixND 4.2, the latest version of Itron's powerful and versatile energy forecasting tool, is now commercially available. New features of MetrixND 4.2 include additional model building functions, more user-customizable graphic capabilities,...

High-voltage safety product.(NEW PRODUCTS)
June 1, 2008... ABB's new Kevlar Wrap & Strap Safety Device includes outlet openings at the top and bottom that allow high-pressure gases and small insulator fragments to escape in the event of an insulator failure. The device will not eliminate an insulator...

Cyber security suite.(NEW PRODUCTS)
June 1, 2008... Teltone Corp. recently announced expanded performance and administration features for its Gauntlet cyber security suite. Teltone Gauntlet enables utilities to quickly comply with NERC Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) requirements....

Fiber Optic isolation.(NEW PRODUCTS)
June 1, 2008... To cost-effectively deploy its TeleLite Fiber Optic isolation and protection solution in small applications, Positron has added the compact High Voltage Interface (cHVI) solutions to its Fiber Optic Isolation Portfolio. TeleLite now has an...

SF6 leak detector.(NEW PRODUCTS)
June 1, 2008... The Sherlock SF6 imaging spectrometer from Gas Imaging Technology enables the user to "see" emissions of the SF6 greenhouse gas leaking from circuit breakers and switchgear in electric utility substations. The Sherlock SF6 model has been lab...

Wimax communications for utilities.(NEW PRODUCTS)
June 1, 2008... Tyco Electronics' M/A-COM business has released a new set of M/A-COM VIDA Baroadband high-power WiMAX base stations and subscriber stations specifically designed to support the deployment of 4.9 GHz private broadband networks for utilities....

Hot line clamps.(NEW PRODUCTS)
June 1, 2008... Galvan Industries stocks a wide selection of bronze, plated bronze and aluminum-bodied hot line clamps for overhead connector applications. The hot line clamps, including an RUS Listed bronze version, are all live-line compatible. They feature...

Cable rejuvenation technology.(NEW PRODUCTS)
June 1, 2008... Novinium, a provider of cable life-extension technology for the utility market, has introduced N-ter Technology to speed the cable rejuvenation process on 7-strand and compact cables. The N-ter (Novinium-Thermally Enhanced Rejuvenation) process...

ThermaCam P660 infrared camera.(NEW PRODUCTS)
June 1, 2008... FLIR Systems has added a new camera to its P-Series line of thermal imaging cameras. The infrared camera are designed for utility industry and thermography professionals for a variety of maintenance applications. The new ThermaCam P660 infrared...

Distributech and Transtech 2009: The utility industry's most comprehensive conference on automation, information technology and T&D engineering Feb. 3-5, 2009, San diego, CA.//Phone 918.832.9265// www.distributech.com.(CALENDAR)(Conference news)(Calendar)
June 1, 2008... JUNE 15-18 EEI Annual Convention/Expo, Edison Electric Institute, www.eei. org, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. JUNE 15-18 2008 Electric Utility Fleet Managers Conference, (757/220-1795), www.eufme.com.Williamsburg, Va. JUNE 21-25...