Utility Automation & Engineering T&D articles from November 2007

Utility Automation & Engineering T&D archives from November 2007

HVDC offers bright future for Long Islanders.(FROM THE EDITOR)(high voltage direct current)(Long Island Power Authority )(Editorial)
November 1, 2007... On a damp, overcast October morning, I was invited to attend the dedication of a facility that promises a bright energy future for Long Island, N.Y., residents. It was an occasion that might also mark the beginning of a flurry of activity in...

DOE designates Southwest Area, Mid-Atlantic Area National Interest Electric Transmission Corridors.(NEWS)
November 1, 2007... U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Assistant Secretary for Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability Kevin M. Kolevar announced the Department's designation of two National Interest Electric Transmission Corridors (National Corridors) in...

NERC commends DOE's designation.(NEWS)(North American Electric Reliability Corporation)(United States. Department of Energy)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) commended the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) designation of two National Interest Electric Transmission Corridors (NIETC) in October. Rick Sergel, NERC president and CEO,...

Study notes terrorist blackout impact on L.A.(NEWS)
November 1, 2007... Various forms of resilience would give Los Angeles County electricity customers the ability to mute the potential shock to their businesses of a terrorist-caused blackout by as much as 86 percent, according to a new study in the journal Risk...

Dateline: ZigBee City, Sweden.(EYE ON EUROPE)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... The city of Gothenburg (or Goteborg), Sweden, will soon form the world's largest ZigBee network when it deploys the NURI AiMiR Advanced Meterreading Management (AMM) System for its 270,000 homes, according to Ember. Goteborg Energi AB has...

Siemens connects Majorca to Spanish mainland.(EYE ON EUROPE)(Siemens Power Transmission and Distribution Div.)(Red Electrica de Espana S.A.)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... Siemens Power Transmission and Distribution (PTD) has been awarded its third HVDC order in Europe within half a year. Siemens is delivering the two converter stations for the new high-voltage direct current transmission link (HVDC) between...

Tidbit.(NEWS)
November 1, 2007... In 2006, shipments of merchant DC-DC converters totaled US$ 2.6 billion and are forecast to reach US$ 3.9 billion in 2011, according to Venture Development Corp.

More hackers targeting utilities.(NEWS)
November 1, 2007... SecureWorks, a managed security services provider protecting over 1,800 clients and 100 utilities, has seen a 90 percent increase in the number of hackers attempting to attack its utility clients this year. From January through April,...

OSI awarded OMPA contract.(NEWS)(Open Systems International Inc.)(Oklahoma Municipal Power Authority)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... Open Systems International Inc. (OSI) has been awarded a contract by Oklahoma Municipal Power Authority (OMPA) of Edmond, Oklahoma, for a new comprehensive SCADA system. OMPA provides power to Oklahoma's municipally owned electric systems,...

Tidbit.(NEWS)(survey of deregulated energy markets)(Survey)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... The latest RKS survey of state utility regulators found a "dramatic reversal of support among state utility regulators for deregulated energy markets." One-third of respondents in currently competitive states say they are considering...

Xcel Energy uses soy oil in all new transformers.(NEWS)
November 1, 2007... Xcel Energy, an electricity provider to 3.3 million customers across eight western and midwestern states, will be the first large-scale utility to use Cooper Power Systems Envirotemp FR3 fluid in all of its new single-phase pole- and...

California fires put SDG & E crews on high alert.(NEWS)
November 1, 2007... While the cause of the raging fires around Malibu and San Diego was still under investigation and speculation-including the thought that at least one of the blazes was caused by downed power lines-San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG & E), the local...

AEP electrifies the Virginias.(Interview)
November 1, 2007... American Electric Power's (AEP) $306 million Wyoming-Jacksons Ferry 765-kilovolt (kV) transmission project was the largest electric transmission infrastructure project under way when it was dedicated last year. Looking back over the project's...

DistribuTECH's Utility University offers unique learning opportunity.
November 1, 2007... DistribuTECH 2008 is just around the corner. The main conference and exhibition takes place Jan. 22-24, 2008, in Tampa, Fla., and features more than 50 conferences sessions in 13 different tracks. The day before the main conference kicks off,...

Where is IEC 61850?
November 1, 2007... The development of the IEC 61850 standard for substation communications carried with it the promise of a new era in substation automation. Replacing hardwired connections with messaging via Ethernet, the new standard offered a tantalizing...

Hydro-Quebec designs substations in 3-D.
November 1, 2007... Three-dimensional computer-aided design (CAD 3-D) modeling software is widely used in the automobile and aircraft industry. Lately, Hydro-Quebec has adopted that same type of software for the design of new power stations and substations. ...

Using technology to overcome workforce shortages.
November 1, 2007... To many managers in the utilities sector, the future doesn't look as bright as it could. With the present shortage of qualified engineers and technicians, and predictions that more than half of industry professionals will retire or leave the...

Improving operational efficiencies one ping at a time.
November 1, 2007... In electric distribution operations, many practices and procedures have withstood the test of time simply because they are in line with industry best practices and have proved to be the best approach to solve today's problems with existing...

Protection and control redundancy considerations in medium voltage distribution systems.(GETTING EQUIPPED)
November 1, 2007... Extra high voltage transmission and sub-transmission backbones provide for multiple power How paths to increase availability of power supply and to facilitate work on the primary equipment while maintaining service. Redundant secondary systems...

Static VAR Compensator.(NEW PRODUCTS)
November 1, 2007... American Superconductor has introduced a Static VAR Compensator (SVC) product line, based on its proprietary controls technology combined with thyristor switch technology it obtained through the acquisition of Power Quality Systems Inc. in...

Batteries for AMR.(NEW PRODUCTS)
November 1, 2007... Maxell's next-generation advanced hybrid cells are designed for automatic meter reading, security devices and RF applications and can operate for more than 10 years. Designated CR17450 and CR17335, the cells are designed to industry standard...

Load research tool.(NEW PRODUCTS)
November 1, 2007... Load Research System (LRS) 2.0 from Itron is a tool for analyzing load research data. LRS is designed to simplify load research processes, reduce data collection and analysis costs, and increase load profile accuracy. The system's graphical...

Hardened Router.(NEW PRODUCTS)
November 1, 2007... The Magnum DX900 Industrial Router from GarrettCom enables plant engineers and IT departments to link remote, harsh-environment industrial sites to central systems and operations centers using Digital WAN services. The DX900 is suitable for...

HV cable termination tape.(NEW PRODUCTS)
November 1, 2007... New Scotch Silicone Rubber Electrical Tape 70 HDT is designed to increase resistance against surface arcing and tracking of high-voltage cable terminations. This tape may be used on terminations operated outdoors or indoors and in areas subject...

Protection relay.(NEW PRODUCTS)
November 1, 2007... GE Multilin's new D90Plus protection system is designed as a single-platform solution for the protection of medium-voltage to extra-high-voltage transmission lines. The D90Plus is a sub-cycle distance relay with true convergence of multiple...

Optical Pulse Link System.(NEW PRODUCTS)
November 1, 2007... The OPL-Series Optical Pulse Link makes it possible to implement a fiber optic pulse link with minimum effort. With its superior noise immunity and electrical isolation, the OPL-Series Optical Pulse Link System is suited for substation and...

Calendar.(Calendar)
November 1, 2007... DistribuTECH and TransTECH 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 NOVEMBER 11-15 ...

What makes substation automation a requirement now?(SMART GRID PERSPECTIVES)
November 1, 2007... What makes substation automation different today from what it was five, 10 or even 20 years ago? What does the intelligent grid have to do with it? Clearly, substation automation is not new. It has been deployed in major or critical substations...