Germany’s Siemens has handed over the first of a total of five commissioned North Sea grid connections, the BorWin2 offshore platform, to its customer TenneT, a German-Dutch transmission grid operator, for immediate commercial operation, the company announced in a press release on January 30. TenneT is one of the four Transmission System Operators (TSOs) that… Keep reading →
The Wall Street Journal reported late Thursday that oil services giants Halliburton and Baker Hughes were involved in “quickly progressing” merger negotiations, which caused shares of both firms to jump. “The Journal, citing unidentified people familiar with the matter, said talks were progressing quickly and a deal could come soon.” [Fuel Fix] A new study using… Keep reading →
As society becomes more and more dependent on technology and Mother Nature continues to deliver dramatic weather events across all parts of the globe, utilities must develop and deploy newer and more advanced grid technologies that can proactively respond to potential impacts and recover quickly from outages. But, is grid modernization only about the technologies… Keep reading →
A Freedom of Information Request unveiled emails between New England government leadership and several energy companies regarding various power and gas infrastructure projects that have some questioning the extent to which certain aspects of the negotiations and decision making were kept from the public. “Regional plans for a pair of multibillion-dollar energy projects have advanced… Keep reading →
It is no news that across the African continent infrastructure investment and thus development has lagged behind. According to estimates by Jean Claude Gandur, founder of Addax Energy, Africa has been investing 4 per cent of its GDP in infrastructure, compared to China’s 14 per cent. Nevertheless, a recent report by the World Economic Forum,… Keep reading →
The days of merely managing wires and selling a commodity are winding down for utilities. These companies must now compete with or embrace technology and services that give customers greater control over the systems that power their homes, making it easier to reduce energy consumption, increase efficiency and ultimately save money. Google’s acquisition of smart… Keep reading →
New legislation has been proposed to increase US military energy efficiency and reduce fossil fuel reliance. This shift, however, is driven more by troop safety and operational security than a desire to be “green.” “The bill, called the Department of Defense Energy Security Act of 2014, was announced yesterday by Senator Mark Udall (D-CO) and… Keep reading →
Users of critical infrastructure – for example, the electrical grid – are not really known for being blessed with outstanding customer service from their respective providers. Instead, for operators/providers – i.e. utilities – of a public good such as electricity, customers seem not to be the primary consideration given that utilities have a legal “obligation… Keep reading →
A timely new report published by the World Economic Forum in April 2014 titled “Strategic Infrastructure Steps to Operate and Maintain Infrastructure Efficiently and Effectively” addresses an important area for necessary investment globally: infrastructure. The current focus in the US is on energy infrastructure – whether this concerns the need to build out the petroleum… Keep reading →
Rethinking the Power of the Grid
By Dr. Henri WinandOur reliance on electricity is nothing new, but in the era of global connectivity and the burgeoning mobile economy, our dependence on power has grown dramatically. This is especially true in developing countries, where the growth of mobile has opened up economic frontiers and brought new opportunities. Sadly, all of that progress can be undermined… Keep reading →