Transmission

Save Energy with Natural Gas Upgrades

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Natural gas is an efficient, safe, and reliable fuel source. It costs less than heating oil, and is one of the cleanest-burning fuels available. If you are not currently using natural gas in your building, converting to natural gas is a wise choice for property owners who want to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve the air quality in your community.

For buildings already using natural gas, there are ways to minimize equipment replacement costs, lower operating costs and enhance the overall value and infrastructure of your property. One way is to commission an energy efficiency study to evaluate your property’s energy use and learn how to increase its energy efficiency. Regular maintenance and tune-ups to natural gas heating systems, as well as upgrading to high-efficiency furnaces, boilers and controls are often worthy investments. Keep reading →

 /  Published September 10, 2012 at 8:30 AM

As US Shale Gas Output Booms, Who Should Fund Required Infrastructure?

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Are deregulated power markets producing the long-term, reliable energy infrastructure that manufacturers need to invest and expand?

The issue looms because the Marcellus Shale natural gas boom has raised the potential for a “manufacturing renaissance” in Pennsylvania and other shale states, David Ciarlone, manager of Global Energy Services for Alcoa told the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) technical conference on growing electricity and gas industry interdependencies recently held in Washington, DC. Keep reading →

 /  Published September 6, 2012 at 12:00 PM

Sign Of The (Slow) Times: PJM Seeks to Cancel Planned Transmission

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Grid operator PJM Interconnection said its staff will recommend dropping the Potomac Appalachian Transmission Highline (PATH) and the Mid Atlantic Power Pathway (MAPP) from its regional transmission projects.

PJM’s planning process looks 15 years ahead to identify transmission upgrades needed to maintain stable power systems. Keep reading →

 /  Published August 15, 2012 at 11:30 AM

Is It Getting Warmer Where You Are?

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Whatever the cause, weather patterns appear unusual and getting more so.

The first 6 months of 2012 were the hottest first 6 months in a calendar year in Continental US, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported in early July. The widespread drought affecting major portions of the US appear to be worse in 6 decades and are likely to affect food prices. Keep reading →

 /  Published August 10, 2012 at 1:30 PM

Addressing the Blackouts in India: One Company’s Perspective

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Indian passengers sit on the railway tracks near the platform of Sealdah train station waiting for the resumption of services during a power failure in Kolkata on July 31, 2012.

Even on a good day, millions of people in India are without access to electricity or deal with power outages on a fairly regular basis. However, the massive power failures that hit the country during the last days of July were striking in how widespread they were. Keep reading →

 /  Published August 2, 2012 at 11:00 AM

#Electricity coming back in spots and stages in huge #India #blackout today covering 1/2 of country http://j.mp/M0Mvv6 #energy

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 #Electricity coming back in spots and stages in huge #India #blackout today covering 1/2 of country http://j.mp/M0Mvv6 #energy @j3juliano

 /  Published July 31, 2012 at 10:00 AM

How Schools Can Use Less Energy & Spend Less Money, Without the Sacrifice

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Making schools energy efficient need not be an exercise in sacrifice. Schools can get the same or better services, as well as increase the health and comfort of students and staff, all while using less energy.

The first step is to get an energy assessment that can help identify and prioritize opportunities for substantial energy and operational savings. Once these opportunities are identified, a school can develop a customized plan to reduce energy use, replacement and operating costs, and their carbon footprint. Common energy-saving measures for schools include installing high-efficiency lighting and lighting controls; heating, cooling and ventilation equipment; and motors, controls and variable frequency drives. Keep reading →

 /  Published July 6, 2012 at 8:00 AM

It’s the Planning, Stupid! How Utilities are Messing up their Smart Grid Communications

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Communicating with customers has become a big part of the smart grid conversation, but according to a new survey from Distributed Energy Financial Group (DEFG), utility smart grid communications efforts are below average and 40% of survey participants rated them “ineffective.”

DEFG’s online survey included more than 200 energy professionals, almost one-third of them from utilities. Keep reading →

 /  Published July 2, 2012 at 3:30 PM

Hawaiian Cable Project ‘May Boost Hopes’ for US Offshore Wind

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A plan to build a 100-mile undersea cable linking power grids on Hawaii’s islands would help meet the state’s ambitious renewable-energy goals, reduce its heavy dependence on imported oil, and cut electric bills for consumers.

It could also become an important test case for the ability of existing grids to rely on power from renewable sources. If it proves, as its backers hope, that grids can take more power from renewable sources than the maximum levels currently assumed by the industry, that would be a big boost to plans for offshore wind farms along the U.S. East Coast. Keep reading →

 /  Published June 25, 2012 at 8:30 AM

Solar Flares Endanger Nuclear Plants, Power Grids

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To the experts, it’s a Geomagnetic Disturbance, or GMD. To most of us, it’s a solar flare.
Whatever its name, it can fry a large electricity system, burn out controls, and black out square miles in seconds, like the massive flare that brought down the grid in Canada’s Quebec province for nine hours in 1989.

Now, the power industry and regulators responsible for electric reliability are trying to figure out how to stop it, or at least minimize the potential damage. Keep reading →

 /  Published June 19, 2012 at 8:30 AM
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