Table of ContentsFeaturesEPRI gives Glimpse into ResearchIt's no secret that the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) is out to change the future of power. If EPRI's trying to keep that a secret, the nonprofit isn't doing a very good job of it. Rural Electric AMI Serves as Smart Grid PlatformTalquin Electric Co-op was more than ready to leap to an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) after 70 years of serving the power and water needs of a largely rural customer base in the Florida panhandle. The Protective Relay EvolvesThe need for real-time process data has grown in the past decade. As the appetite for data intensified, the data's importance has increased dramatically. DistribuTECH Drives Power Pros to San AntonioRunning Jan. 24-26, 2012, at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, DistribuTECH covers the smart grid from end to end. Behind the MeterSmart grid is a catch-all term that can be defined in myriad ways. When it comes to advanced metering infrastructure (AMI), however, we tend to perceive things as much more concrete. Everyone knows what a smart meter is. Smart Metering and Small Utilities: A Watch-and-Wait GameThe potential benefits of advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) are myriad, from improving efficiency with automatic meter-reading to increasing visibility into distribution performance to improving electric system reliability through better monitoring and management. Strategic Zones for Substation Cybersecurity ProtectionIn the decade since 9-11, utilities have spent billions upgrading their systems to guard against cyberattacks. An integral part of our national infrastructure, power utilities are assumed to be a prime target for both hackers and terrorists. Smart Metering Exec Talks Difference, Similarities Between U.S. and European InitiativesA recent Institute for Electric Efficiency survey revealed that more than one in five U.S. households has a two-way communicating digital electric meter, and that by 2015, more than half of U.S. homes will have smart meters. Predicting Failure: Furan Transformer TestingMemphis Light, Gas & Water (MLGW) in Memphis, Tenn., is one of the largest three-service public power utilities in the nation. MLGW serves more than 420,000 electrical customers, 314,000 natural gas customers and 255,000 water customers in the Memphis and Shelby County area. Building a Transmission Line in Southeast AlaskaAlaska is blessed with immense energy resources including fossil fuels and renewables. Its unique geography and sheer size coupled with a relatively small population, however, create challenges in transporting or transmitting these resources to the population base. DepartmentsFrom the EditorDistribuTECH Expands to Brazil; A Country Serious About Energy EfficiencyDuring the past few weeks, I've made two trips to Brazil. Travel, occasionally to faraway places, is a perk (or sometimes a curse) of my job. NotesThe Choice of a Savvy Customer Validates Smart Grid InvestmentsA recent Frost & Sullivan customer survey of U.S. homeowners illustrates that, if given a choice, the vast majority will sign on to a utility's demand response program. ProductsMeter TestingThe CMControl, the flexible front panel control for the OMICRON CMC test sets, now provides a completely new test tool for meter testing. With this tool, CMControl users now have the possibility to test not only various power system protection devices but also electricity meters on-site in an easy and cost-efficient way. PerspectivesPrecise Timing's New Smart Grid RoleEvery second of every day, thousands of events occur between generators, transmission lines and power substations scattered across thousands of miles. |
|
