Hawaiian Electric begins restoration work in Lahaina at request of Maui Emergency Operations Center September 21, 2023 Hawaiian Electric reports that replacement of poles and electrical equipment damaged in last months windstorms and wildfires in Lahaina will get underway at the request of Maui emergency management officials. This work will…
CMP accused of overspending $53.6 million in storm recovery efforts
CMP accused of overspending $53.6 million in storm recovery efforts Sep 8, 2023 Maine’s advocate for utility customers wants state regulators to withhold more than $50 million that it says Central Maine Power Co. overspent in violation of staffing guidelines when restoring power to customers during a dozen storms in…
Hawaii power utility takes responsibility for first fire on Maui, but faults county firefighters
Hawaii power utility takes responsibility for first fire on Maui, but faults county firefighters August 28, 2023 Hawaii’s electric utility acknowledged its power lines started a wildfire on Maui but faulted county firefighters for declaring the blaze contained and leaving the scene, only to have a second wildfire break out…
Data Centers in Oregon Strain Electricity Grid and Challenge Clean Energy Goals
Data Centers in Oregon Strain Electricity Grid and Challenge Clean Energy Goals AUG 12, 2023 Data centers in Oregon are expected to consume significantly more electricity than initially estimated, according to three recent forecasts. This unexpected increase in energy consumption is placing additional strain on the Northwest electrical grid and…
Feds propose $2B in PNW energy grid upgrades to meet rising demand
Feds propose $2B in PNW energy grid upgrades to meet rising demand July 24, 2023 The Pacific Northwest’s need for more — and renewable — electricity is increasing, and Bonneville Power Administration officials say the grid needs billions of dollars’ of work to keep those higher energy loads flowing across…
Global EV sales set to triple by 2026 led by China, Europe, and the U.S.
Global EV sales set to triple by 2026 led by China, Europe, and the U.S. Energize Weekly, July 12, 2023 Electric vehicle (EV) sales are projected to almost triple between 2022 and 2026, reaching nearly 27 million vehicles as the technology pushes beyond automobiles to trucks and buses, according to…
Austin to enter mutual aid agreement with neighboring utility companies after February freeze
Austin to enter mutual aid agreement with neighboring utility companies after February freeze June 2, 2023 A little over three months after an ice storm left tens of thousands of Austin Energy customers without electricity, some for as long as two weeks, the Austin City Council on Thursday ratified a…
Lawmakers eye compromise bill to bolster power lines in permitting negotiations
Lawmakers eye compromise bill to bolster power lines in permitting negotiations 05/25/23 Lawmakers appear to be considering a compromise bill to bolster the nation’s power lines as part of efforts to tie energy permitting reforms to legislation that would lift the debt ceiling. A source briefed on the issue told…
Grant County’s $75 Million Electric System Upgrade Project Nearing Completion
Grant County’s $75 Million Electric System Upgrade Project Nearing Completion May 15, 2023 Grant County PUD is set to undergo a comprehensive electric-system upgrade project across 10 different sites, costing approximately $75 million. The aim of these upgrades is to minimize outage durations and enhance the electric supply for residential,…
ComEd says traditionally summer preparations becoming year-round reality for grid resilience
ComEd says traditionally summer preparations becoming year-round reality for grid resilience May 08, 2023 According to a presentation of ComEd’s summer readiness and plans to the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC), mechanisms are in place to assure reliability for its 9 million customers in northern Illinois. Summer is traditionally the time…
Utilities Seize Control of the Coming Boom in Transmission Lines
Utilities Seize Control of the Coming Boom in Transmission Lines April 26, 2023 Just about everyone involved agrees that the grid needs an upgrade, including a plan for a new transmission line that would run south of Chicago, across northern Indiana and into Michigan. What they don’t agree on is…
Surge in clean generation and storage projects creating a backlog on U.S. electric grids
Surge in clean generation and storage projects creating a backlog on U.S. electric grids Energize Weekly, April 26, 2023 A surge in clean energy projects – a 40 percent year-over-year increase in 2022 – is creating a traffic jam in getting onto the U.S. electric grid, according to a Lawrence…
Grid Transmission Progress In The U.S.
Grid Transmission Progress In The U.S. March 31, 2023 As the U.S. continues to see the highest levels of renewable energy investment in its history, the investment required to expand and improve the energy transmission grid will need to keep pace. This is happening through a combination of private investment…
US Power Plant Firm Goes Bankrupt After Winter Storm Penalties
US Power Plant Firm Goes Bankrupt After Winter Storm Penalties March 31, 2023 Lincoln Power LLC, the owner of two Illinois power plants, filed for bankruptcy after its financial strain was exacerbated by nearly $39 million in penalties levied by the biggest US electric-grid operator. The Chapter 11 filing allows…
More than 43,000 miles of new transmission lines needed in the U.S. by 2040, DOE study says
More than 43,000 miles of new transmission lines needed in the U.S. by 2040, DOE study says Energize Weekly, March 15, 2023 The United States is projected to need more than 47,300 gigawatt-miles of new transmission lines by 2040 – in some cases they will be needed as soon as…
Minnesota utility proposes $192M EV charging station network
Minnesota utility proposes $192M EV charging station network March 6, 2023 A Minnesota utility’s proposal to deploy around 730 EV charging stations while raising rates has encountered opposition from the state department of commerce, rate payers and other parties, according to a startribune.com report. Opponents of the plan question whether…
DOE touts grid expansion plans as operators raise concerns
DOE touts grid expansion plans as operators raise concerns 02/27/2023 The Department of Energy calls its new draft report on transmission a vital step in confronting barriers to long-distance power lines, but not all U.S. grid operators are sold on the outlook. DOE’s draft “National Transmission Needs Study,” released Friday,…
Electric Vehicles Loom Large in U.S. Power Grid Modernization
Electric Vehicles Loom Large in U.S. Power Grid Modernization February 9, 2023 Since its inception, the U.S. electric grid has mostly operated smoothly as one synchronous machine with a one-directional flow of electricity to meet the nation’s predictable power needs. However, as older centralized thermal resources are being replaced with…
Renewables and nuclear set to cover global growth in electricity demand, IEA says
Renewables and nuclear set to cover global growth in electricity demand, IEA says Energize Weekly, February 15, 2023 New renewable and nuclear generation is set to meet 90 percent of the growing demand for electricity globally during the next three years, while increasing extreme weather will test grid resilience, according…
FBI says Baltimore County woman plotted to ‘shoot up’ BGE electric substations
FBI says Baltimore County woman plotted to ‘shoot up’ BGE electric substations February 6, 2023 A Baltimore County woman has been arrested on charges for allegedly plotting to destroy electric substations in the Baltimore region, federal authorities said during a press conference on Monday. Sarah Beth Clendaniel was recorded detailing…
The United States Is Facing Electricity Famine
The United States Is Facing Electricity Famine Feb. 7, 2023 There are signs that we are heading towards an electricity famine; a life-threatening energy Holodomor throughout many areas of the United States caused by political decisions. The system is being set up to fail. This problem this time is not…
FERC Directs NERC to Tighten Bulk Electric System Cybersecurity
FERC Directs NERC to Tighten Bulk Electric System Cybersecurity January 26, 2023 On January 19, 2023, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued a Final Rule directing the North American Electric Reliability Corporation to file for FERC review new or modified Reliability Standards that require internal network security monitoring (INSM) within…
Senators explore power supply failure — especially natural gas — during Christmas storm
Senators explore power supply failure – especially natural gas – during Christmas storm January 26, 2023 The winter storm of Dec. 23-25 produced an unexpectedly high demand for electricity. Despite the surprise, PJM, the 13-state power grid organization — thought it had plenty of reserve on hand. But the power…
State lawmakers propose power grid protections after attacks
State lawmakers propose power grid protections after attacks January 22, 2023 When gunshots at two electrical substations cut power to thousands of central North Carolina homes for several days in early December, Republican state Rep. Ben Moss watched his vibrant district full of family farms, small businesses and sprawling golf…
Substation attacks may lead to new energy security rules in 2023, experts say
Substation attacks may lead to new energy security rules in 2023, experts say Jan. 17, 2023 Amid a growing cyber threat to the U.S. electric grid, 2022 ended with a spate of physical attacks that could portend new security rules for some energy infrastructure, say experts. “The physical substation attacks…
Winter Storm Elliott stressed regional electric grids across the U.S. in different ways
Winter Storm Elliott stressed regional electric grids across the U.S. in different ways Energize Weekly, January 18, 2023 Winter Storm Elliott, the bomb cyclone with freezing temperatures and blizzard conditions that swept across the U.S. east of the Rockies, sparked a wave of outages with its impacts varying from regional…
Biden declares emergency in California as more winter storms advance
Biden declares emergency in California as more winter storms advance JAN 9 2023 President Joe Biden on Monday declared an emergency in California after a barrage of deadly winter storms has prompted widespread power outages and flooding since last week. Extreme downpours, high winds and flash floods have caused at…
AEP Ohio asking for rate increase to boost system reliability after last summer’s storms
AEP Ohio asking for rate increase to boost system reliability after last summer’s storms Jan. 6, 2023 Several months after powerful storms whacked AEP Ohio’s transmission system and forced the power company to turn off electricity to some Columbus-area neighborhoods to avoid a larger power loss, AEP is now asking…
Two Puyallup men charged in Pierce County power substation attacks
Two Puyallup men charged in Pierce County power substation attacks January 3, 2023 Two Puyallup men alleged to have attacked four Pierce County power substations over Christmas weekend will appear in U.S. District Court Tuesday. Matthew Greenwood, 32, and Jeremy Crahan, 40, were arrested Dec. 31, and face charges of…
Entergy Louisiana files proposed 10-year Entergy Future Ready resilience plan
Entergy Louisiana files proposed 10-year Entergy Future Ready resilience plan 12/19/2022 Today, Entergy Louisiana filed its proposed Phase I Entergy Future Ready resilience plan with the Louisiana Public Service Commission. Phase I seeks approval of the first five years of a 10-year resilience plan that would aim to accelerate the…
Boise State prof receives grant to develop power grid security that thinks like a human
Boise State prof receives grant to develop power grid security that thinks like a human DECEMBER 08, 2022 A Boise State associate professor is researching ways to improve the power grid’s reliability by creating electronics to make it think like a human brain. The United States Department of Energy is…
Tens of thousands still in the dark after ‘targeted’ attacks on North Carolina power substations
Tens of thousands still in the dark after ‘targeted’ attacks on North Carolina power substations December 5, 2022 With no suspects or motive announced, the FBI is joining the investigation into power outages in a North Carolina county believed to have been caused by “intentional” and “targeted” attacks on substations…
NYISO reports sufficient electricity supplies expected to meet winter demands
NYISO reports sufficient electricity supplies expected to meet winter demands 11/28/22 The New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) reported Monday, that they expect sufficient electricity supplies in the state are expected to meet demands this winter. “The New York State bulk electric system is well positioned to meet this winter’s…
Highway charging stations for EVs may need as much electricity as a small town
Highway charging stations for EVs may need as much electricity as a small town Energize Weekly, November 30, 2022 A growing number of electric cars and trucks on highways will by 2035 require charging stations demanding the same power as an outdoor sports arena or even a small town, according…
Biden-Harris Administration Announces $13 Billion To Modernize And Expand America’s Power Grid
Biden-Harris Administration Announces $13 Billion To Modernize And Expand America’s Power Grid NOVEMBER 18, 2022 The Biden-Harris Administration, through the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced $13 billion in new financing opportunities for the expansion and modernization of the nation’s electric grid. Funded by the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law,…
U.S. grid faces “unprecedented” risk of electricity shortfalls this winter, NERC warns
U.S. grid faces “unprecedented” risk of electricity shortfalls this winter, NERC warns Energize Weekly, November 23, 2022 A large swatch of the U.S. electricity grid – in Texas, the Midwest, Southeast and New England – is at risk of being unable to provide adequate power in the face of extreme…
AEP to spend millions improving electrical grid to prevent another massive outage
AEP to spend millions improving electrical grid to prevent another massive outage November 14, 2022 Winter is right around the corner and those who lost power during this summer’s large storm, coupled with a heatwave, are wondering if another massive outage could happen again when the temperatures dip below freezing.…
ComEd to file multi-year grid plan, rate plan
ComEd to file multi-year grid plan, rate plan November 07, 2022 ComEd, a Chicago-based energy company, will file a multi-year grid plan along with a four-year rate plan in line with the requirements of the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA). The plan will align closely with the state of…
Puerto Rico’s Fragile Grid to Get Boost from Networked Batteries
Puerto Rico’s Fragile Grid to Get Boost from Networked Batteries November 1, 2022 Sunrun Inc was selected to develop a 17-megawatt electricity generation project in Puerto Rico that harnesses excess battery power from its residential solar customers. The California-based company will begin enrolling households into what is known as a…
Southern California Edison to spend $50M in pole drone inspection services
Southern California Edison to spend $50M in pole drone inspection services Oct. 20th 2022 Southern California Edison says it plans to spend an estimated $50 million in drone inspection services over the next three years to ensure that nearly 160,000 of its electricity poles are adequately maintained. The news comes…
ComEd cites major reliability improvements in 2022 compared to pre-smart grid efforts
ComEd cites major reliability improvements in 2022 compared to pre-smart grid efforts October 17, 2022 According to new metrics released by ComEd last week, efforts to improve the power grid in northern Illinois through smart grid technology yielded an 82 percent improvement in overall reliability compared to when improvements began…
Ohio Edison, The Illuminating Company Complete Three-Year Grid Modernization Project in Ashtabula County
Ohio Edison, The Illuminating Company Complete Three-Year Grid Modernization Project in Ashtabula County Oct. 6, 2022 Ohio Edison and The Illuminating Company are completing smart grid upgrades across Ashtabula County to help prevent or minimize the length of service disruptions, particularly during severe weather. The work includes installation of new,…
PNM unveils grid upgrade plan, possible added $1.20 monthly cost
PNM unveils grid upgrade plan, possible added $1.20 monthly cost Oct 3, 2022 A big new plan from PNM outlines some major possible upgrades to the grid providing electrical service to many New Mexicans, including changes that could offer more data about how customers are using electricity. The utility is…
New York ISO issues long-term system and resource outlook
New York ISO issues long-term system and resource outlook September 26, 2022 The New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) issued a report identifying the amount of electrical system investment required to meet New York State’s long-term climate policy requirements. NYISO’s 2021-2040 System & Resource Outlook, developed in collaboration with stakeholders…
Ohio county looks to microgrids to attract and retain business by boosting resilience
Ohio county looks to microgrids to attract and retain business by boosting resilience 9.19.2022 Cuyahoga County plans to use microgrids to bolster climate change resilience and overall reliability for key manufacturing and industrial operations in the Greater Cleveland area. The work furthers the county’s goals of adding clean energy and…
Appalachian Power, Wheeling Power report WV broadband project on track for 2023 completion
Appalachian Power, Wheeling Power report WV broadband project on track for 2023 completion September 12, 2022 According to an update reported to the Public Service Commission of West Virginia last week, Appalachian Power and Wheeling Power have completed design, engineering and pole replacements in Logan and Mingo counties, leaving them…
California ISO issues alert due to high energy demand amid heat wave
California ISO issues alert due to high energy demand amid heat wave September 06, 2022 The California Independent System Operator (CAISO) on Tuesday extended a call for consumers to reduce energy due to the impact of record-breaking temperatures in California that have created higher demand for power. Forecasted loads are…
ComEd opens new overhead transmission training center
ComEd opens new overhead transmission training center August 29, 2022 A first of its kind training facility opened its doors under the direction of ComEd this week, extending the possibilities of beginner and refresher training courses for more than 120 of the company’s overhead transmission-focused employees annually in Illinois. Coursework…
Texas grid avoids summer blackouts with $1 billion in extra spending
Texas grid avoids summer blackouts with $1 billion in extra spending August 25, 2022 Texas’ electric grid operator has powered through record demand this summer by paying more to keep higher reserves and rewarding industrial consumers to cut usage, a combination that has added more than $1 billion to power…
Shelby County suburbs want Memphis, Light, Gas and Water to stay with the TVA
Shelby County suburbs want Memphis, Light, Gas and Water to stay with the TVA Aug. 25, 2022 The six Shelby County suburbs want Memphis, Light Gas and Water to stay with the Tennessee Valley Authority and not switch electricity suppliers. The six suburbs have written a joint resolution that urges…
