News Highlights from the Electric Power Industry.
Mitsubishi Electric acquires DERMS provider Smarter Grid Solutions
Today, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, and its subsidiary Mitsubishi Electric Power Products, Inc., announced they have entered into an agreement to acquire UK based Smarter Grid Solutions (SGS). SGS is a global provider of distributed energy resources management software (DERMS) for power distribution utilities and DER operators.
In a world becoming more powered by distributed energy resources like solar PV, batteries, and soon EV batteries, grid operators are challenged to maintain them. >> Read more
UL, Hyundai to partner on evaluation of EV batteries for energy storage
Most electric vehicle batteries are replaced when they no longer meet performance standards of 80% of usable capacity. A handful of startups and utilities working in partnership with automakers have sought to repurpose those batteries for energy storage.
American Electric Power and Honda have explored possible uses for used batteries and Nissan piloted second-life battery use on the grid as early as 2015. General Motors has touted that its Ultium battery pack is designed with a second-life applications in mind. >> Read more
The California Energy Commission (CEC) has approved licenses for gas-fired power units to help the state cope with continued electricity shortages. The move comes after Gov. Gavin Newsom earlier declared a state of emergency for California’s power grid.
The state’s Dept. of Water Resources is procuring what it called five temporary gas-fueled generators, each with generation capacity of 30 MW, to install at existing power plants. The CEC on Aug. 17 approved licenses, good for up to five years, for the generators. >> Read more
Chevron Corp and its partners in the Gorgon LNG project off Western Australia have agreed to go ahead with a $4 billion project to improve gas recovery from offshore wells and keep the huge liquefied natural gas plant filled for 40 years, as reported by Reuters. >> Read more
Marking filtration as a top priority for peaker plants
For a power plant to run as efficiently as possible, proper filtration is a critical part of the equation.
The benefits are clear, but for one reason or another, filtration can sometimes be less of a priority among plant operators and maintenance personnel than it really should be. Furthermore, the evolution of the modern plant is such that filtration has become even more important with the more frequent utilization of peaker plants. >> Read more
Be Prepared. Think Safety.
