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Linemen News: June 2017

Highlights from the World of Linemen News

Here are some industry news and information articles from around the web, just for you.
Collage of towers halved

FirstEnergy Upgrading Transmission Line in Central Ohio

FirstEnergy Corp. is rebuilding and modernizing a 69-kilovolt (kV) transmission line to enhance service reliability for approximately 10,000 electric customers near Mansfield, Ohio. When completed this fall, the upgraded line will enhance the flow of electricity across the local system and use smart technologies to help reduce the frequency and duration of power outages.

The $16 million transmission project includes replacing the existing poles and wires with new wood poles capable of carrying new, higher-capacity conductor wires… Read More

Report: Utility-scale solar prices drop below $1/watt for first time

The future for solar energy remains strong, according to solar advocates, as costs decline and the resources make more economic sense.

“The solar market clearly remains on a strong upward trajectory,” Abigail Ross Hopper, SEIA’s president and CEO, said in a statement. She said the resource is “adding jobs 17 times faster than the U.S. economy and creating tens of billions of dollars in investment. With its cost-competitiveness, we know solar will continue to play a growing role in America’s energy portfolio.” Read More

Battery Storage Technology Expanding Worldwide

enewable generation and energy storage technology have evolved at a similar pace in recent years. Their mutually beneficial relationship is no mystery. Intermittent renewables, like solar and wind power, need storage to be effective, and without the growth in the renewables industry, the demand for new storage capacity wouldn’t be as high as it is.

A recent study confirms that this trend will continue. It also suggests even more growth for battery technology as other factors besides renewables are also contributing to its demand. “Global Advanced Battery Energy Storage Systems Market Insights, Opportunity Analysis, Market Shares and Forecast, 2017–2023,” was released by the research firm GlobalData in April. It tracks the global market for battery storage technology and forecasts robust growth for the industry in the years ahead.

Specifically, it estimates the installed capacity of global battery… Read More

Weathering the Storm: How Storm Impact Analytics can Save Utilities

More than ever before, utilities are under rapidly increasing pressure to address the threats that severe and volatile weather pose to their operations. Knowing how to execute the proper response is becoming an increasingly coveted skill and using innovative technology through storm impact analytics will prove key to responding to a crisis that affects a utility’s functionality. Predictive data across the gamut, no matter how seemingly minor, can significantly impact the damage done across the entire asset network and contribute to the operational resilience of the utility, especially as the storm passes through the utility’s service territory.

Now seen as the “new norm,” major outages from coast to coast due to severe weather have increased six-fold in the past 20 years. Increasingly volatile and extreme weather conditions have caused nationwide uncertainty with the safety of utilities and the communities they are located. Staying informed through real-time predictive information presents extreme value.

Statistics report that more than 60 percent of utilities in the U.S. lose an average of more than $100,000 per year in revenue because of power outages. Utilities have to… Read More

PG&E Hauling, Processing Dead Trees to Enhance Public Safety

In response to California’s ongoing tree mortality crisis and increased wildfire threat, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. is working with local communities and power generators to dispose of dead tree debris and turn it into renewable energy. PG&E is operating sorting and chipping yards in eight counties hard hit by tree mortality to prepare the dead tree debris for use in biomass generation facilities. The two newest sites recently opened in Placer and Nevada counties.

“It’s a unique opportunity to help our communities and our customers, and demonstrate our commitment to clean energy. By removing this fuel, we’re helping people to protect their homes, and enabling firefighters access to their property and homes in the event of a wildfire,” said Kevin Dasso, PG&E vice president of Electric Asset Management.event of a wildfire”

PG&E is offering free dead tree clean-up assistance to customers with trees felled by PG&E to protect power lines in ten counties that have declared tree mortality… Read More

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