Highlights from the World of Linemen News
Here are some industry news and information articles from around the web, just for you.
Missouri’s largest utility announces major move toward renewable energy sources
Missouri’s largest utility has announced a major expansion of its renewable power generation to serve customers.
The investor owned company Monday said its dramatically increasing the amount of wind and solar generation to provide cost-effective and sustainable energy.
It plans to add 700 megawatts of wind generation by 2020 at a cost of roughly $1 billion. The utility claims even more wind generation is possible in the next few years because of improving technology and economics.
Ajay Arora, Ameren’s vice president for environmental services and generation resource planning, says higher towers and longer blades have made it possible for wind turbines to be situated in more locations. “With the new technology, we are able to access locations that had lower wind speeds that weren’t quite as affordable as they are now,” said Arora.
Ameren also says it’s adding 100 megawatts of solar generation over the next 10 years… Read More
FERC to consider NERC’s proposed cybersecurity standards
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is considering approving new cybersecurity standards proposed by the North American Electric Reliability Corp. in an effort to secure the reliability of the United States’ bulk electric system (BES).
The new standards will primarily cover “transient electronic devices,” adopting security protocols for devices such as thumb drives and laptops, which are frequently connected and disconnected from systems…
Comments on the proposed… Read More
More than a Sport: Competing at the 2017 International Lineman’s Rodeo
The job of a lineman is a matter of life and death: safety must be paramount as line workers maintain and restore power for modern civilization to function. And once a year, the best of the best come together to compete for the honor of being called world champion in the same tasks they perform all year round.
The 34th annual International Lineman’s Rodeo kicked off at 7 a.m. local time on Oct. 14, 2017, in Bonner Springs, Kansas. More than 1000 competitors converged on the rodeo grounds, bringing along colleagues, families and friends to cheer them on.
Journeyman linemen competed in events such as pole climb, hurtman rescue, removing and installing shunts and replacing crossarms. Apprentices competed as individuals in the same events in addition to a written test… Read More
AEP Texas Rises Above the Storm
After Hurricane Harvey hit AEP Texas’ service territory, linemen worked together to restore power as quickly as possible. This video shows the entire process, from activating the storm response team to responding to the hurricane. Read More
The End of the Internal Combustion Engine?
A slowly growing trend may have just reached critical mass. In recent years, countries such as France, Britain, the Netherlands and Norway have passed legislation designed to ban internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles in the next 15 to 25 years. However, total annual sales of vehicles in those nations are a small fraction of total vehicle sales worldwide—about two million vehicles or less in each nation.
But traction is increasing. In May, India, with annual sales of about 3 million vehicles, announced plans to do the same by 2030.
Then, last month, China announced it is developing a long-term plan to phase out ICE vehicles by approximately 2030. The announcement sent shockwaves through the auto industry, given that China represents the industry’s largest market, where annual vehicle sales are between 24 and 28 million. In fact, one in every four new cars on the planet is sold in China. The United States is in second place with almost 18 million.
“If China says no more fossil-fuel powered cars, global carmakers must follow,” said William Russo of Gao Feng Advisory, a Chinese consulting firm… Read More
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