Reliability
In an effort to aid crews in identifying hazardous vegetation growth in a sometimes heavily forested service territory, the Eugene Water and Electric Board is utilizing a new satellite-based forestry analytics software called Overstory, the Oregon public power utility recently reported.
Reliability
Memphis Light, Gas and Water has hired PLP Inspection Services, an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle contractor, to inspect the public power utility’s electric transmission system structures with drones over the next six weeks, it said on June 24.
Reliability
As operational challenges multiply, some utilities have found drones to be an effective tool to optimize limited resources and maintain safe and reliable service. Many utilities have either hired drone service providers that use professional pilots or started dedicated aviation units with their utility. In contrast, Skydio uses artificial intelligence to interpret the visual data coming from the fisheye cameras that serve as a drone’s “eyes.”
Grid Modernization
New research examines the question of whether large-language models, like those that power ChatGPT, can help run and maintain the energy grid.
Disaster Response and Mutual Aid
The American Public Power Association and officials from public power utilities recently wrapped up a day and a half mutual aid workshop and exercise in Oklahoma.
Reliability
Six members of Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems have been approved for five projects in the first round of funding offered through a new Infrastructure Grant Program, UAMPS reported.
Reliability
in a recent interview with APPA, Joseph Bunch, General Manager and CEO for New Smyrna Beach Utilities, detailed the steps the utility has taken in recent years to improve reliability. He also detailed how the utility benefits from its membership in the Florida Municipal Power Agency.
Energy Storage
Arizona public power utility Salt River Project has issued a request for proposals for both inverter and non-inverter based long duration energy storage technologies for demonstration projects with a capacity of 5 megawatts (MW) to 50 MW and a duration of 10 hours.
Electricity Markets
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on June 27 said that it is seeking comment on a potential framework that would make more efficient and cost-effective use of the power grid by requiring the application of dynamic line ratings.
Environment
The U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision temporarily staying the Federal Implementation Plan for the 2015 Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards — also known as the Good Neighbor plan — which sought to impose tighter limits on releases of nitrogen oxides in the 23 states subjected to the Good Neighbor Plan.