
SRP Brings Copper Crossing Solar Project Online to Support Grid and Research Efforts
Salt River Project (SRP) has placed its first owned solar facility, the 55‑MW Copper Crossing Energy and Research Center (CCERC) PV Solar Project, into service in Florence, Arizona. The plant will generate enough electricity to power roughly 11,000 homes and serves as a testbed for three types of photovoltaic panels, three tracker designs and three inverter models, plus sky‑camera cloud‑impact studies. SRP says the data will guide future utility‑scale deployments as it aims to double generation capacity over the next decade and achieve net‑zero emissions by 2050. The project supports both reliable, affordable power and advanced solar research.

Transmission Line to Ukraine Nuclear Plant Fixed After Disruption
The 330 kV transmission line feeding Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant has been restored, allowing the six‑reactor complex to resume normal grid connection. Operators confirmed all systems are nominal and radiation remains at background levels. The plant, which generates roughly 5,700 MW—about...

LUMA Installs 20 Transformers to Strengthen Puerto Rico's Power Grid
LUMA Energy installed 20 new transformers across Puerto Rico, enhancing capacity and voltage regulation for roughly 78,000 customers in the eastern and Bayamón regions. The Bayamón TC Substation upgrade fortifies a key northern transmission hub, while the Fajardo unit replaces...

ComEd’s Plan to Protect Key Assets With Resilience
ComEd partnered with Polywater for a May 4 webinar to outline a new resilience strategy aimed at protecting critical transmission and substation assets. The session emphasized shifting from generic to performance‑based specifications to harden infrastructure and curb unnecessary outages. Speakers Mike...

Cross-Laminated Timber Mats for Jobsite Access
Sterling Solutions introduced TerraLam cross‑laminated timber (CLT) site‑access mats, designed for temporary roadways, crane pads and work platforms. The bolted‑free panels distribute loads evenly, offering strength comparable to traditional 8‑inch timber mats while weighing significantly less. Their lighter weight allows...

Enhancing Distribution Grid Resilience: S&C Electric's Solutions
S&C Electric Company is using the 2026 IEEE PES T&D Exposition to promote its new distribution‑grid resilience theme, "From outage response to grid resilience." The company highlighted the TripSaver FXR Recloser, designed to cut outages and costs on overhead laterals, and...

Unlocking the Grid: How Advanced Conductors and Dynamic Line Rating Boost Capacity Without New Lines
Grid‑enhanced technologies are allowing utilities to boost transmission capacity without building new lines. Advanced conductors with improved coatings and composite cores can deliver up to twice the ampacity of traditional steel‑aluminum conductors. Coupled with fiber‑optic sensing and the latest DLR‑3.0...

Oncor, LCRA TSC File Application to Build 765kV Transmission Line From Schleicher to Bell Counties
Oncor and the Lower Colorado River Authority Transmission Services Corporation have submitted a Certificate of Convenience and Necessity to the Public Utility Commission of Texas for a new 765 kV transmission line spanning Schleicher to Bell counties. The line is one...

Inside the IEEE PES T&D Conference and Expo
The 2026 IEEE PES Transmission & Distribution Conference in Chicago will convene over 15,000 engineers, utility leaders, and technology providers to address grid reliability and resilience. Hosted by ComEd, the event features more than 900 exhibitors and four themed exhibit‑floor...

Custom Utility Trailers Enhance City of Lethbridge’s Fleet Efficiency
The City of Lethbridge commissioned two custom FT‑24‑3 utility pole trailers from Felling, facilitated by dealer NCCHD, to replace aging equipment that could not handle long poles or heavy loads. The trailers feature a 27,600 lb GVWR, a telescopic tongue extending...

Why Transformer Explosions Remain a Structural Engineering Problem
Transformer explosions stem from internal electrical arcs that vaporize oil, creating rapid pressure spikes that can rupture the tank within tens of milliseconds. Conventional protection—relays, breakers, and pressure‑relief valves—detect and isolate faults after this dynamic phase, leaving the structural failure...

Transmission Is the Battleground: Eight Plays to Win the Grid Race
The article argues transmission infrastructure is now the primary competitive front in the power and utilities sector. It outlines eight strategic “plays” that firms can adopt, emphasizing speed in permitting, resource pooling, design standardization, information transparency, and innovative tariff and...

NRECA CEO Jim Matheson on the Co-Op Energy Playbook
In a T&D World Live podcast, NRECA CEO Jim Matheson outlined how electric cooperatives are adapting to heightened weather threats, wildfire risks, and a surge in electricity demand driven by data centers and AI. He highlighted the critical role of...

Conrad Fox
Conrad Fox, Principal Engineer at TD World, leads the development of advanced capacity‑expansion and energy‑storage models while designing capacity market mechanisms for a major North‑American ISO. He integrates wind, storage, and demand‑response algorithms into electricity markets and helped establish Integrated...

U.S. Department of Energy Announces $1.9 Billion Funding Opportunity for Grid Infrastructure Upgrades
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Electricity announced a $1.9 billion SPARK funding opportunity to accelerate reconductoring and advanced transmission upgrades across the nation’s power grid. The program aims to expand capacity, boost operational efficiency, and reduce electricity costs for...