Substation Virtualization: Preparing Automation for Future Grids
Utilities are turning to substation virtualization and centralized protection to meet a projected 40 % rise in electricity demand and higher renewable penetration by 2030. By decoupling software from hardware, virtualized substations act like app‑based platforms, enabling faster commissioning and scalable upgrades. Standards such as IEC 61850 provide vendor‑neutral interoperability, smoothing the shift from legacy hardware. The transition also creates new IT/OT skill requirements for utilities.
PSEG Adds $1.5B to Five-Year Spending Plan
Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG) lifted its five‑year regulated capital spending plan by $1.5 billion, targeting $22.5‑$25.5 billion through 2030. The company also raised its adjusted earnings growth outlook to 6‑8% from the prior 5‑7% range. The additional capex is aimed at...
Lessons Learned From Hurricane Helene: How Appalachian Power Safely Scaled Mutual Aid
Hurricane Helene devastated Appalachian Power’s mountainous service area, causing widespread circuit failures and road washouts. The utility relied heavily on pre‑established mutual‑aid agreements to bring in external crews and equipment. By implementing rigorous safety protocols, real‑time communication tools, and staged...
Real-Time Energy Insights: A Smarter Way to Manage Bill Stress and Rising Demand
Utilities are confronting a surge in electricity demand driven by data centers, widespread electrification, and more frequent extreme weather events. To meet this pressure, they are replacing legacy meters with AMI 2.0 smart meters that deliver high‑resolution, real‑time data. A pilot...
AI-Enabled Tool for Enhancing Storm Response and Grid Operations
IFS unveiled Resolve for Utilities, an AI‑enabled field service solution designed to boost storm response, crew coordination, and daily grid operations. Built on IFS's existing FSM platform, the tool incorporates IFS Nexus Black AI to automate crew callouts, enhance mutual‑aid...
Atombeam and Trilliant Announce Partnership to Expand Utility Network Data Capacity
Atombeam and Trilliant have partnered to combine Atombeam’s Neurpac data‑compression software with Trilliant’s AMI communications platform, offering utilities a way to transmit more grid data without new hardware. Neurpac’s “Data‑as‑Codewords” encoding claims up to 75% reduction in data size, effectively...
Small Components, Big Consequences: How Component-Level Insights Reduce Catastrophic Grid Risks
Component-level inspections give utilities granular data to improve hazard modeling, risk forecasting, and targeted mitigation. By focusing on small hardware such as cotter pins, connectors, and splices, utilities can markedly reduce outage risk during wildfires, storms, and other extreme events....
DOE Delivers $26.5 Billion in Loans to Southern Co. For 16 GW in Projects, Including New Nuclear
The U.S. Department of Energy is finalizing a $26.5 billion loan package for Southern Company that will support more than 16 GW of baseload projects, including 5 GW of new gas, 6 GW of nuclear upgrades, battery storage, and over 1,300 miles of transmission. The...