One of the largest US-based industry conferences for electricity, gas, and water utilities just wrapped up in San Antonio, Texas. The entire value chain for electricity was well-represented there – you could find products for generation, transmission, distribution, and consumption of electricity. These products modernize the grid – making it the Smart Grid. The...
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Saturday, January 28 is International Data Privacy Day. It’s a great opportunity to think about new data created as a result of the modernization of our electrical grid into the Smart Grid, and what this means for our privacy. Sir Francis Bacon (1561-1626) is credited with the quote: “Knowledge is power.” Agreed. Understanding what...
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Ben Franklin, the first American genius, achieved fame and notoriety for his electricity research, which included that famous kite-flying experiment. But did you know that he first described the concept of treating energy efficiency as an energy resource? He memorably stated “A penny saved is a penny earned,” back in the 1700s, but today...
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It’s difficult to imagine life without electricity. Our lives and lifestyles are so thoroughly intertwined with electricity that any disruptions in power can rapidly transform from minor inconveniences into life-threatening situations. Thus the need for grid modernization – the Smart Grid – is vital to ensure that we continue to enjoy safe, reliable, and...
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Pennsylvania has one year of experience with deregulation of its electricity markets. Residential, commercial, and industrial customers can now switch to alternative electricity suppliers in a quest to manage the generation and transmission costs on their electricity bills. With some suppliers, they can even get energy from renewable sources to “green up” their electricity.
My...
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As the US Congressional representatives head home to their respective districts, some of which defy all logic in terms of that contortionist geography called gerrymandering, it’s a perfect opportunity to attend their town hall meetings to offer advice in support of Smart Grid initiatives.
Support a national energy policy that encourages development of clean and...
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Intermittent renewables, energy storage, and management and analytics software applications are a triad of synergistic technologies. Synergy happens when two or more things combined produce more than their separate efforts could produce. The combination of these three technologies can deliver more reliable electricity and improve the flexibility and resiliency of transmission and distribution grids...
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American history buffs and foodies know the story of the three sisters of agriculture, a brilliant combinatorial planting technique practiced by Native Americans. This uniquely American agricultural invention elegantly illustrates the concept of synergy. Synergy is defined as the interactions of two or more things combined to produce something greater than their separate efforts...
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The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change begins its latest meeting today in Durban, South Africa. Only the sunniest of optimists expect real progress in forging a global agreement as developing and developed nations argue about voluntary versus legally binding emissions reductions and funding measures.
There’s no single answer to the climate change...
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On October 29, a significant portion of the population of the Northeast USA was inconvenienced by a loss of power caused by an unusually early winter storm. As the worst case scenario played out, overburdened trees created multiple breaks in the transmission and distribution networks, toppling poles and lines. The state of Connecticut was...
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