Category: Power Outages

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How AI Is Being Used by Power Utilities to Benefit End Users?

Renewable Energy World.com by Jeremiah Karpowicz:

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Image: Renewable Energy World.com, DTECH Midwest Panel Discussion, “AI Use Cases at the Grid Edge”, Moderator: Fei Ding, NREL

At the DistribuTECH (DTECH) Midwest Conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota, major discussions have taken place on how AI is used to benefit end users. A panel discussion comprised of power utility and electric cooperatives, led by “Fie Ding from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), the panel benefited from her work at NREL, which is connected to developing advanced models and controls for managing grid-edge resources.

These models go far beyond traditional meter data, fundamentally altering how utilities use information in a way that will redefine what customers see and expect in their monthly billing statements.”

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Free White Papers on Power Delivery Engineering & Substation Design!

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View a wide range of topics related to the power industry – power generation/transmission, power delivery, power distribution, protective relaying, protection & controls, SCADA automation, power quality & reliability, motor control centers, substation engineering & design, physical engineering & design, major equipment arrangement, grounding, equipment specifications, solar PV, telecommunications, 3D CAD modeling, electrical safety, and much more…

Basic Substation Design – White Papers

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Using AI Technologies for Power System Asset Management

EngineerLive.com

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Image: EngineerLive.com

What new roles will AI play in the future for aiding power utility companies with power delivery asset management techniques? “Utilities face significant challenges with aging infrastructure, extreme weather, rising operational costs and increased demands for reliability. AI offers a promising solution to all of these issues.

Recent advances show how AI can revolutionize asset management for power utilities. Automated systems can now accurately identify and assess components on utility poles, streamline inspections and minimize human error. These systems not only detect defects with high precision but also enhance maintenance efficiency, reduce downtime, and extend the lifespan of critical assets.”

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Could Advanced Conductors Like AECC Technology Replace ACSR Transmission and Distribution Lines for Power Grid Improvements?

EnergyCentral.com: Jason Huang & T&DWorld.com: Gene Wolf

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Image: T&DWorld.com: Gene Wolf

Since aluminum conductor steel reinforced (ACSR) technology took over nearly all of power utilities’ transmission lines and overhead distribution lines, there has not been many advancements in newer and more feasible power delivery conductors. The ACSR technology has been around for over a century, but a new conductor technology is shaping up as an optimal replacement.

“AECC (Aluminum Encapsulated Carbon Core) technology represents a natural evolution that combines advanced conductor performance with traditional conductor safety and reliability. The design uses a pre-tensioned carbon fiber core protected by a seamless aluminum encapsulation layer, paired with annealed aluminum trapezoidal outer strands.”

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“Advanced conductor technologies are gaining acceptance with utilities and grid operators. Reconductoring with advanced conductors can put a huge dent in the transmission capacity shortage”

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How Will Solar and Wind Energy Continue to Thrive with Tax Credits Being Phased Out?

EnergyLiveNews.com

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EnergyLiveNews.com: Shutterstock

Recent changes in U.S. policy and approved “legislation are slashing federal support for both wind and solar renewable projects.” As the tax credits and clean energy incentive benefits for constructing new green power plants are hastily eliminated, how much will the wind and solar markets decline?

This change in American policy “is likely to throw fresh uncertainty over renewable energy investments, especially as the sector struggles to keep pace with surging electricity demands across the U.S.”

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Can the U.S. Power Grid Sustain the Exponential Rise in Planned AI Driven Data Center Connections?

Powermag.com: Steve Empedocles

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Image: Powermag.com

Over the last several months, artificial intelligence (AI) has gained increasing popularity and remains dependent upon large server farms for processing AI’s big data requirement, at essentially, the speed of light. Planned new construction for enormous data centers are emerging nearly in every large city across the nation.

With America’s goal of becoming the “global leader in the AI race,” power utilities at both the generation and power delivery levels, struggle to maintain AI’s swift and vast desire for power. New electric generating plants and power delivery system upgrades remain behind the challenge while presenting a new dilemma: a more vulnerable electric grid with predictive power interruptions, brownouts, and potential blackouts.

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