National Cybersecurity Awareness Month (October)

NERC

By NERC: “WASHINGTON, D.C. – October is Cyber Security Awareness Month, which highlights some of the emerging challenges in the world of cybersecurity. NERC’s Electricity Information Sharing and Analysis Center (E-ISAC) is supporting the campaign as a Cyber Security Awareness Month champion. This year’s theme, “See Yourself in Cyber,” focuses on four primary best practices: enabling multi-factor authentication; using strong passwords and a password manager; updating software; and recognizing and reporting phishing.”

“This year’s campaign is very timely as evidenced by the recent spate of high-profile hacks that often start with credential theft,” said Manny Cancel, NERC’s senior vice president and CEO of the E-ISAC. “It demonstrates the importance of organizations having strong information technology protocols and procedures in place combined with a need for employee training and awareness. NERC and the E-ISAC support a month focused on raising awareness of cyber security, which coincides with our annual grid security conference GridSecCon, cohosted with ReliabilityFirst this year.”

“With rising cybersecurity threats to the United States energy infrastructure and the reliability of the bulk power system, the need for shared heightened vigilance cannot be underestimated. The E-ISAC continues to collaborate, coordinate and communicate with industry stakeholders and government partners to collectively enhance the cybersecurity posture of the North American grid. The E-ISAC encourages its members to practice good cyber hygiene and always maintain a Shields Up posture. Good practices across both information technology and operational technology networks include: applying security patches as soon as possible, maintaining strict access management, baselining systems, encouraging strong passwords and multi-factor authentication and sharing cyber incident information with the E-ISAC. And, finally, E-ISAC stakeholders who are not yet members are encouraged to join find out more information at www.eisac.com.”

The Importance of Electrical Construction Permit Inspections

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THE PERMIT AND INSPECTION PROCESS IS ESSENTIAL TO ENSURE THAT CODES, REGULATIONS, AND SAFETY ARE ENFORCED TO HELP PREVENT FAULTY OR POOR INSTALLATIONS THAT COULD JEOPARDIZE HUMAN LIFE. IN MOST CASES, ENGINEERING BLUEPRINT DRAWINGS ARE REQUIRED TO BE SUBMITTED ALONG WITH THE PERMIT REQUEST WHICH MUST BE SEALED BY A REGISTERED PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER (PE). OTHER PERMITS WITH SEALED DRAWING PLANS ARE REQUIRED FOR EACH DISCIPLINE, SUCH AS, ARCHITECTURAL, CIVIL, ELECTRICAL, FIRE PROTECTION, MECHANICAL, PLUMBING, STRUCTURAL, ETC.

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Direct Satellite-to-Mobile Services Emerge

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By EETimes / Design Lines: “In just over 12 months, direct satellite-to-mobile communications have morphed from being a Sci-Fi pipe dream to a real-world prospect.

Apple and T-Mobile are separately rolling out schemes with Globalstar and SpaceX, respectively, to enable customers to connect to signals delivered from space. Amazon is preparing for multiple launches of its low earth orbit (LEO) Project Kuiper satellite constellation.

Startups such as AST SpaceMobile and Lynx Global have signed satellite-to-cellphone deals with multiple mobile network operators (MNOs) across the world—even before the official launch of spacecraft that will enable these services.

Google, meanwhile, is working on its own software project that will speed up communications between terrestrial networks and satellites in orbit. In September, Google spun out a startup called Aalyria to work on network orchestration software that connects systems on the ground with those deployed on planes and in space.”

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Canada OPG and Czech Republic Partner to Advance Small Modular Reactors

Nuclear-SMRs

By PowerMag: “Ontario Power Generation (OPG) and Czech Republic-based ČEZ are collaborating to advance deployment of nuclear technology, including small modular reactors (SMRs). The companies said they signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Oct. 11, with an aim to “reduce financial, technical and schedule risk to both parties on their respective future projects.”

“OPG is Ontario’s largest electricity generator. The company has 75 generating stations in the province with a combined capacity of more than 18 GW. In addition to 66 hydroelectric facilities, its fleet includes two nuclear stations—the 3.5-GW Darlington facility and the 3.1-GW Pickering station (Figure 1). OPG says nuclear power provides about 60% of Ontario’s power today.”

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Honda and LG Energy Joint Venture for New EV Plant in Ohio

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By Utility Dive: “Honda and battery maker LG Energy Solution picked Fayette County, Ohio, as the site of their planned battery plant to support Honda and Acura electric vehicle production, the companies announced Tuesday.

The companies will initially commit to investing $3.5 billion in the facility but project total investment to reach $4.4 billion, according to the release. Construction is slated to begin in early 2023, in an effort to mass produce lithium-ion batteries by the end of 2025.

The investment is part of a joint venture with LG Energy Solution, which is pending regulatory approval. Honda partnered with the battery maker after announcing in April it was looking to establish a battery plant near a planned EV production line in North America.”

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AES Increases Its Battery Energy Storage by an Additional 908 Megawatt-hours in California

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By Renewable Energy World: AES confirmed two new future battery storage sites in Lancaster CA for a total of 227 MW / 908 MWh capacity. “The two facilities are expected to provide a boost to California’s grid, storing renewable energy to be dispatched during periods of high demand.”

AES is awarding contracts for both Clean Power Alliance and PG&E for purchasing the renewable energy from its Luna and Lancaster (LAB) facilities. “In its own announcement, Fluence said the LAB system will use its Mosaic platform for intelligent bidding in the state’s wholesale market, operated by CAISO. Mosaic will “integrate directly with Gridstack, processing operating constraints and parameters in real-time, and employ advanced machine learning and artificial intelligence to generate bids that maximize LAB’s market earnings.”

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