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Large-Scale Green Hydrogen Infrastructure System Unveiled for California

February 18, 2022

SoCalGas, North America’s largest gas distribution utility, has unveiled the Angeles Link, a proposed green hydrogen energy infrastructure system for Southern California that it says could be the largest of its kind in the nation.

The Angeles Link proposes to utilize between 25 GW and 35 GW of curtailed or new solar, wind, or battery output to power 10 GW to 20 GW of “advanced” electrolyzers and produce carbon-free hydrogen. The hydrogen would then be delivered—via a new hydrogen pipeline system spanning 200 miles to 750 miles—from outside the Los Angeles Basin to industrial consumers in California.

“The green hydrogen pipeline system, as envisioned, would deliver clean energy in an amount equal to almost 25% of the natural gas SoCalGas delivers today,” the Los Angeles–based utility said on Feb. 17.

Facilitating Aliso Canyon’s Ultimate Retirement

The Angeles Link would primarily serve hard-to-electrify industries, such as dispatchable power generation, high-heat industries, and heavy-duty trucks. Notably, SoCalGas said the infrastructure project could allow four natural gas power plants to “reliably” transition to hydrogen, though it did not immediately specify which gas power plants the Angeles Link could supply. …

NERC Issues Grim Outlook for Bulk Power System Winter Reliability

November 21, 2021

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The North American Electric Reliability Corp. (NERC) is warning that much of the central U.S.—a region that stretches from the Great Lakes into southern Texas—may face critical power deficiencies during extreme winter weather conditions over the next three months. Natural gas supply disruptions and low hydropower conditions could also imperil power reliability in New England and the West, it said.

In its Nov. 18–issued 2021–2022 Winter Reliability Assessment, the nation’s designated Electric Reliability Organization (ERO) urged generators across the U.S. to take proactive steps to prepare for an eventful winter and keep communications open with grid operators.

NERC also called on grid operators to prepare and implement cold weather operating plans, conduct drills, and poll generators for fuel and availability status. Load-serving entities should review critical loads to prevent disruptions, and regulators should support requested environmental waivers, it said.

A Cold, Hard Outlook

The ERO’s dire report echoes its May-issued summer assessment, when it warned of “elevated risks” for energy emergencies in Texas, New England, in the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) territory, and parts of the West.…

PI System Software-Maker OSIsoft Being Acquired by AVEVA

August 26, 2020

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The post PI System Software-Maker OSIsoft Being Acquired by AVEVA appeared first on POWER Magazine.

In a $ 5 billion deal, engineering and industrial software company AVEVA has agreed to acquire OSIsoft, maker of the PI System, which is a market-leading operational data software solution.

“Combining AVEVA and OSIsoft is yet another significant milestone in our journey to achieving the ambitious growth goals that we have set,” Craig Hayman, CEO of Cambridge, UK-based AVEVA, said in a statement. “This will not only help us serve existing customers better but also open the flood gates to new opportunities which will accelerate the delivery of our digitization vision.”

OSIsoft was established in October 1980 by Dr. J. Patrick Kennedy, who is still the company’s CEO. It was originally known as Oil Systems Inc. The company’s first iteration of the PI System, which stood for “Plant Information System,” debuted in 1985. Today, OSIsoft reports the system is used at more than 19,000 sites around the world, including at many power plants.…

Working with Peers Is Critical to Power System Reliability [PODCAST]

March 30, 2019

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When conversations around the power industry turn to computer hacking, more often than not experts say it’s not a question of if, but rather, how systems have been compromised.

William Doering, adjunct professor in the online Master’s in Business Administration program at Maryville University and a director with Guidehouse—a management consulting services provider—said he has participated in various discussions on how to cleanse infection and how to ensure reliability after the fact. Speaking on The POWER Podcast, Doering said the Stuxnet computer worm and the Ukraine power grid cyberattack in 2015 should provide more than enough evidence that systems are vulnerable.

“For us to think that something like that hasn’t happened yet [in the U.S.] is definitely on the riskier side of optimistic,” Doering said.

“I think the level of sophistication that state-level actors provide is in many cases astounding,” he said. But even more worrisome to Doering is the fact that state-level-actor tools, which are extremely sophisticated, complex, and devastating, have been released and are now in the hands of the broader masses.…

Siemens Rolls Out MVDC Transmission System to Bolster Distributed Generation

October 4, 2017

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Siemens has launched a new direct-current (DC) transmission system for alternating current (AC) grids of between 30 kV and 150 kV. The medium-voltage system that can bridge distances of up to 125 miles is designed to help grid entities handle ever-growing volumes of power fed into the distribution system from distributed and renewable power.

The MVDC PLUS (Medium Voltage Direct Current Power Link Universal System) introduced on October 4 is based on Siemens’ high-voltage direct-current transmission (HVDC) technology, but it is offered in three variants: for a transmission capacity of about 50, 100, and 150 MW at DC transmission voltages of 20 to 50 kV. Comparatively, the company’s HVDC system transmits power at voltages of more than 220 kV.

Siemens has introduced a new medium-voltage power transmission solution that uses direct current applications to increase power transfer capability while also minimizing losses. Courtesy: Siemens

According to the company, the system meets growing needs to expand and upgrade grid infrastructures that are increasingly burdened with decentralized power generation, which is leading to congestion at distribution and transmission levels.…

Where Are We After 10 Years of Bulk Electric System Reliability Standards?

January 24, 2017

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As concerns about grid security increase globally, it’s a good time to review the history, scope, and effect of North American electric system reliability standards. As the threat landscape changes, standards alone are not enough.

Mandatory. That’s the key word in the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct) where grid security is concerned. Within two years of that legislative action, the electric power industry was welcomed into the world of operation and planning regulation far beyond anything that had come before. As of June 18, 2017, we will have 10 years of experience with mandatory reliability standards. Are we better off as a result? Are the costs of compliance commensurate with the benefits? Will changes in approach to compliance currently under way enable a more efficient regulatory environment going forward? This article examines how we got to the current system and where we may go from here.

The Triggering Event

The April 14, 2003, blackout of much of the northeastern United States and parts of Canada was the impetus for EPAct and the accompanying changes to Section 215 of the Federal Power Act.…