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Not just a ‘boondoggle’: State regulators, industrial companies push for cost effective transmission

Proactive planning, incentives and competitive solicitations can help control transmission costs, the Brattle Group’s Johannes Pfeifenberger said. With transmission costs expected to continue increasing, state utility regulators, energy consumers and transmission...

Trump taps North Dakota Gov. Burgum to run Interior, new national energy council

President-elect Donald Trump said his administration will “dramatically” increase baseload power generation, which “will reduce the cost of electrical bills that continue to skyrocket.” North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, a Republican, will run the newly formed National...

Texas PUC approves $3B Oncor system resiliency plan

Texas lawmakers authorized System Resiliency Plan filings last year and Oncor’s was the first to be approved. Regulators are also considering submissions from AEP, Texas-New Mexico Power and Entergy. The Public Utility Commission of Texas on Thursday approved Oncor...

Xcel CEO Says Flip the Grid Process and Build Power Lines First

The US should build electric transmission lines in places with strong clean-energy potential rather than waiting for solar and wind farms to be developed first, Xcel Energy Inc. Chief Executive Officer Bob Frenzel said in an interview Monday. Installing power lines...

Sara to soon form in Caribbean, track into Florida next week

All eyes are on a tropical depression in the Caribbean which will become a tropical storm, trigger life-threatening flooding rain in Central America and is forecast to track into Florida next week. A batch of showers and thunderstorms over the central Caribbean was...

A Time to Give Thanks (for Linemen)

From the earliest days of agriculture people have celebrated the conclusion of harvest time with a feast. When the last bushels and barrels are in the barns and the harvesting equipment is all stowed away for the winter, the party hats come out. The Industrial...

As wildfires losses mount, will commercial insurers decline to cover utilities?

As Xcel Energy, PG&E, Hawaiian Electric and others confront catastrophic wildfires, industry observers believe the growing risk could spur innovation in commercial insurance that benefits utilitie

California regulators approve new program to expedite power line undergrounding

The California Public Utilities Commission on March 7 approved a long-term power line undergrounding program allowing major utilities to propose 10-year plans designed to harden the state’s electric grid

Tropical Storm Rafael To Become Hurricane In Caribbean Today; Could Brush Florida Keys Wednesday

Tropical Storm Rafael is centered near Jamaica, and is moving northwest at 10 to 15 mph. Bands of heavy rain are currently training over Jamaica. Winds in the country’s capital, Kingston, have gusted between 30 and 40 mph.

Ruling Spans and Proper Conductor Sag

The cold winter weather of recent months has prompted many conversations about proper sagging and tension on transmission and distribution conductors. Improper sagging and excessively high tension on conductors – past their rated breaking strength – have caused unscheduled system outages, but such outages can be avoided by using the correct loading factors. The system will not fail when the correct tension and sagging factors are used, even in the coldest air.

Latest Articles

Five Core Capacities for Sustainable Safety Excellence

Does your organization have the capacity to achieve sustainable excellence in safety performance and culture? For excellence to become a reality in any important area of operations, especially safety, there are five vital capacities that organizations must develop,...

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Solar Backfeed Safety on Distribution and Secondary Circuits

It is night and you are working storm trouble on a single-phase line. The line fuse is blown, and you find wire down. Then you notice that the customer beyond the broken section of wire still has power. Is there a two-way feed on this phase? Did you identify the correct opened line fuse?

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Beat the Summer Sizzle

The summer heat has arrived, and Tallman Equipment is here to help linemen keep cool on the job. In addition to our usual selection of all the tools and gear linemen need, we have some special offerings to help you get through the season in comfort.

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Are You Making These 5 Heat Related Illness Mistakes?

Are You Making These 5 Heat Related Illness Mistakes?

The warmest months of the year are upon us, and for utility workers, that means going straight from tornado season into hurricane season and all the emergency calls that come with it. Whether you are in Tornado Alley doing repairs from the latest twister or around the Gulf Coast dealing with the aftermath of another Category 3 storm ripping through region, odds are that it is going to be hot and humid, and with that heat and humidity comes the risk of heat related illness.

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UNDERSTANDING WIND SPEED LIMITATIONS ON UTILITY EQUIPMENT

The question about what’s permitted for operating aerial devices and digger derricks in high winds is one that comes up frequently with users. Utility crews often must deal with working in wind. Trouble trucks responding during storm recovery, transmission operations to place visibility balls on lines and working above rooflines in urban locations are just a few examples. Plus, some areas of the country experience high winds regularly or seasonally.

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