distribution system

Sacramento Municipal Utility District Awarded $600,000 Federal Grid Resilience Grant

The Department of Energy (DOE) awarded the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) $600,000 to install smart-grid technologies. The Grid Resilience Grant helps fund half of SMUD's $1.2 million Resilient Grid Initiative that is designed to make SMUD's distribution system more adaptable to major disasters and reduce the effects of climate change through the installation and operation of high-voltage switches and the implementation and operation of voltage optimization measures.

Williams’ Transco Seeks FERC Approval for Pipeline Expansion to Serve New York City

Williams’ Transco filed an application with FERC for the New York Bay Expansion Project to deliver additional natural gas to New York City in time for the 2017/2018 heating season. The New York Bay Expansion is designed to deliver an additional 115,000 dekatherms a day of natural gas into National Grid's distribution system through the Rockaway Delivery Lateral and the Narrows meter station.

Pepco Deploys Itron, ClipperCreek Electric Vehicle Smart Charging Solution

Pepco will deploy Itron and ClipperCreek’s electric vehicle smart charging pilot solution. The technology, which combines ClipperCreek’s charging station with Itron embedded sensing technology, provides the foundation for Pepco’s Demand Management Pilot Program for plug-in vehicle charging. The pilot program is to validate electric vehicle smart charging stations to support consumer engagement, demand response, time-of-use rates and embedded revenue-grade metering.

Ventyx Joins Swedish Utility to Create One of the World’s Smartest Electricity Networks

Ventyx, an ABB company, joined an initiative to create one of the world's smartest electricity networks, part of a development project entitled Smart Grid Gotland. As part of the project, Ventyx will deploy a comprehensive distribution system optimization solution encompassing network control, demand response management, demand forecasting and business analytics to support the project, enabling large quantities of wind and other renewable and distributed energy sources to be integrated into the grid.

Rates, Reliability, and Region

Customer satisfaction and electric utilities.

The conventional wisdom about utility spending is correct, but key factors affecting customer satisfaction aren't obvious—and are tricky to control.