Questions and answers on consumer privacy and threats to the grid – both physical and cyber.
Lockheed Martin and Dominion Resources co-developed a new smart grid technology called VirtuGrid, which will enable remote detection of power outages for faster mapping and response. VirtuGrid enables data, including voltage, power, energy readings, GPS location, phase and circuit connectivity, to be sent from the remote location to the substation over the same path as the power. The technology facilitates control and timing of remote communications with multiple types of communication networks with very low bandwidth usage.
Accenture entered into an agreement to acquire Structure, a provider of consulting, system integration and customized solutions and services to energy and utilities clients. The transaction will expand and enhance Accenture's deep experience and capabilities in smart grid solutions, especially grid operations, as well as energy commodity trading and risk management (CTRM). Terms of the transaction were not disclosed, and the acquisition is subject to regulatory review and other customary closing conditions.
Sweden's Electrolux AB paid $3.3 billion in cash for General Electric's appliances business. GE's century-old household appliance business could help the Swedish company expand beyond its core European market, where growth has trailed that in North America. The deal will be financed by a bridge facility, and the company plans a rights issue to raise about 25 percent of the price after the deal's expected closing next year.
Itron was selected by ERDF (Électricité Réseau Distribution France), electricity distribution network operator in France and distribution subsidiary of the Electricité de France Group (EDF), for its Linky smart grid program. Itron will be a major supplier of Linky smart meters for the first phase of the program. The Linky project aims to improve the distribution of electricity in France with an intelligent metering and communications network.
The regulator’s role in a world divided by distributed generation.
Electric utility mergers loom as the next step in restructuring.
Itron and Milsoft integrated Itron’s smart grid and AMI software and Milsoft’s outage management system (OMS). This collaboration enhances Itron Total Grid, a combined managed services and smart grid offering, and expands capabilities for the public power sector. The integrated systems enable Milsoft’s OMS to request data from all AMI meters from Itron’s multi-commodity systems. Furthermore, Milsoft OMS, through MultiSpeak, can determine the communication status of Itron’s meters.
EPSA v. FERC: How the court went wrong on demand response.
The court’s ruling in EPSA v. FERC assigns a retail/wholesale dichotomy to demand response, but is that distinction even meaningful?
Accenture and Siemens completed the formation of a joint venture company called OMNETRIC Group. OMNETRIC Group will bring together Siemens' smart grid products and solutions; Accenture's management and technology consulting, systems integration and managed-services capabilities.