| This week's sponsor is SGIP. | | 
| | The conference will host power grid stakeholders from around the globe. |
Also Noted: Oracle
Big data disillusionment and much more... Hurricane Sandy in hindsight
A year has passed since Hurricane Sandy overwhelmed the eastern United States and knocked out power to millions for days and even weeks. We must ask ourselves: What can be done to avoid such widespread outages in the future? Feature
Utilities preparing for another Sandy
A year after Superstorm Sandy ravaged and devastated the Mid-Atlantic, utilities like Con Edison and PPL Electric Utilities are making improvements to the reliability of critical infrastructure and protect customers from major storms. Article
Energy storage database demonstrates project, technology diversity
The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) first-of-its-kind international energy storage database has surpassed 420 documented energy storage projects from around the world. The database provides free, up-to-date information on grid-connected energy storage projects and relevant state and federal policies. It is funded through DOE's Sandia National Laboratories, and has been operating since January 2012. Article
News From Across the Energy Industry:
1. Smart thermostats seeing revived optimism
2. PNM energy storage project one of the largest in the nation
3. Intelligent efficiency savings could reach $50B by 2020
| This week's sponsors are FierceEnergy & FierceSmartGrid. |  | Fierce Innovation Report: Download Today
This special innovation report features in-depth articles on the state of the energy industry, with a focus on the smart grid, cybersecurity, and reliability and distrubition automation. The report also highlights the innovative companies and products that are shaping the future of the industry. Download it today! |
Today's Top News 1. DA turning utilities into energy optimizers
The market for distribution automation (DA) in the smart grid is diverse, dynamic and growing. DA systems will be critically important to turning 21st Century utilities into energy optimizers that operate with higher flexibility, adaptability and resiliency, according to Navigant Research. In fact, Navigant projects annual utility spending will exceed $10 billion in the coming years with the global market growing from $6.3 billion in 2013 to more than $11.3 billion in 2020. "Modern automation technologies can not only enhance the robustness of the grid in extraordinary events, like major storms, but could also help to improve several aspects of normal power operations," said Kristoffer Torvik, senior research analyst with Navigant Research. DA encompasses a family of technologies, including controls, circuit breakers, reclosers, switches, capacitors, line sensors, voltage regulators, communications, and associated management software that helps operate the grid with more efficiency and reliability. Rising penetration renewable energy sources which increases uncertainty around grid loads is likely to grow more problematic, for example, if electric vehicle charging becomes more ubiquitous. The same type of moment-to-moment unpredictability applies to rooftop solar and other distributed, intermittent generation sources that are becoming more common. DA systems can address a variety of these types of challenges raised by coming changes in power system operations, according to Navigant. For more:
- see this report Related Article:
Integrating AMI, DA with smart grid Read more about: Kristoffer Torvik, distribution automation
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| This week's sponsor is A. Cullen & Associates, Inc. | | 
| | Visit our new site at www.acullen.com to view our expanded recruiting and career marketing services! |
2. Utilities focusing on "defense of depth" against extreme events
As the one-year anniversary of Superstorm Sandy is upon us, the GridWise Alliance (GWA) has issued a call to action to implement greater grid modernization capabilities. To this end, GWA's members have compiled a series of recommendations and lessons learned from Superstorm Sandy and other extreme weather events that they are building on going forward.  | | Seaside Heights one year after Sandy. Credit: Kevin Jarrett/Wikimedia Commons | Grid modernization technologies have helped, and are helping, utilities to have greater "visibility" across their system, greater "situational awareness" of field conditions, and greater capabilities through increased automation to restore power more quickly. The GridWise Alliance recommends that electric utilities receive "priority access" to communications networks during extreme events to help restore power as quickly as possible when outages do occur. While it will never be feasible to prevent all outages or eliminate all physical and cyber threats, the electric utility industry, as well as other critical infrastructure sectors, is taking a risk management approach to dealing with these challenges, according to the Alliance. Utilities have put in place plans that will allow them to identify and properly respond to cyber and physical disruptions when they do occur -- focusing on a "defense in depth" strategy (i.e., multiple layers of security) -- and are extremely focused on continuing to enhance cyber protection for key critical systems. The electric sector is the only one today that has mandatory reliability standards. Critical infrastructure industries are increasingly interdependent, and will only become more so, thus working across these sectors will become increasingly vital, according to GridWise. "Grid modernization technologies are improving the reliability and resiliency of our electric infrastructure every day. Our industry is continually working to maximize the value from its investments to prevent outages and restore power more quickly when outages do occur," said GridWise Alliance CEO Becky Harrison. For more:
- see this report Related Articles:
Utilities preparing for another Sandy
NY utilities facing new accountabilities in storm situations
New York ponders LIPA's future
NY regulators get utility audit update Read more about: Superstorm Sandy, Becky Harrison GWA
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3. NIST updating Smart Grid Cybersecurity Guidelines
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is requesting public comments on the first revision to its guidelines for secure implementation of smart grid technology -- NIST Interagency Report (IR) 7628 Revision 1: Guidelines for Smart Grid Cybersecurity. This draft document is the first update to NISTIR 7628 since its initial publication in September 2010.  | | New NIST guidelines for smart grid cybersecurity will address many uses of the technology, including home smart meters like this one. Credit: Talbott/NIST | Over the past three years, use of smart grid technology and laws have progressed significantly, prompting the NIST updates. "Millions of smart meters are in use around the country now, and as the smart grid is implemented we have gained more knowledge that required minor tweaks to the existing document," said NIST computer scientist Tanya Brewer. "There also have been legislative changes in states such as California and Colorado concerning customer energy usage data, and we have made revisions to the volume on privacy based on the changing regulatory framework." NISTIR 7628 remains a three-volume document with Volume 1 containing technical material for maintaining the security of the grid, including a reference architecture and high-level security requirements; Volume 2 addresses privacy issues, containing a discussion of potential privacy issues in smart grid compared to other networked systems; and Volume 3 contains analyses and references that support the document's contents. For more:
- see the draft document Related Articles:
NESCOR, EPRI publish cyber security analyses
Lessons learned from the Smart Grid Cybersecurity Information Exchange
Utilities should view cybersecurity as core requirement
Cyberthreats mounting pressure on utilities Read more about: Tanya Brewer NIST, smart grid cybersecurity guidelines
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4. Cities competing to be EV friendly
The San Francisco Bay Area (including San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose) leads the nation with the largest electric vehicle charging station network, according to ChargePoints list of the Top 10 Metropolitan Areas for electric vehicles (EV). The Bay Area is followed by Seattle, San Diego, Austin, and Honolulu.  | | The top 10 cities for EVs. Credit: Chargepoint | Taking into consideration population differences, ChargePoint scored the cities based on the number of EVs owned as well as the number of public charging stations available on the ChargePoint network. "We are witnessing historic growth in the electric vehicle market," said Pasquale Romano, CEO of ChargePoint. "The cities and the businesses in those communities that invest in EV infrastructure, not surprisingly, also see the largest sales in electric vehicles. We are no longer debating if EVs have a future, but instead are witnessing cities across America compete to be the most EV friendly." Los Angeles, Portland, Oregon, Detroit, Washington, DC and Boston round out the top 10. While Los Angeles has the most number of EV drivers (more than 17,000), based on population differences, the San Francisco Bay Area with nearly 15,000 EV drivers led the nation, followed by Honolulu and Seattle. When it comes to EV charging stations, the Bay Area also led the way both cumulatively and based on population with nearly 4,000 stations. When considering population differences, Austin and Seattle followed. For more:
- see this report Related Articles:
States collaborate to drive EV adoption
Consumers want utilities to support EV infrastructure
EVs generate new variables for power grid Read more about: ChargePoint
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5. LonMark expanding interoperability to Internet of Things
LonMark International, a non-profit association for the certification, education and promotion of interoperable control systems, is expanding its industry recognized interoperability guidelines and device profile architecture to support the rapidly growing market for the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). The IIoT refers to industrial objects, or "things," that automatically communicate over a network -- without human-to-human or human-to-computer interaction -- to share information and take action, often autonomously. Because of the unforgiving environments in which these industrial devices exist --including harsh physical conditions and mission-critical processes -- IIoT solutions must meet the challenging requirements of industrial-strength reliability, hardened security, wired and wireless connectivity, and backwards compatibility with large installations of legacy devices. "With more than 350 members, 500 certified products and 100 LonMark profiles spanning multiple industries; LonMark International has created one of the world's most admired interoperability standards," said Barry Haaser, executive director, LonMark International. "Now companies can support traditional control networks based on the ISO/IEC 14908 standard or migrate them toward IP-based networks utilizing popular wired and wireless transport protocols such as Ethernet, IEEE 802.11, IEEE 802.15.4 and IEEE 1901." For 20 years, LonMark International has enabled the connectivity and interoperability of millions of devices based on the ISO/IEC 14908 control-networking standard using its proven device profile model. Now that networks are becoming more IP-based, LonMark International is providing a clear migration path for products to communicate over IP networks. Now, an even greater number of buildings, factories, restaurants, transportation systems, and indoor and outdoor lighting worldwide can share information and interoperate in a standardized way. For more:
- see this report Related Article:
The Internet of Energy Read more about: inteoperability, Industrial Internet of Things
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Also Noted | This week's sponsor is Oracle. |  | Whitepaper: Customer Experience for Service
This Executive Brief explores the role of service and support in creating great customer experiences, the service goals market leaders use related to customer experience and the Oracle approach for empowering new service experiences.
Download today!
|
Quick news from around the Web.
> Truncated data skews big data results. Article
> 10 ways to prevent big data drop-outs and disillusionments. Article
> Monsanto buys weather big data company Climate Corporation for around $1.1B. Article
> Cyber insurance to become standard soon. Article > SGIP Inaugural Conference - 5-7 November, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida - November, 5-7 - Palm Beach Gardens, Florida This not-to-be-missed event is an unprecedented opportunity for Smart Grid stakeholders from all domains of the power energy ecosystem to come together and discuss the orchestration of the standards that critically impact, enhance, and accelerate the deployment of a smarter grid. Learn More: http://www.sgip.org/sgip-inaugural-conference-2/#sthash.eQskZRqv.dpbs
| > Whitepaper: Customer Experience for Service This Executive Brief explores the role of service and support in creating great customer experiences, the service goals market leaders use related to customer experience and the Oracle approach for empowering new service experiences. Download today! > Whitepaper: How to Transform Your Mobile Customer Care Strategy It's all about the SCI: the smart, connected interaction. It's not easy - mobility increases the number of variables going into each interaction, requires the preservation of context across channels, but it allows each interaction to naturally evolve. Read this document to learn how to go SCI and naturally connect with your customers. | |
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