Energy
DOE Announces $29 Million for Development of Data Analysis Tools
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) on Friday announced $29 million to develop new tools to analyze massive amounts of scientific information, including artificial intelligence, machine learning, and advanced algorithms.
All have the potential to reveal critical new insights—and even...
FCC Speeds Up Deployment of 5G Wireless Infrastructure
The Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday took action to facilitate the deployment of 5G networks across the United States by clarifying and seeking
comment on the Commission’s rules regarding state and local government review of
modifications to existing wireless infrastructure.
This move...
NIST Researchers Develop Formula To Help 5G Networks Communicate 5000 Times More Efficiently
Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) say they have developed a mathematical formula that, computer simulations suggest, could help 5G and other wireless networks select and share communications frequencies about 5,000 times more efficiently than...
Eagle Eye Networks Deploys Over 13,000 Cameras In Mexico City in City-Wide Surveillance Project
Eagle Eye Networks, a provider of cloud video surveillance, announced on Thursday what it termed one of the fastest completions of a large scale, fully integrated city-wide surveillance program, by installing 13,720 cameras in 4 months.
The company, headquartered in...
DOE Awards $40 Million in Funding for Grid Modernization Initiative
The Department of Energy (DOE) last week announced $40M in FY19 funding for the Grid Modernization Initiative (GMI). The GMI, a crosscutting initiative involving all the applied energy offices, focuses on working with public and private partners to develop...
Energy Department Invests $25 Million to Support Energy Sector Cybersecurity
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced Monday that it has made a $25 million funding opportunity announcement (FOA) to support energy sector cybersecurity. Under this FOA, the Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability’s Cybersecurity for Energy Delivery...
BP, Tesla Collaborate on Battery Storage Project at U.S. Wind Farm
BP Wind Energy, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Rolling Thunder I Power Partners LLC, has signed a purchase agreement to install a high-storage battery at its Titan 1 Wind Farm in South Dakota.
The 212kW/840kWhr battery, supplied by Tesla, will be...
Researchers Develop Cell Phone-Sized Smart Sensors to Prevent Power Outages
Dr. Jose Alexis De Abreu-Garcia and Dr. Yilmaz Sozer, professors of electrical engineering at Ohio-based University of Akron, are working with Exacter, a Columbus-based technology provider to the utilities industry, to create cell phone-sized “smart sensors” that can detect...
Microsoft, Sunseap Partner on ‘Largest’ Solar Project in Singapore
Microsoft Corp. said Thursday it has entered into a new agreement with Sunseap Group that marks Microsoft’s first clean energy deal in Asia and will create what it called “the single-largest solar energy portfolio in Singapore to date.”
This 60...
DHS, FBI Warn Public About ‘Persistent Threats’ Targeting Energy and Other Critical Sectors
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have issued a joint technical alert on advanced persistent threat (APT) actions targeting government entities and organizations in the energy, nuclear, water, aviation, and critical manufacturing...
US Regulator Proposes New Security Management Controls for Grid Cyber Systems
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on Thursday proposed new cyber security management controls to further enhance the reliability and resilience of the nation’s bulk electric system.
These include mandatory controls to address the risks posed by malware from transient...
Itron to Speed up Smart Grid and Smart City Push With Silver Spring Networks Acquisition
Itron, Inc. and Silver Spring Networks, Inc. on Monday announced that they have signed a definitive agreement for Itron to acquire all outstanding shares of Silver Spring for $16.25 per share in cash.
The transaction is valued at approximately $830...
Energy Department Awards Funds to Improve Security of Nation’s Vital Energy Infrastructure
The Department of Energy (DOE) on Tuesday announced awards of up to $50 million to DOE’s National Laboratories to support early stage research and development of next-generation tools and technologies to further improve the resilience of the Nation's critical...
Cyber Attacks Target US, European Energy Sectors – Symantec
Security researchers Symantec report that the North American and European energy sectors are being targeted by what it describes as “a new wave of cyberattacks that could provide attackers with the means to severely disrupt affected operations.”
According to the...
ABB Eyes IIoT Expansion With Acquisition of Keymile’s Business Portfolio
Electric technology company ABB said Monday it has agreed to acquire the mission-critical communication business of the KEYMILE Group to strengthen its communication networks portfolio. The acquisition will bring with it key products, software and service solutions, as well...
Democratic Senators Urge Trump Administration to Protect U.S. Energy Infrastructure From Cyberattacks
A group of Democratic Senators on Thursday wrote President Donald Trump and the Department of Energy (DOE), reiterating the need for Trump to direct the latter to “conduct a thorough analysis of Russian capabilities with respect to cyberattacks on...
Itron Delves Into Demand Response With $100M Comverge Acquisition
Smart grid and AMI technology firm Itron said Monday that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire privately held Comverge by purchasing its parent company, Peak Holding Corp., in a cash transaction valued at approximately $100 million.
The acquisition...
Congress Launches Advanced Energy Storage Caucus to Bipartisan Support
U.S. Representatives Chris Collins (R-NY) and Mark Takano (D-CA) launched the Advanced Energy Storage Caucus in Congress last week, joined by executives from leading utilities, developers, and manufacturers of storage technologies.
The focus of the Caucus is to educate Members...
Toyota to Invest $35 Million in Research to Develop Advanced Materials With AI, Machine Learning
The Toyota Research Institute (TRI), a subsidiary of Toyota Motor North America, said Thursday it will collaborate with research entities, universities and companies on materials science research, investing approximately $35 million over the next four years in research that...
Silver Spring Networks, DEWA Partner on Smart Grid Projects
Silver Spring Networks announced Wednesdy that its subsidiary, Silver Spring Networks International Limited, has entered into an agreement with the Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (DEWA) to establish a communication platform based on Silver Spring’s IPv6 multi-application Radio Frequency...
BAE Systems to Develop Tech to Quickly Restore Power After a Cyberattack on Grid
The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has awarded BAE Systems an $8.6 million contract to develop technology designed to quickly restore power to the U.S. electric grid after a catastrophic failure caused by a cyberattack, the company...
Raytheon, Utilidata Partner to Secure Utilities From Cyberattack
Raytheon, a technology and innovation firm specializing in defense, civil government and cybersecurity solutions, said last week it is partnering with Utilidata, a software company, to help power utilities proactively detect, defend against and respond to cyber threats.
"Power utilities...
Siemens, LO3 Energy Collaborate on ‘First-of-its-Kind’ Blockchain Microgrids
Siemens and New York startup LO3 Energy said Monday they are collaborating in the field of innovative microgrids. The goal of the collaboration is to jointly develop microgrids that enable local energy trading based on blockchain technology.
Siemens is involving...
DOE Awards Funding to RTI to Research Smart Grid Security Utilizing DDS Standard
Real-Time Innovations (RTI), an Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) connectivity platform company, said Monday it received funding from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to support continuing smart grid research that utilizes the Data-Distribution Service (DDS) standard.
In collaboration with...
Dept. of Energy Awards $32 Million in Funding for Connected Tech Resulting in Energy Efficiency
The Energy Department’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) on Wednesday announced up to $32 million in funding for what it called “10 innovative projects,” part of its newest program: Next-Generation Energy Technologies for Connected and Autonomous On-Road Vehicles (NEXTCAR).
With...
Silver Spring Networks Collaborates With BGE and Singapore Power on Smart Grid, IoT Projects
Silver Springs Networks has scored new smart grid projects with Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE) and Singapore Power, the company said. BGE will leverage its Silver Spring IPv6 smart grid platform to connect new devices in their distribution system,...
Honeywell Partners With Connexus Energy to Deploy Advanced Smart Grid Tech
Honeywell said Wednesday it has been awarded a $15 million smart grid project by Connexus Energy, Minnesota's largest customer-owned electric cooperative, to deploy advanced smart grid technology to improve electricity service and reliability, and help the utility's 130,000 members...
Siemens Introduces New Digital Grid Services platform
Siemens has introduced a new Digital Grid Services platform for the U.S. market that will allow utilities to better access an increasingly digital operational environment through the use of cloud and managed service offerings.
The offering will consist of software...
USDA Invests Over $300 Million to Help Small Businesses Adopt Energy Efficiency, Renewable Energy
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Tuesday said the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing more than $300 million to help hundreds of small businesses across the country save money on their energy costs by adopting renewable sources or implementing...
Sunrun, LG Chem Partner on Energy Storage Technology
Sunrun Inc., the largest dedicated residential solar company in the United States, and LG Chem, a leading global manufacturer of advanced batteries, on Wednesday announced a partnership to launch LG Chem’s energy storage technology in the U.S. residential solar...
Department of Energy Pairs With Argonne to Offer Technical Assistance to Small Businesses
The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Small Business Vouchers (SBV) Program is offering U.S. small businesses in the clean-energy sector unparalleled access to the expertise and facilities of DOE’s national laboratories, including Argonne National Laboratory.
“The SBV pilot is a...
Landis+Gyr for Advanced Metering and Grid Management Project in Barbados
Landis+Gyr said Tuesday it has been selected by Barbados Light & Power for a comprehensive smart grid technology project that includes advanced metering and data management solutions.
A full-service generation and distribution utility for the independent island state, Barbados Light...
Panasonic, Tesla Partner on Photovoltaic Cell and Module Production
Tesla and Panasonic have entered into a non-binding letter of intent under which they will begin collaborating on the manufacturing and production of photovoltaic (PV) cells and modules in Buffalo, New York, the company said Sunday.
Under the terms of...
UK Successfully Transmits Data Via National Grid in a ‘World First’
A new technology has made it possible for data to be transmitted across a national grid for the first time. The technology was successfully tested on the UK’s National Grid, and was created by UK smart grid company Reactive...
Oil and Gas Sector Stakeholders Unite to Produce Industry-Specific Cybersecurity Guidelines
DNV GL said Thursday it has established a Joint Industry Project (JIP) together with Shell, Statoil, Lundin, Siemens, Honeywell, ABB, Emerson and Kongsberg Maritime to produce a guideline for protecting oil and gas installations against cyber-security threats.
The Norwegian Petroleum...
DOE Awards $34 Million in Funding to Projects Aimed at Securing the Smart Grid
The US Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded $34m in funding (subject to appropriations) for twelve projects representing energy sector organizations in nine states through the Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability’s Cybersecurity of Energy Delivery Systems (CEDS)...
Department of Energy Commits $137 Million to Vehicle Efficiency Technologies
The Energy Department announced Tuesday up to $137 million in investments for two programs, subject to appropriations, to develop next generation technologies that will support industry in going beyond those standards, while also accelerating technology advances for passenger cars...
Xylem to Purchase Smart Meter Firm Sensus for $1.7 Billion
Xylem Inc., a provider of water technology today announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Sensus for approximately $1.7 billion in cash.
Sensus, owned by investment funds affiliated with The Jordan Company and GS Capital Partners 2000,...
Apple Gets Regulatory Approval From Feds to Sell Excess Energy in Wholesale Markets
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on Thursday said Apple could sell its power at market-based rates. Based on the order, Apple's subsidiary Apple Energy may sell energy, capacity and other services needed to maintain reliable power.
Last year, Apple...
Department of Energy Invests in Technologies to Enable Efficiency of Nation’s Buildings
The Energy Department announced recently it is investing $19 million in advanced building projects to improve the efficiency of the nation’s homes, offices, schools, hospitals, restaurants and stores.
The advanced building technologies will help American consumers and businesses save money on...
USDA Funds 821 Rural Small Businesses on Renewable Energy Projects
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced funding for 821 projects across the nation that will help rural small businesses and agricultural producers reduce energy usage and costs in their operations. The funding is available through the Rural Energy for...
Las Vegas Casino Sports Largest Rooftop Solar Panel Array in The United States
The Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas now sports the biggest solar roof in the United States, with 26,000 panels.
NRG Energy, Inc. and MGM Resorts International said Wednesday they had completed the expansion of what they called the...
Hanergy Unveils Fully Solar-Powered Vehicles
Hanergy Holding Group, a thin-film solar power company, on July 2 unveiled four full solar power vehicles at an event themed "Disruptive Innovations Drive the Future" outside its headquarters in Beijing on July 2.
The zero-emission vehicles can be powered...
BMW Enters Commercial, Home Energy Storage With Used i3 Batteries
BMW i, a BMW Group brand, yesterday announced a stationary energy storage system solution integrating its BMW i3 vehicle battery, calling itself the “first automotive manufacturer to utilize a complete automotive high-voltage battery for energy storage.”
The battery storage system...
ABB To Provide Wireless Network For Smart Meter Deployment In Memphis
ABB, a provider of power and automation technologies, said yesterday that it has been selected to provide wireless network products and services to support the deployment of smart meters across the City of Memphis, Tennessee, in the US.
The introduction...
American Municipal Power Selects Silver Spring To Deploy AMI
Network platform and solutions provider, Silver Spring Networks, Inc. said yesterday that it has been selected by American Municipal Power, Inc. (AMP) for an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) program.
AMP is a non-profit wholesale power supplier and services provider for...
DOT Pairs With DC Solar Solutions On Smart City Challenge
U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said yesterday that DC Solar Solutions, the largest manufacturer of mobile solar technology in the U.S., has become a partner in the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT)’s Smart City Challenge.
The Smart City Challenge is a...
White House Summit Targets Scaling Renewable Energy And Storage With ‘Smart Markets’
The Obama Administration announced June 17 a number of initiatives to accelerate the transition of the country to a smart, more energy efficient, 21st century grid.
The White House is set to host what it calls a “Summit on Scaling...
OSIsoft, China Electric Power Research Institute Partner on Smart Grid Project
The China Electric Power Research Institute (CEPRI) and OSIsoft, a provider of operational intelligence, have entered into an agreement to collaborate on a smart grid project that will leverage OSIsoft’s PI System as a data infrastructure for real-time data...
TimberRock Launches Open Platform Energy Services Targeting Smaller Buildings
TimberRock Advanced Energy, a developer of microgrids, energy storage and electric vehicle infrastructure, has announced the launch of GENESIS, which it termed “the industry’s first open-platform energy services offering for small and mid-sized buildings.”
GENESIS standardizes the technologies and methodologies...
Trilliant Expands Smart Grid Application Business By Purchasing Ingenu’s Stake
Ingenu, a company that delivers connectivity exclusively to machines, and Trilliant, a provider of smart communications platforms for utilities and cities, announced Nov. 2 that Trilliant will acquire Ingenu’s smart grid application business.
This deal will see Trilliant assume Ingenu’s...
SunEdison Picks Solaria to Mass Produce New Line of Solar Modules
Solaria Corporation, a solar technology company based in Calif., announced Monday that SunEdison, the largest developer of renewable energy in the world, has agreed to license Solaria’s manufacturing technology to mass produce its new line of 400 watt solar...
Tesla Model S Equipped With New Autopilot Software For More Hands-off Driving
Owners of Tesla’s Model S sedan in North America experienced a radical software upgrade to their vehicle as the company “pushed” out a suite of semi-autonomous technology that allows the vehicle perform some of the driving duties once exclusively...
Advanced Microgrid Solutions, Irvine Company, Announce Plan to Create Hybrid-Electric Buildings
The Irvine Company, a real-estate investment company, and Advanced Microgrid Solutions (AMS), an energy storage solution provider, announced on October 13 what they called an “initiative to create a fleet of hybrid-electric buildings. These buildings will be powered by energy...