Navigating the Future of Power Engineering: Trends, Innovations, and Industry Insights

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Factor This™ Energy understands the complexities of power engineering. Our offerings include live events, DTECH™ events, and the POWERGEN® calendar, along with a resource center filled with webinars, podcasts, and white papers. We invite you to contribute content on a variety of topics such as solar utility scale, community and residential energy, wind power, offshore energy, grid transmission, outage management, grid modernization, smart grids, microgrids, hydropower, small hydro technologies, tidal and wave energy, energy storage, battery systems, pumped storage, long-duration energy solutions, business policy and regulation, project development, finance, electric vehicles, EV charging, and vehicle-to-grid technologies.

Factor This: Power Engineering Live Events presents DISTRIBUTECH® and a comprehensive resource center featuring webinars, podcasts, whitepapers, and a calendar of events.

Featured News

Power Grid Utilities Lack Common Definition of ‘Resilience’
Utilities are struggling to define ‘resilience’ in the context of extreme weather. Without a shared definition, establishing rigorous and consistent metrics for resilience becomes challenging.

Solar Industry Rebranding
The solar power sector is undergoing a rebranding effort to align with the ‘energy dominance’ initiative. This week in Cleantech, we cover the most significant stories in clean energy and climate in under 15 minutes.

Meta AI’s $6 billion Data Center Project
Meta’s ambitious data center project in Louisiana will necessitate $6 billion in electric infrastructure. The big question remains: will ratepayers bear the financial burden?

Impact of Job Cuts at the DOE
Following significant job reductions, the U.S. Department of Energy has halted many projects, jeopardizing the agency’s objectives.

Latest Headlines
– Liberty Utilities’ Sam McGarrah discusses enhancements in utility asset management.
– A startup proposes innovative high-altitude remote sensing technology.
– Iberdrola España initiates its first pumping station at the Valdecañas pumped-storage project in Spain.
– Scatec finalizes the sale of its African hydropower assets to TotalEnergies for $167 million.
– Debate continues in Maine regarding potential reforms to net energy billing.

The Software That Could Save the Grid

In this episode of the Factor This podcast, Linda Stevens, Chief Strategy Officer for smart grids and smart cities at OATI, clarifies the role of Distributed Energy Resource Management Systems (DERMS).

Upcoming Events

• DISTRIBUTECH 2025: Scheduled for March 24-27, 2025, in Dallas, Texas. This is North America’s largest utility event.

Renewable Energy Developments

• Alabama’s first Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) will be built at a former coal plant site, replacing the William C. Gorgas Electric Generating Plant, which once produced 1,416 megawatts (MW).
• The Institute for Local Self-Reliance has released its 2025 Community Power Scorecard, assessing clean energy initiatives across states.
• The battery energy storage sector is on the verge of significant growth, reminiscent of the early days of wind energy.

Hydropower Innovations

• Eco Wave Power is enhancing infrastructure at its Porto project in Portugal, expected to be completed in 2026.
• SSE plans to revamp the 45MW Lochay Hydro Power Station, originally commissioned in 1958, to extend its operational life.
• The Bonneville Power Administration faces financial losses due to increased power purchase costs arising from drought conditions.

Technology and Equipment Advances

• CorPower Ocean has received $18 million from the European Innovation Council to further develop wave energy technology.
• Rapid Pole, a participant in this year’s DTECH Initiate program, offers a quick deployment solution for power outages.

Regional Transmission Projects

PJM Interconnection has selected Dominion Energy, AEP, and FirstEnergy to develop essential regional transmission projects, which are needed urgently.

Utility Policy Discussions

Duke Energy’s Jason Handley will address utility policy, grid edge investments, and more at DTECH. Meanwhile, Evergy’s Chad Carsten will share insights on communication networks that support grid functions.

Legislative Updates

Oregon’s new bill on wildfire prevention could provide utilities with legal immunity for compliance actions, though it has raised concerns among legal experts.

Upcoming Webinars

• Innovations in Battery Technology: Join us on May 11 to explore how battery technology is fueling the electric vehicle revolution.
• Designing a Utility Battery Storage Playbook: Scheduled for January 21, 2024, this session will focus on integrating battery storage into modern utility operations.

Stay informed and engaged with the latest developments in energy and power engineering through Factor This™.
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