News and Press Releases from Smart Grid Observer

Department of Energy Announces $21 Million to Advance Solar Desalination Technologies

Recently (6/19), the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced $21 million for new projects to advance solar-thermal desalination technologies. These 14 projects are focused on reducing the cost of solar-thermal desalination and ...

Jun. 20, 2018

Oak Ridge National Laboratory Launches America's New Top Supercomputer for Science

Recently (6/11), the U.S. Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) unveiled Summit as the world's most powerful and smartest scientific supercomputer. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry attended the debut to meet with the ORNL team ...

Jun. 11, 2018

Research Collaboration to Hold Decarbonisation Tests in Support of Clean Growth Initiative

A Swansea University research collaboration is to carry out field trials of its very large scale decarbonization technology in support of Government's recently announced clean growth initiatives.The tests come after an announcement in May by UK ...

Jun. 8, 2018

CPUC Approves New PG&E Projects to Help Accelerate Electric Vehicle Adoption in California

Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) recently (6/5) announced it received approval from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to develop two new, five-year programs aimed at accelerating widespread electric vehicle (EV) adoption ...

Jun. 6, 2018

First United Smart Cities SMART CITY LAB Opens in Vienna

According to United Nations estimates, around two-thirds of the world's population will live in urban areas by 2050. Smart sustainable cities technologies and approaches, including those based on ICT solutions and Internet of Things (IoT) are ...

Jun. 4, 2018

Utility Spending on Blockchain-based Platforms is Expected to Reach $3.7 Billion by 2026

A new report from Navigant Research analyzes the market for blockchain-based platforms in the utilities industry, providing forecasts for wholesale energy trading, EV charging and integration, and transactive energy platforms through 2026. ...

Jun. 1, 2018

Executive Order 13800 on Strengthening the Cybersecurity of Federal Networks and Critical Infrastructure

Statement from Rick Perry, U.S. Department of Energy Secretary:"This Administration recognizes the growing security risk of cyber threats and has prioritized overcoming these challenges facing our Nation, as outlined in Executive Order ...

May 31, 2018

Smart Cities Pose New Security Challenges and Opportunities

As smart cities integrate connected technologies to operate more efficiently and improve the quality of city services, new vulnerabilities arise that require diligent governance of municipal technology. New ISACA research on smart ...

May 30, 2018

SoCalGas Introduces Innovative New Solar Hydrogen Generation System

Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) recently introduced an innovative new solar-powered hydrogen generation system during the California Air Resources Board Technology Expo and Symposium at the University of California, Riverside. The ...

May 18, 2018

Linde Wins U.S. Dept. Of Energy Grants for Carbon Capture Projects

Linde North America Inc., in partnership with the University of Illinois, has won two U.S. Department of Energy grants to research and improve technologies to capture carbon emissions from power plants.The grants provide a total of $3.65 million in ...

May 15, 2018

Itron Signs Agreement with Mississippi Power to Deploy and Manage Nearly 200,000 Smart Meters

Itron recently (5/14) announced a new agreement with Mississippi Power, a subsidiary of Southern Company, to support the utility's grid modernization plans and continued leadership in technical innovation within the utility space. Itron will ...

May 15, 2018

NextEnergy, Wayne State University, And TechTown Launch Technology Innovation Consortium

Clean technology innovation accelerator NextEnergy, part of a national network of accelerators focused on deploying solutions that create smarter, cleaner and more livable cities, announced it is participating in Detroit Urban Solutions, a new ...

May 9, 2018

U.S. Department of Energy Announces $34 Million for Innovation Building Technologies Research and Development

Recently, (4/27), the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced up to $34.5 million in funding to support building technology research and development (R&D). Buildings are the single largest energy-consuming sector in the U.S. economy, ...

Apr. 30, 2018

Creating a Real-World Competition to Inspire Tomorrow's Cyber Workforce

Cyberattacks pose an ongoing threat to the security of the nation’s energy critical infrastructure, so it’s now more important than ever to have a strong, agile workforce that is prepared to protect this infrastructure. Last Saturday, I had the ...

Apr. 11, 2018

Carbon Nanotubes Have the Potential to Improve Transmission Network Efficiency and Reliability

A new report from Navigant Research examines the global utility market for carbon nanotubes (CNTs), highlighting significant CNT characteristics and challenges for grid integration, as well as providing recommendations for utilities, ...

Apr. 11, 2018

Fleet of Automated Electric Taxis Could Deliver Environmental and Energy Benefits

It may be only a matter of time before urban dwellers can hail a self-driving taxi, so researchers at the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and UC Berkeley decided to analyze the cost, energy, and ...

Mar. 30, 2018

Duke Energy's New Climate Report Details the Company's Ability to Adapt to a Low-Carbon Future

Duke Energy recently (3/22) outlined steps it is taking to provide safe, reliable, affordable and increasingly clean energy to its customers while embracing the transformation underway in the utility industry.The report details the company's ...

Mar. 23, 2018

Utilities Lag Other Industries in Digital Experience, but Standouts are Emerging, J.D. Power Finds

Utilities are among the lowest-performing industry groups when it comes to delivering distinct digital customer experiences, but some pioneers have found the secret to digital success, according to the J.D. Power 2018 Utility Digital Experience ...

Mar. 22, 2018

Department of Energy Invests $17.6 Million in Technologies Capable of Reducing CO2 Capture Cost and Energy Penalties

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has selected six projects to receive $17.6 million in federal funding under the Office of Fossil Energy's Novel and Enabling Carbon Capture Transformational Technologies funding opportunity ...

Feb. 23, 2018

New AEE Report: Utility Earnings in a Service-Based World

A recent report from the Advanced Energy Economy (AEE) shows electric utilities can reduce costs for customers without hurting profits for shareholders by considering service-based alternatives to capital investments, utilizing one of several ...

Feb. 22, 2018