NERC PRC-027-1 Overview and Implementation

Maysam Radvar, PEng, PE, and Casey Whitt, Ready Technologies, a division of ShermcoCover Story, Winter 2021 Cover Story

As generation is connected to the grid, the available short-circuit current is evolving, increasing in areas where synchronous resources are installed and decreasing in areas where inverter-based resources, such as solar and wind power, are installed. With the U.S. Department of Energy’s recent plan to drastically increase the amount of solar connected to the grid over the coming decades, one …

Turning the Corner on Cyber-Secure Protection Testing

Bryan Gwyn, Sagar Singam, and Joe Stevenson, Doble Engineering CompanyFeatures, Winter 2021 Features

Matters of NERC PRC and NERC CIP compliance intersect during protection system testing on substation networks. In the modern regulatory environment, the benefits of computer-based relaying are challenged by the costs of cyber security and disrupted or insufficient relay testing practices. The way forward demands interconnected data and the ability to track critical metrics automatically. Organizations can modernize while ensuring …

Quick Guide to Discharge Testing

Sanket Bolar, MeggerFeatures, Winter 2021 Features

Batteries serve as the main source of power in a substation in the event of an AC outage. They power critical loads and equipment like relays, indicator lamps, circuit-breaker control, motor operators, SCADA, event recorders, etc. As the battery is truly put to the test only during an outage, it is important to monitor battery health on a regular basis …

What Is This NERC?

Kyle Heron, Premier Power MaintenanceFeatures, Winter 2021 Features

We find ourselves in a time where everyday life has become principally reliant on the uninterrupted supply of electricity. Powering our homes, sustaining mass transit infrastructure, and keeping the lights on at our healthcare facilities are prime examples of the importance reliable power holds to our way of life. But as our demand for electric power is ever-growing, our requirement …

ANSI/NETA Standards Update

NETA World StaffWinter 2021 Specifications & Standards, Specifications & Standards

ANSI/NETA ETT–2018 REVISION SCHEDULED FOR 2022 ANSI/NETA ETT, Standard for Certification of Electrical Testing Technicians, 2018 Edition is in the process of revision. The initial ballot was completed July 2021. Suggested comments and revisions will be reviewed by the Standards Review Council in fall 2021. A second ballot is scheduled for late 2021. The revised edition of NETA ETT is …

NETA Membership Meeting Charts Progress and Looks Ahead to 50th Anniversary Celebration in 2022

NETA World StaffNETA News, Trending News, Winter 2021 NETA News

The NETA Board of Directors and NETA staff met face-to-face in mid-September for the first time since March 2020. The NETA Membership Meeting took place at the San Antonio Marriott Riverwalk Hotel in San Antonio, Texas. The agenda included a comprehensive Board Report and strategy updates in specific areas such as membership growth and efforts to grow industry awareness. A …

Advancements in the Industry: Traveling Wave Relay Application, Commissioning, and Initial Experience

Fari Elhaj and Scott Cooper, OMICRON electronics, and Anthony Savesind and Francisco J. Sanchez, Salt River ProjectCorporate Alliance Corner, Winter 2021 CAP Corner

Traditional line protection incorporates elements in the phasor domain. Phasor-based line protection uses a full cycle of data and is subject to CT accuracy limitations, limiting operating speed and fault location accuracy. However, new advances in protective relay technology have facilitated the introduction of relays that operate in the time domain. By detecting and time-stamping the arrival of traveling waves …

CAP Spotlight: A-Rent: Quality Equipment and Responsive Service

NETA World StaffCorporate Alliance Corner, Winter 2021 CAP Corner

NETA’s Corporate Alliance Partners (CAPs) are a group of industry-leading companies that have joined forces with NETA to work together toward a common aim: improving quality, safety, and electrical system reliability. Our continuing CAP Spotlight series highlights some of their individual successes as NETA World interviews A-Rent CEO Paul Seppanen. NWJ: Please briefly describe A-Rent Seppanen: A-Rent specializes in electrical …

An Intelligent System for Condition Assessment of Power Transformers

Mohamed Khalil, PhD, Doble Engineering CompanyIndustry Topics, Winter 2021 Industry Topics

The health index (HI) approach has been adopted widely as a tool to help asset managers prioritize their plans and actions. However, the conventional computation of HI, which is based on scoring and ranking, has several drawbacks. In this work, the fuzzy logic approach is used to build up an intelligent HI system to assess the condition of power transformers …

Understanding High-Voltage Circuit Breaker Nameplates

Volney Naranjo, MeggerIndustry Topics, Winter 2021 Industry Topics

Along the extensive and complex electrical system infrastructure from generation to transmission and distribution, the wide variety of medium- and high-voltage circuit breakers (MV/HV CB) vary in size, interrupting medium, number of breaks per phase, and various other attributes. To help classify breakers and their attributes, they are all shipped with a nameplate stating the minimum information about specific mechanical, …