Electric

Finisar Introduces First 400G QSFP-DD Active Optical Cable

Finisar today announced it will unveil the first 400G active optical cable (AOC) in the QSFP-DD form factor at the Optical Networking and Communication Conference & Exhibition (OFC) 2018, taking place March 13-15 in San Diego, California. Leveraging VCSEL technology to achieve the lowest power diss..

Seven California Colleges Receive Grants to Research Conservation Technologies, Programs Through World Water Forum

As part of the 2018 Southern California World Water Forum, Seven California colleges and universities have been selected to receive grants to fund proposals to develop new water conservation and supply technologies in support of a more sustainable water future. From a project that contemplates usin..

Great Lakes Cities Work to Reduce Water Utility Emissions

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Several communities around the Great Lakes are competing to reduce pollution by controlling the electricity they consume from the power grid. Bayfield, Wisconsin, is one of five cities working to lower mercury and other emissions through the Water Utility Energy Challenge, Wisc..

OFS Introduces TeraWave SCUBA 125 Optical Fiber

OFS today introduced the TeraWave SCUBA 125 Optical Fiber, optimally designed to deliver excellent performance for coherent transport submarine systems.  The effective area is matched to terrestrial G.654.E fibers for excellent performance from the ocean landing site to terrestrial networks, and..

Virginia Governor Signs Utility Backed Legislation

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Gov. Ralph Northam has approved legislation that could lead to substantial new additions to most Virginians’ electric bills while making it easier for utilities to build renewable energy projects and improve the electric grid. Northam signed into law Friday legislation that was..

Corning Develops High-Fiber-Count Rapid Installation Ribbon Cable

Corning Incorporated today announced its latest optical fiber cable innovation – RocketRibbon(TM) extreme-density cable. RocketRibbon is a next-generation ribbon cable, which enables up to 30 percent faster installation than other high density ribbon cables designed for data center and carrier envir..

Company Using AI to Assess Conditions of Water Mains to Participate in Imagine H2O's 2018 Accelerator

Fracta Inc., a company tapplying Artificial Intelligence (AI) – Machine Learning to drinking water utility infrastructure, has been selected as a participant in Imagine H2O’s 2018 Accelerator. Fracta is one of 13 water startups selected to the exclusive 2018 program. Fracta offers a Saa..

Advanced Drainage Systems Launches “ADS Installation Guides” Mobile App

Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. (ADS), a global manufacturer of water management products and solutions, today launched the “ADS Installation Guides” mobile application, offering everyday installation instructions for its thermoplastic pipe products. The app is a resource to provide guidance on the ..

New York Governor Orders Review Into Power Failures After Winter Storm Riley

New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today directed the New York State Department of Public Service to conduct a full review into power failures after Winter Storm Riley. Four days after Winter Storm Riley, while power has been restored to more than 280,000 New Yorkers, 74,790 customers still remain wi..

Waiver Issued for Drivers of Utility Crews Restoring Power in Pennsylvania

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Gov. Tom Wolf says he’s authorizing drivers taking utility crews to try to restore power to Pennsylvania homes and businesses to work longer hours than is normally allowed. The governor said Sunday that the waiver, which runs through the end of the month, allows drivers helping ..

Pennsylvania DEP Issues Permits for Construction of New Natural Gas, Water Lines

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) today announced it has awarded to Birdsboro Power LLC, DTE Midstream Appalachia, LLC, and the Reading Area Water Authority the permits necessary for the construction of a 450 mega-watt natural gas fired Birdsboro Power electrical generati..

Ohio Utility to Invest Heavily in Underground Infrastructure This Year

FirstEnergy Corp. today announced it will invest about $111 million on distribution and transmission infrastructure projects in 2018 to help enhance reliability for more than 300,000 customers in Toledo Edison’s northwestern Ohio service area. “Over the past several years Toledo Edison has been one..

Large Texas Electric Retailers Well-Positioned to Continue Market Dominance

According to the 2018 Utility Trusted Brand & Customer Engagement™: Business, a Cogent Reports study by Market Strategies International, large retail electric providers in the Texas market enjoy higher-than-average Brand Trust from their business customers. These retailers, which serve over half of ..

Texas Electric Cooperatives Announces Alliance with Guadalupe Valley Electric Cooperative

Texas Electric Cooperatives (TEC) has announced an alliance with Guadalupe Valley Electric Cooperative (GVEC), a South Central Texas electrical cooperative. The agreement brings more than 9,800 miles of line and more than 80,000 meters in thirteen counties into areas currently served by TEC alli..

Pro Pipe Partners with Perma-Liner Industries to Expand Lateral Lining Services

Professional Pipe Services, Inc. (Pro Pipe) today announced a partnership with Perma-Liner Industries (Perma-Liner) to provide main/lateral connection lining services nationwide. As municipalities seek to reduce the impact of inflow and infiltration (I&I) on the broader wastewater collection system..

Corroded Underground Electrical Cables Led to Fire in New York

NEW YORK (AP) — New York City fire officials say corrosion in underground electrical cables led to a chain-reaction fire that destroyed two cars near manholes. WABC-TV reports the two cars were destroyed after an underground fire Tuesday afternoon in the Bronx. The fire set off large plumes of blac..

Low-Flying Helicopter to Map Water Resources in Mississippi

GREENWOOD, Miss. (AP) — A helicopter will be flying over parts of the Mississippi Delta to gather information for a 3-D map showing water resources. The U.S. Geological Survey says from late February through early March, a low-flying copter will travel in a grid pattern over rural areas north and w..

Installation of New Transmission Cables Beneath Lake Champlain Completed

New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the completion and energization of a $68.7 million major power system infrastructure project involving the placement of new underwater transmission cables, spanning 1.7 miles, across Lake Champlain. The new power cables, laid as much as 195 feet belo..

Trimble, Aquarius Spectrum Announce Water Leak Detection Technology Distribution Agreement

Trimble today announced an exclusive relationship with Aquarius Spectrum Ltd. to distribute a branded version of Aquarius Spectrum’s wireless leak detection and monitoring solutions for water utilities throughout the U.S. The collaboration will extend Trimble’s portfolio of smart water management se..

Red Hen Systems Creates Pipeline Leak Detection System

Red Hen Systems, a Colorado geospatial company with 21 years of experience locating infrastructure using video mapping technology, today announced it has developed Pipeline Leak Detection Services (PLDS). PLDS utilizes a multi-sensor detection system to locate, and quantify in real-time fugitive met..

Trump’s Infrastructure Plan Would Study Sale of Federal Utility’s Assets

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The infrastructure plan outlined by President Donald Trump on Monday suggests studying whether the nation’s largest public utility should sell its transmission assets, which Tennessee Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander called “a looney idea” with “zero chance of becoming law.” ..

Calix’s Fiber-to-the Home Solutions to Help Improve Internet Capabilities in Eastern Iowa

Calix, Inc. today announced ImOn Communications, an Internet, cable TV, and phone services provider in eastern Iowa, will leverage end-to-end fiber solutions from Calix to offer unrivaled gigabit business and residential services in its new service areas. “The cable industry is actively transitioni..

Storm-Hardened Communication Network from Sensus Helps Water Utilities Weather Winter Blast

Sensus, a Xylem brand, today announced its Sensus FlexNet® Communication Network helped water utilities across South Carolina minimize operational issues during a bitter, two-week cold snap at the beginning of January. “An unprecedented number of customers suffered from frozen water lines,” said Ch..

Cleco Corporate Holdings to Acquire NRG South Central Generating

Cleco Corporate Holdings LLC (Cleco), owner of regulated electric utility Cleco Power LLC (Cleco Power), today announced that it will acquire NRG South Central Generating LLC (South Central), a subsidiary of NRG Energy, Inc., for $1 billion. Under the terms of the agreement, Cleco will ..

API: Natural Gas Helps Create Reliable, Resilient Electric Power System

API has released the following statement highlighting the positive impacts that natural gas offers to power generation and following testimony by nuclear energy advocates at today’s House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee hearing. “Our nation’s electric grid is as reliable as it has ever been as dat..

CommScope and Fluke Networks Join Forces to Ensure Optimum Fiber Optic Performance

CommScope today announced its exclusive SYSTIMAX® link loss calculator will now be incorporated in Fluke Networks’ CertiFiber®Pro Optical Loss Test Set, which is part of the company’s Versiv™ Cabling Certification System,  and LinkWare™ Live cloud service. The SYSTIMAX calculator is a tool that acc..

Even Pipelines Are Happy When PICA Is On The Job

Pipeline Inspection and Condition Analysis (PICA) Corporation is currently performing an inspection of 4 miles of 66-inch cement and steel cylinder lined PCCP pipe in southern California. To test the resolution of PICA’s brand new In-Line Inspection Tool, the customer embedded some small button magn..

Xylem Acquires Pure Technologies

Xylem Inc., a leading global water technology company, has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire all the issued and outstanding shares of Pure Technologies Ltd. for CAD$9.00 per share in cash, representing an enterprise value of USD$397 million. Pure Technologies provides unique diagnostic..

Xcel Energy Crews Headed to Puerto Rico

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A crew of utility workers from the Upper Midwest is heading to Puerto Rico to help with the ongoing power restoration efforts following Hurricane Maria. Twenty-five Xcel Energy workers from Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin are travelling to Puerto Rico Monday...

Virginia Governor Voices "Significant Concerns" on Electric Rate Bills

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam said Thursday he has “significant concerns” about utility-backed legislation to allow electric monopolies to continue charging rates that currently produce excessive yearly profits of hundreds of millions of dollars. Northam said he wants state regul..