North America News

Latest news and developments from North America region

• National Grid announces North Quincy Cable Replacement Project

  May 18, 2021
  National Grid has recently announced plans for an expedited construction schedule for a portion of its USD92 million North Quincy Cable Replacement Project.

• Hitachi ABB Power Grids enables delivery of more power to US Upper Midwest region

  May 18, 2021
  Hitachi ABB Power Grids has recently announced the successful commissioning of a 500 kV, 1,400 MVAr series capacitor bank—one of the largest in the world, for Minnesota Power’s Great Northern Transmission Line (GNTL) project.

• Ameren Illinois commences construction of USD33 million substation

  May 14, 2021
  Ameren Transmission Company of Illinois (ATXI)—a subsidiary of Ameren Corporation—recently commenced the construction of the USD33 million, 138 kV Tanner substation in Louisville City in Kentucky.

• Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board to acquire Evoltz transmission platform in Brazil

  May 14, 2021
  Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board (Ontario Teachers) has recently announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement with TPG Capital (previously known as Texas Pacific Group)—a global alternative asset firm, to acquire 100 per cent interest in the electricity transmission platform—Evoltz, in Brazil.

• Canadian Hydro-Québec makes formal bid to supply power to New York

  May 13, 2021
  Canadian electric utility Hydro-Québec has made a formal bid to supply power to the state of New York, via the 1,000 MW-1,250 MW Champlain Hudson Power Express (CHPE) transmission line project.

• PSEG Long Island puts 138 kV Riverhead to Canal second project in service

  May 12, 2021
  PSEG Long Island LLC—on behalf of and as an agent for the Long Island Power Authority (PSEG LI)— announced that it has placed the 138 kV Riverhead to Canal second underground transmission cable project in service on April 28, 2021.

• FirstEnergy’s power upgrades to boost economic growth in Ohio County

  May 12, 2021
  FirstEnergy Corporation, via its subsidiary Toledo Edison, continues to invest in upgrades to the electric system in Delta, Ohio to support expansion at North Star BlueScope Steel LLC—a steel supplier company in Ohio and meet projected energy needs of other industrial facilities in the region.

• Anbaric makes progress on offshore transmission project in New Jersey

  May 12, 2021
  Anbaric Development Partners, an American electric power transmission and microgrid development company located in Wakefield, Massachusetts, has concluded its second set of oceanographic survey activities for its Boardwalk Power Link (BPL) project, which will connect wind energy produced offshore to New Jersey’s existing onshore grid.

• Maryland Commission to hold virtual public forum for BGE Transmission Line Project

  May 11, 2021
  The Maryland Public Service Commission will hold a virtual informational and public comment hearing on May 20, 2021, for a 20-mile (32-km) transmission line project proposed by Baltimore Gas and Electric Company (BGE).

• AEP seeks Virginia regulatory approval for rebuilding 138 kV power project

  May 7, 2021
  On April 30, 2021 Appalachian Power—a unit of American Electric Power (AEP)—filed an application with the Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC), for approval of its proposed Reusens to New London Rebuild Project.

• Bills proposed to enhance cybersecurity of US electrical grid [free access]

  May 6, 2021
  Lawmakers in the US Senate and House have introduced legislation designed to improve the nation's electrical grid in response to concerns that the country's power system is prone to cyberthreats.

• FERC rejects PJM bid to set new capacity values for renewable, storage resources

  May 5, 2021
  The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on April 30, 2021, rejected a proposal by PJM Interconnection (PJM) to allow renewable energy and storage resources to participate more fully in its capacity market, after concluding that a key provision would benefit some existing resources over newer market participants.

• Agilitas Energy to commence construction of largest BESS in Rhode Island

  May 5, 2021
  Agilitas Energy—a distributed energy developer—is commencing pre-construction work of its largest battery energy storage system (BESS), a 3 MW/9 MWh lithium-ion system in Pascoag Utility district of Rhode Island.

• TNMP, Texas regulatory staff call for approval of power line in Galveston county

  May 4, 2021
  Texas-New Mexico Power (TNMP)—the power utility operating in Texas, the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) staff, as well as Marathon Petroleum Company LP and Blanchard Refining Company LLC (Marathon Petroleum Corporation), filed a unanimous stipulation calling for the approval of a proposed 138 kV transmission line with the PUCT on April 28, 2021.

• West Penn Power commences power line upgrades in three Pennsylvania counties

  May 3, 2021
  West Penn Power—a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corporation—has commenced power line upgrades to help enhance power reliability for customers in Allegheny, Armstrong, and Westmoreland counties in Pennsylvania.

• CAISO to explore market reforms for grid-scale storage growth

  April 30, 2021
  The California Independent System Operator (CAISO) on April 28, 2021 launched an initiative to explore market reforms in anticipation of a surge of grid-scale energy storage on its system in the next few years.

• Biden Administration commences 100-day plan to support cybersecurity of electric grid

  April 29, 2021
  The Biden Administration has recently kick-started a 100-day plan aimed at protecting the electric grid against cyber-attacks.

• US announces funding of USD8 billion for power grid improvement [free access]

  April 28, 2021
  The Biden Administration has recently announced that USD8.25 billion in funding will be provided to modernise the nation’s grid, owing to its ambitious clean energy and climate targets.

• FirstEnergy’s ATSI seeks Ohio regulatory approval for 138 kV project

  April 27, 2021
  FirstEnergy’s American Transmission Systems, Inc., (ATSI) recently filed an application for a certificate of environmental compatibility and public need (CECPN) for the USD23 million, 138 kV Lincoln Park–Riverbend Transmission Line Project, with the Ohio Power Siting Board.

• Canadian IESO invests in energy projects that increase indigenous participation in Ontario

  April 27, 2021
  The Canadian grid operator Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) has announced USD7.1 million in funding to projects, that would increase indigenous participation in Ontario’s energy sector.