Sessions

To register for this course, click here! This course will provide an overview of the use of the Common Information Model (CIM) for organizing grid model data,  focusing on the use of CIM data constructs to enable effective network model data management solutions inside the utility enterprise. The course will cover a variety of topics related to leveraging the CIM to improve utility management of grid model data, including: The distribution network model management challenge Organizing utility grid model data management using a business function approach Grid Model Manager tool functional requirements CIM data constructs for the modeling of power system data CIM data constructs for the management of power system data CIM-related IEC Standards overview Areas of current CIM activity relevant to distribution grid model management The course is suited to technical and manager-level utility personnel working in the operations, planning, or GIS areas as well as those working in IT roles supporting those areas. It will provide information useful to utility personnel in: designing local solutions for managing network model data from its source in engineering and facilities tools to its ultimate use in planning, protection, and operations network analysis tools specifying CIM-standard interfaces in tool procurements specifying requirements for tools expected to perform the grid model management function It is also suited to vendor personnel who are developers or product managers for tools that are used to supply, consume, or manage grid model data (including GIS, engineering design tools, and network analysis software such as planning/protection tools and OMS, DMS or ADMS). The course will provide information vendor personnel would find useful in: understanding the enterprise-wide requirements of distribution utilities related to grid model management designing CIM-aligned tool interfaces that enable effective utility model management solutions understanding the functional requirements of tools intended to deliver grid model management capability Attendees familiar with the use, creation, or management of grid model data at utilities will gain maximum benefit from this course.  

To register for this course, click here! In this course the Chair of the IEEE DNP Technical Committee will explain the philosophy (and terminology) underpinning IEEE Standard 1815 (DNP3); explain its structural components and clarify a number of areas that people sometimes find difficult to grasp. Some lesser-known features of DNP3 and current developments will also be discussed. The course is structured to encourage attendees to question or discuss any aspect of DNP3 or SCADA systems that interest them, without being restricted to the course’s topic areas.  Topics:  DNP3 Philosophy & Terminology Addressing Data Models, Data Types & Structures Data Collection & Control Mechanisms DNP3 Classes DNP3 Subset Levels Less well-known features: Engineering Cybersecurity Mapping to IEC 61850 DER applications Conformance Testing Prerequisites:  Attendees should have familiarity with SCADA systems, but are not required to have detailed knowledge of DNP3. Target Audience:  Engineers and technicians responsible for design, specification, configuration, installation and fault-finding of SCADA equipment that uses DNP3 for transmission of SCADA data. 

To register for this course, click here! Course purpose: The course will show attendees examples of how utilities are evolving their grid modernization investments while migrating from Smart Grid 1.0 to Smart Grid 2.0 and into the Digital Utility 3.0 level.  This course lays out a transformation path regardless of the starting point.  What many utilities have found over the last few years, even with the best vendors selected and very good intentions of maximizing the benefits identified in the business cases, is that often after a few years something was missing holding them back from getting all the value from their investments. The following items will be covered: Key Trends for Future Technology Considerations: i) Overall utility technology trends,  ii) Current state of grid modernization taking place, iii) Communications infrastructure future, and iiii) Utility of the future - what does it look like. Learn from the Past: Review of 2001-2021 Smart Grid investment shortfalls that existed even at progressive utilities, which typically were keeping them from maximizing their investment. Approaches for Developing the Digital Utility Roadmap: Establishing digital utility and technology investments in the overall Strategic Plan Migration from current automation to next-generation investments: 1) Nextgen AMI, 2) SCADA to ADMS, 3) Communicating with DER endpoints, 4) Work Management to Asset Management, 5) Next Gen. Mobile Workforce optimization Electric Infrastructure Foundations Next-Generation Communications Infrastructure Managing DER and Behind-the-Meter (BTM) Programs  New Customer Offerings (products/services) Maximizing Analytics Staffing trends needed for the digital utility. Approaches for Justifying and Getting Approval for digital utility investments Describe the specific knowledge, skills, and/or capabilities that attendees should acquire through this course.  Insights on separating “industry hype from reality.” An understanding of the differences in the business case output from foundational investments i.e., GIS, MDM, FAN, etc.) to applications-specific investments AMI, DA, DER communications. Approaches to a gradual smart migration to next-generation AMI to the Field Area Network to BTM communications. The methodology for creating a digital utility roadmap. The methodology for maximizing organizational change management. New approaches for growing new types of revenue outside of traditional regulated kWh or Therms driven consumption. Who should attend this course?  Utility and vendor executives tasked with creating a digital utility plan. Utility executives to project managers from IT tasked with building the future digital infrastructure. Experienced engineers that oversee SCADA, ADMS, DA, AMI, and new DER programs that are now tasked with replacing their legacy communications infrastructure with the next generation communications Vendors are creating new product lines to address the digital utility needs of the future. Prerequisite skills, knowledge, certifications: None

To register for this course, click here! The purpose of this course is to educate utility, regulator, and vendor decision-makers and implementers on the new IEEE 1547.1 Interoperability requirements (section 10 in IEEE 1547-2018); help the audience understand what is/is not included in certified UL 1741 SB products vis-à-vis interoperability; provide guidance on the implications of the new Interoperability requirement for utilities, regulators and vendors; and to suggest strategies for leveraging the game-changing inverter technology.      This course describes the fundamental challenges in integrating inverter-based DERs into grid operations and the significant changes being implemented by inverter vendors to enable more scalable interoperability between all systems in the Grid-DER management infrastructure.    The course is aimed at those decision-makers and implementers working on short-term and long-term strategic plans for scaling DER integration into grid operations.  The understanding and adoption of standard communications protocols for inverter-based communications are critical to success.  Who should attend this course? The course is aimed at senior executives, product managers, engineers, software developers, system architects, and IT professionals who are planning to (or in the process of) design, integrate, or maintain a scalable DER communications infrastructure using standard communication protocols.   Attendees should have a working knowledge of DER products and capabilities as defined by IEEE 1547-2018.   Experience with DER interconnection requirements and management of DERs would be beneficial but not required.  Experience in the field is probably more important as a pre-requisite than specific degrees or certifications. 

To register for this course, click here! This course provides an examination of the fundamentals of electric utility supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems with a focus on case studies, industry best practices, and application of the concepts. Key topics to be covered include:  SCADA system benefits, building blocks, and system integration  The business case for SCADA  Delivering reliability outcomes through digital technologies  Introduction to and comparison of communication technologies and protocols  The use of SCADA in emerging applications  Describe the specific knowledge, skills and/or capabilities that attendees should acquire through this course.  A student new to SCADA will leave with a thorough understanding of why these systems are so important to reliable grid operation as well as what other technologies and considerations accompany an actual deployment. A critical component of this class is the opportunity to ask questions of the presenters and share experiences/issues with follow classmates. The presenters have over 60 years combined experience in this area so the talk will include many “real world” equipment and project examples (utility case studies) to go along with the technology narrative.  Who should attend this course?  Engineers and managers responsible for planning and cost justifying SCADA, communications, and smart grid  Engineers responsible for designing and implementing a SCADA, communications, or smart grid project, or contributing to its design and implementation  Nontechnical professionals who wish to get an introduction to SCADA and smart grid  technologies  Operators and technicians working with SCADA, communications or smart grid  systems  Project Managers  Engineers and sales personnel working for suppliers and integrators of hardware and software products used in SCADA, communications or smart grid  and related fields  Prerequisite skills, knowledge, certifications  No prior knowledge of SCADA or certifications required 

To register for this course, click here! Effective project management for electric, water, and gas utilities relies on superior implementation approaches, techniques, and skills. Implementation success for utility projects is not a given in our industry in general where as many as 80% of projects fail to meet their technical, cost, or schedule objectives. For projects which have achieved success, strong project management has proven to be the essential ingredient. The documented benefits of good project management are myriad, but the effects are easy to see: projects which deliver to their goals despite the inevitable hurdles present in any large-scale endeavor.  Describe the specific knowledge, skills and/or capabilities that attendees should acquire through this course.    This course distills lessons learned and best practices from successful projects into an understandable guide and roadmap for those either about to embark, or currently managing a project. Students will be taken through the planning process, from the very first planning steps through the project closeout and operational transition, and how to position the organization for even greater benefit in the future. Specific guidelines, approaches, and techniques to avoid issues and maximize benefits, with examples and case studies tools will be taught. By the end of the course, the student will have gained the knowledge and key lessons learned to manage successfully based on multiple utility implementations.  Who should attend this course? All utility personnel involved in utility projects, from executive sponsors and project management to utility operational personnel, will benefit from the complete understanding of project resource needs, business impacts, customer benefits/impacts, and technology.  Prerequisite skills, knowledge, certifications  A college education and familiarity with utility operations is helpful.

To register for this course, click here! The purpose of this course is to educate students on:  The role of Outage Management Systems (OMS) at utilities  The core OMS modules and functions   The role of GIS models in OMS  How Emergency Management practices are being embraced and used by utilities  How customer communications are evolving related to outages Describe the specific knowledge, skills and/or capabilities that attendees should acquire through this course.    Learn about:  Outage Management System Modules and Capabilities  Outage communications   ADMS and OMS operations business processes and trends  Maintaining OMS models  Seattle City Light’s OMS (a case study) Use of OMS at CenterPoint Energy and one other utility in both blue sky days and during storms  Overview of the future directions of OMS   Who should attend this course?    New OMS (and ADMS) end-users  OMS administrators  Control Center Managers  Customer Service managers  People involved in the procurement of a new or replacement OMS or ADMS.  Prerequisite skills, knowledge, certifications  A limited and/or minimal understanding of electric utility practices  No IT, OMS or emergency management experience needed 

To register for this course, click here! The hype around storage is only matched by the need for storage as the grid transforms.  This course will provide the following information: Fact based comparison between the different types of storage available An understanding of the characteristics of storage  11 different types of standard batteries,   7 different kinds of flow batteries, and   24 different types of non-battery storage (e.g., hydrogen, ammonia, small pumped hydro, etc.).   Safety, capital cost, O&M cost, facility life, storage life, ramp rates, charge time, round trip efficiency, etc.  Discussion of uses cases, duration and value   Regulations and compliance standards for storage including an introduction to NFPA855 An understanding of which questions to ask storage vendors. Who should attend this course?   Energy industry professionals who want have basic knowledge about energy storage in order to help identify which type of storage will meet their needs.   This course is designed to be jargon-free and provide a basic understanding of storage in layman’s terms. It is useful for all levels from final decision makers to line engineers.  

To register for this course, click here! Course purpose This course will provide information electric utilities need to plan, integrate, and commission an advanced distribution management system (ADMS) that includes functions for electrical optimization, outage management, DER Management, and other advanced applications. Describe the specific knowledge, skills and/or capabilities that attendees should acquire through this course.  System integration guidelines and challenges Current vendor offerings Implementation strategy Lessons learned by at least two leading utilities who have recent ADMS implementation experience Who should attend this course Electric utility operators, engineers and managers involved in the operation, design and optimization of electric distribution systems Representatives of electric distribution companies that are implementing or planning to implement ADMS functionality Information technology and business process personnel responsible for system integration and transitioning to modern distribution control centers Financial personnel interested in the business case for deploying ADMS Prerequisite skills, knowledge, certifications Knowledge of electric distribution operations Business processes for managing customer outages General knowledge of communication media for remote monitoring and control of electric power apparatus

To register for this course, click here! As cybersecurity requirements continue to grow, utility industry vendors and suppliers are constantly challenged to keep up with the latest requirements in a cost-effective way. The purpose of this course is to familiarize attendees with the latest cybersecurity requirements, proven methods to achieve compliance, and how cost savings and enhanced business operations can be realized through the latest designs of cybersecurity infrastructures and modern communication networks. Attendees will acquire An overview of IEC 61850 and its role in efficient information-based operations in utilities going forward. Who should attend: Cyber security personnel, compliance managers, protection and control engineers/ managers; asset managers, system planners, maintenance personnel, utility IT personnel, operations personnel   Prerequisite skills and knowledge: Utility operation and communication fundamentals.

To register for this course, click here! This course provides an in-depth look at the systems that utilize supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) information, functionality, and secure networks for advanced applications. Key topics to be covered include:  Distribution Automation (DA) and Advanced Distribution Management Systems (ADMS)  Integration with other systems such as distributed energy resources (specifically solar PV and energy storage systems), new power electronics devices, and microgrids  The impacts of IT/OT convergence and data from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and robots  SCADA system design and best practices  Cybersecurity considerations and perspectives   Describe the specific knowledge, skills and/or capabilities that attendees should acquire through this course.    Those wishing to build on an existing background in SCADA should expect to learn how other applications utilize the data, implementation challenges, and the latest tools for securing the system against cyber threats. As with the "fundamentals” course, attendees will be encouraged to bring questions and experiences to share. The presenters will address these and facilitate discussion on how the time-tested methods of utility data acquisition and control can be married with new, more complex applications.  Who should attend this course?    Engineers and managers responsible for planning and cost justifying SCADA, communications, and smart grid Engineers responsible for designing and implementing a SCADA, communications, or smart grid project, or contributing to its design and implementation  Nontechnical professionals who wish to get an introduction to SCADA and smart grid technologies  Operators and technicians working with SCADA, communications, or smart grid systems  Project Managers  Engineers and sales personnel working for suppliers and integrators of hardware and software products used in SCADA, communications or smart grid and related fields  Prerequisite skills, knowledge, certifications  No prior knowledge of SCADA or certifications required 

To register for this course, click here! The purpose of this course is to educate students on:  Outage Optimization and Digital Strategies for OMS  Advanced ADMS/OMS Data Exchanges   Visibility of Network Models Outside of the Control Center  Advanced Outage Analytics  OMS Product Roadmaps  Using Fault Data and AMI Data to Improve Outage Predictions  Describe the specific knowledge, skills and/or capabilities that attendees should acquire through this course.    Learn about:  Digital Communications Strategies   Outage Data Exchanges, Standards and Protocols   Network Model Visibility  Maintaining OMS models  Advanced Outage Analytics  Future Directions of OMS Products  Fault Data and AMI Data Integration  Emergency Preparedness and Emergency Management   Who should attend this course?    Experienced OMS (and ADMS) end-users  OMS administrators  Control Center Managers  Customer Service managers  People involved in the procurement of a new or replacement OMS or ADMS  Emergency Preparedness Managers  Prerequisite skills, knowledge, certifications  Some exposure to electric utility practices  Basic experience withs OMS or emergency management practices and/or Outage Management Fundamentals 

To register for this course, click here! As the power system is moving toward an inverter-dominated system, this course is intended to inform the audience on the need for grid-forming inverters, including the definition, use cases, and performance requirements of these inverters.  Describe the specific knowledge, skills and/or capabilities that attendees should acquire through this course.   Attendees of the course will acquire knowledge on:   System needs from inverter-based resources in an inverter-dominated system  The definition of a grid-forming inverter and how it differs from a grid-following inverter  Grid-forming control methods and their high-level operation principles  Use cases for grid-forming inverters in the distribution and transmission grid  Performance requirements of grid-forming inverters in utility-scale microgrids    Who should attend this course?    Engineers and consultants working in the areas of  Transmission planning and operations  Distribution planning and operations  Microgrid design and operation  Owners of inverter-based generation resources  Inverter vendors    Prerequisite skills, knowledge, certifications  Basic understanding of power system operation and grid support from inverter-based resources 

To register for this course, click here! This course is focused on Data Operations in the real-time world of AMI and IoT.  This course answers these questions: What are the critical activities for monitoring and managing the real-time and near real-time data from smart meters and the plethora of IoT (Internet of Things) sensors being added to utility communications? How can you simplify the millions of data elements which flow into the utility data operations by automating the monitoring and management, filtering the noise and getting information to the systems and personnel who can utilize the information? How do you increase the utilization of the valuable data from millions of metering and sensing endpoints? What are the right systems and personnel to monitor, manage and analyze this overwhelming amount of data? AMI and IoT are moving to edge computing, how do you move data operations from a static to a dynamic view to take advantage of this? Who should attend this course and what knowledge is required? Project managers, IT managers, Operations and Analytics personnel.  Basically, any utility personnel who expect to be involved in the utilization or operation AMI and IoT with millions of real-time endpoints.  Anyone considering the implementation of AMI, MDM, MAMS and/or Enterprise Analytics and would like to understand how the solution will be operated and why consideration of operation is important at the start, rather than the end, of the project. Attendees must understand the metering and sensing requirements and data required by utility operations.

To register for this course, click here! To discuss the rapidly changing demographics of the current and incoming workforce, and how this relates directly to achieving goals of gender and LGBTQIA+ based diversity and inclusion (D&I). To explain the basic principles of showing respect, equity, fairness, and inclusion towards employees, vendors, clients, and all persons worldwide - regardless of the basis of sex, sexual orientation, gender, and gender identity. To demonstrate via an example how building this positive goals-oriented respectful culture will empower all your employees to be their very best. Throughout the session, attendees participate in role-playing using real-life examples to help us recognize our own unconscious bias and how it impacts the organization. These examples will help us consider “How that situation made us feel?,” what you thought about while the situation was happening,” and what did you learn about yourself and others?” We will talk about microaggression and macroaggression and their impact on the work environment. You will gain best practices to remove misconceptions and stereotypes and engage in dialogue that will be the catalyst for change. The presenter will provide practical tips that help you manage situations positively and productively. Describe the specific knowledge, skills, and /or capabilities that attendees should acquire through this course. Learning specific action plans for engaging management and employees as a team to create an inclusive workspace, as well as communicating your commitment to such both internally and externally. Successful strategies for crafting or changing Human Resources guidelines, updating management and employee training materials, and having meaningful enforcement of these policies – including ensuring that employee benefits programs are inclusive and fair. How to encourage D&I in employee recruitment, hiring, advancement, and retention. The role of Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) and community participation, and how to develop workable and sustainable programs. Addressing sub-contractor, supplier, and vendor diversity concerns. Developing and tracking internal and external compliance metrics for success. Being aware of continuing “change as usual.” Who should attend this course? Supervisors and managers at all levels, customer-facing professionals, human resources and talent development personnel, corporate training, and education staff, etc. especially those who work with others from various countries and cultures from around the world? This topic is highly applicable to the STEM fields where a significant gender-based division exists that has been traditionally weighted heavily towards one side. Prerequisite skills and knowledge: Nothing specifically required.

To register for this course, click here! This course provides a fresh unbiased perspective on communications technologies for critical applications for both existing automation programs and for future programs as defined in your Grid Modernization Master Plan.  Most utilities already have some form of backhaul communications for SCADA, AMI, and DA.  However, the emerging grid modernization programs are being expanded by adding new applications and greatly expanding existing programs. Communicating with customer-owned DER endpoints has become a growing challenge, the communication requirements for DA and AMI backhaul are also expanding and substations are becoming communication node locations.     The latest communications breakthroughs listed below will be reviewed with case studies used to enhance the learning outcomes.  Comparisons will be made regarding: latency, reliability, spectrum required, communication protocols, ease or challenge of obtaining end-point coverage, throughput potential, power requirements, typical pricing and several other characteristics.  The architecture, vendor solutions, costs and cost justification process and value proposition will be covered while addressing the following:  Private LTE Overview Including a Private LTE Case Study  Private LTE as your Long-Term AMI Metering Solution:    802.16s WiMAX Overview:    Licensed Broadband Spectrum Sources: 900 MHz, 700 MHz, 600 MHz, 220 MHz  Review the Narrowband Communication Alternatives:   AMI as a Backhaul for the Field Area Network Programs:    Communications Beyond the Meter  Fiber Optics as part of the WAN:  Commercial cellular Specific knowledge, skills and/or capabilities that attendees will acquire: Learn about private LTE and 802.16s and the use of licensed spectrum for your Field Area Network applications.   Discover new opportunities to commercialize communication assets.  Learn about new applications that are now requiring communications – C&I DER, home automation Behind-the-meter (BTM), private drone communications, expanded DA program, others.   The ability to separate technology hype with great future promise versus technologies that are ready for a 2022 deployment. Who should attend this course?    This course is targeted for a variety of skill sets and experience levels including the following:   Senior Executives who are tasked with approving recommendations that involve millions of dollars of smart utility infrastructure can benefit by learning about the trade-offs of different communication technologies and key questions they should be asking their staffs.  Utility strategy personnel looking for new opportunities to expand a utilities revenue (either regulated or deregulated).  For experienced engineers that oversee SCADA, ADMS, DA, AMI and new DER programs that are now tasked with replacing their legacy communications infrastructure with the next generation communications.  For IT staff that that may have focused more on internal applications that are now assigned to project teams that involve the WAN and FAN for the future selection or deployment of next generation communications infrastructure.  For project managers that may not be experts with communication technologies but will be involved with procuring, deploying or managing communication infrastructure projects.  For attendees that only have time for a four-hour class and want to receive a fresh update on the state of industry for Field Communications for mission critical programs like SCADA, DA, AMI and DER backhaul. 

With the backdrop of 14 years as governor of the nation’s second-largest state and a lifetime of public service, former Texas Governor Rick Perry shares with audiences his thoughts on current events and conveys what he’s learned from his extensive executive and legislative experiences with examples he faced as governor of the Lone Star State.

The keynote session sets the stage and kicks off three exciting days of education and networking at POWERGEN International®. Day one will open with a keynote address by Jim Greer, EVP, and COO of Oncor; Tom Deitrich, President and Chief Executive Officer to Itron; Braden Cammauf, Head of FPT Industrial Brand Nafta; Jennifer M. Granholm, Secretary, U.S. Department of Energy, and Rick Perry, Former U.S. Secretary of Energy and Governor of Texas. 

According to Accuweather, the damage costs from the winter storm in mid-February could be as high as $130 billion in Texas alone. In addition to the extreme cold conditions, loss of power was a contributor to the massive damages Texans suffered. The purpose of this white paper is to serve as an initial overview and assessment of electrical system reliability failures experienced during the extreme weather event that occurred within the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) Interconnection service territory from February 14, 2021 until February 18, 2021. The Southwest, Midwest, and Northeast experienced an extreme winter weather event in February 2021. The ERCOT service area underwent extreme winter weather from February 14 through February 18, 2021, with record low temperatures for much of the state of Texas. Those extremes created significant operational (equipment), electrical system (grid), fuel constraints and curtailments as with liquid natural gas (LNG) pipelines, and market (pricing) disruptions. A total of 356 generating units or approximately 50% of the total generating assets were forced offline during the event within the ERCOT service area. Frequency was ultimately impacted and registered below the 59.4 Hz limit for more than four minutes. Load shedding began on February 15 and reached a peak of approximately 20,000 MW. Load shedding was required for more than 70 hours before full system load could be restored. There were likely several triggers for the number of forced outages related to the extreme weather but generally, they appear to fall into two primary categories. These categories are 1) the inability of a unit to either start or maintain operational status related to weatherization, including both fuel-based facilities as well as renewables—primarily wind—and 2) reduction or loss of priority reassignment of natural gas for gas-fired facilities. It should be noted that there has been significant attention focused on wind assets, but the facts indicate that all resources were substantially impacted with no one category necessarily more affected than others. There are more likely other events related to icing of transmission and/or distribution systems that may have contributed to loss of service/contingent business interruptions of power, but these are beyond the scope of this paper.

Sponsord by Cutsforth: Cutsforth will present a case study where EMI Monitoring and the associated signature assessment identified anomalies in a Transformer and Isophase Bus, which led to the replacement of a number of cracked insulators during a planned outage. During the presentation, Cutsforth will describe the conditions that led to the discovery, the type of signals related to the failure mode, and the importance of comparative data when diagnosing a transient event and key conclusions.

The future of energy in Texas and the US is one of carbon-free promise, but numerous challenges face us in designing and operating an electrical system to meet the growing demand for power while ensuring resiliency, reliability, and security. How do we manage these challenges within a changing regulatory regime and with an evolving threat environment? Deepa Poduval, Vice President & Global Advisory Leader at Black & Veatch kicks off the Leadership Summit with a short introduction. Following his remarks will be a conversation with former US Secretary of Energy and former Governor of Texas, Rick Perry, Massoud Amin, professor of Electrical Engineering at the University of Minnesota, and Julia Matevosyan, Chief Engineer at ESIG Energy. This give-and-take discussion will offer a candid assessment of the policy, technology, and cybersecurity issues that are crucial to the bulk power system’s future.

Renewable generation proliferation in the energy market is driving the need for flexibility in gas fired power plants to enable a wider and emissions compliant operability range. The ability for a gas fired plant to peak fire while maintaining emissions compliance, full life interval capability, improved simple and combined cycle heat rate and the ability to achieve extended turndown, positions a gas fired asset to benefit from an improved capacity factor, and overall economic viability in an increasingly renewables’ dependent energy market. A novel and innovative combustion system retrofit platform, called the “FlameSheet™ Combustor, has been combined with advanced turbine and compressor upgrade packages commercially operating in F-class combustion turbines. Currently, FlameSheet™ is operating on two F-class platforms, Siemens 501FD2 and GE Frame 7FA.03, due its multi-platform flexibility. Coupling FlameSheet™ with advanced turbine and compressor upgrade packages have allowed operators to meet higher peak firing and lower minimum load while maintaining low emissions, widening the total operating window. The results of these upgrades will be presented with emphasis on plant performance data on turndown and peak firing capabilities including repairability of components showcasing the added benefit of extended maintenance interval capabilities. The output and heat rate improvement achieved with this upgrade scope that has enabled improved capacity is also highlighted. As shale gas continues to grow as a dominant source of the U.S natural gas supply, the need for fuel flexible combustion systems enabling tolerance to higher ethane/ethylene concentrations associated with shale gas is required for improved operability. The adverse impact and means to mitigate such higher ethane/ethylene content with standard OEM F-Class heavy-duty combustion systems is also presented as part of the capabilities of FlameSheet™ combustion retrofits.

Not all that long ago most plants were coal-fired and base-loaded. They also had a plethora of instrumentation and technicians to assure that the steam cycle was under control and protecting the metallic assets of the plant. Now, all bets are off even if that coal facility is still in operation. Moving to a combined cycle or heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) does not necessarily mean the job is any easier. Trends in monitoring the water cycle chemistry in a power generation facility have evolved as well, but not all for the better. This review will take a look at several areas within the steam cycle to examine what can be done to enhance monitoring for optimal asset protection. Often decisions on which parameters to monitor are influenced by budget and not by the information being provided. On the other hand, sophisticated analysis of a single parameter does not always offer overall protection. A proper understanding of the information gleaned from any measurement is key in making informed decisions regarding water chemistry. Several key parameters will be considered which impact the quality of steam being produced. Conductivity is a widely monitored parameter which provides important information on water quality for the steam cycle. Yet this data is often mis-used to the detriment of the turbine and piping it is supposed to be protecting. The differences and limitations of specific, cation and degassed cation conductivity need to be understood. Proper control of pH is one of the most critical parameters in controlling corrosion in the steam cycle. Yet this is hard to do if the proper sensors are not being used. In some cases, calculated pH can be utilized as an alternate method with certain advantages. Corrosion product transport is a generic term which encompasses a number of different monitoring techniques to verify effectiveness of the chemistry program and to support the other measurements discussed above. These include iron monitoring and the use of film forming products and amines. There is much confusion around this topic regarding what works and what doesn’t. A synopsis will be offered. Finally, presence of cationic and anionic species, including sodium, silica, chlorides, and sulfates will be considered. The current trends, benefits, and drawbacks of these important parameters, along with those previously addressed, will be discussed in light of the frequent cycling encountered at coal and gas-fired units.

Presentation will cover the actions and decisions required by both the host Utility and the Engineering Design Company to successfully decommission Coal Plants and provide continuing operation of assets remaining on site after the coal units are out of service. I will cover the selection of the Engineering company to conduct the Phase 1 Study to develop alternatives for evaluation, the Phase 2 Detailed Design of the redesign, rerouting, and repowering of remaining assets, and the proper preparation for the Phase 3 construction. I will cover the selection of assets remaining on site and how to address mid-project scope changes to that. I will cover the development of an effective joint project team between the utility and the Engineering company and the communication and coordination of work activities. I will address how to work around the documentation gaps in Utility drawings and documentation. I will cover the leadership and management of the multi-discipline Engineering and design effort. Safety and environmental concerns in such projects will be addressed, as well as the impacts of technology, economics, and politics on the project. I will discuss the necessity of early construction contractor and vendor involvement in the design process. I will also discuss lessons learned from our previous projects.

Heads of companies and thought leaders discuss specific challenges they have to meet their decarbonization goals or those set by government agencies, and how R&D can help individual companies and industries. The panel would focus on specific challenges and opportunities industries are facing, on electrification and its limits, and on specific measures/technologies needed.

Take 5 for a drink and a quick chat at our cantina receptions located throughout the exhibit hall.

Networking Bar Locations:

Company	Booth Name
Black & Veatch	4811
PTMW	3745
Power Plant Services	6146
Qualus Power Services	3827
Maddox	4245
Blue Wolf Performance Solutions	4516

Sponsored by Symphony Industrial AI: Asset reliability and process professionals face an enormous challenge to tame the tsunami of data and turn it into useful information. Sensor data is growing 50 times faster than business data with only 2% of it being used!  By 2025 the number of devices will double to 21 billion.  AI alone is not sufficient to determine cause and actions without raising false positives. A must going forward is the ability to create models that harness AI’s processing power and the expert’s understanding of operating nuances. The methodology involves building fit-for purpose anomaly and performance digital twins that work in tandem with process knowledge, failure library (FMEA) engines and advisory rule engines. The digital twin detects faults, finds efficient zones, and allows “what-if” scenarios to create the best possible outcomes and capture operating dynamics in real-time. Armed with this data, the twin “self-learns” to adaptively adjust parameters that drive higher energy efficiency and lower emissions. In this presentation, we will explore optimizers, that working with plant controls, can improve the heat rate of coal-fired boilers, lower emissions, and reduce boiler tube failures and condenser leakages. Imbalance in electrical systems can be spotted early and faulty areas isolated to ensure overall network performance with high uptime and power factors.

The always complicated process forced upon developers and builders of new projects for the energy sector gets more challenging and problematic every year. Financial constraints, technology, and connectivity needs, regulatory hurdles, political pressures, and, last but not least, environmental goals and challenges are not always in alignment, so utilities and their partners have hard rows to hoe in bringing those together. A significant part of our build strategy is now planning for weather-related challenges with hurricanes, wildfires, and other natural disasters.  How do we prepare ourselves to keep the grid and infrastructure online or restore as quickly as possible when disaster strikes?  This session will look at how both utilities, developers, and partners navigate the building and install the intelligent equipment needed for Destination 2050. 

Description Coming Soon!

The Initiate Hub (booth #3755) will host an invite-only mixer on Monday, May 23rd, from 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm. This exclusive mixer will bring together startup companies and utility innovation managers for an informal hour of networking and connecting.

Join your colleagues for a drink on the exhibit floor! Thanks to our sponsors there will be bars available throughout the exhibit hall located at each sponsor's booth.

Networking Bar Locations:

Company	Booth Number
UBC Millwrights	5117
WEG Electric Motors	5025
S T Cotter Turbine Services Inc.	4139
Industronic Inc	4333
Tuff Tube Transition	4765

To register for the roundtables, click here!

These roundtable discussions provide excellent opportunities to network with peers while engaging with industry experts. Roundtables focused on specific industry topics are moderated by leading professionals in each field. The roundtables sell out quickly—don’t delay reserving your seat!

This session will explore the different financing mechanisms and capital structures that will be critical to enabling a more sustainable energy future and what actors will be key to making this a success. Alternative financing for medium sized players: Reconciliation, direct-pay tax credits What's next for Project Finance? CPPAs, VPPAs, and what about other options?

The future of energy in Texas and the US is one of carbon-free promise, but numerous challenges face us in designing and operating an electricity system that does not emit greenhouse gasses. What is the best way to meet growing consumer demand for power while ensuring resiliency and reliability? How can we address potential disruptions to natural gas supply, given limited storage and transportation capacity? And how do we manage these challenges within a changing regulatory environment? Mario Azar, President of Power Business at Black & Veatch will kick off the Leadership Summit with a short introduction. Join us for a conversation with former US Secretary of Energy and former Governor of Texas, Rick Perry, and Brad Jones, Acting CEO of ERCOT. They have tackled energy challenges throughout the country and will weigh in on the unique issues that lie ahead as we march toward the Net-Zero Future.

Dominion Energy Innovation Center's DEIC Accelerate program introduced 15 startups to dozens of business units across Dominion Energy in its first two years. In this session, Adam Sledd of DEIC and Michael Beiro of Linebird will discuss how the program creates value for both the utility and the startups.  They will cover how a startup can maximize its opportunity to quickly build customer relationships, and how the utility benefits from creating a formal framework to engage startup companies.

To purchase a ticket, click here!

Workplace diversity is becoming a more common conversation in the business world and placing a focus on diversity and inclusion should extend farther than the hiring department. Diversity is a range of human differences, including but not limited to race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, social class, physical ability or attributes, religious or ethical values, national origin, veteran status, and political beliefs. Join us for a networking lunch to hear industry leaders speak on the topic of diversity in the workplace and share the best practices they have experienced in this space.

Managing generation assets in today’s volatile electricity markets and regulatory environment is a challenge to all power plant owners. Decisions must frequently be made on capital expenditures and maintenance budgets that are prudent given projected market opportunities. Such decisions need to balance plant costs against projected revenues and profits, which are directly related to plant availability. Optimizing plant capital and maintenance expenditures requires knowledge about current and future market conditions and opportunities. It also requires knowledge about each critical component of a generation unit. The capacity-weighted average age of the U.S. generation fleet is approaching 30 years. The combined cycle (CC) fleet is younger but has many units approaching 20 years of operating life. While this fleet is aging, our analysis shows that significant number of the assets have transitioned from heavy cycling in the early 2000s to baseload operation as the coal fleet has retired. Depending on the original design and construction, the suitability of the installed equipment’s actual operating regime, owners and operators have been concerned about the remaining life of their asset. 25 to 30 years used to be a typical expected operating life for a CC power plant, but it is unlikely that a large portion of the generating fleet will be retired in the next 5-10 years. Owners are planning on operating CC assets even as they approach 40 years life. So, what does this mean for owners? Will maintenance cost increase with equipment age, and/or reliability impacted with equipment failure? Our analysis shows that historical maintenance activities, plant design and operating practices is a good indicator of future reliability and cost. While gas turbine maintenance is scheduled per original equipment manufacturer recommended plans, the balance of plant and steam turbine require a separate assessment for asset management. Several gas turbines will approach 120-140,000 operating hours, requiring significant investment from operators, and a careful engineering analysis of high-risk equipment, can assist in minimizing costly replacement of other equipment onsite. The purpose of this presentation is to highlight the CC fleet’s remaining useful life and probability of failure as well as the expected cost to extend the fleet’s useful life.

Whether we have more jobs or less is a debate only time will settle, but there is no doubt 100% of jobs will be reskilled. How we work and Why is being recalibrated, and society overall will take a radical shift as we head into what has been described as the Fourth Industrial Revolution. How can we build the new capacities necessary? How will new tools shape new behaviors and drive new expectations? Which old practices to manage risk are actually now putting us at risk? And how will we measure we are doing it right?

Dominion Energy Innovation Center's DEIC Accelerate program introduced 15 startups to dozens of business units across Dominion Energy in its first two years. In this session, Adam Sledd of DEIC and Michael Beiro of Linebird will discuss how the program creates value for both the utility and the startups.  They will cover how a startup can maximize its opportunity to quickly build customer relationships, and how the utility benefits from creating a formal framework to engage startup companies.

Sponsored by SPI Utilities Solutions: Failures often stem from lapsed and deferred maintenance and cleaning routines and can lead to financial losses that rapidly add up. This is the story of how both innovative technology and insightful thinking were used to determine fault locations that led to unplanned outages and establish maintenance programs that allow power plant maintenance teams to affect repairs and safeguard against future failures. 

Take 5 for a drink and a quick chat at our cantina receptions located throughout the exhibit hall.

Networking Bar Locations:

Company	Booth Name
Black & Veatch	4811
Flanders Electric	6045
PTMW	3745
Qualus Power Services	3827

Advanced nuclear energy technology is moving past R&D through certification and licensing to buildout. Experts from companies at the forefront of their movement will discuss the journey to this point and the best paths forward to keep nuclear relevant in the power generation mix.

Dominion Energy Innovation Center's DEIC Accelerate program introduced 15 startups to dozens of business units across Dominion Energy in its first two years. In this session, Adam Sledd of DEIC and Michael Beiro of Linebird will discuss how the program creates value for both the utility and the startups.  They will cover how a startup can maximize its opportunity to quickly build customer relationships, and how the utility benefits from creating a formal framework to engage startup companies.

As your NPDES permit renewal nears, have you considered what the potential impacts are with changing regulations? New requirements on PFAS, PFOS, nutrients and other constituents may impact your NPDES discharge monitoring requirements? You may also see changes in operational parameters such as flow rates or temperature. Additionally, facilities today are under increasing pressure to operate more sustainably, to reduce their water footprint, to use less fresh water or to minimize or eliminate wastewater discharges. New regulatory requirements may require additional investment in systems or technology to maintain compliance. The readiness review will increase overall understanding of current facility status, current and changing regulatory requirements, and identify the potential operational and financial impacts of those requirements. Understanding your facilities overall water picture is the first step in being ready for your renewal. Thus providing a solid foundation for evaluating and identifying discharge streams at risk for additional requirements; highlighting opportunities to address constituents at the source rather than at the discharge point; and identifying opportunities to conserve, reduce, reuse, and recycle water. This presentation will review recent and potential upcoming regulatory requirements associated with new or additional constituents that may affect your facility and discuss the stages associated with an NPDES readiness review. The presentation will use case studies from operating plants to review the areas in a facilities’ operations where constituents are generated and identify opportunities to address these constituents at the point of generation. The case studies will be used to illustrate the readiness review process which entails reviewing the plant’s full water/wastewater picture to identify the location, type, and quality of water and waste streams, and then summarizing the available and best options for managing the plant’s water use and for maintaining compliance with existing and new regulatory requirements.

Long Term Service Agreements for gas turbines stand as one of the most critical and complex documents underlying any gas-fired power project. Three trends have emerged that will shape any new or re-negotiated LTSA: (1) contracts have continued to evolve with suppliers taking more risk and extending coverages (2) competition among LTSA providers is increasing with OEMs moving beyond their own equipment to service other manufacturers and (3) renewable energy is poised to reverse the trend of principally base load gas turbine operation. What does this mean for an owner? First, any new contract or renewal should be benchmarked and bid to multiple providers and second, the contracts should allow for changes in operation. With many original 501 and F-Class LTSAs reaching expiration or renewal points, there is a strong "Buyer's market" for turbine owners. Turbine owners now have many options and unprecedented bargaining power, but with those options, increased effort is required to build the bid package, assure an effective supplier to supplier comparison, and to extract the maximum supplier value from the marketplace. Even if the Owner remains under contract with its current LTSA provider, the competitive review undertaken as part of an RFP will enable the Owner to understand and address both current and developing market trends. As part of the RFP process, the Owner will want to put itself in a position to effectively evaluate a number of considerations, including: - How does an Owner elicit from the marketplace additional options and enhanced coverages that may now be available? - How does an Owner determine which type of program is best for its future needs? - How does one design an RFP program that adeptly communicates the desired coverage in a unified manner that will be equally understood across all potential vendors? - Does the RFP properly cost effectively address significant part load or cyclic operation resulting from increased renewable generation? Is this operation reflected in Owner cost projections? - Should the RFP include an LTSA Term Sheet or a full-blown LTSA contract, and why? What are the pros and cons of each approach? - If an LTSA Term Sheet is used as part of the RFP, what are the key provisions that should be covered? And what major issues must Owners anticipate will be the subject of intense negotiation?

Company	Booth Number
UBC Millwrights	5117
WEG Electric Motors	5025
S T Cotter Turbine Services Inc.	4139
Industronic Inc	4333
Tuff Tube Transition	4765

Join your colleagues for a drink on the exhibit floor! Thanks to our sponsors there will be bars available throughout the exhibit hall located at each sponsor's booth.

The fostering and nurturing of young talent is a central pillar of Initiate, whether an undergraduate or postgraduate student or a young professional at the beginning of their career.

Join us for the POWERGEN & DISTRIBUTECH Joint Networking Party, Power Play. Network with your industry peers at our sports-themed event.

Join us for the Initiate awards, where Clarion Events will announce 3 winners and Duke Energy will announce one 1-to 3 winners from the startup pitch competition.

In today’s fast changing regulatory and market environment power plant operators are looking at new innovative technology and performance upgrades to keep their gas turbine assets relevant and prepare for future market requirements. Fast pace of global Energy Transition triggers industry's service providers to deploy innovative technologies and methods to accelerate rate of new products and services introduction to the market. By deploying new technology such as additive manufacturing (AM), 3D printing tooling or fast milling cores and wax patterns, service providers have been able to opens doors to new design possibilities which are otherwise not possible with traditional manufacturing methods. The technologies have been put into practice as a lever to accelerate product development and production cycle time, costs of manufacturing, while improving design capabilities. These attributes can be used to optimize maintenance intervals, improve performance, and reduce overall life cycle management costs for customers. Early and pragmatic evaluation and adoption of these technologies by PSM to support our customers have provided promising results. PSM was the first in the industry to install Additive Manufacturing vane in commercially operating industrial gas turbine. Since 2014, PSM started using AM for F-class gas turbine combustor repairs. In 2016, use of rapid prototyping of wax pattern component reduced manufacturing development time by a factor of four allowing for timely new F-class product. This new paradigm - going from "design for manufacturing" to "manufacturing for design" is offering opportunities to find to new ways to offer innovative services solutions that provide superior performance benefits resulting in improvement and optimization of plant performance. PSM is able to deliver today gas turbine components that improve engine operation, performance and extend maintenance intervals. The presentation will offer an overview of the latest products developed with these new manufacturing technologies, highlight particular key development challenges, with respect to new designs and processes, and share commercial experience additive manufactured F-class flow path vanes, and review multiple performance benefit options applicable to multiple OEM frame engines.