Minnesota Power Deploys Smart Wires to Optimize its Grid and Save Customers Money
(Thomson Reuters ONE) -
DULUTH, Minn. and SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 27, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Minnesota
Power and Smart Wires announced today their partnership to deploy an innovative
solution for optimizing the flow of power on the grid. Smart Wires is a leading
provider of power flow control technology for transmission systems.
This first deployment of Smart Wires at Minnesota Power is intended to be
completed by the end of 2016 and will utilize Smart Wires PowerLine Guardian®
technology. PowerLine Guardians are devices that are installed directly on
existing power lines and essentially act as valves for electricity. They can be
implemented to relieve heavily loaded power lines by pushing power onto other,
underutilized lines in the grid. The devices can be controlled remotely by the
grid operator or programmed to activate automatically, responding to real-time
line conditions.
"With Smart Wires we are able to optimize the use of our existing
infrastructure, enabling us to improve the overall utilization of our assets and
to save our customers money by deferring the need for costly transmission
upgrades. These innovative solutions fit seamlessly into our Energy Forward
strategy to create a smarter, stronger, cleaner energy future while efficiently
delivering the safe and reliable power our customers rely upon," said Al Hodnik,
Chairman, CEO and President of ALLETE.
The installation at Minnesota Power represents the first stage of what is
potentially a multi-stage deployment. The modular nature of Smart Wires is
uniquely advantageous, providing Minnesota Power valuable flexibility in a time
of increasing uncertainty around future network needs. As the grid evolves, the
Smart Wires solution can be easily scaled to accommodate changing conditions on
the network. The technology is also easily re-deployable and can be moved from
one location to another to address emerging issues elsewhere on the grid.
"The Minnesota Power deployment represents a great opportunity for our team at
Smart Wires to partner with an innovative leader in the utility industry," says
Jim Davis, CEO of Smart Wires. "As Minnesota Power continues to transition to a
clean and dynamic grid, our flexible and modular solutions are critical new
additions to their toolkit for solving challenges."
By deploying Smart Wires, Minnesota Power joins a group of leading utilities
leveraging these solutions to solve a host of unique challenges. Smart Wires'
unique modular approach to grid infrastructure has several advantages over
traditional power flow control solutions that typically require long-lead times,
are highly complex, demand significant capital investment, and ultimately
represent single points of failure. Additionally, Smart Wires solutions are
typically more cost effective than conventional system upgrades like
reconductoring or building new lines. Utility crews can typically complete
PowerLine Guardian installations in only a few days, dramatically reducing the
amount of construction activities that can disturb the environment and customer
communities.
"We believe this is a great first project for Minnesota Power," says Smart Wires
Chairman Tom Voss. "We are excited to work with this innovative industry leader
and look forward to continuing our collaboration by creatively delivering high-
value solutions as part of a cleaner, more modern and efficient grid for
Minnesota Power and its customers."
About Smart Wires
Smart Wires solutions are deployed at leading utilities such as PG&E, Southern
Company, TVA and EirGrid. Our modular approach to grid infrastructure is unique
and has several advantages over traditional power flow control solutions that
typically require long-lead times, are highly complex, demand significant
capital investment, and ultimately represent single points of failure. Smart
Wires solutions can be deployed incrementally and reconfigured as needs evolve,
thereby reducing investment risk, shortening lead times, and providing
flexibility in an era of increasing operational uncertainty. Smart Wires is
located in the San Francisco Bay Area with offices in the United States, the
United Kingdom, Australia and Ireland. More information can be found
at www.smartwires.com.
About Minnesota Power
Minnesota Power provides electric service within a 26,000-square-mile area in
northeastern Minnesota, supporting comfort, security and quality of life for
144,000 customers, 16 municipalities and some of the largest industrial
customers in the United States. More information can be found
at www.mnpower.com.
The statements contained in this release and statements that ALLETE may make
orally in connection with this release that are not historical facts, are
forward-looking statements. Actual results may differ materially from those
projected in the forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements
involve risks and uncertainties and investors are directed to the risks
discussed in documents filed by ALLETE with the Securities and Exchange
Commission.
Contact:
Amy Rutledge
Minnesota Power/ALLETE
Manager-Corporate Communications
218.723.7400
arutledge(at)mnpower.com
Contact:
Deanna Berardi
Smart Wires
Manager-Corporate Communications
775.200.7777
deanna.berardi(at)smartwires.com
This announcement is distributed by Nasdaq Corporate Solutions on behalf of Nasdaq Corporate Solutions clients.
The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein.
Source: Smart Wires via GlobeNewswire
Unternehmensinformation / Kurzprofil:
Datum: 27.09.2016 - 12:30 Uhr
Sprache: Deutsch
News-ID 497317
Anzahl Zeichen: 6265
contact information:
Town:
San Francisco, CA
Kategorie:
Business News
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