Issue: 83  /  September 2022

We hope you enjoy this issue of the PSC News and welcome any feedback you have.

Perspectives on the energy transition – Parts 3 and 4

Biases and misconceptions often surround the energy transition. In this series of articles, PSC CEO Alex Boyd takes a closer look at some of the conclusions reached and underrepresented facts pertaining to the energy transition to address the tension often accompanied by these conversations, making room for more balanced and constructive dialogue.

In the third article of our series, Alex contemplates the complexity and simplicity catalyzed by the energy transition and the resulting opportunities as we transform our industry away from fossil fuels toward renewables. In the fourth article, he underscores the urgency of transitioning our global energy industry for ourselves and future generations.

All queued up

Recently, the Berkeley Labs Electricity Markets and Policy department released aggregated data on interconnection queues from electric utilities across the United States. The results paint a stunning picture of today’s interconnection market, which is flooded by active solar and battery interconnection projects. PSC’s Ben Hutchins had some fun creating interactive diagrams using Microsoft’s PowerBI to dynamically illustrate this evolving market. 

An interconnected future 

PSC UK’s Dr. Luke Livermore shares his thoughts about an interconnected future, with careful planning and collaboration by all stakeholders.

Power system automation and analysis tools

Dr. Mahmoud Elkazaz, Dr. Carlos Ferrandon-Cervantes, Raj Hirani, Jonathan Cervantes and Andrew Eviston from PSC UK’s team have combined their efforts in this blog post focusing on power system automation and analysis tools.

PSC supports education

Offshore wind in North America: What’s new, what’s next?

PSC North America’s Mandhakini Motukuri offers insights into offshore wind’s progress as well as the challenges related to the US goal of deploying 30,000 megawatts of offshore wind energy by 2030.

PSC supports education

Tackling your OT procurement needs

Looking for a new OT system? PSC has the expertise and capabilities to make procurement easier.

 


 

Employee Spotlight: Ben Hutchins

PSC’s employee spotlight segment offers a look at what our hardworking people are all about when they’re not serving our clients and each other at work. This spotlight is on Ben Hutchins, a Senior Studies Consultant working remotely in the U.S.

 


 

 


 

CIGRE Paris Session 2022

After a four-year absence due to COVID-19, the CIGRE Paris Session returned as an in-person event from Sunday, 28 August, to Friday, 02 September 2022. PSC proudly participated on many fronts.

 


 

PSC sponsors WiE and YEP 

PSC’s Markets Systems and Energy Applications team based in Perth is passionately active in sponsoring various networking events, workshops and energy conferences. Read more on PSC’s involvement in developing and empowering future and existing leaders within the energy industry.

 


 

Cables Summer School 

The IEEE’s Dielectrics and Electrical Insulation Society (DEIS) organized their August 2022 Summer School on HVDC Transmission Cables and Accessories in Monmouth, Wales, UK. PSC’s Raj Hirani shares his experience participating in this unique educational networking opportunity.

 


 

Investing in our people

PSC is serious about professional development and PSC’s Digital Marketing Specialist Will Dean is serious about contributing! He recently participated in HubSpot’s annual INBOUND22 conference and came back all fired up!

 


 

EEA 2022 Conference

PSC was proud to be a major sponsor at this year’s EEA Conference, held in Hamilton, NZ on 19-21 September.

 


 

PSC is a proud sponsor of Electra CIGRE’s digital magazine

 

 


 

hydrogen symbol

— PSC Asia Pacific —

Simon Scott PSC welcomes Simon Scott to the APAC team. Simon has over 25 years of IT experience, 15 of those within the Energy sector and has a Bachelor of Computer Science. Simon is based in our Perth office in Australia. 

Jamie Nicholas PSC welcomes Jamie Nicholas to the APAC team as an Electrical Engineer. Jamie has experience in arc flash studies for wind farm substations and WTGs throughout Australia and Asia (using ETAP) and will be working across the Power Systems Studies Team and Power Network Solutions Team. Jamie is based in our Melbourne, Australia office.

Marti Aghaei PSC welcomes Marti Aghaei as a Senior Electrical Engineer. Marti has 16 years of experience across a range of industries and has developed key skills in PV design (PVSyst), HV/LV equipment, protection, design and the power systems analysis required to support such skills. Marti is based in our Brisbane, Australia office.

Kamis Holt PSC welcomes Kamis Holt to the Australian Operational Technology & Data Analytics team as Team Leader covering the NSW/VIC area. He has 14 years of experience managing diverse teams and project deliveries across utilities, transport, and local government sectors. Kamis is based in our Melbourne, Australia office.

Samuel Peach PSC welcomes Samuel Peach to the APAC Energy Applications team as a Graduate Market Systems Consultant. Samuel has recently graduated from Curtin University in Perth with a Business Information Technology and Information Systems double major. Samuel is based in our Perth, Australia office.

Joshua Buss PSC welcomes Joshua Buss to the APAC Operational Technologies team. Joshua is a Mechanical and Aerospace Engineer with a focus on systems engineering. He has experience across both defense and private sectors. He has degrees from both Australian and European Universities and is bilingual (German). Joshua is based in our Adelaide, Australia office.

Mario Bernal Jr. PSC welcomes Mario Bernal Jr. as a SCADA/EMS Engineer. Mario is an experienced SCADA/EMS Engineer, skilled in IT/OT networking and cybersecurity, SCADA/EMS Software, database and hardware maintenance, electricity market operation, and substation automation. Mario is based in our Brisbane, Australia office.

— PSC North America —

Dr. Anil Jampala PSC welcomes Dr. Anil Jampala to the North American team as Director, Operational Technologies. Dr. Jampala joins PSC with over 36 years of technical and management experience. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE), USA, and is a registered Professional Engineer in the state of Washington. He has participated as a member of the WECC Joint Synchronized Information Subcommittee, NASPI and the IEEE Cascading Failures Working Group for analysis of events that lead to widespread blackouts and developing new methodologies that mitigate and prevent them. Dr. Jampala resides in the Seattle, WA area and is based in our Kirkland office.

— PSC Europe —

Sean McConnon PSC welcomes our newest Graduate Power Systems Engineer Sean McConnon. Sean is part of PSC’s Europe/UK team based in our Newcastle upon Tyne office contributing to our efforts to help power a more sustainable world. 

Dereck Dombo PSC welcomes Dereck Dombo who has joined PSC as a Power Systems Consultant in the UK Network Planning and Analysis team. He joins us from SMEC in South Africa and previously worked at Mott MacDonald and MPAMOT, where he has been working on network modeling including grid connection of large Hydro and wind farms, Hybrid PV and BESS systems. Dereck is based in our office in Newcastle upon Tyne office in the UK. 

James Wilson PSC welcomes James Wilson who has joined as a Power Systems Consultant in the UK Network Planning and Analysis team.  He joins us from Zutari in South Africa, where he has been working on network modeling including Hybrid PV and BESS systems. James is based in Dublin, Ireland.