Like many places around the world, California has big goals in terms of renewable energy. The US state has set a target of obtaining 33% of the its electricity from renewables by 2020.
While integrating large solar farms around the state and sourcing green energy from other states will help meet that goal, a major challenge is the huge investment needed in transmission infrastructure between now and 2020. A revamp of electricity transmission infrastructure is required regardless of California’s energy supply mix due to a rapidly increasing population and ageing existing …

After the highly successful edition of the event early this year, preparations are now underway for the next edition of Interiors and Buildex, which will be held on March 15-17, 2010 at the Oman International Exhibition Centre.
Organised by Omanexpo LLC, Interiors & Buildex 2010 will once again showcase the widest range of building materials, construction equipment, interior furnishings and many other products for all types of construction and interior design projects in the sultanate.
The three-day event set a number of records this year with the participation of more than 185 …

Siemon, a company that deals in the manufacture and innovation of high quality, high-performance network cabling solutions, reportedly released the new XLR8 mechanical splice connector and termination system for fiber optic cabling.
The company said that its new XLR8 mechanical splice termination kit incorporates an exclusive dual-process XLR8 activation tool, which dramatically reduces termination time per connector. This process is intended for use with 900μm tight buffered fiber cables.
Combined with pre-polished XLR8 mechanical splice connectors, the patent-pending XLR8 activation tool can be used to deploy unsurpassed termination speed and quality. Siemon …

Bountiful toddler Jake Marland was shocked and hospitalized in June when a branch from a neighbor’s tree crashed into a power line causing it to hit a swing set in a backyard where he was playing.
The next day, crews from Bountiful Light and Power removed the 50-foot elm tree.
“That [tree] was monstrous,” said Light and Power director Allen Johnson.
The elm that dropped its limb near Marland had been trimmed a number of times over the years, Johnson said. After the accident, power company employees asked the tree’s owner gave permission …

LAHORE: Attacks on electricity transmission lines are on the rise, as three pylons have been blown up in one day and the Pakistan Electric Power Company (PEPCO) has enhanced security to save transmission lines in turbulent areas.
According to a press statement on Saturday, saboteurs blew up two towers of a 500KV transmission line of the National Transmission and Dispatch Company (NTDC) and damaged two other pylons. The pylons were situated in village Abdullah Shoro in Loni Kot, Sindh. The Bomb Disposal Squad removed explosive devices from other pylons and defused …

Some commuters traveling between Lawrence and Johnson County actually are being encouraged to use their laptops and PDAs while they roll down Kansas Highway 10 at 65 mph.
A new Wi-Fi system on the K-10 Connector makes it all possible.
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The connector — a bus service operated by Johnson County Transit — is launching its free mobile Wi-Fi service Monday on three of its motorcoach buses.
The service is part of a two-month pilot project, designed to gauge its popularity and usefulness.
“Time is an important commodity in today’s fast-paced society,” said Alice Amrein, …

The current Toyota Tundra debuted as a 2007 model and was designed in Michigan and California and built in San Antonio, Tex. Although Toyota sold 196,555 Tundras in the United States in 2007, this still only made it a bit player in the North American pickup market. Last year, those sales took a serious slide, at least in part because of the Tundra’s only real engine choice– the thirsty 5.7-litre V8.
For 2010, Toyota has created two full-sized, work-ready pickups (a 4X2 and a 4X4) with the all-new 4.6L DOHC V8. …

CHARLESTON — The state Public Service Commission plans to rely on electronic correspondence to keep a record number of interveners up to speed on the latest filings in its hearings concerning the controversial Potomac-Appalachian Transmission Highline, or PATH.
Some 250 individuals and groups had filed as interveners as the PSC began the discovery process on the proposal. Typically, any persons or groups submitting written documents as evidence during discovery must provide enough copies for all the interveners, but PSC Chairman Michael Albert acknowledged that would be a major undertaking in the …

A new state report tries to tackle one of the touchiest issues in California’s effort to expand renewable power, suggesting possible routes for new transmission lines to carry electricity from wind farms and solar plants.
Power lines often generate intense opposition from environmentalists and landowners. But without new lines, the solar power plants and wind farms planned throughout California won’t be able to ship their electricity to the towns and cities that need it.
So several state agencies, electrical utilities, renewable power developers and environmental groups have joined together to figure out …

Saw Creek homeowners hired a graphic artist to illustrate the effects larger power lines will have on the scenery in their private Bushkill community. The result is a controversial before and after view.
PPL Electric Utilities is seeking permission to upgrade the current electric transmission lines as part of the Susquehanna-Roseland power line project.
“PPL has never provided any renderings to Saw Creek Estates Community Association that demonstrated a finished view of what the Susquehanna-Roseland line will look like when it is finished,” said Saw Creek homeowner Al Spinelli. “The closest they …