EoW March 2011

The controversy holds some interest for the wire and cable ❈ ❈ industry. Jeff Smith, a spokesman for PG&E, said the utility was studying a hard-wire option for its electric meters. A snail’s pace but an eagle eye: update on robotic power-line inspection Some time back, this column reported on a prototype of a robot that checks transmission lines for problems – a hazardous and time-consuming job for workers and an expensive one for utilities. Developed by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), of Palo Alto, California, a non-profit utility consortium, the robot hangs from power lines and crawls a few miles a day, looking for flaws. More precisely, according to Matthew L Wald of the New York Times , the robot rides on a transmission-line shield wire, which is a plain metal wire that hangs above the conductors to intercept lightning bolts. The fuller information provided by the Times ’s “Green” blogger suggests that Ti (for Transmission Inspection) may be on its way to shedding novelty status for a place in the energy industry’s kit of indispensable aids. (“Move Over, WALL-E: Puttering Along Power Lines,” 12 th January).

from cellphones, WiFi systems or smart meters. Noting that hypervigilance on health questions has long been typical of Bay Area residents, Ms Barringer wrote that the two most recent government reviews of available research found no link between health problems and common levels of electromagnetic radiation. “Both reports indicated that more research would be welcome,” she wrote. “On that basis, opponents say the meters should not be installed until they are proved safe.” As to privacy, Edison Electric Institute, the Washington-based ❈ ❈ association that represents some 70 per cent of the US electric power industry, has tried to allay concerns. David K Owens, the executive vice-president for business operations at EEI, said: “We’ve always gotten information about customers’ usage and always kept it confidential.” But those who believe their electricity consumption to be highly sensitive personal information are not easily reassured. A woman arrested for blocking the driveway of a dispatch centre for meter installation, near Santa Rosa, told Ms Barringer: “It’s not all about saving money. It’s about control.” A more emphatic chargewas levelled against smartmeters at a Januarymeeting of the North Bay Patriots, a local Tea Party affiliate. The devices are, according to one man present, “the sharp end of a very long spear pointed at your freedoms.”

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EuroWire – March 2011