#USA

USA, Washington: United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced nearly $2.3 billion in loans to build and improve rural electric infrastructure in 31 states.

United Kingdom, London: After the transformer oil refiner Hydrodec Group PLC announced commissioning of the rebuilt, improved and expanded oil refinery in Canton, Ohio, USA, in June this year, the company has reported a successful return to the US transformer oil market with sales of its oil to the US and Mexican markets.

USA, Pennsylvania: The Beaver Valley Nuclear Power Station in Shippingport, Pennsylvania received a massive backup transformer that will only be used as a spare in the event of a malfunction.

USA, Minnesota: Xcel Energy, a Minneapolis-based utility company, has embarked on a project to replace a turbine and step-up transformer at Prairie Island nuclear plant as part of the utility’s $68 million upgrades to extend the life of the 1970s-era power plant.

USA, New Jersey: Atlantic City Electric (ACE) is undertaking a $70 million equipment upgrade at the Peermont substation on Seven Mile Island, with construction and demolition taking place at the same time.

USA, Virginia: WYTHEVILLE: Swiss company Schaffner MTC Transformers is expanding its transformer manufacturing facility in Wytheville, Virginia, creating 79 new jobs.

USA, Kansas: Solomon Corporation, a Kansas-based rebuilder of transformers and oil-filled electrical equipment, is filling a rush order from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for 486 pole-mounted transformers to help 55,000 people in Saipan get their power back on.

USA, New Jersey: Jinpan International Limited, Chinese manufacturer and distributor of cast resin transformers, has announced that its Board of Directors has established a special Independent Committee to consider the preliminary, non-binding proposal letter received on September 15, 2015.

USA, Washington D.C.: The World Bank has approved a $400 million interest-free credit from the International Development Association (IDA) to provide financing and technical assistance for Myanmar’s National Electrification Plan (NEP).

USA, New Jersey: Jinpan International Limited, a Chinese manufacturer of cast resin transformers, has announced reception of a preliminary bid from its CEO Li Zhiyuan, and Forebright Smart Connection Technology Limited for the acquisition of the outstanding common shares of the company.

USA, Massachusetts: National Grid Saudi Arabia has contracted Doble Engineering Company, Watertown-based provider of diagnostic instruments and services, to provide support services for a new phase of its power grid reliability initiative, expanding transformer health initiatives into additional regions.

USA, Maryland: Last week three transformers caught fire in downtown Hagerstown, Maryland, causing widespread power outages in the city.

USA, Missouri: A $15 million expansion of the Bland substation north of Owensville, Missouri has been underway, with an aim to increase reliability of service to residents in Gasconade County and five surrounding counties served by Ameren Missouri.

USA, Washington D.C.: The United States and Benin officials have signed the five-year Millennium Challenge Corporation Compact, a $375 million deal to invest in the African country’s electric power sector.

USA, California: Fujitsu has acknowledged that a major power transformer failure took down its Sunnyvale data centre on 22 August, according to ZD Net.

USA, New York: The U.S. Department of Commerce has issued a preliminary determination that two Korean producers of large power transformers have been dumping their products in the U.S., according to a notice issued last week.

USA, New York: The 4th edition of the StatPlan Transformer Report is now available.

USA, Georgia: Georgia Transformer, the Rincon-based manufacturing plant formerly known as EFACEC, is planning to add 150 to 200 jobs over three years, starting in the second half of next year, according to the acting general manager, Prabhat Jain.

USA, Pennsylvania: Pittsburgh-based power management company Eaton will supply critical power distribution equipment and engineering services for the MGM National Harbor, a 93,000-square metre destination resort on the Potomac River in Prince George’s County, Maryland, the company announced in the press release.

USA, New Jersey: Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L) has completed a $10 million substation expansion project in West Amwell Township, which will benefit 75,000 customers in Hunterdon County and the Hopewell Township area of Mercer County, New Jersey.

USA, Virginia: Lynchburg-based transformer and mobile substation manufacturer Delta Star, Inc. has announced an agreement to purchase the Alstom transformer factory in Saint-Jean-Sur-Richelieu near Montreal in Quebec, Canada.

USA, Iowa: Alliant Energy crews are still cleaning up after a transformer exploded Thursday afternoon at a substation in North Liberty, Iowa, shutting off power to 4,200 customers in the North Liberty area for several hours.

USA, Washington, D.C.: Last week ABB testified before Congress at a House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee hearing and met with U.S. policymakers regarding minimizing U.S. grid vulnerabilities.

USA, Ohio: With the current move by U.S. utility companies to deliver higher and higher voltages from the grid, many schools, colleges and universities across the United States will have to replace their transformers, according to Cincinnati-based Electric Service Company (ELSCO), specializing in providing new, repaired and rebuilt transformers.