Neara

Wildfires are rapidly escalating into a national crisis due to rising temperatures and shifting climate patterns. Extreme weather and accelerated vegetation growth only compound the problem, as reported by Hayley Smith in Los Angeles Times. Climate change = hotter summers, longer storm seasons, higher risk of wildfires and severe storm destruction. We must address these evolving risks with advanced strategies and solutions that proactively manage and mitigate the impact on communities and ecosystems. This means investing in comprehensive wildfire management plans, improving our understanding of fire behavior, and implementing measures that enhance resilience across communities. #ClimateChange #Wildfires #ExtremeWeather https://lnkd.in/gnRD7zn4

Neara is attending CIGRE Paris next week. We look forward to connecting with our clients and industry experts to discuss all things grid. Reach out if you'd like to set up a meeting with Taco Engelaar and James Mullin 📅

🌩️ Which poles won’t make it through a category 2 storm?  🌩️ If rainfall peaks at >3 inches per hour, where do we need to de-energize? 🌩️ Which trees are likely to cause wire-downs if wind speeds exceed 60 mph? Hurricanes and storms bring significant risks. The number of weather-related outages from 2014 to 2023 doubled compared to outages at the start of the century (Mary Gilbert, CNN). But more challenging weather doesn’t need to weaken the response. Neara’s 3D digital network model simulates every storm scenario, allowing utilities to see exactly how storm conditions will affect their assets so they can shore up vulnerabilities before storms make landfall. Learn how to improve resilience and safety, reduce damages, and improve SAIDI/SAIFI - all with less time in the field at Neara.com. #StormManagement #HurricanePreparedness #GridResilience

Meet Robert C. Baxley, Senior Manager of Customer Success at Neara. With a range of sales experience under his belt, Robert has proved a valuable asset to Neara’s Customer Success team, improving client outcomes and fostering strong relationships with our partners. Previously, Robert was a Technical Sales Engineer at Bentley Systems, where he provided site design tools and conducted on-site demos to integrate Bentley’s solutions into clients’ workflows. At Neara, Robert helps lead the Customer Success team in delivering exceptional client experiences and enhancing the value of Neara’s solutions. He works closely with utilities and engineering companies to understand their specific needs and ensure they fully benefit from Neara’s technology. Fun fact: Robert is a Volunteer at the American Red Cross.

Last week, The Energy Department announced $2.2 billion in grants for eight critical power transmission projects across 18 states, as reported by Ben Geman at Axios. This funding will add roughly 13 gigawatts of capacity, serving as a major step toward enhancing grid resilience and addressing the challenges of aging infrastructure. At Neara, our advanced AI technology helps utilities stay ahead of load growth by making it much easier to activate new transmission in clearing typical hurdles faster, and ensuring utilities are equipped to make the most out of the infrastructure they already have. Learn more at Neara.com. #AgingInfrastructure #GridResilience #AITech

The AI & data center boom is a double-edged sword for utilities. As John Nieman writes in EEPower, AI usage is exploding across many sectors, which means that the data centers that support that usage are straining an already-stressed grid. However, at the same time, AI can help the grid better manage the stresses of satisfying load growth. The industry should embrace a selective approach to doubling down on the most impactful AI use cases to ensure that AI becomes a net positive impact contributor. #AI #EnergyEfficiency #GridResilience https://lnkd.in/gbwCKwxy

As wildfires grow in frequency and intensity, advanced technology for mitigation is crucial. Our own co-founder and Chief Product Officer, Karamvir Singh, discussed the impact of our predictive modeling technology on grid resilience and wildfire reduction with Herman Trabish on the USEA Power Sector Podcast this week, from the United States Energy Association . As Karamvir noted in his chat with Herman, our technology can model potential scenarios and understand the impact of them on the grid, enhancing utility infrastructure design and creating a safer, more reliable network to prevent and withstand extreme weather events like wildfires. Listen to the full episode here: https://lnkd.in/eVXJnv3m #WildfireMitigation #GridResilience #AITech

🔩 How much of a buffer do we need in >65 mph winds?  🔩 Where would line retensioning prevent clearance violations? 🔩 If an access road gets built, which equipment do we need to move? Network conditions can be unpredictable, but utilities' ability to comply with clearance standards doesn’t have to be. Maintaining situational awareness across network assets and what they’re in danger of touching at all times is the best way utilities can prepare. Neara simulates network stressors, from high winds to heat waves and hailstorms, with predictive modeling technology that empowers utilities to understand how their assets will respond to anything and prepare accordingly. Learn more about how Neara can help utilities prepare for future clearance hazards and never be caught off guard at Neara.com. #EquipmentInspections #NetworkReliability

In case you missed it, our own Jordan Miller, Dominion Energy’s Gus Johnson and Will F. and Woolpert’s Mike Battles offered a look at Dominion’s leading approach to cost-effective resilience at UIIC - Utility Imagery & Inspection Consortium’s Summer Symposium in Richmond earlier this month. Here’s one of our favorite takeaways from Gus on the importance of a centralized, high-quality data set that infuses every operation with more proactivity: “We envision a future where every asset—whether a transmission tower or a substation—is seen with unprecedented clarity. Our mission is to create a comprehensive imaging and inspection ecosystem that enables decision-makers, field crews, and engineers alike to access information for use cases such as inspections, vegetation management, environmental monitoring, emergency response, asset management, and much more.”

Rising air conditioning bills are a major concern for consumers as climate change and extreme weather episodes persist. Neara’s SVP Robert B. recently spoke with Fortune’s Sydney Lake on this topic and shared that the increased demand for electricity is putting pressure on energy bills as utilities work diligently to ensure they have the right infrastructure to support this heightened need: “Already aging infrastructure is increasingly buckling under sustained environmental pressure … Preventing outages requires more vigilance than ever,” which comes at a higher cost and shows up on consumer energy bills, as Fortune reported. Read the full story here: https://lnkd.in/d5q4KX-9 #AirConditioning #EnergyCosts #UtilityBills