ENTRUST Solutions Group

?? Innovation drives progress, transforming industries and the way we work. In Scott Bowles' reflection on his time in the industry below, he highlights the evolution of utility operations, showcasing how technology has propelled safety, efficiency, and problem-solving forward—a testament to #PoweringTransformation. “In the 1970’s-90’s, clients would learn of an outage from the customer calling in a power outage. The utility knew very little about the fault and the electric system and utility workers were exposed to greater dangers while trying to restore service. The substation team would then drive to the substation with the feeder to look for and read the semaphore targets on the relays. Separately, a line crew would carefully drive the line to look for signs of damage or downed lines, sometimes requiring surveys on foot. The practice often required a good memory of the system configuration and line routes. This was time-consuming, expensive, and resulted in longer outages. If the relays operated, the relay targets only told the crews which phases were involved. No information was available regarding the length or magnitude of the outage, much less the outage location or how it cleared. The relays often would not reach the operating threshold, meaning a line fuse probably cleared the fault. This yielded even fewer clues. Once the crew thought they had the problem repaired, a substation tech would throw the breaker switch. Full power would rush through the lines. If the fault still existed, the line might violently trip open, resulting in more damage to the system. This trial-and-error approach was common practice. In 1991, we started using microprocessor-based relays. They would show the operator what phases were involved, for how long, and very rough transient waveform information was available. Today, the relays are much more sophisticated. We know system anomalies, even if the relay didn’t operate. We have a more detailed waveform analysis to work with. We even have an approximate location of the fault. Also, a switch-on-to-fault feature was added allowing for lower fault settings when the breaker was manually closed. This resulted in less damage to the system and safer switching for the operator because the arc flash energy was reduced. This led to many other innovations in our industry. Innovation does change the way we problem-solve and operate. We use more computer tools and run analysis and simulations. It also changed the way we train our clients on substation and system operations. Safety is paramount. And we have much better and safer tools to operate and restore power with.” Thanks for your commitment to the industry, Scott!???

A new report from the Public Utility Commission of Texas recommends low-interest loans to support advanced nuclear development—similar to existing programs for gas plants. With demand expected to grow 8% annually over the next decade, advanced nuclear could power Texas’s industrial and tech boom, from oil & gas to AI and data centers. Texas has the opportunity to lead the next energy revolution. Read about this and more in this week's Notable News. https://conta.cc/414FvZn

?? Congratulations to our October ENspirations winners, Anda Stavri, MBA, Alayna Breden, and Mathew B.! our hard work, dedication, and innovative spirit continue to inspire us all. Keep shining bright! #EmployeeRecognition #InspiringExcellence

?? Happy #GISDay! We are celebrating the evolution of technology and how GIS processes enable better decision-making and problem-solving for our planet. Thank you to all GIS professionals for your remarkable work!

?? "For our team, the way we really help our clients is by working with them to determine their needs and how they need to innovate to come up with solutions that help them transform their operations." – Dustin Butler, Sr. VP of Automation At ENTRUST, transformation starts with understanding. The EN Automation team collaborates closely with clients to design innovative solutions that optimize operations and pave the way for success. ??? Watch how we’re #PoweringTransformation through smarter, tailored automation!

Earlier this month, Courtney Violette, VP of EN Communications, and team joined the City of Waterloo Iowa and Waterloo Fiber at the Technology Association of Iowa's Prometheus Awards. We’re thrilled to share that our collaborative project—deploying a Fiber Backbone and FTTH across Waterloo—helped the City of Waterloo earn the Community of the Year award! ?? A huge congratulations to Mayor Quentin Hart and his incredible team for this well-deserved recognition. Together, we’re #PoweringTransformation and connecting communities for a brighter future. ??? #PrometheusAwards

Could gas-fired generation be the key to a net-negative carbon future? MISO’s COO and President highlights its potential as a bridge for data centers to reach zero-carbon goals, supporting both economic growth and sustainability. Read about this and more in this week's Notable News. https://conta.cc/415D7l9

?? At ENTRUST, we're committed to driving meaningful transformation for our clients and industries. Our approach is rooted in a powerful blend of cutting-edge technologies and tried-and-true methods. Ellie’s perspective resonates across our teams as we work to redefine the future of utility, engineering, and telecom solutions. “Innovation is not just about finding a way to use a new technology or tool but instead, it’s about using all the tools in your toolbox, new and old, to change a process or find a better way to solve a problem. The key to innovation is to continuously learn and find valid business use cases to apply your learnings.” — Gabrielle Lynch, VP of Digital Transformation ?? Ready to dive in to what else we're doing in digital transformation? Check out the blog post here: https://lnkd.in/e3ahSHvv

Are you an electric utility trying to figure out how to get your network to talk to all the new and different types of devices? At ENTRUST, we’re #PoweringTransformation for electric utilities by using fiber at the speed of light. Check out Steve Maederer below to learn more. ??

???? Last month, we celebrated Halloween in style with a costume contest! Not only did we have a blast, but we also raised $150 for our local animal shelter in Cincinnati, Ohio. A huge shoutout to Kristen Neal for taking first place with her creative 'social butterfly' costume! Thanks to everyone who participated and donated to support our furry friends. #CommunityImpact