Document RJaBo56NmaNb7pOzR3a7pLx8n

* 4 4 4 4 4 ' 4^'4 4 4 4 4 4 *4 end-use equipment maintenance, CURING ARC CHUTES .aqd power quality equipment and sbestos ate chutes'insulate services) was perhaps $150 billion in 1996 and could be $200 billion or Aand protect circuits from shorting in circuit break ers. They are excellent in sulators and are nonconductive, and utilities have used them for more more by 2000 in the United States alone. (See Figure 1.) TOEING THE LINE than 30 years in high-voltage circuit- breakers in power plants, substa he North American Reliabil tions, and other facilities. A large generation substation may have as many as 1,000 chutes. The problem is that asbestos, arc chutes need con stant dehydration, and residue that accumulates in the chine can scar for other asbestos products as well. Right now, the process is being tested in a cooling-tower breaker in an Iowa Tity Council (NERC) board of trustees voted unanimously on January 6 to obligate its j . regional and affiliate councils and nuclear power plant. their members to promote, support, ! and comply with all nerc reliability the asbestos, allowing electricity to j policies. be conducted. Also, asbestos bW comes friable with age and can flake, creating a potential environmental THE EMERGING ENERGY SERVICES MARKET : Previously, compliance had been : voluntary, with regional councils re quired only to make their best efforts hazard. Moreover, asbestos arc chutes haven't been manufactured since the Environmental Protection Agency banned asbestos in 1989. You can get nonasbestos chutes, but even if you found some that fit your particular circuit-breakers, they would cost be tween $12,000 to $20,000 each-- probably much more expensive than preventive maintenance. Regardless, they scar much more easily than as bestos chutes. Under a Space Act Agreement with NASA's Lewis Research Center in Cleveland, Dynamic Coatings of Hinckley, OH, has been testing a he energy services market offers attractive opportuni- ; ties for utilities to find ; profitable new sources of j revenue. It also offers ways to main- j tain and strengthen business rela- : tionships with key customer groups | and develop customer loyalty. Ac- ; cording to an Electric Power Research : Institute report, "The Emerging En- .: ergy Services Market: A Business : Planning Guide," the market (which : would also include energy efficiency, I figure 1 ESTIMATED ENERGY SERVICES MARKET POTENTIAL FOR 2000 : : : : to comply. . This major change in member ob ligation is another step in NERC's re structuring of itself to accommodate the new competitive wholesale elec tricity market while maintaining reli ability of the bulk interconnected electric systems. "The changes to the bylaws are crucial if NERC and its members are to continue to be viewed as credible and recognized as the industry-based au thorities on the reliability of the inter connected bulk electric systems in North America," said NERC chairman Richard J. Grossi, who is also chair man and CEO of United Illuminating chemical application that can per ($ Billions) : Company. "These changes also serve meate asbestos and bond its fibers together, making it impervious to wa ter and humidity. The result is that Residential Induslrial $28 $40 to indicate that NERC is moving for ; ward and will continue to move for : ward to define a new framework for the arc chute is stronger, does not scar, withstands higher tempera Commercial ' . ensuring reliability excellence." The NERC board also approved a re tures, and is environmentally safe. port prepared by its reliability com Moreover, according to the Lewis Re search Center, the processed arc chutes have an electrical resistance about 10,000 times greater than the original asbestos. The curing process could have a huge impact on the costs of circuitbreaker maintenance and replace ment. The application can be used pliance task force and submitted by the Future Role of NERC task force on options to ensure compliance with NERC and regional council policies and standards. The report proposes various methods for enforcing reli ability standards and details 13 rec ommended next steps the board i should take to ensure compliance. SC-ELEC-11575 AY / JUNE 1997 9