Tagged

procurement strategy

12 articles

May 2, 2026 6 min read

GE Vernova's Q1: $42.4B Electrification Backlog, Prolec Fully Absorbed, Two-Source Strategy Now Mandatory

GE Vernova's Q1 2026 numbers and the February Prolec consolidation reshape transformer procurement. Backlog jumped 86% YoY, data center orders alone exceeded all of 2025, and one of the two qualified North American suppliers most municipals carry just became one.

GE VernovaProlec GEtransformers

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May 2, 2026 6 min read

MISO's Anti-PJM Auction: 141 GW Cleared, Prices Halved, and the Solar Surge That Did It

MISO's 2026-27 Planning Resource Auction cleared at $116-126/MW-day annualized, roughly half last year's $212-217 range. Solar accreditation jumped 59% and 5.6 GW of new accredited capacity entered the market. The signal for distribution equipment buyers in the 15-state footprint is the opposite of PJM.

MISOcapacity auctionsolar

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April 28, 2026 8 min read

IEEE PES T&D 2026: A Muni and Co-op Procurement Field Guide

What ComEd, Hubbell, and the IEEE PES T&D 2026 vendor floor are telegraphing about the spec language municipal utilities and cooperatives will see in 2027 and 2028 procurement orders.

IEEE PES T&Dmunicipal utilitycooperative

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April 26, 2026 5 min read

SF6-Free Switchgear Has Crossed the Commercial Threshold. Procurement Specs Are Next.

Hitachi Energy now has 65+ North American orders for 420 kV SF6-free dead tank breakers. Here is what that means for utility switchgear procurement in 2026 and beyond.

SF6 free switchgearcircuit breakershigh voltage

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April 7, 2026 6 min read

One Big Beautiful Bill: Utility Equipment Demand Shifts

The OBBBA rolls back $500B in clean energy credits and imposes FEOC sourcing rules. Here is the two-phase impact on utility equipment procurement.

OBBBAFEOCutility equipment

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April 5, 2026 3 min read

Steel or Composite? The Transmission Conductor Debate Is Missing the Right Cost Metric

A T&D World analysis argues utilities overpay for composite conductors. The per-foot numbers back that up. The per-amp numbers tell the opposite story. Here is what procurement teams should actually be measuring.

transmission conductorsreconductoringgrid modernization

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April 5, 2026 10 min read

10 Questions Every Utility Should Ask Suppliers About the New Section 232 Tariff Rules

The April 2026 Section 232 tariff restructuring changed how duties are calculated on grid equipment, but the 15% rate covers far fewer products than trade press reported. Most distribution transformers and switchgear actually face 25%. Here are ten questions your procurement team should bring to every supplier meeting.

tariffsprocurement strategySection 232

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April 4, 2026 9 min read

Section 232 Tariff Overhaul: What the New 15% Grid Equipment Rate Means for Transformer and Switchgear Procurement

The April 6, 2026 Section 232 restructuring creates a four-tier tariff system with a temporary 15% rate for grid equipment. Here is what procurement teams need to know about the 21-month window, the full customs value shift, and the real cost math.

tariffsprocurement strategytransformer supply

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March 31, 2026 5 min read

The Affordability Crisis Is a Distribution Equipment Story

Utilities face rising rates and stranded capacity simultaneously. Jigar Shah's argument reframes distribution upgrades as ROI recovery, not compliance cost. Here is what that means for procurement.

distribution transformersswitchgeargrid modernization

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March 31, 2026 5 min read

What IEEE PES T&D 2026 Reveals About Grid Procurement

The largest T&D conference in history organized its entire program around data center load and grid resilience. Here is what that signals for equipment procurement in 2026-2027.

grid modernizationtransformersswitchgear

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March 27, 2026 4 min read

The $1.9 Billion SPARK Deadline Is April 2: What Utility Procurement Teams Need to Know

DOE just released $1.9 billion in SPARK grid funding. Concept papers are due April 2, 2026. Here is what municipal utilities and co-ops need to know about equipment procurement.

SPARK programDOE fundinggrid modernization

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March 24, 2026 13 min read

How to Evaluate Transformer Bids When Lead Times Exceed Two Years

A practical scoring framework for comparing transformer bids in a 128-week lead time market. Stop choosing on price alone.

transformer bidsprocurement strategysupplier evaluation

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