GE (NYSE: GE) has acquired the Energy Control Systems (ECS) business from SNC-Lavalin (TSX:SNC) and its network management and control software.
Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed. ECS will remain in Montreal, Canada and retain its staff.
Using real-time information, ECS software improves efficiency of power
delivery. The software's continuous monitoring and analysis also helps
identify potential power problems before they happen--improving
reliability. In those unavoidable outage situations--such as storm
damage or traffic accidents--ECS can reroute power around unplanned
outages, minimizing the number of customers affected. It also can
automatically determine the cause of an outage and dispatch properly
equipped crews to fix the problem faster.
"ECS software empowers everyone along the energy value chain to do a better job with how they handle electricity," said Bob Gilligan, vice president--digital energy for GE Energy Services. "By adding the flow of information to the flow of power, we can help utilities be more reliable and efficient. We can help consumers understand and manage their electricity usage. And we can help regulators and governments devise strategies to improve how to cost-effectively ensure reliable energy for everyone who needs it. That's the power of the new grid GE is building today."
ECS solutions can also simplify the integration of renewable energy. With innovations like weather forecasting integration, for example, the system can optimize the renewable generation mix as it anticipates available power by knowing when the wind will blow and if the sun will shine.
"SNC-Lavalin's Global Power Group will continue to focus on its core business providing engineering, procurement, construction and project management services for all power product lines, including Green Energy initiatives," said Patrick Lamarre, executive vice president, SNC-Lavalin Group Inc.
