Power symposium success

Examined impact of regulations and cybersecurity, and showcased the latest energy technologies and developments.

It has been a busy Spring/Summer season for the industry specialised divisions of the International Society of Automation (ISA).

Energised by expert-led technical sessions, valuable on-site training, and insightful keynote presentations, nearly 200 professionals in the power-generation industry attended their 56th Power Industry Division (POWID) Symposium held in early June in Florida USA.

Highlighted by more than 65 technical papers and a wide range of technical sessions, panel discussions, and interactive forums, the symposium drew experts and leaders throughout the globe to explore critical issues and challenges affecting power-generation delivery.

Dr Peggie Koon adresses the Symposium
from the floor!

In addition to examining the ramifications of rapidly emerging cybersecurity initiatives and regulatory pressures, the agenda reviewed the latest news in nuclear, fossil fuel and renewable energy, and showcased innovations and trends in instrumentation, controls, sensors, software, wireless communication and modernization strategies.

“The technical content provided at this year’s symposium was a game changer as leading industry professionals and subject matter experts introduced the latest news in technology, application experiences and best practices,” says Dr Peggie Koon, Ph.D, the director of strategy, partnership development and management at Morris Communications in Augusta, Georgia, USA, and ISA’s 2013 President-Elect Secretary. “The topics and technologies presented at the symposium—from the critical issues in coal, nuclear, gas and renewable energy to the latest in distributed generation, Smart Grid and microgrids--were extremely relevant to today’s power industry professionals.”

The three ISA training classes conducted on site were: • Introduction to Boiler Control Systems (ES15C) • Boiler Burner Management Systems: Meeting NFPA Standards (ES16C) • Transducer/Transmitter Installation for Nuclear Safety Applications Using ANSI/ISA-67.01.01 (IC67)

Beyond the content-rich technical sessions, the symposium gave registrants the opportunity to enroll in three highly pertinent ISA training classes, learn best practices from keynote presenters, participate in Electrical Power Research Institute (EPRI) industry meetings and ISA standards committee meetings, visit with industry vendors, honor colleagues at an awards banquet, and enjoy numerous social and networking gatherings.

“Given the rich and multi-faceted quality of the program and agenda, I am confident that all those who attended this year’s POWID Symposium were able to come away with valuable knowledge that they can apply to improve their technical expertise, organizational efficiency and competitiveness,” states Bill Sotos, senior consulting engineer at Hurst Technologies, and the General Symposium Chair for this year’s conference.
“On behalf of the symposium planning team and the ISA POWID Executive Committee, I want to thank all of the attendees, exhibitors, speakers, volunteers and ISA staff for their efforts in making the event a remarkable success, and I want to invite everyone to mark their 2014 calendar for ISA’s 57th Power Industry Division Symposium, which is scheduled to take place in Scottsdale, Arizona, USA at the Hilton Scottsdale Resort and Villas.”

• The General Symposium Chair for next year’s symposium is Aaron Hussey of Expert Microsystems. Check the ISA website for updates on ISA’s 57^th POWID Symposium as they become available. Dates and venue: June 1^st through June 7^th, 2014, Scottsdale, (AZ USA)