TD Febrero 2014

Workforce Management 30 l Substation Facilities 36 l Underground Systems 42
Vista UDS can be customized for your needs. It can be Iurnished

in manual, remote supervisory, and source-transIer models. And any
combination oI load switches, Iault interrupters, bus taps, or tie switches
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steel tank. Feeders can be rated as high as 900 Amps continuous, and the
main bus up to 1200 Amps. Vista UDS provides a major advancement in
operating simplicity and saIety Ior medium-voltage switchgear.
To learn more about Vista UDS, or other S&C
products and services, visit our website. Or
contact your local S&C Sales OIfce.
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delay eliminates miscoordination problems frequently
encountered with transformer primary fuses
Vista`s overcurrent control
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current characteristic curves.
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.01
We put the now in
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February 2014 | www.tdworld.com 2
Vol. 66 No. 2
CONTENTS
C
O
V
E
R
S
T
O
R
Y
F
E
B
R
U
A
R
Y
2
0
1
4
30
36
42
48
52
Desert Transmission
Southern California Edison combines technology and teamwork to
meet challenging environmental requirements on the Eldorado-Ivanpah
Transmission Project.
By Roger Schultz and Jerry Silva, Southern California Edison,
and Bill Hanna, POWER Engineers Inc.
Where Are the Crews?
Iberdrola USA implements a Web-based solution to streamline
work processes.
By Kerri Foster and Joe Purington, Central Maine Power
Proong the Ground Grid
Injection current tests enable New Zealand utility to demonstrate
compliance with statutory regulations and safety requirements.
By Rodger Grifths, Westpower Ltd.
Pipe-Type Cable Gets Einstein Treatment
PEPCO uses real-time thermal rating to enhance power-transfer
capabilities with better monitoring and control.
By Christopher W. Schnetzler, William A. Lopez and Mousa Hejazi,
Potomac Electric Power Co., and Earle C. Bascom III, Electrical Consulting
Engineers, P.C.
AEP Visualizes the Future of the Grid
New technology supports a massive data analysis project that
will provide direction for future smart grid expansions.
By Brian Schell, American Electric Power
TVA Pushes More Power Down the Corridor
Tennessee Valley Authority accomplishes a line uprating and avoids
clearance issues on a 500-kV transmission line with a high-capacity
conductor.
By Jeffery L. Phillips, Tennessee Valley Authority
36
42
30
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4 February 2014 | www.tdworld.com
8
10
14
18
20
57
64
60
63
Departments
GLOBALViewpoint
I Love Family. Through the inevitable ups and downs of our lives, its family
the professional friends who make up our work family we count on.
By Rick Bush, Editorial Director
BUSINESSDevelopments
East and West Coasts Experience Largest Power Price Increases in 2013
Siemens and Iberdrola Plan Smart Grid Alliance for the Middle East
European Union Predicted to Miss Climate Targets
TECHNOLOGYUpdates
NYC Program Grows 70% and Creates Energy-Conscious Customers
Milsoft and FieldWorker Complete Interoperability Testing
Omnisens Monitors Cable Temperature at Sheringham Shoal Wind Farm
INDUSTRYReport
Partnership: The Key to Solar Growth. By working together, the solar
industry and electric utilities can help to grow the solar market.
By Julia Hamm, Solar Electric Power Association
CHARACTERSwithCharacter
Making Knowledge Work. Dan Patel of Southern Company Services is
putting knowledge to use by creating software and carbon-remediation
technologies geared to electric utilities.
By James R. Dukart, Contributing Writer
PRODUCTS&Services
Storm Damage Assessment Software
PMU Calibration System
Cable Fault Pinpointer
STRAIGHTTalk
Resilient Grid Tops Agenda. The NARUC is initiating a dialogue over how
best to assess resilience investments intended to keep the lights and to
help the electricity system better withstand massive storms, catastrophic
manmade events and other disruptions.
By Colette Honorable, National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners
In Every Issue
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CONTENTS
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MISOIllinois Hub
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Palo Verde
$37.66/MWh
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CAISONP15
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Editorial Director Rick Bush rbush@tdworld.com
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Senior Managing Editor Emily Saarela esaarela@tdworld.com
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Online Editor Nikki Chandler nchandler@tdworld.com
Technical Writer Gene Wolf GW_Engr@msn.com
Automation Editor Matt Tani mattelutcons@joplin.com
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Andy Friedman Andy.Friedman@penton.com

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Grid Optimization
Why Not a National Grid?
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Vegetation Management
Resource Center
Insights: Media Storms
By Sig Guggenmoos
Theres a pattern Ive noticed, and if you work for
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observation: A major storm is the rst wave. The
second wave is the media storm, closely followed
by the political storm.
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GLOBALViewpoint
I Love Family
W
eve had our ups and downs. You know how it is with
family. We fght. We squabble. We say what we wish
we hadnt said. We dont say what we wish we would
have said. We all have relatives with that innate ability to get
under the skin. We would prefer not to care, but darn it, we
do. But then, when we fnd ourselves in a bind, what do you
do? We call family.
I lost a really close friend when Shan Nandi died. And I
do hold it against him, leaving me, that is. Shan and I were
brothers in technology as we both specialized in thermal rat-
ings. Every time I saw Shan, I would break into a big grin.
Shan fought the same engineering battles at Commonwealth
Edison that I fought at Georgia Power. But we werent fghting
against, we were fghting for. We were fghting to see technical
advances take hold in our industry. And for the most part, they
did. Shan, you were one class brother in the T&D tribe.
And I lost another really close friend in Doug Stazesky.
Doug had survived for several years after he being diagnosed
with brain cancer, but he was fading. He had the decency to
call me, and I was able to go see him a week before he died. I
miss you Doug, and I continue to sing Im a Rambling Wreck
from Georgia Tech in your honor.
I love this industry. I love what we stand for. I love what we
deliver. I love how we deliver it. I love that we care about our
customers and that we care about each other.
Im guessing that somewhere along the road, someone
reached down and gave you the helping hand that launched
you in your career. Mack Martin was the guy who invested in
me. Now those of you who know Mack know he is a little crusty,
but he is also honest and driven and demanding.
I hated it when Mack came back from his business trips be-
cause he would dump all sorts of work on me. But I always had
an answer as to why I couldnt get the work done by the time
Mack wanted it, so he started calling me but but. Now I know
a lot of people in power companies have nicknames worse
than mine, but I really hated that nickname. So I decided to
do something about it; I decided to just say yes. Mack, thanks
for a lesson that will last a lifetime. And thank you for the op-
portunities you provided me to contribute to the writing of
IEEE standards.
Now Dave Silver was another real infuence in my life. He
was a vice president with then General Cable. I was a southern
Catholic boy, and Dave was a northern Jewish man. He loved
sharing his wisdom, even more than most of us loved hearing
it. But he was really sharp. From Dave, I picked up a love for all
things underground. I also learned from him that persistence
is at the root of overcoming.
I also loved working with so many of the great program
and project managers at EPRI. A more quirky batch of folk
would be hard to assemble at any one location. The work we
did truly changed the future of our industry. Todays advances
in underground cable installation techniques and dynamic
overhead line ratings can be attributed to two class project
managers: Tom Rodenbaugh and Vito Longo.
I left Georgia Power in my early 40s, the consequence of
taking a voluntary severance package. That was the hardest
decision I have ever made in my professional life. That was
back in 1994 when we looked upon our companies with great
loyalty and esteem. In fact, we had even personalized our com-
pany by calling it Uncle George.
Fortunately, we work in an industry of second chances. As
a part of the severance package, Georgia Power paid to have
my thoughts remolded at a career counseling company in
Atlanta. There my new found cousin (not genetically related)
Pat Williams took me on as a project. We jointly discovered
that I had one strong management skill vision and one
strong creative skill writing.
So when Earl Hazan, an editor at T&D World, called and
asked if I would like to be his boss, those words vision and
writing popped into my brain and a new career was borne.
Arriving with plenty of experiences and contacts, this job
at T&D World has proven to be a good ft for me and a perfect
venue for maintaining old friends while meeting new mem-
bers of the power-delivery family.
At 61 years of age, I keep close tabs on lifelong friends Bill
Herdegen (Connecticut Light & Power), Jim Greer (Oncor)
and Gordon Matthews (Bonneville Power Administration). I
have another set of compadres at engineering frms, class guys
including Lee Willis, Dale Douglass, Bill Eisenger, John Rector
and Mike Beehler. And I also have friends in the making, in-
cluding Mehrdod Mohseni (Alstom) and Hamid Jaffari (Town
of Danvers, Massachusetts); its like I already knew them before
I met them. And I cant forget Ellen Krohne who invited me
up to Illinois Power to experience one of the frst integrated
distribution management systems in the country. Ellen knows
how to be a friend. She always she takes time to call or write.
If given a choice, we work with people we like and trust. I
am so blessed to work in an industry flled with caliber people
whom I call family.
Editorial Director
Consulting Engineering Construction Operation I www.bv.com
Substations continue to get smarter.
Our clients depend on us to creatively apply advanced
technology to all types of substation projects including
gas-insulated and outdoor air-insulated facilities. From
planning through construction, Black & Veatch offers
exible, proven solutions regardless of project size or
technology. Our experience deploying both physical and
digital infrastructure provides a more ef cient, secure
and intelligent result every time.
Were building a world of difference. Together.
Visit bv.com/transmission
to learn more.
Ef cient
Effective
Mid-Columbia
$37.53/MWh
64%
MISO Illinois Hub
$35.79/MWh
12%
PJM West
13%
Mass Hub
57%
NYISO Zone J
$62.70/MWh
34%
Into Southern
$34.83/MWh
16%
ERCOT Houston Zone
$38.27/MWh
8%
Palo Verde
$37.66/MWh
27%
CAISO NP15
$43.97/MWh
37%
$65.24/MWh
$45.21/MWh
Average wholesale electricity prices at major trading
locations, 2013 level and percent change from 2012.
Courtesy of the U.S. Energy Information Adminstration.
East and West Coasts Experience
Largest Power Price Increases in 2013
Wholesale, on-peak electricity prices were up across the United States from 2012
to 2013, driven largely by increases in spot natural gas prices. Percentage increases
in power prices were highest in the Pacifc Northwest and New England, based on
regional supply and demand issues in those markets.
Electricity in the Pacifc Northwest is typically among the least expensive in the
nation because of the regional concentration of hydroelectric generation, which
has a very low operating cost. The spring of 2013 was drier than the previous two
springs in the Pacifc Northwest, which kept
wholesale power prices in the re-
gion from dropping to the levels
seen in 2012. Colder-than-normal
temperatures in December led to
short-term spikes in both the nat-
ural gas and power markets in the
region. About 5% of the increase
in wholesale power prices between
2012 and 2013 is attributable to the
December price spike.
In New England, cold weather
taxed the already strained natural
gas pipeline infrastructure, leading
to day-ahead power prices in excess of $200 per MWh in January and February 2013.
Cold weather in late November and early December led to a second spike in both the
natural gas and power markets in New England.
Elsewhere, a cooler-than-normal August kept power prices low in Texas in 2013,
the area with the lowest increase in average wholesale, on-peak electric power prices
compared to 2012. Most of the other wholesale power markets in the country had
higher electricity prices in 2013 as natural gas prices generally increased from the
sub-$3 per million British thermal unit levels of April 2012. For example, the power
price at PJM West in the Mid-Atlantic region increased 14% while the natural gas
price in that region (Transco Leidy Hub) increased 11%.
For more information, visit www.eia.gov.
European Union
Predicted to Miss
Climate Targets
The European Commissions EU
Energy, Transport and GHG Emissions
Trends to 2050, published on the com-
missions website, shows that on the basis
of current policies, the European Union
(EU) will fail to meet its 2050 commit-
ment of 80% to 95% greenhouse-gas
(GHG) emission reductions.
The European Commissions latest
reference scenario, based on current
trends and adopted policies, shows that
EU GHG emissions would fall by 24% in
2020, but by just 44% in 2050 (compared
to 1990 levels), with energy import de-
pendency increasing during the period
to almost 57%.
With the EUs power sector expect-
ed to be still pumping out almost 400
million tonnes of CO
2
annually by 2050,
and the EU in an even worse energy
security situation, an ambitious 2030
climate and energy framework, with
targets for renewable energy and GHG
reductions, is more critical than ever.
Without such targets, energy security
and a zero-carbon power sector will be
impossible, said Justin Wilkes, deputy
CEO of the European Wind Energy
Associations.
The scenario shows that even under
current trends and policies, more wind-
power capacity will be installed over the
next 20 years than any other generating
technology accounting for 37% of
new installations with the result that
wind energy will be the leading generat-
ing technology in Europe by 2040.
The European Commissions sce-
nario highlights a positive medium- and
long-term outlook for the wind industry.
However, a sharp decline in new installa-
tions of wind power from 2021 onwards
of 27% highlights the vital importance
of a long-term stable regulatory frame-
work for the sector, underpinned by a
2030 renewable energy target, contin-
ued Wilkes.
Wind and other renewables together
account for 59% of all new electricity
generating installations over the 20-year
period to 2035 in the European Com-
missions scenario.
Visit www.ewea.org.
Siemens and Iberdrola Plan Strategic
Smart Grid Alliance for the Middle East
The Smart Grid Division of Siemens and the Spanish utility Iberdrola have signed
a memorandum of understanding stating their intention to negotiate a contract for
a strategic alliance, through which they plan to develop smart grid technologies for
Qatar and the entire Middle East.
Areas in which the partners hope to cooperate include the integration of energy
from renewable sources into smart grids. In addition, both parties intend to develop
systems designed to balance the supply and demand for energy (demand response
management). Such a balance not only ensures network stability but helps utilities by
eliminating the need to draw on expensive peak-load power plants. The two parties
also plan to cooperate in monitoring and controlling of the distribution grids. Here,
new technologies allow for an improved integration of outage management and an
advanced level of grid automation. This enables utilities to operate their grids more
reliably and more effciently.
For more information, visit www.siemens.com and www.iberdrola.es.
NECA & IBEW
Your Quality Connection
F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n : w w w . n l m c c . o r g O n l i n e v i d e o ma g a z i n e : www. e l e c t r i c t v. n e t
Do you need
something
done up here?
Were the ones
that will do it.
You want qualifed contractors
who employ skilled, safe
electrical linemen.
We at NECA & IBEW have
signifcantly increased the
number of apprentices in
lineman training.
When you need help,
were the answer.
Find us at the sites below.
February 2014 | www.tdworld.com
12
EIB Loans Prysmian Group 100 Million Euros for R&D in Europe
Letter to the Editor
Thank you so much for your shout out to Jim Lusby
in the January 2014 issue of T&D World. Jim was my rst
project engineer at Black & Veatch. I learned so much
about substation design from him. More importantly, he
taught me how to be a consulting engineer who always
produces the best quality work and is attentive to the needs
of our clients. The other project teams referred to us as the
Lusbyians. Not everybody wanted to be one. You had
to work hard because he never said no to a client, and you
had to be a little thick-skinned because he was passionate
about producing superb quality work. I truly believe that
the successes I have achieved and the challenges that I
have overcome in my career would not have been possible
without being a Lusbyian.
Regards,
Jeff Camden, Director of Engineering
Transmission and Distribution Services, Burns & McDonnell
Plaineld Renewable Energy Project Commercially Operational
The Plainfeld Renewable Energy project in Plainfeld,
Connecticut, U.S., has reached substantial completion under
the terms of the facilitys engineer, procure and construct con-
tract. The facility has met all conditions to qualify as an ISO
New England (ISO-NE) market asset and achieved commer-
cial operation under the terms of its interconnect agreement
with ISO-NE. The commercially operational plant also has
met the eligibility requirements under the American Recovery
and Reinvestment Act for a 1603 cash grant.
As one of the only Class 1 renewable biomass plants in the
state, the facility will power the equivalent of 37,000 homes us-
ing a variety of fuel sources, such as wood from construction
and demolition debris, recycled wood pallets and land-clear-
ing materials. Connecticut Light & Power will purchase 80%
of the power from the plant under a 15-year off-take agree-
ment, based on the plants status as a renewable power source.
Leidos, an engineering, national security and health solu-
tions company, will operate the plant and commence market-
ing efforts to sell the facility to renewable power plant inves-
tors in an effort to maximize the investment for shareholders.
For more information, visit www.Leidos.com.
The Plaineld Renewable Energy project creates a benecial reuse
for construction debris by turning it into energy.
Integrys to Sell Michigan Utility
Integrys Energy Group has agreed to sell its Upper Penin-
sula Power Co. (UPPCO) utility subsidiary for US$299 million
to Balfour Beatty Infrastructure Partners (BBIP), a British in-
vestment fund. UPPCO provides power to about 52,000 resi-
dential, C&I customers in Michigans Upper Peninsula.
While keeping UPPCOs ownership stake in American
Transmission Co., Integrys will provide certain services to
BBIP to ease the transition. BBIP plans to own UPPCO for the
long run, reaping the steady returns available to utility owners.
For Integrys, the utility holding company sheds a small part of
its utility subsidiaries, which will bolster its remaining assets.
Integrys Chairman and CEO Charles Schrock said, The
proceeds will substantially reduce the need to issue new equity
to fund generation and infrastructure requirements at our
other regulated utilities.
Integrys has announced plans to invest $40 million to $50
million annually in a residential and commercial solar fund.
For more information, visit www.integrysgroup.com.
The European Investment Bank (EIB) and Prysmian
Group announce a 100 million euro loan to fund the Eu-
ropean research and development (R&D) program of the
group from 2013-2016. The loan represents about 50% of the
planned investment expenditure in Europe during the period
concerned. The Prysmian Groups global budget for R&D over
the four-year period is 300 million euros.
The EIB loan is intended to support projects developed in
the groups R&D centers in six countries: France, Great Brit-
ain, Holland, Spain, Germany and Italy. Italy, which is due
to receive a signifcant share of the funding, is home to the
groups R&D headquarters as well as to several centers of man-
ufacturing excellence for optical fber and power transmission
cables and submarine systems.
The EIB loan will be used in particular for three initiatives:
Industrial research into innovative materials using nano-
technology, network monitoring and management systems,
optimization of cable design to reduce electrical losses and
optical cables for use in electricity distribution networks
Innovation and experimentation on using alternative ma-
terials for cable design and optimizing product projects
Product development of underground and submarine
power transmission cables and systems, high-voltage P-Laser
cables, cables for the renewable energy sector, high-perfor-
mance optical fber, cables for fber-to-the-home and fber-to-
the-antenna applications, and connectivity and development
of smart cables and systems for monitoring and management.
For more information, visit prysmiangroup.com.
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TECHNOLOGYUpdates
Omnisens Monitors
Cable Temperature
at Sheringham Shoal
Wind Farm
Long-distance power cable monitor-
ing specialist, Omnisens was selected to
monitor the export cables at Shering-
ham Shoal Wind Farm. The two 132-kV
cables monitored join the offshore sub-
stations to the Sheringham Shoal Salle
substation, which houses the Omnisens
DITEST interrogator.
Fiber-optic cables integrated into the
power cables are used to provide contin-
uous temperature monitoring, detect-
ing small temperature changes to within
a few meters along the whole length of
the cables, both for the 21-km (13-mile)
cable onshore and for the two offshore
cables (21 km and 23 km [13 mile and
14 mile]). From the cable temperature,
various changes in the cables condition
can be inferred. These include changes
in burial depth or sand cover as well as
breakdown of insulation due to damage.
The 317-MW Sheringham Shoal
Offshore Wind Farm, owned equally by
Statoil and Statkraft through joint-ven-
ture company Scira Offshore Energy, is
located 20 km (12 miles) off the Norfolk,
U.K., coast and began generating in 2011.
Using fber-optic-based Brillouin sensing
together with highly qualifed, dedicated
application, commissioning and custom-
er service teams, Omnisens offers con-
tinuous, reliable monitoring of onshore
and subsea power cables and umbilicals.
To learn more, visit www.scira.co.uk
and www.omnisens.com.
NYC Program Grows 70% and
Creates Energy-Conscious Customers
ThinkEco partnered with Consolidated Edison of New York to launch coolNYC
in the summer of 2011. Now in its fourth year, coolNYC aims to provide a simple and
scalable solution to tackle one of the summers leading energy hogs in New York
City: room air conditioners. Participants typically own between one and fve room
air conditioner units and are given a smartAC Kit for each AC unit. coolNYCs mix
of technology, marketing, operational effciencies and proactive customer engage-
ment appealed to New Yorkers, creating an involved and vibrant user base commit-
ted to reducing energy use.
As part of its outreach efforts, coolNYC worked with local environmental groups
to inform their members about the program, coordinated community events in
specifc neighborhoods and marketed directly to utility customers with targeted e-
mails, resulting in a 31% oversubscription rate. coolNYC also re-engaged existing
customers and maintained high retention rates through e-mail outreach during the
winter months and free equipment upgrades. E-mail marketing campaigns had an
open rate of 41%, well above the industry average.
In 2013, program managers successfully enrolled and managed 6.9 MW of total
load, and achieved a 22% reduction in average demand across demand-response
events. The coolNYC program achieved targeted deployment of smartAC kits to the
high-load pockets in NYCs fve boroughs. The coolNYCs online enrollment process
is followed by an effcient fulfllment and package distribution process.
The ThinkEco smartAC kit was designed as a self-installable consumer electron-
ics technology, therefore keeping program startup costs down signifcantly. The
progams staff provides 24/7 customer support as well as a comprehensive online
self-help center, which includes videos and FAQs. The coolNYC program ended the
year with a very high customer service rating (91%) and will net out with a demand-
response readiness rate of 70%.
In addition to peak-shaving calculations, different types of load analyses were
conducted on the big data collected through a real-time cloud platform. In 2013,
ThinkEco segmented the coolNYC population into groups to better understand
room air conditioner usage and end-customer opt-out patterns. Through this analy-
sis, coolNYC targeted different populations with different demand-response strate-
gies, leading to improved participation and overall program performance.
For more information, visit www.thinkecoinc.com.
Milsoft and FieldWorker Complete Testing
Milsoft Utility Solutions Inc., Milsoft Utility Solutions and FieldWorker Products
Ltd. have successfully passed interoperability tests for the interface between Milsofts
engineering and operations (E&O) system, including its outage management sys-
tem (OMS), and FieldWorkers custom enterprise mobility solutions in compliance
with the MultiSpeak 3.0 standard.
The interoperability enables a utilitys workers in the feld to obtain information
about all current service outages on their mobile devices without an active server net-
work connection. They also can update outage cause codes as well as close/restore
an outage from the feld without having to contact the dispatcher. The FieldWorker
mobile solutions automatically acquire outage information and update Milsoft OMS
through the MultiSpeak Web service method by periodically calling the Milsoft E&O
system Web server. This is consistent with Milsoft and Fieldworkers shared goal of
enabling their users to do their jobs more easily, effectively and effciently.
For more information, visit www.milsoft.com.
TECHNOLOGYUpdates
Ventev Solves Backup Battery Challenge
The vulnerability of backup batteries in radio-signal extenders has plagued large
supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems for years. Critical power
backup systems must be ready if commercial power fails and no one knows that bet-
ter than Bob Cheney, team leader for Power Delivery Test Lab at Southern Company.
With 4.4 million customers, Southern Company is the premier energy company serv-
ing the Southeast United States through its subsidiaries Georgia Power, Alabama
Power, Mississippi Power and Gulf Power.
I had not been able to fnd anything already on the market that would test the
backup battery and send reports back to me, explains Cheney. The whole system
can go down because a little $30 battery dies. I needed something that would be able
to tell me the battery is good or the battery is bad.
Southern turned to Ventev Wireless Infrastructure to develop a custom solution.
They started with Ventevs radio-specifc Outdoor Wireless Enclosure containing
ample power for two radios, radio interface and environmental protection. The de-
sign accommodates components such as networking equipment, power-conversion
equipment, cable grounding and lightning protection, and they can be installed in
the Ventev factory prior to deployment. Working with Cheneys wish list, Ventev
engineers designed and manufactured a new product the Battery Test Remote
Monitor (BTRM) to perform automatic battery load tests and then send alerts via
SNMP, text or e-mail using Ethernet or DNP3 communications protocols.
Ventev did what no one else had been able to do, says Cheney. They created an
enclosure that can let me know the health of the backup battery in every enclosure.
Southern has ordered 400 Ventev enclosures, 100 with BTRM, to date with plans
to deploy more, and has doubled the size of its SCADA system over the past three
years to nearly 5,000 devices. Now Ventev is making the product available to other
utilities, and oil and gas companies.
For more information, visit www.ventev.com/radiospecifcsolutions.
Five Tips for Your Smart Grid Rollout
If you are a smaller utility, you are in an ideal position to leverage lessons
learned and avoid pitfalls from across the industry. Here are ve critical success
factors unearthed at municipals and cooperatives that have delivered successful
smart grid implementations.
1. Laser focus on information technology. Most of the risk and work in rollouts
involves implementation of new systems, modication of legacy IT systems and
integrations across the enterprise.
2. Stay connected with community. Utilities have a tight bond with their
communities and their citizens. Regulators and management bodies like to have
city and county personnel engaged throughout the project lifecycle to reduce
the consequences that come from public misinformation. Customer engagement
starts on day one.
3. Plan to immerse yourself. The quality of professional implementation
services varies wildly, and some vendors need help in just implementing their own
solution, let alone integrating with new and legacy utility systems and processes.
4. Have processes on the ready. Most utility business processes will change
with the introduction of smart metering and smart grid capabilities. It is essential
for the utility to understand and document existing processes before starting the
transformation to avoid gaps and ensure utility unique business considerations are
addressed.
5. Be security conscious. Cybersecurity design should be a central element
of a smart grid project. The convergence of the information and communications
infrastructure with the electric grid introduces new security and privacy-related
challenges as well as opportunities to increase the reliability of the power system.
What Can the U.S. Learn from Germany?
We are designing opportunities for the two industries to
engage and learn from others. In September, SEPA will lead
a fact-fnding mission of energy executives from utilities as
well as the renewable industry to Germany to explore not
just the state of solar but the overall energy transition under-
way in Germany and much of Europe. We will seek to better
understand the factors behind recent changes in the cost and
nature of the delivery of power and the reports of severe chal-
lenges facing utilities as a result.
Germany has led the world in the development of solar. It is
also committed to ambitious carbon-emission reduction goals
at the same time that it is curtailing nuclear power generation.
Will its plans and policies ensure that future supplies of elec-
tricity will be low in emissions, safe and secure, always avail-
able at the fick of a switch and kept affordable to all? What les-
sons can we learn from Germany that can positively infuence
plans for an energy transition in the United States?
Adapting to Changes
As the electric utility business heads into historic, perhaps
revolutionary change, it could beneft from becoming more
entrepreneurial, more agile and more open to change. Just
as some telephone companies have been able to adapt to the
changes in technology, electric utilities also must look for ways
to adapt, change and evolve.
As solar companies work to stabilize their businesses for
growth, they may do well to look at how solar needs to be part
of a sustainable, long-term and complete provider of reliable
energy, and to become more like a utility.
In turn, utilities need to try to view the solar industry not
as a competitor but as a partner. For example, if a utility works
with local solar installers on a new rooftop solar service, they
can lower the cost of solar to their customers, maintain their
relationship with them, minimize the loss of revenue and avoid
the challenge of increasing costs for the non-solar customers.
In the future, we expect that more utilities will see solar
power as an important part of their companies future. By
working together, we can help increase the use of this clean,
easily scalable energy resource for homes and businesses
worldwide.
Julia Hamm (jhamm@solarelectricpower.org) is the president
and CEO of the Solar Electric Power Association, a national
education and research non-prot that helps its utility members
make smart solar decisions.
INDUSTRYReport
Partnership: The Key to Solar Growth
By Julia Hamm, Solar Electric Power Association
S
olar may still contribute less than 1% of our nations
power, but the signs of much bigger change are unavoid-
able. The year 2013 may be remembered as the year that
solar really came into its own.
The solar industry is in a time of transition, and utilities are
actively questioning long-held assumptions and seeking an-
swers. For example, utilities are searching for resources they
can count on and generation they can manage around the
clock. Also, while they may look to solar to help meet peak de-
mand and cut back on expensive peak generation, right now,
we are in a transition and questions may outnumber answers.
Increasing the Solar Market
Two years ago, I envisioned a shift from 1% solar in 2011 to
30% in 2031. It would take more than just a single silver bullet
to create this change, however. Rather, it would have to come
about as a result of a myriad of factors, including a change in
the national energy policy, utility regulation and a continued
fall in solar prices. In addition, we needed the advent of af-
fordable storage, and the evolution of an advanced grid and
sophisticated energy management.
As we enter 2014, a new national Energy Policy Act is not on
the horizon. Nevertheless, the market for solar is accelerating
as prices fall and new business models emerge, bringing solar
within reach of more and more customers.
Working Together
We are just at the beginning of fguring out how to mea-
sure and fairly assign the costs and benefts of solar as well as
the costs and benefts of grid infrastructure in a world that
includes signifcant distributed resources. For solar, and its
future as an increasingly important part of the electricity mix,
it will take measures of adaption, innovation and compromise.
At the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA), we oper-
ate at an interesting and rather complex congruence of all the
market forces. Roughly half of our membership is utilities, and
half are engaged in some aspect of the business of generat-
ing and delivering solar products and services. On the surface,
the basic business models could not be more different. We
have, on the one hand, pragmatic utilities operating in highly
structured environments, saddled with complex requirements
and restraints. On the other hand, solar companies tend to
be highly entrepreneurial in nature, fast-moving and highly
responsive to market and customer shifts, trying to survive
through boom-and-bust cycles. There is a lot that each of the
two parts of our membership could learn from one another.
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CHARACTERSwithCharacter
Making Knowledge Work
Dan Patel,
Southern Company Services
By James R. Dukart, Contributing Writer
T
he drive behind Dan Patels personal life and profes-
sional life can be summed up in the motto of his under-
graduate university: Making Knowledge Work.
Patel is a principal engineer for the technical services
group of Engineering and Construction Services at Southern
Company Services in Birmingham, Alabama, U.S. His drive
to apply knowledge to practical issues and result in applicable
products and services, though, started more than 50 years ago
as a child, born in the state of Gujarat, India, to a father who
worked with village water supply equipment.
Patel called Gujarat, in northwest India bordering Paki-
stan, home until the age of 9, at which point he and his family
moved to England, near the English industrial hub of Birming-
ham. He went on to obtain a chemical engineering degree
from the University of Bradford in West Yorkshire, England,
home to the motto Making Knowledge Work, which he ap-
pears to have taken to heart, continuing to do so some 35 years
later in a new Birmingham this one in Alabama. Patel is still
working in water supply technology, only now as an inventor
and creator of software and carbon-remediation technologies
geared to electric utilities.
In the early 1990s, Patel developed new at the time
software to help utilities track groundwater quality status and
monitor potential contamination issues surrounding facilities.
We are like an in-house consulting company for the South-
ern plants, Patel explains. They [the plants] need to measure
wastewater elements like mercury and arsenic, and make sure
we have good data for all permit requirements. So, thats why I
developed the software called MANAGES.
The MANAGES software suite Patel developed for South-
ern is now used by many EPRI members to track data at other
plants across the country. In 2010, an update that includes spe-
cial allowances for the tracking and analysis of groundwater at
nuclear plants was released.
Another way Patel is aiming to put knowledge to use is
through new methods of carbon sequestration. As Patel ex-
plains, the challenge many utilities face today is how to remove
large amounts of carbon dioxide (CO
2
) released as a byprod-
uct of power generation, specifcally at coal-fred plants but
even at newer natural gas-driven generation sites. His answer
is patent-pending technology that allows carbon producers to
inject CO
2
directly into saline acquifers, which, he says, are far
more prevalent and in fact safer than traditional injection into
the surrounding ground.
Right now people are struggling, Patel notes. They are
trying to inject CO
2
into the ground, but there are seismic
risks and risks of contaminating shallow water. What we do
is change the form of the CO
2
, so that it is a different form
of the chemical. This will be applicable to anywhere the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency is going to require carbon
capture.
In addition to fossil fuel power plants, Patel mentions ce-
ment manufacturing as a high carbon-emitting industry.
Patel alludes to both physical and mental travel as ways
to spark ones intellectual creativity as well as fnd practical
applications of knowledge.
As a chemical engineer in this feld [electrical power gen-
eration], Ive been able to move around in a lot of ways, he
starts. Its almost like it is better not to be a specialist to come
at something from outside the box. That is what I try to do, to
look at things from the outside and fnd a solution that can
work.
As a triple citizen yes, you read that right Patel has
done his fair share of world travel from boyhood in India to
young adulthood and university study in Britain, to graduate
and professional work in the United States. And he continues
to travel when he can, preferably with his wife and family, last
on an Alaskan cruise that featured dog-sledding on one gla-
cier and a helicopter ride over another. Patel is considered an
overseas citizen by India because he was born there, and he
retained his British citizenship when granted American citi-
zenship as a young adult.
His move to United States in 1980 was, he adds, anything
but a long-planned or carefully engineered move.
My uncle from Louisiana was visiting in Britain, and said
he thought there might be better opportunities for young en-
gineers here than there, Patel recalls. So, I took him up on
that and went to live with him in Louisiana and attended Loui-
siana Tech.
Patel did a lot of odd jobs in those years, everything from
running a motel business in Oklahoma to managing a gas sta-
tion in Mississippi.
I was learning all about the American culture, the weather,
the language, the customs, he notes. It was a period of transi-
tion and getting up to speed, of gathering knowledge.
In other words, pretty much what youd expect from some-
one who has internalized and attempts to personify the Brad-
ford University motto.
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Desert
Transmission
Southern California Edison combines technology
and teamwork to meet challenging environmental
requirements on the Eldorado-Ivanpah
Transmission Project.
By Roger Schultz and Jerry Silva, Southern California Edison, and Bill Hanna, POWER Engineers Inc.
A 35-mile double-circuit 220-kV transmission line was
installed as part of the Eldorado-Ivanpah Transmission
Project to accommodate power from new solar develop-
ments. Construction in this sensitive desert landscape
along the southeast California-Nevada border required
meeting strict environmental mandates.
S
everal abrupt mountain ranges surround the des-
ert landscapes of the Eldorado and Ivanpah valleys,
where aprons of sediment slope down to scrub brush
and several dry lake beds in the valley bottoms. This
fragile desert habitat along the California-Nevada, U.S., bor-
der is home to several protected species such as the desert
tortoise and presents numerous challenges that make it hard
even to contemplate a major transmission line through this
region.
However, the sun that shines in the Ivanpah Valley also is
ideal for new solar generation projects, with up to 1,400 MW
of solar development coming on-line over the next few years.
This new solar generation will help California utilities like
Southern California Edison (SCE) to meet the states ambi-
tious renewables portfolio standard, which requires 33% of
generation from renewable sources by 2020.
SCEs existing transmission facilities, including a 35-mile
(56-km) single-circuit 115-kV transmission line, were inad-
equate for this anticipated development, which is how the
Eldorado-Ivanpah Transmission Project was born. The proj-
ect crossed lands managed by the Bureau of Land Manage-
ment, which required SCE to implement some of its most
aggressive and proactive environmental and safety programs
to date, encompassing environmental monitoring, training,
inspection and overall agency communication. All of this was
achieved under an accelerated 18-month project schedule to
meet a deadline for on-line generation testing of three new
solar partners solar-generation facilities.
The end result was a successful project that leveraged tech-
nology and teamwork to achieve project goals under a series
of demanding constraints. Using a state-of-the-art Web-based
platform known as POWER360 as a portal to access and in-
tegrate complex project data for quick decision making, the
team was able to achieve a collaborative approach with regu-
latory agencies that resulted in substantially quicker response
times than SCE typically has experienced, effective adjust-
ment of plans in the feld to continue construction even dur-
ing heightened bird activity season, and signifcantly above-
average safety results. Taking these results to heart, SCE plans
to use similar approaches for future project development.
PARTNERINGOutsourcing
Project Challenges
SCE fled an application for approval with the California
Public Utilities Commission in May 2009 and an initial ap-
plication with the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada
Strict dust control measures were implemented to avoid disruption of protected desert bighorn
sheep.
in April 2010. The Eldorado-Ivanpah
Transmission Project includes fve ma-
jor components:
A new 220/115-kV Ivanpah substa-
tion in San Bernardino County, Califor-
nia, just across from Primm, Nevada
Replacement of an existing 115-kV
line with a 35-mile double-circuit 220-kV
line with optical ground wire cable
Upgrades at the Eldorado substa-
tion near Boulder City, Nevada
Construction of two alternate tele-
communications pathways as well as
other equipment to connect the project
to SCEs existing telecommunications
system
Installation of a total of 211 lattice
steel towers and 10 H-frame steel pole
structures.
SCE hired POWER Engineers to
design the new transmission line and
perform owners engineer/construc-
tion management services. The construction contract was
awarded to PAR Electrical Contractors in August 2012,
and SCE received notice to proceed from the California
and Nevada utility commissions the following month.
25 www.tdworld.com | February 2014
Small helicopters are used to y in tools and personnel, set stringing dol-
lies and string conductor from structure to structure.
The team faced several signifcant challenges:
SCE was issued a permit under the Endangered Species
Act that would allow up to two incidental takes of desert tor-
toise, a threatened species that is concentrated in the valley.
Other projects including solar plant construction had been
stopped as a result of too many takes, and regulatory agen-
cies limited SCE to no more than two takes because of con-
cerns that previous mitigation plans had not been restrictive
enough and additional construction could further harm the
species.
Any bird nest defned as two sticks on a structure or
ground would stop all project activity within a specifed
buffer under Californias interpretation of the Migratory Bird
Treaty Act.
Use of helicopters to fy in preassembled lattice towers
would require consideration of dust control issues and poten-
tial disruption of protected desert bighorn sheep.
Extensive watering and dust monitoring would be re-
quired in the two states water-restricted areas.
Species previously thought to be nonexistent in the area
were found, including the Mojave green rattlesnake, which
is considered to be the most poisonous snake in the United
States, the burrowing owl and the American badger.
Bringing It All Together
The intensive effort to meet environmental requirements
FIND UNDERGROUND
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SEL offers the widest variety of high-quality
sensing solutions for underground distribution
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Learn more about SEL fault indicators and
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HIGH-QUALITY SENSING SOLUTIONS
Working from platforms known as spacer buggies, linemen install spacer dampers to prevent
subconductor contacts and to limit conductor vibration.
began right from the start, with a goal
of fostering a culture of strict compli-
ance, forward thinking and collabora-
tion with the regulatory agencies. The
frst step was establishing the owners
engineer/construction manager as the
single point of contact for construction
as well as environmental procedures
and requirements. Other measures were
as follows:
Mobilizing POWERs Web-based
collaboration tool, called POWER360,
to enable sharing of daily project status,
geographic information system (GIS)-
linked bird nesting areas and bird buf-
fers, map-linked feld pictures, detailed
reporting, and action items between
SCE, the regulatory agencies, PAR and
POWER
Using PARs GPS-based helicopter
navigation system to automate the com-
munication of latitude and longitude
locations of nest locations and buffers
through GPX fles a common GPS
data format to avoid disturbances
Implementing rigorous procedures
and training to minimize impact to pro-
tected species, and to prevent any inju-
ries or fatalities to workers
Creating a communications plan to
expedite responses to design requests
for information and project adjustments
as well as overall decision making
Establishing a rapid-response re-
source committee to address feld issues
related to monitoring, permitting, miti-
gation and compliance.
The result of all this planning and
coordination was readily apparent after
construction began in September 2012.
At any given time, approximately 100
environmental professionals were work-
ing on the project. Some were assigned
to crews to do a sweep of each work site
daily for sensitive plants and cacti, birds,
tortoises, owls and other protected spe-
cies in the proposed work sites. They
reported their fndings to the lead envi-
ronmental person on site.
Spotters were assigned to large vehi-
cles where seeing over the hood to spot
any desert tortoises would be diffcult.
The desert iguana (Dipsosaurus dorsalis) is a common species found in the Mojave Desert region
of the Eldorado and Ivanpah valleys.
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Detecting these tortoises can be hard, as they range in size
from a silver dollar up to 15 inches (25 mm up to 381 mm).
They also are the color and appearance of desert rocks. Any
violations, such as speeding, driving off designated corridors
or failing to look under parked vehicles before driving, would
be reported to the lead on site. Stand-downs or holds could be
called to deal with violations.
Monitors were assigned to look for bird nests or nesting be-
haviors. A rapid-response team was mobilized to report the
coordinates of any potential nest, log the nest on POWER360,
upload the location to working helicopters, send the location
and coordinates to construction crews, and immediately send
a request form to the regulatory agencies. PAR would submit
a workaround plan with drawings to POWER, which would
then send the request to SCE and, in turn, the agencies. The
agencies would review the request and return an answer with-
in 24 hours. Historically, on other similar projects, agency
response time was measured in number of days or weeks.
Special dust monitors watched for proper watering and
ensured excessive dust was not generated from vehicles and
equipment. Dust monitors attended a two-day class on detec-
tion and recognition methods.
The result of all that activity was no desert tortoises were in-
jured or killed during the project, construction never stopped
and the project stayed on schedule during the height of bird
activity season. General agency response time was reduced
from a 30- to 45-day range to a 3- to 5-day range, and a 24-hour
turnaround for bird nesting workarounds became the norm
using the POWER360 tool as the communications platform
for all parties.
Other Desert Obstacles
Challenges from the desert environment were not limited
to regulatory restrictions alone. There were several other
technical design and construction chal-
lenges. Soil conditions and topography
affected road construction, foundation
construction, tower assembly, conductor
stringing and work site access. Geologi-
cal conditions in the region included
alluvium felds, volcanic soils, sand, dry
lake beds and granite cliffs. The allu-
vium felds required large drill rigs to
lift larger stone.
Where volcanic soils existed or rock
fssures were common, a foundation
design known as a micropile was used.
Micropiles use special rods and grout
to anchor the foundation. They allow
for solid connections in areas where fs-
sures can grow and regular drill appli-
cation for steel-pole foundations is not
practical.
Vehicle traffc through McCullough
Pass is restricted, and installing struc-
tures is almost impossible and danger-
ous. PAR Electric used Sikorsky S-64 Skycrane helicopters
to fy in preassembled lattice towers. Smaller helicopters also
few in tools and personnel, set stringing dollies and strung
conductor from structure to structure. Fueling sites had to be
predetermined and approved by the regulatory agencies.
On top of hills, in dry lake beds and within wash perim-
eters, straw wattles tube-shaped erosion devices were re-
quired around each 250-ft by 250-ft (76-m by 76-m) work area.
A number of off-road race events occurred during the proj-
ect, crossing the alignment, and requiring planning and coor-
dination to avoid public hazards and work stoppage.
Safety Under Control
The expedited work schedule also raised the possibility
that safety could be a challenge, but proactive planning facili-
tated management of this primary concern. POWER was as-
signed as the responsible safety coordinator on site, with SCE
as the safety lead. POWER established a safety incident deter-
rent team with representatives who could address all aspects of
the feld work. The teams primary mission was to be proactive
in heading off safety incidents by working with the contractor
safety team in evaluating safety challenges and ensuring cor-
rective action.
Field observers also were present on site, providing an ad-
ditional level of accountability. The result was a days away, re-
stricted and transferred (DART) rate of 1.52 per 659,964 man-
hours worked, which is signifcantly better than the national
industry average of 2.10 for similar work and man-hours.
Taking Teamwork to New Levels
The lesson that soon became apparent from this project is
that it is necessary to be proactive to get ahead of project con-
straints, particularly when it comes to meeting environmental
challenges that can slow or stop construction. Having a com-
A Sikorsky S-64 Skycrane helicopter ies in preassembled lattice towers.
prehensive daily picture of project status, sharing GIS-linked
project information and coordinating with feld personnel
in real time have all become critical tools for project success.
Extensive preconstruction training and planning also are
necessities.
Having a single point of contact guiding the team through
environmental challenges and a state-of-the-art digital plat-
form that allows a single-source view of project information
for fast, informed decision making proved to be decisive in
achieving project goals. Regulatory agencies were integrated
into the construction process to an unprecedented extent.
They were given restricted access to the POWER360 site so
they could download bird nesting information and other proj-
ect details directly. The POWER360 site registered more than
1,500 hits in just one day, showing how extensively used it was
by both the internal team and external stakeholders.
What stands out about this overall effort is how SCE, PAR,
POWER and the regulatory agencies worked together success-
fully to address the steep environmental requirements and
challenges head-on.
Roger Schultz (roger.schultz@sce.com) is a senior project man-
ager for the Major Projects Organizations northeast territory at
Southern California Edison Co., a publicly owned utility. Schultz
has 33 years of experience in the utility industry licensing, con-
structing and managing substation and transmission projects.
His current projects include Silver State South and Eldorado-
Ivanpah Transmission Project.
William Jerry Silva (jerry.silva@sce.com) is a senior project man-
ager for the Major Projects Organizations northeast territory at
Southern California Edison Co. Silva has 31 years of experience
in the utility industry managing major licensing for substation
and transmission projects, and having served in key roles during
the energy crisis. His portfolio of projects includes the Kimball,
Triton and Leatherneck substations in addition to Silver State
South and Eldorado-Ivanpah Transmission Project. Silva has
been involved with all major local, state and federal licensing
permits for Eldorado-Ivanpah Transmission Project during the
last ve years.
Bill Hanna (bill.hanna@powereng.com) is a senior project man-
ager for POWER Engineers Inc. He has 36 years of experience
in the utility and consulting sectors licensing, constructing and
managing substation and transmission projects. Hanna repre-
sented Southern California Edison Co. as its owners engineer
on the Eldorado-Ivanpah Transmission Project.
Companies mentioned:
California Public Utilities Commission
www.cpuc.ca.gov/environment/info/ene/ivanpah/ivanpah.html
PAR Electric | www.parelectric.com
POWER Engineers | www.powereng.com
Sikorsky | www.sikorsky.com
Southern California Edison | www.sce.com
WORKFORCEManagement
Where Are the Crews?
Iberdrola USA implements a Web-based solution
to streamline work processes.
By Kerri Foster and Joe Purington, Central Maine Power
A
utomated crew management is a game changer for
the utility industry. Mobilizing and tracking crews
effciently, capturing crew staffng and the time
crews worked, and playing it back after a storm has
passed this is all data Iberdrola USA is collecting to bet-
ter gauge restoration costs and address information requests
from executive management and regulators.
Last fall, Central Maine Power Co., New York State Electric
& Gas and Rochester Gas & Electric began automating their
crew-management processes. These utilities, which are part of
Iberdrola USA, put in place Web-based software to give storm
managers and others access to a computer-generated board
for visually organizing and mobilizing crews required during
large power-restoration events. The new automated system
supports real-time distributed updating of crews by feld su-
pervisors and dispatchers, and tracks crew status, including
contractors across each operating utilitys service territory.
Talk of automating the crew-management process began as
early as 2011. In the beginning, the goal was to manage storms
better. However, Iberdrola USA quickly realized a utility will
never be successful with a system during a storm if the technol-
ogy is not used day to day.
State of Practice
Before automating this process, mobilizing and deploying
crews for power restoration and reporting on their status was
largely a manual process that required signifcant time and ef-
fort to assemble and collate information from numerous sites.
Even on blue-sky days, tracking crew assignments and work
status requires the application of complex workplace rules
for a real-time picture of work. Often, the centerpiece for as-
sembling and reporting on blue-sky days as well as storm-crew
resources is a spreadsheet, a whiteboard (rather, typically doz-
ens of whiteboards spread across multiple service centers) or,
in rare cases, a homegrown storm-management system.
The homegrown software system in place at Central Maine
Power was not a Web-based application. It could not easily gen-
erate reports, for example, about the tree-trimming and line
resources on a property. The homegrown system could not dis-
play the number of linemen working at a local level, let alone
on an individual circuit. The best the system offered was a view
of in which divisions crews were working.
At Iberdrolas operating utilities in New York, groups of
supervisors manually pieced together crews at local service
centers and handed this data over to dispatchers to match
it to their daily reporting location and availability for work.
At times, keeping count of crews could take more than 500
spreadsheets. Whether in Maine or New York, providing crew
deployment reports to regulators and executives during a ma-
jor event was a signifcant burden for personnel engaged in
managing the storm-restoration effort.
From Concept to Kickoff
Managing crews is complex. The utility industry must
juggle the maintenance of equipment, unexpected outages,
scheduling of crews and contending with bad weather. While a
The clearinghouse group assesses local needs. Local dispatch deploys crews for storm restoration.
LL LT
WORKFORCEManagement
utility regularly has planned work, the plan gets shelved when
a tree takes out a line, a house catches fre, a car runs into a
pole or a major event like Superstorm Sandy strikes.
Even on blue-sky days, the scheduled plan can get rewritten
on the fy if crews had to work extra hours the night before to
tackle the fallout from a weather event. Time of day, call-offs,
callouts and weather are always factors. During normal busi-
ness hours on a blue-sky day, the crews working for Iberdrola
USA go into the feld with a plan. A radio, text message or
phone call puts supervisors and dispatchers in contact with
crews if things change. And they always do.
After normal business hours, if trouble hits, Iberdrola
USA will launch a callout for one or more crews. And when
the company sees a major event looming, it shifts into storm
mode, and schedules crews and contractors for what is over
the horizon. In a world where uncertainty is routine, utility
professionals often have to rewrite the plan as they go.
With this in mind, Iberdrola USA began collaborating
with NSTAR, PEPCO Holdings and software developer
ARCOS in the spring of 2012 to develop a new system for
automating the management of crews. The system entailed
virtual boards to replace spreadsheets, whiteboards and
the homegrown system. The virtual boards would give
supervisors and executives a way to assess the makeup of
crews during blue-sky days, and manage employee, contrac-
tor and mutual-assistance crews during storms. As ARCOS
wrote the code, the utilities jointly tested the early versions and
gave feedback.
Iberdrola USA and Delmarva Power piloted the fnished
product a fast, accountable way to mobilize and track crews
for storms during the fall of 2013. The new system, Crew
Manager, helps utilities organize visually and mobilize crews
required during large power-restoration events and blue-sky
days. The software-generated boards mimic the traditional
whiteboards used today in operations centers and storm cen-
ters at many North American utilities.
With the old technology, all updates to local and region crew assignments
were recorded on a whiteboard.
WORKFORCEManagement
Flipping the Switch
The virtual boards point-and-click graphics let super-
visors tap touchscreen interactive whiteboards from their
PCs and mobile devices to see where crews are working and
reassign them as power restoration progresses, as needed.
A virtual board allows supervisors to track crews by job
classifcation, staging area, elapsed-time worked and sta-
tus. Working shifts, rest time, emergency callouts and work
exceptions appear as movable icons, so users can visualize
ongoing work and forecast potential needs. Users can re-
organize crews with a click to address the constant infow
of questions and information that come with restoration
work. Much like an air traffc control system coordinates
the movement of planes, Iberdrola USAs Crew Manager
shows the number of crews working or resting at any time,
even during a major event.
The virtual boards are giving Iberdrola USAs operating
utilities a visual of what is happening with crews in real time.
The virtual boards include color-coded icons designating dif-
ferent classes of employees, so supervisors can quickly tell if
a crew has the right composition and bargaining unit agree-
ments are met. The automated crew-management system also
tracks the cumulative hours a crew has worked and a minute-
by-minute account of how long each crew member has been
on the clock.
Iberdrola USA began using the new automated callout sys-
tem in October 2013, and CMP tapped the system during a
storm for the frst time in November as a cold front pushed
through its territory with wind gusts up to 60 mph (97 kmph).
Storm managers loaded contractors into the automated crew-
management system to prepare for the damage and tracked
where crews were along with what they were tackling.
Groundbreaking Common Sense
Managing crews with a centralized, virtual board is com-
mon sense, but it is also a groundbreaking way of operating.
And this is why: A virtual board can precisely and continually
Crews review and assess assignments through Crew Manager.
WORKFORCEManagement
system, crew members typically write a note
stating they worked the night before and
tack it to a board to be read the next day.
Recovering from major storm events re-
quires a fast response from a large and var-
ied workforce. By automating crew manage-
ment, Iberdrola USA has the potential to
deliver accurate crew invoicing by validating
the composition of contractor crews, vehicle
billing and utilization rates. The ability to re-
cord crew status and work also creates a his-
torical database for long-term trend analysis
that is invaluable for future pre-storm plan-
ning. This could give Iberdrola USA a way
to manage labor costs more closely during
a storm because supervisors can better pre-
dict which resources are needed.
Multiple Improvements
By automating crew management, Iberdrola USA believes
it can improve safety and satisfaction. With Crew Manager in
place, managers can point, click and move crews, and have
these employees icons change colors quickly, showing which
crews are tapped for storm duty. The system ensures each
crews status is tracked and work hours are managed for safety.
Iberdrola USAs Crew Manager helps it to safely expedite res-
toration work so customers see their power come on sooner.
And, because Crew Manager is cloud-based, any storm room
personnel or executive with Internet access can see the plan-
ning taking place and monitor the activation of crews, even if
Iberdrola USA has to evacuate its storm center.
Automated crew management is an around-the-clock, all-
weather answer to the question: Where are the crews?
Kerri Foster (kerri.foster@iberdrolausa.com) is the manager of
T&D support programs and projects for Central Maine Power.
During her 12 years at the utility, she has handled regulatory
affairs and risk management.She now manages electric opera-
tions projects for the three operating utilities owned by Iber-
drola USA: Central Maine Power Co., New York State Electric &
Gas and Rochester Gas & Electric.
Joe Purington (joseph.purington@cmpco.com) is director of
electric distribution for Central Maine Power. He is responsible
for the transmission and distribution system construction, op-
erations and maintenance along with the energy control center.
capture crew staffng, assign crews as needed and replay all
the moves after a storm has passed. Anyone working a storm
can display the virtual board anytime and anywhere to update
crew status, move or demobilize crews, or simply see what is
happening. Utility managers can use this constantly updated
information from a centralized database to calculate costs
more accurately and respond to requests from executives and
regulators.
Automating crew management is a logical step for North
American utilities, especially the ones using the ARCOS suite
for automating callouts. Once a utility automatically calls out
crews, tracking each crews makeup, skills and real-time status
is a natural outgrowth; it could even lead to a national crew
management system.
Another beneft Iberdrola USA has found is automated
crew management gives a manager a head start on setting up
crews for the next days work. For example, before supervisors
come to work, they can see from their smartphone when a
crew is on rest because the crews work stretched from nor-
mal business hours into the night. The manager has a jump-
start on reorganizing crews and expediting the departure of
crews that morning. Without an automated crew-management
A local safety specialist conducts a safety brieng for the mutual-assistance crews.
NYSEG crews enroute to Central Maine Power to provide assistance.
ARCOS LLC | www.arcos-inc.com
Central Maine Power Co. | www.cmpco.com
Delmarva Power | www.delmarva.com
Iberdrola USA | www.iberdrolausa.com
New York State Electric & Gas | www.nyseg.com
NSTAR | www.nstar.com
PEPCO Holdings | www.pepco.com
Rochester Gas & Electric | www.rge.com
When different perspectives come together, there is a unique opportunity for
innovation and discovery. The Modern Solutions Power Systems Conference (MSPSC)
encourages meaningful collaboration across a variety of industries and disciplines.
Industry leaders and technical experts share success stories, discuss best practices,
learn about emerging technologies, and explore innovative solutions to simplify and
solve the critical issues affecting modern power systems.
Register now and learn more at www.selinc.com/mspsc.
2014 Topics:
The Case for Microgrids: Islanding Can Be a Good Thing
Best Maintenance Practices Improve Power Systems
A Fresh Look at Standardization
Implementing Large-Scale Solutions to Aging Infrastructure
Reinventing the Relationship Between Operators and Regulators
The Human Factor in Cybersecurity
The Realities of Renewables
And more
The diversity of speakers
and the fact that there are
discussions that go beyond
our industry make this more
unique than most conferences.
Managing Director of Transmission
Engineering
JUNE 35, 2014 HOUSTON, TEXAS
SUBSTATIONFacilities
Proong the Ground Grid
Injection current tests enable New Zealand utility
to demonstrate compliance with statutory
regulations and safety requirements.
By Rodger Grifths, Westpower Ltd.
G
rounding systems installed by transmission and
distribution utilities can be diffcult to test as they
are often extensive and can have very low imped-
ance. The traditional portable ground testing
equipment available is designed primarily for relatively small
systems and, in many cases, is not able to measure very low
resistance. In particular, it cannot test reliably or easily for
touch, step or transferred voltages. Grounding systems must
be able to perform correctly during the infrequent but seri-
ous power-system ground-fault events. Inadequate grounding
systems can result in hazardous voltages arising under fault
conditions.
To comply with statutory and regulatory requirements, util-
ity grounding systems for existing and new substations should
be subjected to testing when installed and again every few
years under a maintenance regime. Testing is required to en-
sure that during a ground fault, the general public and feld
staff are not exposed to any hazards. Further, telecommunica-
tions equipment should not get damaged and voltage hazards
should not be transferred onto other facilities or services such
as fences, gas pipelines or water pipelines. The magnitude of
the ground potential rise (GPR) and the associated voltage
hazards are directly linked to the layout, fault currents and
impedance of an overall grounding system.
Westpower Ltd., a distribution utility on the West Coast of
New Zealand, was faced with the need to undertake ground-
ing compliance testing at six 66-kV
and 33-kV substations. It needed to
determine the overall grid system
impedance and ground fault poten-
tials on security fencing, high-voltage
plants, water pipes and metalwork in
nearby buildings, as well as to iden-
tify the GPR contours to ensure that
no dwellings or telecommunications
were within the hot zone, where
GPR is above the allowable thresh-
old. In some cases, existing ground
grids can be modeled using appro-
priate software. However, experience
has shown it is almost always cost ben-
efcial to also test the ground grid in-
stead of attempting just to model the
grounding system.
Few practical methods exist
for comprehensively testing such
grounding systems. However, West-
power was well aware of the Mitton
Instruments ground grid off-fre-
quency injection test equipment,
which had a proven track record of
use throughout New Zealand and
Australia. For this ground testing
project, Westpower staff used the
Mitton Instruments ground grid in- The LCI2000 portable low current injector operates at 58 Hz as a current source.
jection test equipment with the assistance of staff from both
Westpower and Mitton Instruments.
Ground Testing Equipment
The objective of the test program was to produce, for each
substation site, a comprehensive test report that included rec-
ommendations for mitigation or ground grid modifcations to
eliminate any identifed hazards. The testing also provided a
footprint for future reference.
IEEE Standard 81.2-2012, Guide for Measurement of Im-
pedance and Safety Characteristics of Large, Extended or
Interconnected Grounding Systems, in-
cludes a background on ground testing
and the various test methods that can be
applied. The diffculty in ground grid in-
jection testing is to implement a method
that does not require a substantial pow-
er-system outage to enable the injection
of relatively high test currents needed to
overcome background electrical noise.
One method is to use off-frequency
low current injection, whereby a signal
is injected into the ground system at a
frequency very close to the system fre-
quency. Tuned voltmeters are then used
to detect the resulting voltage signals on
the grounding system.
The method and equipment are gen-
erally suitable for both large and small
substations and switchyards (for exam-
ple, 11 kV to 500 kV) and power stations.
Mitton Instruments has developed
specialized equipment to undertake
these tests that replicate, on a small
scale, the effects of a ground fault on
the grounding system. The LCI2000
portable low current injector operates at
58 Hz, and the associated TVM1000 volt-
meter is tuned to 58 Hz, with exceptional
rejection of the 50-Hz residual noise and
any associated harmonics. The LCI2000
operates as a current source and this
means no special power-transfer-match-
ing transformers are required.
By using this method, only the test sig-
nal is measured, and any fundamental,
harmonic or other noise on the ground-
ing system or noise induced in the test ca-
bles is rejected. In addition, the unique
signature of the 58-Hz signal may be
identifed easily at signifcant distances
from the substation under test, such as
on farm fences, low-voltage grounding
systems, substation or power station in-
frastructure, and third-party equipment
such as gas or water pipelines.
Off-frequency injection, together with sensitive measuring
equipment, allows identifcation of the unique and often rela-
tively low signal levels against the much higher background
noise levels. The grounding system parameters can be mea-
sured without de-energizing the substation. The same test
equipment is available for 60-Hz systems where the injection
current and tuned voltmeters are set at 52 Hz.
Both new and existing switchyard grounding grids have
been tested using this instrumentation. The results confrmed
both the ground grid design and the effectiveness of the test
equipment. Computer models and test results show close
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correlation, including predicted touch voltages in and around
the sites. However, as mentioned previously, the main beneft
of injection testing is to determine the ground grid perfor-
mance since, in the majority of cases, the actual performance
will differ from the design because of the many variables as-
sociated with grid design and practical installation.
Ground Testing Method
The injection circuit can comprise
either a distribution or transmission
line, or an independent cable. The lat-
ter is preferred if a suitable cable route is
available as it enables independent grid
testing and is simpler to organize. For
best results, the inspection point should
be located at a distance of at least fve
times the diameter of the ground grid
under test.
The LCI2000 injector is capable of
injecting up to 10 A rms, a value that
will remain constant irrespective of any
change in ground resistance as a result
of remote test ground rod heating.
If a de-energized overhead line is
used, induced currents should be con-
sidered frst where the line is in parallel
with an energized circuit. The equip-
ment can operate with several amps of induced system cur-
rent. The out-of-service line should be well grounded at the
remote end or at a position along the line.
In the substation grounding tests conducted for Westpow-
er, an independent cable was used to inject the test current
into the grounding system. Ideally, the remote end of the in-
Remote current
injection electrode
Low current
injector
Test current
Ground grid
under test
Touch and step
voltage measurements
Remote voltage
reference
Tuned
voltmeter
The diagram provides an overview of the current injection test circuit.
Rauckman Utility Products
Belleville, Illinois
www.rauckmanutility.com
ph: 618-234-0001
3
1
5
9
B
Animal Mitigation
Substation Outage Protection
Easy Energized Installation
Delivers a Non-Lethal
Electrostatic Jolt to Animals
Wildlife Shield ZAPSHIELD
Avian Covers
Insulator Cover & Extenders
Easy Installation & Long Life CUSTOM SOLUTIONS
Stinger Covers
Various Sizes & Lengths
Pole-Helmet Pole Caps
Round & Square
in Many Sizes
Lineman & Safety Tools
Lineman
Combination
Wrenches
BUGWRENCH
MeterPuller
Residential & Industrial
9 lbs.
Pole Tong
Heavy-Duty, Light Weight
Holdtag
URD-Tag
Overhead, URD &
Terminal Block
Tagging Devices
BlockJaw
Outage Protection
Cutout Cover
ZAP Cover
Has Active
Electrostatic
Jolt Layer
Bushing Cover
jection circuit should be the lowest pos-
sible resistance; this can be achieved by
locating the remote ground rods in a
swampy area, pond or creek, or by satu-
rating the surrounding soil with a mild
saltwater solution.
Impedance Measurements
To determine the grounding system impedance, the volt-
age rise of the ground grid is measured with respect to the
ground grids under test. The GPR is recorded using the
TVM1000 tuned voltmeter. Readings are taken at intervals
that gradually increase from the grounding system until
the value of GPR is constant (that is, the position of remote
ground has been reached). In some cases, it may be possible
to use a local telecommunications circuit to provide a second
remote ground reference.
It is preferred to take the GPR readings on a route approxi-
mately 90 degrees (perpendicular) to the route of the injec-
tion current to minimize errors caused by any induced voltage
created by the injection current. This is particularly signif-
cant when the grounding system impedance is below 0.5 .
The maximum test GPR divided by the test current yields
the impedance of the grounding system. For very low imped-
ance grids, which can be quite inductive, it can be useful to
measure the phase angle between the voltage and current
to determine the impedance angle. This can be done using
the TVM1000P, which includes a phase-angle measurement
option.
Touch and Step Voltages
The open-circuit touch voltages at each substation were
determined by using the TVM1000 and a metal plate to mea-
sure the voltage between the metallic item under test and the
ground surface at a 1-m (3.3-ft) distance. The prospective volt-
age is independent of the ground surface treatment or soil
resistivity (and is the same voltage the ground grid design soft-
ware programs calculate).
The touch voltage measurement is repeated with a 1,000-
resistor across the voltmeter input to provide an indication
of the actual touch voltage that would arise across a persons
body. With the resistor loading the voltage source, the touch
voltage is reduced depending on the surface contact resis-
tance with the metal plate. For example, a prospective test
touch voltage reading of 500 mV on a crushed rock surface
may reduce to 20 mV when loaded with the resistor. These re-
sults confrm the benefcial effect of using crushed rock as a
surface layer in substation compounds.
On natural soil, a similar test may only reduce the 500 mV
to 400 mV, indicating low soil surface resistivity. The TVM1000
includes a switchable 1,000- resistor to facilitate the proce-
dure. Step voltages are measured in a similar way. The results
of the touch and step voltages tests are scaled up by the ratio
of maximum ground fault current to test current. The ground
grid characteristics under actual fault conditions then can be
compared with the acceptable touch and step voltage limits in
IEEE 80 or similar standards or regulations.
Impact of GPR on Telecommunications Equipment
The GPR arising from power-system fault current is of par-
ticular interest to telecommunications companies. The rise in
ground potential can cause insulation failure and other dam-
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700
6,000
5,000
4,000
3,000
2,000
1,000
0
G
P
R

(
V
)
Distance from grid (m)
GPR Traverse (with respect to remote ground)
430 V @ 100 m
Ground potential rise (GPR) with respect to a remote ground as a func-
tion of distance from the grid.
The testing crew is making a touch voltage measurement on station equipment using a metal
plate for ground contact.
The tuned voltmeter is used to take measure-
ments during the ground grid testing.
age to telecommunications equipment, and can also be a haz-
ard to staff working in the vicinity. The GPR traverse measure-
ments can be used to assess the severity of the GPR arising as a
result of a power-system grounding fault.
By replotting the graph with respect to remote ground, the
actual ground surface GPR can be determined by using the ra-
tio of real fault current to test current. This provides the GPR
contour locations, for example the 430-V contour that may be
of signifcant interest to telecommunications companies. In
this example, the GPR contour of 430 V was located at ap-
proximately 20 m (66 ft) from the edge of the ground grid.
Current Splits
The current injection method enables the effect of ad-
ditional ground paths provided by cable screens and over-
head ground wires to be determined. The test current can
be measured in these conductors using a fexible current
transformer and TVM1000 or TVM1000P. The current
transformer can be placed directly around power cables to
measure the test current in the cable screen/sheath.
Where possible, the phase angle of the current split also
should be recorded, particularly for cable screens, which
can be quite inductive. Proportions of test currents can be
detected in almost any conductor such as buried services,
low-voltage power supply cables, telecommunications cable
and gas pipelines, provided the current transformer loop is
large enough to encompass the service.
Compliance Achieved
The off-frequency test equipment enabled the ground-
ing systems of all Westpowers substations to be tested ef-
fectively. Where hazardous touch and transferred voltages
were identifed, the engineers were able to propose suitable
forms of mitigation such as additional buried conductor
for gradient control, crushed rock to increase contact re-
sistance, and the electrical isolation of fence sections. The
GPR contours were identifed and this ensured that no tele-
communications systems would be compromised. Overall, the
use of this test equipment and methods enabled Westpower
to demonstrate compliance with statutory regulations and
health and safety requirements.
Acknowledgement
The author wishes to acknowledge the assistance and tech-
nical support provided by Tony Mitton of Mitton Instruments
in the preparation of this article.
Rodger Grifths (rgrifths@electronet.co.nz) has held vari-
ous engineering positions with Westpower Ltd., a distribution
utility on the West Coast of New Zealands South Island, and
now works as an asset manager for ElectroNet Services Ltd., a
Westpower subsidiary. He is responsible for the management
and performance of all Westpowers assets, including transmis-
sion equipment up to 110 kV and the ongoing development and
rollout of asset management strategies. Most recently, Grifths
served on the Electricity Engineers Association National Work-
ing Party, developing the Guide to Power System Earthing
Practice, a document developed to assist with compliance with
the New Zealand electricity safety legislation.
IEEE | www.ieee.org
Mitton Instruments | www.mittoninstruments.com
Westpower Ltd. | www.westpower.co.nz
A technician takes a cable screen current split measurement.
Step voltage potential is measured with leads from plates beneath the tech-
nicians shoes.
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UNDERGROUNDSystems
Pipe-Type Cable
Gets Einstein Treatment
late 1800s, the Potomac Electric Power Co. (PEPCO), a PHI
Service Co., and predecessor companies have been serving the
district and areas of Maryland dating back to the Washington
Traction and Electric Co., a street car company.
Over such an extended time, the power system has evolved
with the ever-increasing demands to supply the energy needs
of the district, and PEPCO is continuously challenged with
meeting those needs. As part of the effort to enhance reliabil-
ity and meet energy demands of the area, PEPCO recogniz-
ing a migration in power generation outside of its region
constructed a 230-kV pipe-type cable system to connect major
power substations in the district and neighboring Maryland
along a 5.4-mile (8.7-km) route and incorporated 21
st
century
smart technology into aspects of the line to optimize perfor-
mance and control of the system.
The cable for this project was manufactured by The Okonite
Cable Co. and consisted of a 3,000-kcmil segmental copper
conductor with 0.5 inches (12.7 mm) of laminated paper poly-
propylene (LPP) insulation and two D-shaped stainless-steel
U
nderground power transmission is an integral part
of major metropolitan areas, and Washington, D.C.
where the confuence of political, social and,
yes, electrical energy come together to direct and
support the lives of people throughout the United States and
the world is no exception. With a history that started in the
Trenching for portions of the route was performed along exist-
ing utility rights-of-way. PVC conduits were installed at the 10
oclock and 2 oclock positions immediately outside the cable
pipe for distributed temperature monitoring bers. Tempera-
ture monitoring and communications bers were placed in larg-
er conduits located away from the cable pipes.
PEPCO uses real-time thermal rating to enhance
power-transfer capabilities with better monitoring
and control.
By Christopher W. Schnetzler, William A. Lopez and Mousa Hejazi, Potomac Electric Power Co.,
and Earle C. Bascom III, Electrical Consulting Engineers, P.C.
UNDERGROUNDSystems
skid wires. PEPCO contracted with W.A. Chester to install the
8.625-inch (220-mm) Schedule 40 (0.25-inch [6.4-mm]) cable
pipe and to pull, splice and terminate all of the cable.
Taking the Cables Temperature
Old-school methods for measuring temperature typically
involved a copper-constantine Type-T thermocouple junction
with test leads run to a hand-hole for spot measurements with
handheld meters or recording using battery-operated data
loggers. These point sensors only measure the temperature at
one location, and cable conditions can vary over short distanc-
es along the length of a circuit. As a result, hot spots combi-
nations of installation conditions and soil characteristics that
limit ratings may be missed, allowing the cable to operate
above rated temperature.
Fortunately, there is now a state-of-the-art alternative meth-
od for temperature monitoring. An optical fber is installed
What Is Pipe-Type Cable Anyway?
The original oilostatic technology is derived from a blend of 1880s kraft (German for
strong) paper-production methods with concepts developed for electrically insulating
pressboard, initially used in power transformers in the 1920s. Pipe-type cables were rst
patented in the 1930s, recognizing the benets in insulation properties by pressurizing
the dielectric liquid in combination with the paper tapes.
PEPCO rst applied these systems on its system in 1957 with 69-kV circuits. In the pipe-
type cable system, grade-A carbon-steel-pipe sections are welded together in a cable
trench using backing rings before being backlled with thermal sand or uidized thermal
backll. The steel pipe is an integral part of the system, so a corrosion coating and
cathodic protection system are used to protect the pipe. Pipes connect substations to
intermediate manholes, where splices are located and contained within welded casings.
Cables are constructed of stranded copper or aluminum conductors with helically
applied kraft paper or laminated paper polypropylene (LPP) tapes saturated with dielectric liquid. Shield tapes and skid wires are
applied over each cable for mechanical protection, and the three cable phases are simultaneously pulled through the installed
cable pipe. The pipe is evacuated of moisture and pressurized to a nominal 200 psi with dielectric liquid; pressure is maintained
from pumping plants at one or both ends.
Though there is a denitive trend toward other cable types (for example, extruded cables), underground transmission systems
in North America have predominantly used pipe-type cables into the 1990s, with utilities relying on the proven paper-insulation
technology and long, successful operating history with these systems by many utilities. Pipe systems continue to be used on a
select basis where space constraints limit available trench and manhole dimensions for extruded systems, and where directional-
drilled crossings may be required and benet from long allowable pulling distances of pipe cable.
Aside from the nuance of LPP tapes a sandwich of kraft paper and polypropylene tapes in the 1970s, pipe-type cable sys-
tems have largely been left unchanged for decades. However, this does not mean there are not new approaches to the way these
systems may be designed, installed and operated.
Installed Cable System Parameters
Component Description
Conductor, shield 3,000-kcmil segmental copper intercalated
metalized paper and copper tapes
Insulation 0.5-inch (12.7-mm) laminated paper polypropylene
Insulation, shield Intercalated metalized paper and stainless-steel
tapes, and two layers of Mylar tapes
Skid wires Two 3-inch (76-mm) lay, D-shaped 0.1-inch by
0.2-inch (2.5-mm by 5-mm), stainless steel
Pipe lling Alkylbenzene
Cable pipe 8.625-inch, 0.25-inch (220-mm, 6.4-mm) wall
The 3,000-kcmil segmental copper con-
ductor pipe-type cables with stainless-
steel shield tapes and D-shaped skid
wires during cable pulling operations.
The real-time thermal rating and temperature monitoring system is
rack-mounted in a control building located in one substation of the
230-kV transmission circuit.
UNDERGROUNDSystems
in close proximity to the cable system to measure the tem-
perature. Ideally, the conductor temperature itself would be
measured, as this is the temperature that limits most ratings,
but it is impractical because of the energized line-to-ground
voltage and, in a pipe-type cable, is further complicated by the
pressurized dielectric liquid within the steel pipe. So, 2-inch
(50-mm) conduits were installed immediately outside of the
cable pipes at the 10 oclock and 2 oclock positions to contain
the temperature measurement fbers.
PEPCO routinely also includes conduits in the center of the
trench in which to put communications fbers. On the new
circuit, these are used in a dual role to measure the tempera-
ture, as well.
As a test bed for fber-optic-based temperature measure-
ments, PEPCO wanted the ability to compare measurements
right outside the cable pipe with temperatures from the posi-
tions of the communications conduits to gain experience for
possible retroft applications on pipe circuits that only had
the communications conduits. The new lines have four active
fbers, although only two were needed for temperature moni-
toring and to provide feedback for real-time ratings. Spare f-
bers also were included in each fber-optic cable in the event
a fber became damaged during the installation or operation.
Use of an optical fber for temperature monitoring of cable
systems was considered in the mid-1990s based on a physics
principal frst identifed in the 1920s another instance
of marrying old and new technologies. Incident laser light
pulses sent into optical fbers produce backscatter. This phe-
nomenon, known as the Raman effect, uses the temperature-
Operations during the process of pulling the cables into the pipe.
dependent backscatter and signal processing to determine the
temperature approximately once every meter (3.3 ft) along the
fber, giving a complete temperature profle and thousands of
measured values over PEPCOs 5.4-mile-long cable pipes. This
distributed measurement avoids missing hot spots.
LIOS Technology supplied the distributed temperature
sensing (DTS) system used by PEPCO. Many DTS-based
temperature systems use optical time-domain refectometry
common to the communications industry, but LIOS system
is based on an optical frequency domain method for faster
measurement times and generally improved long-term reli-
ability. Usually communications fber is a low-loss single-mode
type, but, for improved temperature measurement accuracy
(1C [1.8F]) and spatial resolution (approximately 1 m), a
50-micron multimode optical fber was selected.
As part of confguring the system, PEPCOs cable system de-
sign consultant, Electrical Consulting Engineers, P.C. applied
knowledge of the installation conditions along the cable route
and details from as-built drawings to identify zones of interest
for the purposes of measuring temperatures that would be most
important for ratings. The beneft to identifying zones is that a
few tens of temperature values must be transferred to the util-
itys supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system
rather than the thousands of values from the detailed DTS mea-
surements. If detailed studies are needed or PEPCO requires
more information, the complete temperature measurement
traces are still available on the system located in the substation.
Temperature traces and the corresponding zone tem-
peratures are measured every 15 minutes, as this interval was
deemed to be a reasonable balance for the processing time for
each temperature measurement with the relatively long ther-
mal time constant of the buried cable system.
In addition to the cable temperatures, loops of optical fber
were installed at three burial depths 3 ft, 6 ft and 9 ft (about
1 m, 2 m and 3 m) remote from the power cables and any
other heat-producing sources to provide an ambient tempera-
ture input for rating calculations. The 3-ft to 9-ft range was
representative of the range of depths for most of the installed
cable along the route.
The Real Deal on Real-Time Thermal Ratings
Traditional cable system design requires developing the
ampere capacity, or ampacity, rating of the cables. Methods
for rating calculations are based on the 1957 Neher-McGrath
paper and subsequent standards such as IEC 60287. These
methods require knowledge of the cable system construction
from a manufacturers cut sheets, expected circuit loading pat-
terns (daily load and loss factors), as well as information about
the installation conditions including trench geometry, circuit
separation, type of special backfll used around the cable
pipes and native soil characteristics.
Often, conservative assumptions are made because the ca-
ble engineer has incomplete and imperfect information about
the characteristics. Some parameters such as ambient temper-
ature change on a seasonal basis, while circuit loading may
change rapidly over the course of a few hours, affecting both
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UNDERGROUNDSystems
load shape and preload conditions for emergency ratings. For
typical static book ratings supplied to operators, worst-case as-
sumptions are applied to combat these unknowns, often at the
cost of sacrifcing some usable capacity on the cable system.
Real-time thermal rating (RTTR) systems monitor key
cable system parameters, including circuit loading and mea-
sured ambient temperature, to avoid the overly conservative
rating calculations and optimize the allowable power-transfer
capability of the cable asset. PEPCO employed this technology
with a LIOS-supplied system using a real-time rating engine
from Cyme International.
In conjunction with defning the cable temperature mea-
surement zones, unique installation conditions for all these lo-
cations were confgured in the real-time rating engine model.
The calculations incorporated the measured earth ambient
temperature, measured load and real-time feedback from the
measured DTS fber temperatures near the cable pipes. Emer-
gency ratings consider the circuit preload, and the real-time
engine calculates new emergency values based on preload
conditions, often providing a signifcant increase particularly
for short-duration emergencies.
PEPCO selected normal ratings and several emergency
durations that were programmed into the RTTR system. Cal-
culated ratings were transferred from the RTTR computer
to PEPCOs SCADA system, where they could be used by sys-
tem operators and engineers to evaluate the performance
of the cable circuits and make market
decisions on power transfer availability
through the 230-kV pipe-type circuit.
As part of the confguration process,
ratings calculated with the RTTR system
were compared to book ratings to verify
the system had been modeled correctly.
The system was allowed to run to evalu-
ate reliability and stability of the calcula-
tion results under varied conditions.
Poise Under Pressure
Dielectric fuid pressurization is
maintained by a shipping-container-
sized pumping plant to accommodate
dielectric liquid expansion and contrac-
tion. MAC Products manufactured the
pressurization plants. Old-school pump-
ing plants used electromechanical con-
trol systems to regulate when pressur-
ization pumps or relief valves activated as dielectric liquid in
the pipes expanded and contracted with load cycling. While
these types of systems are reliable, any type of alarm generally
required personnel to go to the pumping plant locations to
determine whether immediate intervention was required.
PEPCOs Benning-Ritchie pressurization plants were de-
signed with specialized solid-state programmable logic con-
troller (PLC)-based monitoring systems that permit remote
80
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260
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300
320
340
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440
460
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500
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10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
E
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)
Preload (percent of normal rating)
15 minutes
1 hour
4 hours
24 hours
100 hours
300 hours
Normal
Emergency rating characteristics as a function of preload.
Pumping plant operation and monitoring based on programmable
logic controllers allow utility personnel to evaluate pumping plant
conditions remotely.
UNDERGROUNDSystems
monitoring. When a trouble call comes
in at any time, day or night, responsible
personnel can check the entire state of
the pressurization system remotely using
a portable computer or by logging on to
PEPCOs energy management system.
Smart Pipe Cable Challenges
Implementation of the smart technol-
ogy did not come without some hitches. One of the biggest
challenges was addressing the utilitys network security pro-
tocols. The DTS and RTTR systems were supplied by vendors
outside the United States and had similar but not identical
communications protocols to that of the utility.
Furthermore, the temperature monitoring and real-time
rating packages were based on computer systems that were
non-native to systems that had been vetted by the utilitys net-
work security personnel. This meant the systems had be intro-
duced to the hardened data connections to receive real-time
load and measured temperatures from the utility network
acting as a master device and to post calculation results
to the SCADA system acting as a slave device to PEPCOs
network. Making the neurons talk to one another required
addressing challenges on many levels. As smart as the system
turned out to be, closing the synapses took some time.
Ultimately, the Einstein treatment proved effective for the
pipe-type circuit and is expected to allow PEPCO enhanced
power-transfer capabilities over other circuits in addition to
better monitoring and control throughout the expected 40-
year life of the cable system.
Christopher W. Schnetzler (cwschnetzler@pepco.com) is an
engineer in underground transmission engineering with the
Potomac Electric Power Co., focusing on underground transmis-
sion systems. He holds a BSCE degree from the University of
Maryland and a Fundamentals in Engineering certicate.
Mousa Hejazi (mhejazi@pepcoholdings.com) worked with
Greehorne & OMara Inc. (Stantec) for 15 years before joining
PEPCO Holdings Inc. He is responsible for management of civil
engineering and consulting services for the planning, design
and construction management of infrastructure projects involv-
ing utility systems and roadway improvements. Hejazi holds a
BSCE (environmental option) degree from George Washington
University and a masters degree in engineering management.
He is a registered professional engineer in Maryland.
William A. Lopez (walopez@pepco.com) is the lead engineer
and technical advisor in PEPCOs transmission group and the
project manager for special projects. He holds a BSCE degree
from the University of Maryland and a master electrician license
in Maryland and Virginia. Lopez worked for EMS Inc. as an
environmental electrical control specialist for three years before
joining PEPCO in 2000 as distribution engineer.
Earle C. Rusty Bascom III (r.bascom@ec-engineers.com)
worked with underground cable systems for Power Technologies
Inc. and Power Delivery Consultants Inc. before founding Electri-
cal Consulting Engineers, P.C. in 2010, where he is president
and a principal engineer. Bascom holds an associates degree
in engineering science, a BSEE degree and masters degree in
electric power engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute,
and an MBA degree from the State University of New York at Al-
bany. He is a senior member of the IEEE Power & Energy Society,
a voting member of the Insulated Conductors Committee and
Standards Association, a member of CIGR, and a registered
professional engineer in New York, Florida and Texas.
Cyme International | www.cyme.com
Electrical Consulting Engineers, P.C | www.ec-engineers.com
LIOS Technology | www.lios-tech.com
MAC Products | www.macproducts.net
PEPCO | www.pepco.com
The Okonite Cable Co. | www.okonite.com
W.A. Chester | www.wachester.com
This is one of two pressurization plants located at the ends of the 230-kV
transmission line. The plants ladder (inset) has valves and transducers
to control pipe dielectric liquid pressures.
DISTRIBUTIONDesign
AEP Visualizes the
Future of the Grid
New technology supports a massive data analysis
project that will provide direction for future smart
grid expansions.
By Brian Schell, American Electric Power
R
ecent years have seen an explosion in new technolo-
gies and policies that impact electric utilities, from
the adoption of demand management tariffs to the
integration of alternative energy sources. In 2009,
the U.S. Department of Energy selected American Electric
Power (AEP) Ohio to implement a smart grid demonstration
project for a portion of the utilitys service territory in north-
east central Ohio.
With various technologies being tested in a targeted mar-
ket over a four-year period including volt/volt-ampere-re-
active optimization (VVO), energy storage, demand response
and electric vehicle chargers the intention was to simulate
how these technologies would impact or affect the overall grid
if fully deployed throughout AEPs service territory.
Many Questions
To understand the potential impact of these technologies,
AEP Ohio needed extremely detailed distribution circuit
planning models that incorporated dozens of options in tech-
nologies, devices and operating policies. There are poten-
tially hundreds of scenarios that come to mind in which the
different options could be combined: What happens if the
electric vehicle market share triples? What if 50% of custom-
ers start using consumer demand-management technologies?
What if a signifcant increase in renewable energy integration
is seen? What if all of these things happen at once, are the
effects cumulative or do they cancel each other out in unex-
pected ways?
AEP Ohio designed a numerical experiment that would
answer these questions and
more using modeling and simu-
lation. For the experiment, the
utility identifed fve demand-
response tariffs and fve equip-
ment-based technologies to
evaluate. Each of these 10 tech-
nologies was assessed to fnd
their individual impact on the
grid. Additionally, many of the
technologies were combined to
identify whether they behaved
synergistically or resulted in de-
graded performance.
Within each technology
study, a parameter space and
settings were chosen for each
technology to vary, which was
used to both interpolate and
extrapolate the effects of the
smart grid technologies. In ad-
dition to selecting these tech-
nologies, AEP also identifed,
for the numerical experiment,
32 circuits that represent 94%
The other side of the smart grid construction includes massive data analysis that supports the deci-
sions of what should be physically installed.
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DISTRIBUTIONDesign
of the approximate 1,700 circuits in the service territory. All
of the circuits were classifed as one of 12 circuit types, based
on 10 circuit characteristics. This categorization and sub-
selection of feeders allows for the results from these 32 feeders
to be scaled and applied to all AEP Ohio feeders.
Modeling the Answers
AEP Ohio decided to use GridLAB-D, an open-source grid
modeling program, to calculate the power fow for each cir-
cuit modeled in the experiment. This modeling software sup-
ported incredibly detailed analysis of the project: everything
from the substation to the meter and everything in the house,
including appliances, lighting load, plug load, heating, cool-
ing and more. Gathering all of the data to accurately defne
these objects took about four to fve days using existing tools.
Given the scope of the numerical experiment, this was far too
labor intensive. AEP worked with Bat-
telle to form a solution that simplifed
and reduced model building time.
The new modeling tool, now part
of the Battelle Grid Command soft-
ware suite, improves the effciency
of building full circuit models. Grid
Command gives users an easy-to-use
interface that sits on top of the Grid-
LAB-D calculation engine. It imports
the baseline data from existing data-
bases and then automates the model
building process for users. The idea
was to allow models to be built, para-
metric studies to be set up, and data
to be analyzed in an effcient and con-
sistent way.
Each of the 32 distribution circuits
was calibrated against a full year of
supervisory control and data acqui-
sition (SCADA) data. From this nu-
merical experimental design, an additional 1,250 simulations
were identifed to study each of the smart grid technologies.
Each scenario was built effciently using an improved, simple
wizard interface that lets users select from a wide range of
possible confguration options. Since AEP was testing these
advanced technologies for only a small portion of the service
territory, it needed to be able to evaluate a variety of different
scenarios. The software allowed exploring the various alterna-
tives at a very detailed level, and it enabled seeing how differ-
ent combinations of technologies would affect each other and
impact the system as a whole.
Basis for Moving Forward
The data analysis and visualizations helped AEP Ohio to
simulate the impacts of a new technology or energy source in-
tegration, policy changes and operational decisions. The heat
An example of one of the AEP Ohio circuits inside the Grid Command distribution tool. This tool is
used to build and manipulate GridLAB-D models.
The example of a circuit-voltage prole allows the results of simula-
tions to be visually examined to determine the impacts of smart grid
technology.
While the labor tasks associated with grid installation seem remote
from the data analysis of this story, smart grid success requires that all
these endeavors are pointed to the same goal.
DISTRIBUTIONDesign
map feature in the software allows users to look at data from
multiple model objects simultaneously. For instance, circuit-
voltage profle values can be displayed for multiple objects in
the model. The resulting heat map can be used to quickly de-
termine whether simulation results were outside the expected
value range for a given characteristic, for example, power or
voltage. Additionally, this feature provides the ability to verify
the models were run correctly and the appropriate results
were obtained.
Since beginning this project, hundreds of scenarios have
been set up and run. The effects of single and combined tech-
nologies have been examined on 32 distribution circuits. Ad-
ditionally, the tool has been used to analyze all of the data
generated from these scenarios. This simulation project has
generated more than 6 TB of output data that has been ana-
lyzed. AEP has benefted from the simulation results devel-
oped during the implementation of the gridSMART demon-
stration project. As a result, AEP Ohio will consider the output
Use Analysis Examples
The synergistic effects of combining two smart grid
technologies, solar and a eet of small 25-kW batteries,
was evaluated. The analysis included baseline model
data for the circuit being analyzed, then with solar (pho-
tovoltaic [PV]), then with batteries (community energy
storage [CES]), and nally with both technologies.
For the battery scenario, a eet (131 batteries) of
centrally controlled 25-kW batteries was deployed on a
circuit and operated in a peak shaving mode. In the PV
case, 131 25-kW residential solar panels were deployed
on the circuit. The combined case used 131 batter-
ies and PV panels. The CES eet by itself did not have
sufcient energy to shave the entire peak. Likewise, the
PV array output was not sufcient to shave the peak.
However, the results showed the combination of the
two technologies had more than enough power to
reduce the peak.
This project also looked at the benets of imple-
menting demand-response tariffs. Specically, various
levels of customer participation in time-of-day/critical-
peak-price (TOD/CPP) tariff was modeled. The model
could vary user response to CPP events, which are actu-
ally heating or air-conditioning setting adjustments,
to reduce energy consumption during the events. The
results show a signicant shaving of the peak. However,
they also show a signicant rebound effect associated
with these loads coming back.
The rebound was greatly exaggerated by simulating
100% tariff penetration levels, and the effect was less-
ened at reduced tariff penetration levels. The simula-
tion provided the ability to scale results between 0% to
100% penetrations. The analysis examined a compari-
son of low-response versus high-response customer
groups. Both have a similar rebound effect, but the
high response obviously shaves signicantly more peak.
from this analysis as it moves forward to expand proven tech-
nologies in other parts of its service territory.
Brian Schell (beshell@aep.com) is a principal engineer in the
grid management deployment organization of American Elec-
tric Power in Columbus, Ohio, U.S. This organization manages
the deployment and implementation of smart grid projects,
including volt/volt-ampere-reactive optimization, distribution
automated circuit reconguration, and modeling and simula-
tion. Before his involvement in grid management deployment,
Schell worked in the distribution system planning organization
at AEP. He holds a BSEE degree from West Virginia University
and is a licensed professional engineer in Ohio.
American Electric Power | www.aep.com
Battelle | www.battelle.org
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TOD/CPP low response
TOD/CPP high response
Date and Time (2010)
Example data from the demand-response tariff simulations. This is a com-
parison of baseline data with low-response and high-response customer
interaction.
A comparison of combining CES and PV installations on a baseline model
with each technology modeled individually. This gure shows the synergis-
tic effect of combining these two technologies for peak shaving.
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(
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Date and Time (2010)
Base model
Base + PV
Base + CES
Base + CES + PV
SYSTEMReinforcement
TVA Pushes More Power
Down the Corridor
Tennessee Valley Authority accomplishes a line
uprating and avoids clearance issues on a 500-kV
transmission line with a high-capacity conductor.
By Jeffery L. Phillips, Tennessee Valley Authority
T
he Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is no stranger
to 500-kV transmission lines or the relentless need to
modify existing power lines to meet the energy de-
mands of the region. But, when the utility needed to
increase the ampacity rating of its 500-kV Pin Hook-Wilson
transmission line to meet load growth, the engineering de-
partment was forced to think outside the box.
To achieve the increased capacity, design engineers at TVA
needed to increase the maximum operating temperature of
the conductors to 100C (212F). Increasing the operating
temperature of the line made the existing conductors sag
lower and created clearance violations that usually would be
handled by increasing the conductor attachment height, low-
ering distribution crossings or modifying conductor tensions.
A 1-mile (1.6-km) section of the line crossed over John
Percy Priest Lake and Long Hunter State Park. The U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers (USACE) controls the lake, and the Ten-
nessee State Park Service maintains the surrounding prop-
erty. The lower sag from the uprate project on the 2,530-ft
(771-m) span over the lake violated a 1970 USACE permit by
4 ft (1.2 m). However, when TVA contacted the USACE to
modify the existing permit, the updated permit was issued
with a minimum conductor elevation that was 14 ft (4.3 m)
higher than the original permit. This created an 18-ft (5.5-m)
clearance violation over the lake.
Existing Conditions
The existing 500-kV transmission line was a three-bundle-
per-phase 954,000-cmil 54/7 aluminum conductor steel rein-
forced (ACSR) conductor supported by two 250-ft (76-m)-tall
SYSTEMReinforcement
lattice suspension towers and two 170-ft
(52-m)-tall dead-end lattice towers. De-
pending on lake levels, all or part of
the suspension tower foundations are
located inside the lake. Environmental
concerns over Osprey and Indiana bats,
as well as special clearing agreements
with the state park, complicated the
construction efforts and threatened to
delay the project.
Although both of the suspension
towers are more than 200 ft (61 m) tall
and normally would require aeronauti-
cal lighting and marking, the utility was
able to avoid the aeronautical require-
ments because taller towers on adjacent
lines had aeronautical lighting and
marking.
Evaluating Options
TVA evaluated several options to
meet the new permit height require-
ments, including tower modifcations,
installing new towers, retensioning the
existing conductor and installing new
conductor.
The tower modifcation option
would add a 20-ft (6.1-m) lattice exten-
sion to the existing 250-ft (76-m)-tall
towers. Since this would make the tow-
ers taller than the adjacent lines, this op-
tion also would require both suspension
towers be equipped with aeronautical
warning lights, solar panels, batteries,
monitoring systems and hazard spheres,
and the towers would need to be paint-
ed with aviation orange and white paint.
Installing the extensions would require
a 300-ft (91-m)-tall crane to be located
on barges inside the lake. The crane
would have to be trucked in and assem-
bled on site.
The option of designing and con-
structing a new river crossing tower
that would be located near one of the
existing towers had complications, too.
The new tower would be 300-ft tall and
require a taller crane. New foundations
would need to be constructed in the
lake. The same aeronautical marking
modifcations as the previous option
would be needed. Then the old tower
would need to be removed. Environ-
mental permitting for installing founda-
tions inside the lake also was evaluated
as part of this option.
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SYSTEMReinforcement
Another option, retensioning the existing conductor, was
analyzed, but the tension required to achieve the needed
clearance far exceeded the National Electrical Safety Code al-
lowable tensions for the existing conductors. The additional
tension also would have overloaded the dead-end structures,
requiring modifcations to those structures and possibly their
foundations.
For the reconductor option, all ACSR wires failed
to provide the required clearance and ampacity, and
required major modifcations to the structures. Use
of a conductor option with annealed aluminum was
found to meet the sag and ampacity requirements,
but this option was eliminated because of the risk of
corona damage on this 500-kV application.
Although TVA had never used aluminum con-
ductor composite reinforced (ACCR) on its trans-
mission system, TVA engineers explored ACCR as
an option. An 824,000-cmil 24/19 ACCR operating
at 112C (234F) was found to meet the minimum
sag and ampacity requirements. It could be in-
stalled at a lower tension than the existing conduc-
tor. Smaller ACCR conductors operating at elevated
temperatures would have to meet the ampacity re-
quirements, but corona concerns dictated the con-
ductor diameter be 1 inch (25 mm) or larger.
Determining a Solution
After evaluating all of the options, TVA deter-
mined the ACCR reconductor would be the least
costly as well as the option with the lowest environ-
mental impact. ACCR is normally used on lines
that have high operating temperatures to take ad-
vantage of the lower thermal expansion rate of the
ACCR core wire, but, for this project, the main ad-
vantage for TVA was the difference in the weight of
the conductor. The 824,000-cmil 24/19 ACCR was
36% lighter than the existing 954,000-cmil 54/7
ACSR, allowing the ACCR to be installed at 500 lb (227 kg)
less tension than the previous conductor while sagging 24 ft
(7.3 m) less.
When TVA contacted the manufacturer about the possi-
bility of using its ACCR conductor on this project, TVA dis-
covered ACCR had been used in a twin bundle at 400 kV in
Europe, but it had never been used at 500 kV, and it had never
been used in a three-conductor bundle. Although the manu-
facturer was excited about TVA using ACCR in an application
in which it had never been used, it was also challenged by the
new technical aspects of a 500-kV three-bundle installation.
Working Through Challenges
When TVA sent the purchase order to the ACCR manufac-
turer in the fall of 2011, the manufacturer informed the util-
ity that, because of high demand, the lead time for an ACCR
conductor would be two years. The two-year lead time on the
ACCR conductor pushed out the in-service date for the project
by one year. However, the manufacturer started a second pro-
duction line in 2012, and the lead times today for ACCR vary
from three to four months.
Based on the installation guidelines for ACCR and the
manufacturer technical teams advice, the allowable bend
angle of the conductor during construction and at suspension
clamps had to be kept to a minimum. The utility worked with
industry experts to design a double-string suspension assem-
Double-string insulator assemblies were designed for the suspension
towers that used T-plates and Thermolign-type suspension clamps. Co-
rona rings were added to the suspension assemblies to lower the elec-
tric eld gradient and prevent corona discharge on the insulators and
hardware.
Special frames were built to accommodate the double-string assembly and
tandem stringing blocks. Construction crews worked the wire from ladders
that were hanging 230 ft above the water.
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SYSTEMReinforcement
bly for a 500-kV three-bundle conduc-
tor. The new suspension assembly also
would be required to accommodate
Thermolign-type suspension.
Special tandem stringing blocks
were built to minimize the bend
angle while the conductor was being
installed. The stringing block frames
were designed to match the spacing of
the insulators and had to accommo-
date the T-plates used in the suspen-
sion assembly.
The U.S. government shutdown
that lasted from Oct. 1 to Oct. 16,
2013, also threatened to delay the proj-
ect. A request to clear less than 1 acre
(0.4 hectare) had been submitted to
the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service before
the shutdown and the concurrence to
clear was issued only two days before
construction began.
The ACCR manufacturer provided a construction rep-
resentative before the project began to ensure the TVA con-
struction crew was properly trained on how to handle the
ACCR conductor. The representative also remained on-site
during the frst week of construction to ensure the frst phase
was installed correctly.
TVA contracted with helicopter crews to remove the spacer
dampers in the existing line and reinstall new spacer dampers
after the ACCR conductor was installed. The helicopters also
assisted TVA construction crews by transporting ladders and
rigging material up to the towers.
TVA also had to ensure the safety of boaters while the con-
ductors were being pulled across the lake. Detailed stringing
plans were developed to maintain acceptable clearances over
the water during construction and to ensure a safe installation
for the public and crew. TVA also placed warning buoys on the
upstream and downstream sides of the work area, and 10 TVA
boats were stationed in strategic areas to warn boaters of the
overhead line work. TVA helicopters also patrolled the area
during stringing operations and maintained radio communi-
cation with the safety boats to alert them of any other boats
headed toward the work area at high speed.
Energized
TVA energized the worlds frst 500-kV transmission line
on May 15, 1965. In that same spirit of innovation, the utility
completed and energized the worlds frst 500-kV transmis-
sion line using an ACCR conductor and the frst three-bundle
ACCR confguration on Dec. 4, 2013. By choosing the ACCR
option, TVA minimized adverse impacts to the environment,
saved considerable expense relative to the other options and
continued TVAs efforts to provide low-cost, reliable power to
the ratepayers of Tennessee.
Jeffery L. Phillips (jlphillips1@tva.gov) is a senior engineer in the
transmission line design group at the Tennessee Valley Author-
ity. He graduated from the University of Tennessee with a BSCE
degree and has an associates degree in mechanical engineer-
ing. Phillips is a registered professional engineer in the state of
Tennessee and has been with TVA for 12 years. He is currently
responsible for designing transmission lines and oversees the
design, installation and maintenance of all transmission line
switches.
After TVA removed all construction equipment and reclaimed the
ground, the ACCR conductor looks like it has always been there. The
Pin Hook-Wilson 500-kV transmission line is on the right.
Tennessee Valley Authority | www.tva.gov
Helicopter crews removed the existing spacer dampers and reinstalled new spacer dampers
after the new conductor was installed.
Life Line 56B | Safety Talk 56D | Mobile Workforce 56F | Linemen Volunteers 56J
F
E
B
R
U
A
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Y

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www.tdworld.com
CL&P Speeds
Storm Response
February 2014 | www.tdworld.com 56B
ELECTRIC UTILITY OPERATIONS
LIFELine
direct barehand contact with an energized conductor.
Today, EPZ grounding is something that I really enjoy talk-
ing and teaching about. In fact, in 2001, I was involved in proj-
ect at an A.B. Chance laboratory to quantify and qualify the
EPZ theory. At that time, we did several tests to back up our
work method of EPZ grounding.
Memorable Storm
Back in 1992, we had a very heavy winter storm with a lot
of washed out poles and lines. That was a big challenge. Five
years later, we had 1,000 poles down as a result of the fres. We
worked 16- to 18-hour shifts, would get a little sleep, fuel up the
trucks and get back at it. It was a challenge to restore power
following this major transmission and distribution outage, and
our whole service territory was out of power for a month.
Hardening the System
We are heavily involved in California fre prevention. Our
utility has been affected fnancially by fre, and we are now
hardening our system. For example, we are installing steel
poles so our poles dont burn down. Were also going to a fault
tamer fuse, which is a combination of a sand fuse and a quick-
acting fuse.
Life as a Lineman
I would go into the power industry because I have enjoyed
it and done well in it. It is a talent I didnt know I had going in
as a 20-year-old. And now I dont think I would have been as
happy in any other occupation.
Patrick Flores is shown on the site of restoration in Warner
Springs, California. Lightning caused a re in San Diego
County, and Flores and his crew were assigned to rebuild
lines and restore power to a rural community.
Patrick Flores
San Diego Gas & Electric
Born in Chino, California.
Married to his wife, Barbara, and has two adult daughters and
ve grandkids, ranging from 2 years old to 11 years old.
Enjoys beach activities and going camping in a travel trailer.
Cant live without his cell phone, which allows him to keep in
close contact with the crews.
His team nished in the top 50% in the seniors division at the
2013 International Linemans Rodeo.
Early Years
When I was 20 years old, I got out of the U.S. Army and
started putting out applications. San Diego Gas & Electric
hired me on as a laborer, and I was responsible for digging
holes for poles. After two years, I was accepted into the appren-
ticeship program. I topped out as a journeyman in 1976, and
after working for 22 years as a lineman, I became a working
foreman and crew leader. Since 2008, I have been a construc-
tion supervisor.
Day in the Life
During a typical day, I feld work review jobs, stake pole
holes that need to be dug and help to get everything arranged
to meet the customers request for power to complete the work.
Challenges and Rewards
During my 43 years of employment, Ive always been able
to provide for my family with my job. Its a challenge, however,
trying to get young people interested in this kind of work. In
the face of this economy, however, a person with a high school
education can walk into a really good career in the power
industry.
Safety Lesson
Early in my career, I had a very close incident that should
have been a fatality. By the grace of God, however, it wasnt.
Back in 1977, I was on a pole, and we were just getting ready
to ground new conductors that we had strung in for breaking
out. I attached the ground jumper to the band, and my pole
partner went to install a ground on the new conductor with
a shotgun stick. Unfortunately, his belt slipped and he con-
tacted the energized phase. In my hand, I had a jumper that
was attached to the clamp and belted above the band. When
the circuit tripped, I felt a sensation but no residual effects.
I was extremely lucky. Before we knew what an equipoten-
tial (EPZ) zone was, we had created it. My life was saved with
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and are positioned to meet the growing demand for CSA, Charpy level I requirements.
For more information, visit hpsdelivers.com/coldweather.
STANDARD
BELOW ZERO
ABOVE
SAFETYTalk
By John Grizzy Grzywacz, OSHA
Ruling Aims to Change PPE Testing
A
proposed ruling by the Occupational Safety and
Health Administration (OSHA) could change the
way electric utilities maintain and test their person-
al protective equipment (PPE) for their workforce.
Updates are now underway for OSHAs Electric Power Gen-
eration, Transmission, and Distribution and Electrical Protec-
tive Equipment standard. OSHA began the process in 2003
and issued the notice of proposed rulemaking in 2005. This
proposal has been slowly making its way through the rulemak-
ing process, and according to sources in OSHA, it has cleared
the fnal hurdle of approval by the Offce of Management and
Budget. While OSHA has delayed the fnal rule announce-
ment, this rule will certainly be published sooner rather than
later given its current status along the rulemaking timeline.
Proactive companies have been following the proposed
OSHA updates and moving forward with implementation in
order to be well positioned once the changes take place. Not
only will this place them in a position of immediate compli-
ance, but it also keeps them on the leading edge of safety.
Testing PPE
This rulemaking update for the Electrical Protective
Equipment standard includes both the OSHA General Indus-
try Codes of Federal Regulation as well as creating an entirely
new section in the OSHA Construction Codes of Federal Reg-
ulation. Historically regarding PPE, OSHA frequently makes
reference to specifc consensus standards including the date
of the edition of these standards. OSHA cannot require com-
pliance with future editions that have yet to be published.
Since all consensus standards are typically updated every
couple of years whereas OSHA standards are updated
much more infrequently OSHA wanted to ensure that the
in-service care and use of electrical PPE was refective of the
most updated and latest ASTM consensus standards.
Instead of referencing specifc ASTM standards, which
would have to include the date of a specifc edition of the
standard(s) to be complied with, as it has historically done,
OSHA is taking a new approach in its regulatory language. In
an unprecedented effort to affect compliance with the latest
edition of these continually changing ASTM consensus stan-
dards, OSHA is using a performance-oriented requirement.
Specifcally, it states that whatever test is used must reliably
indicate that the equipment can withstand the proof-test volt-
age involved. This would place the burden of proof on the
employer to establish that reliability. Utilities could meet this
requirement by following the most recent ASTM standards
regarding the in-service care and use, including the proof
testing of electrical PPE rubber goods like gloves, sleeves and
blankets. This testing reliability also would presumably extend
to the quality and accuracy of the testing.

Finding a Testing Lab
Reputable testing laboratories proactively update their
protocols to conform with the latest editions of these ASTM
testing standards. Additionally, they have laboratory certifca-
tion to further ensure the accuracy and quality of their testing
protocols.
Both employers whose employees use electrical PPE and
now many utilities are sending their rubber goods to testing
labs for the required periodic electrical proof testing. It is be-
coming imperative that companies know more about their test
lab because the burden of proof for regulatory purposes now
rests with the employer.
The Association of North American Independent Labora-
tories for Protective Equipment Testing has stringent require-
ments for accreditation and certifcation. NAIL for PET Ac-
credited Rubber Goods Testing Labs, such as Hi-Line Utility
Supply, have to undergo an extensive certifcation process on
criteria such as the expertise of the staff, lab practices and
equipment calibration. Equipment maintenance, including
February 2014 | www.tdworld.com 56D
Hi-Line Utility Supplys glove-testing machine is regularly inspect-
ed to meet standards. The lab also performs a visual inspection
of gloves (inset).
traceability to the National Institute of Standards and Tech-
nology, is combined with periodic site visits for verifcation.
How well you know your test lab may affect the safety of
your workers as well as your regulatory compliance vulner-
Hi-Line Utility Supply | www.hilineco.com
OSHA | www.osha.gov
ability. This new OSHA requirement will change the way you
look at your electrical testing lab. By implementing the new
requirements early, you will be positioned for safety and com-
pliance when the changes go into effect.
John Grizzy Grzywacz is a professor emeritus at the Oc-
cupational Safety and Health Administration National Training
Institute. For more than two decades, he has trained OSHA
compliance ofcers in electrical safety standards, power gen-
eration transmission and distribution, and machine and ma-
chinery safeguarding. He continues to train OSHA compliance
ofcers and personnel, and provides investigative assistance to
OSHA on fatality investigations and signicant cases.
www.tdworld.com | February 2014 56E
Questions to Ask Your Testing Lab
1. Are you testing rubber goods to the latest edition of the
ASTM standards?
2. Are you certied and accredited?
3. How do you maintain compliance with ASTM and OSHA
standards?
4. Can I tour your lab to learn more about how you operate
and how you test your rubber goods?
Accredited testing labs must properly maintain their electri-
cal testing machines.
2014 Lewis Tree Service, Inc. Rochester, New York

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February 2014 | www.tdworld.com 56F
Mobile Technology
Expedites Restoration
CL&P equips eld workforce with laptops
and new software to improve storm damage
assessment and restore power more quickly.
By Alan Carey, Connecticut Light & Power
C
onnecticut has seen its fair share of extreme weath-
er over the past few years, with hurricanes and
ferce snowstorms wreaking havoc on the electric
system. Restoring power after devastating storms
is painstaking work that takes time. To speed the restoration
process, Connecticut Light & Power (CL&P) is integrating a
new damage-assessment system with its existing outage man-
agement system (OMS). The new damage-assessment tool will
improve the speed and accuracy of storm response by allow-
ing storm patrollers to report specifc information about the
extent of damage in a timely fashion so crews can be deployed
effciently with the resources needed to make repairs.
To develop the new damage-assessment system, CL&P
teamed up with Clearion Software, LLC, a developer special-
izing in GPS-enabled technologies for utility vegetation. The
goal was to develop a tool that would allow patrollers to trans-
mit detailed damage assessments quickly from remote areas
back to an operations coordinator, who would use the infor-
mation to plan and execute restoration.
The solution developed by CL&P and Clearion arms pa-
trollers with laptops enabled with Wi-Fi and GPS. While
there is nothing new about using laptops in the feld, these
computers are loaded with 600 MB of detailed geographic
information system (GIS)-based infrastructure informa-
tion, making CL&P one of the frst utilities in the United
States to use this technology to speed restoration.
Assessing and Reporting Damage
CL&Ps distribution system is 17,000 miles the ap-
proximate roundtrip distance between Boston, Massachu-
setts, and the Philippines and consists of several local
electric systems that have evolved and been consolidated
over the past 100 years. With more than fve different
operating voltages, large-capacity substations, relatively
lengthy distribution circuits and automated loop schemes,
and distribution supervisory control and data acquisition
(DSCADA) intended to improve reliability, restoring pow-
er in Connecticut can be a complex operation.
With these challenges in mind, a core team of CL&P
experts worked directly with Clearion to customize the
software for the utilitys intricate distribution system. The
software combines CL&Ps GIS mapping data with infor-
mation about the distribution system and equipment as
well as GPS street location data to streamline the patrol-
lers job. Using GPS tracking, or by keying in a street loca-
tion, the software provides a detailed depiction of the dis-
tribution infrastructure as the patroller travels the circuit.
When damage is found, the patroller simply clicks on
While Project Manager Alan Carey drives the patrol vehicle through
a residential neighborhood, CL&P Engineer Marissa Flynn records
damage to the distribution system with a GIS/GPS-enabled laptop,
allowing CL&Ps emergency operations center to receive the damage
reports in real time.
www.tdworld.com | February 2014 56G
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Osmose knows Poles
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the asset and a pop-up window
opens that provides detailed
information, including system
identifcation, nomenclature
and asset attributes. Reporting
damage can be done easily and
accurately using the context-spe-
cifc damage reporting window
with drop-down menus.
Before this new technology,
patrollers worked from large-
paper circuit maps and record-
ed damage manually on paper
forms. For example, details about
a damaged transformer, such as
the voltage and kilovolt-amps,
were manually gleaned from a
circuit map and a patrollers own
knowledge of the system. Most
hard-copy damage assessments
were then driven from the feld
to a work center toward the end
of an 8-hour shift and manually
input to CL&Ps OMS a pro-
cess that took additional hours to complete.
Hours were reduced to seconds in January 2013 as 10 patrol-
lers tested a Web-based version of the assessment tool in the
feld using laptops equipped with air cards. Based on positive
feedback from the pilot experience, the CL&PClearion team
took the tool to the next level by installing the 600-MB soft-
Storm-assessment information gathered in the eld can be monitored in real time in the emer-
gency operations center, creating a more timely and targeted response to the hardest-hit areas of
the CL&P service territory.
February 2014 | www.tdworld.com 56H
ware on Wi-Fi/GPS-enabled
laptops and integrating the
software with CL&Ps OMS.
Identifying Trouble Spots
Using this new mobile tech-
nology, patrollers are able to
assess a greater number of
trouble spots, making the pa-
troller far more productive and
effective in providing critical
assessment information. OMS
then processes the data in real
time, immediately providing
OMS modelers with informa-
tion needed to confrm system
confguration. Next, the OMS
posts and summarizes damage
information for each trouble
spot, allowing the restoration
to begin sooner.
Customized reporting provides
key information required to develop
response and restoration strategies.
CL&P also creates detailed crew work
packages, including notated circuit
maps, to streamline the work manage-
ment aspects of restoration.
If a patroller drives into an area
without cell phone service, the software
will store damage information and for-
ward it to the coordinator as soon as the
patroller enters an area with a signal or
has access to a public Wi-Fi connection.
Patrollers and coordinators are
now able to keep in constant contact,
enabling the coordinator to bundle
trouble spots and dispatch patrollers
more effciently, reducing driving time.
This is a signifcant advancement, as
Superstorm Sandy had caused more
than 16,000 trouble spots that required
the trained eye of a patroller to analyze them before resources
could be assigned for repairs.
Line workers, tree crews and materials also are assigned
more effciently to repair trouble spots when dispatched, and
materials reports can be generated from the tally of broken
crossarms, transformers and poles, and be organized by lo-
cations, enabling CL&P warehouse personnel to direct stock
effciently to the hardest-hit areas.
Timely, accurate damage information following a severe
storm can shave days off a large-scale electric utility restora-
tion. Damage assessment is critical for resource deployment,
planning, scheduling and providing customers and communi-
ties with power-restoration estimates as soon as possible. With
this new technology-focused approach to damage assessment,
CL&P can drive improvements throughout the restoration
Clearion Software | www.clearion.com
Connecticut Light & Power | www.cl-p.com
process and will be even better prepared for whatever the next
hurricane season may bring.
Alan Carey (Careyac@NU.COM) is the project manager for
Connecticut Light & Powers damage-assessment process.
His responsibilities include implementing the new Clearion
damage-assessment technology and related processes to
the utilitys damage assessors and supporting staff. He has
been with CL&P for 20 years and most recently served as an
operations manager and supervisor of vegetation management.
The damage-assessment portal breaks down the CL&P service territory by area work centers
on the left side of the screen.
A screen shot of a typical street distribution system with circuits and equipment.
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February 2014 | www.tdworld.com 56J
Volunteer Linemen
Power African Village
The NRECA sent a team of volunteers
to southern Sudan to rebuild infrastructure
following the civil war.
By Ashley Johnson, The Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina
F
or 20 years, southern Sudan, Africa, had been a war
zone. The power infrastructure had been completely
destroyed, and many residents had fed to neighbor-
ing countries. The villagers who remained in the re-
gion lived without electricity; when night fell, they illuminated
their grass huts with candles. Because of the civil unrest, they
did not feel safe walking outside after dark.
Then, eight years ago, everything changed. The United
States Agency for International Development awarded the
National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA)
International US$4.8 million to re-electricify the small village
of Yei following the end of the civil war. The NRECA sent a
small team of American linemen to the town, which sits on the
Little Nile River, to build a power grid from scratch. In one
month, the volunteer linemen and local laborers set 87 poles,
strung quadraplex and installed 26 streetlights in Freedom
Square in Yei, a village in southern Sudan.
After a month of hard backbreaking labor, the linemen en-
ergized the streetlights. For the frst time in many years, lights
illuminated the streets at night. Cheering rippled through
the village as kids played a night game of soccer and families
danced in the streets. For the town located just 46 miles from
the Ugandan border, the lights represented a glimmer of hope
for a brighter future.
Volunteering Overseas
The linemen provided power to the village through NRECA
International, which provides developing countries with ac-
cess to safe, reliable and affordable electricity. By having lights
and power, the communities can improve their quality of life,
boost the productivity of their agricultural crops and create
new jobs.
Back in 1999, the NRECA visited
cooperatives in South Carolina and
asked for volunteers to go overseas for
a one-month international volunteer
project.
Because the village was very re-
mote, the volunteers had to fy from
Uganda to Yei on a bush plane. After
a few bumpy landings in the bush and
four hours of fying, they landed on
a dirt strip near the village. Culture
shock immediately set in, and as the
linemen stepped off the plane, they
were greeted by nearly 700 soldiers.
Because of internal warfare in Sudan,
military presence continued for the
next few days to protect the villagers
and volunteers.
When the volunteers arrived in the
village, they walked over to the grass
hut in which they would be staying for
the next month. After unpacking their
Bob Dalton (wearing the white hat) helps the hired workers from the village carry a 40-ft pole
to its location the old-fashioned way.
www.tdworld.com | February 2014 56K
belongings, they rounded up a small group of local
volunteers to start the project of building the grid.
Rather than just setting the poles, stringing the wire
and then leaving the country, the linemen engaged
the local community members in the construction
and maintenance of the new power line.
Creating a Power Grid
Unlike in the United States, where linemen have
access to battery-operated tools, bucket trucks and
heavy equipment, the line work in southern Sudan
was all done by hand. Without the technology, the
linemen experienced what it was like for the U.S.
feld workforce back in the 1940s.
The volunteers brought a gas drill, climbing gear,
boots and work clothes with them. When they left
Sudan, they left all of this equipment with the local
community workers. By bringing as much personal
protective equipment and devices as they could, this
would help to protect the local feld workforce when maintain-
ing their system.
The local laborers worked side by side with the American
linemen, and through this experience, they learned how to
safely and effciently work on the power system. With no buck-
et trucks, it was essential for the volunteer linemen to teach
the local crews how to climb the poles using fall protection.
For this reason, the linemen spent a lot of their energy and
effort on engaging the local workers in climbing exercises.
To create the grid, the linemen frst dug the holes by hand.
Then they had to tote the poles 1.5 miles away and install them
with pike sticks. The poles were made from eucalyptus trees,
which are crooked, but are planted in the United States be-
cause of their pleasant odor. For overseas line construction
projects, these trees are a lot straighter and soaked in creosol
to improve their longevity.
The linemen worked with the laborers to install poles rang-
ing from 30 ft to 45 ft. To help get the job done within the
one-month time frame, a contractor also brought in a local
electrical crew to provide assistance at the end of the job.
Once all of the poles were set, they focused next on install-
ing 26 streetlights in Freedom Square in the center of town.
When the workers energized the circuit in October 2005, the
villagers could read their books under the streetlights and
stroll safely through the market area at night.
The workers overall goal was to equip each grass hut,
school and building with a meter, light bulb, receptacle and
switch. Empowering families to light up their homes at night
and read to their children was a rewarding experience for the
volunteer linemen.
The workers also changed the quality of life in the village
by installing electricity for an electrical pump in the middle of
town. In the past, the villagers had to walk for miles to reach
a hand pump and get clean drinking water. With the reintro-
duction of electricity, they could get water for their families
without ever leaving Yei.
The community medical clinic also greatly beneftted from
the volunteer effort by the line crews. The small hospital had
a generator, but it only worked some of the time. Now that the
building had permanent power, the medical team could work
to improve the health of the villagers around the clock.
Powering the African Village
By creating the new power grid, the town of Yei grew from
just 10,000 people in 2005 to more than 17,500 today. Since
2005, the NRECA has built a larger power station in the town,
Ashley Johnson (wearing the yellow hat) helps set one of the 87 poles by
hand with a gin made out of crossarms.
Ashley Johnson hangs a 4/0 quadraplex on a 45-ft structure in the
middle of town. A crowd gathered to watch him perform the line
work.
February 2014 | www.tdworld.com 56L
extended the distribution system, created a locally owned util-
ity to manage the power system and trained local managers in
utility management.
Through the efforts of the volunteer linemen, they were
able to give the villagers hope for what was to come. Yei, once
known as Little London, was brought back to life with the re-
introduction of electricity. In particular, the children within
the village of Yei now have the opportunity for a better life.
With lights now illuminating the local schools and electricity
to power computers, they can continue to learn and grow at a
faster rate than those generations before them. Power also is
now available to hundreds of thousands of homes and busi-
nesses in the region through the new grid.
Other developing countries also are benefting from the
experience and expertise of the volunteer linemen. The
NRECA sends line crews to work on projects in more than
42 countries worldwide. Today, the association is generating
manpower and resources to send to the Philippines, which was
ravaged by a typhoon.
Volunteering abroad often changes the linemens outlook
on life, and it changes the way they see the world. By sharing
their time and talents with others, they can help to light up the
lives of others, one light bulb at a time.
Ashley Johnson (ashley.johnson@ecsc.org) is the loss control
and training director for The Electric Cooperatives of South
Carolina in Columbia, South Carolina. In this role since, he is part
of a team of ve people responsible for the training of all the
electric cooperatives employees. He also helps to coordinate
and takes part in teaching and training for the state. He entered
the electrical industry in 1996 as a contractor, and Horry Electric
Cooperative hired him in 1998. He traveled to the Dominican
Republic and southern Sudan with the NRECA and support
from Horry Electric Coop. He also has performed overseas
missionary work in Haiti and Germany.
The Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina
www.ecse.org
National Rural Electric Cooperative Association
www.nreca.coop
United States Agency for International Development
www.usaid.gov
Linemen also helped to power a town in the Dominican Republic
as part of the NRECA volunteer program. This is one of the rst
light bulbs that was turned on in the Dominican Republic.
The Electric Utility Operations section is designed to help utility
eld personnel increase productivity and safety on the job. The
section, which goes out to 10,000 Transmission & Distribution
World readers each month, carries a monthly theme and includes
features and departments such as Life Line and Safety Talk.
To make Electric Utility Operations more valuable to our readers,
wed like to hear from you. Do you know of a lineman or foreman
who we could prole in Life Line? Do you know of a safety issue
we should feature in Safety Talk? Is your utility working on an
interesting or challenging project right now? Has your eld crew
come up with an innovative work practice or invented a faster
or easier way to get things done? If so, please contact Amy
Fischbach, Electric Utility Operations contributing editor, at
aschbach@tdworld.com or 913-385-7725.
Introducing AFLs DISSIPATOR high-effciency Stockbridge damper
Improve performance signifcantly with AFLs new DISSIPATOR Stockbridge damper. With the unique
offset bell-shaped weight confguration, resonant frequencies are doubled, providing a more consistent
effciency performance over the Aeolian frequency span.
The end result: a damper with optimum performance that will eliminate damage caused by Aeolian
vibration thereby extending the life of a transmission line.
www.AFLglobal.com/Dissipator
800-235-3423
SMART
PERFORMANCE
PRODUCTS&Services
Portable Power and Lighting System
Ventry Solutions Inc. introduces
the 2-Headed XT LENTRY Power
and Light System. For portable
power and light, this system has two
high-output halogen lights on a single
telescoping pole, a Honda EU2000i
generator and patented all-terrain LENTRY
Legs.
The power and lighting system has
only one cord, so one of the generators
two outlets remains available for other
tools. The two light heads have their own
on/off switches so they may be used one
at a time or simultaneously. High-infrared
650-W halogen bulbs (25,000 lumens each)
make each light head exceptionally bright,
and together, the lights produce 50,000
lumens while using only 1,300 W.
Each light head pivots far forward
and back, and rotates more than 400
degrees. Both are tted with heavy-
duty protective wire guards. The
2-Headed XT LENTRY System stands about 9 ft
tall with the legs and the pole light fully extended. The whole
unit stands about 5 ft tall, even without extending the pole
light. The pole light disconnects from the rest of the unit with
the turn of a knob and shortens to about 59 inches long for
storage.
The legs on the LENTRY System also retract, tucking close
to the generator and keeping storage dimensions minimal.
Legs allow fast setup and stable positioning on almost any
terrain. Rough, steep, debris-covered ground will not hinder
lighting efforts.
The Honda generator provides quiet, fuel-efcient
operation and supplies reliable, computer-safe power. It is
rated at 1,600 W, 2,000 W maximum, and offers run-times of
5 hours to more than 8 hours with one or both lights on.
Ventry Solutions | www.ventry.com
Portable Workstation
Gator Pack from Greenlee Utility is a portable workstation
with three internal pockets, three external compartments
and space to securely strap a
Greenlee EHP700L battery-
powered hydraulic pump. Heads,
jaws, hoses, connectors and
more all safely t in the pack.
The Gator Pack is designed for
added safety and comfort with
adjustable hip, shoulder and
chest straps. This improves
balance and encourages equal
weight distribution when
carrying heavy loads to and from
the worksite. It is high visibility,
constructed of high-strength vinyl
and has a triple-reinforced hang-
tab for hoisting in elevated work
locations.
Greenlee Utility | www.greenlee.com
Crossarm Link Stick
Hubbell Power Systems offers a quick way to put an
insulated link in hoist-assisted jobs. The Crossarm Link Stick
features a hook that quickly positions with hot line tools over
standard 3.75-inch by 4.75-inch crossarms. Rated for working
loads up to 1,500 lb, it offers 21.5 inches of insulating length
provided by 1.25-inch-diameter Epoxioglas pole. For easy
alignment, a galvanized-steel swivel eye is tted on the end
of the pole. This addition to the Chance line of hot line tools
is Catalog No. PSC4004132.
Hubbell Power Systems | www.hubbellpowersystems.com
Cutting Tool
BURNDY

welcomes a new scissor-style cutting tool to
its family of cutters. The PATMDCUT series of
cutters will begin shipping in March 2013.
These cutting tools are built on the reliable
IN-LINE platform and allow for both cutting and
crimping using the appropriate attachment.
Crimp jaw and cutter jaw assemblies as well as
replacement blade sets are available separately.
This tool employs a scissor-cutting action,
shearing the conductor as the blades cut. The
blades are designed to cut an array of conductor
materials, including copper, aluminum, ACSR and
EHS guy strand. The cutter features a retractable
blade guide, ensuring an efcient cut with true
one-handed operation.
The PATMDCUT cutting tools are available
using either the Li-Ion or Ni-MH battery power
source. BURNDY is committed to supplying and
servicing both battery types, offering a choice of
power source to better suit individual customers needs.
BURNDY | www.burndy.com
High-Voltage Digital Ammeter
Field professionals can take ampere
measurements on conductors up to
500 kV quickly and easily with the HVA
High Voltage Digital Ammeter from HD
Electric Co.
The large, bright four-digit LED
display allows users to read amps from
the longest of telescoping hotsticks.
The HVA is lightweight and easy to use on the
end of a long hotstick. The HVA-2000 features
1% accuracy and will store the last four readings,
allowing users to read real-time amps directly
during live-line operations or by using the stored
February 2014 | www.tdworld.com 56N
readings function. The product can take current readings on
conductors up to 500 V and measures AC current from 25 Hz
to 500 Hz. It also features an auto shutoff with low-battery
function, and because it is small and lightweight, it is easy
to manage on an extension hotstick. The ammeter, which
is made in the United States, has dual hotstick connections
for universal splice and clampstick, and it can be used on
conducts up to 2.75 inches.
HD Electric Co. | www.hdelectriccompany.com
Streamline Compression Tool
The SL-510 is built on a similar platform as
Huskie Tools SL-ND tool. The new SL-510 will
deliver 12 tons of compression force, using all
industry-standard U dies. The capacity of
the tool is the same as the pistol grip REC-6510,
capable of accepting lugs up to 750 MCM and
splices up to 600 MCM.
Using the streamline design and replacing the
traditional C head with a smaller, lightweight,
latched-head design makes the new SL-510 the
lightest 12-ton tool on the market. The new housing
design incorporates a rubber over-mold handle
grip area, which allows the operator better tool
control.
Huskie Tools | www.huskietools.com
Telescopic Boom
The S-230 XDT is a
telescopic boom with
articulating platform boom.
It features 225-ft platform
height, 100-ft horizontal
outreach, 93-inch by 36-
inch platform with 1,500-
lb platform capacity, and
360-degree continuous
platform rotation. It
incorporates a geometry-
based outreach-limitation
system, and a fully-automatic
jacking and leveling system
with convenient remote
control operation.
Bronto | www.bronto.
LED System
In response to consumer demand,
Golight Inc. introduces the LED
Stryker, offering intensity and
clarity with minimal strain on the
vehicles electrical system.
The LED upgrade features a
50% increase in intensity compared
to its halogen counterpart. By using
P-Vex lens technology coupled with
the LEDs, the LED Stryker is able to generate
a peak beam intensity of 320,000 candela. Additionally, the
hot spot, the most intense portion of the beam, comprises
nearly 70% of the beam circumference, three times that of
a comparable halogen unit. Besides increased intensity,
the LED system emits light at signicantly greater color
temperature than with halogen 6,000 K which creates a
whiter light, comparable to daylight.
The LED technology used in the new Stryker model
generates nearly four times as many lumens per watt as a
traditional halogen light source. Such efciency means that
the Golight LED Stryker delivers more light while reducing
the amp draw by half. Plus the LEDs are durable with a rated
useful life of 50,000 hours.
The LED Stryker is suitable for anyone seeking Golights
remote technology along with increased intensity, reduced
amp draw and greater longevity. Upgrade kits are available
for use with existing Stryker models as well.
Golight Inc. | www.golight.com
Wire Brush
Properly brushing all types of connections helps decrease
outages and bad connections, therefore, generating
signicant savings for utilities.
MADI introduces the DogBone Wire Brush for use in
transmission, distribution and substations. This product
encourages linemen to brush because it makes wire
brushing easier and more convenient. It has two designated
brushing surfaces: one side for copper and the other side for
aluminum. The ends are color coordinated to allow linemen
to keep one tool with dedicated brushing ends for two
different surfaces. The round wire brush covers conductors
up to 1,590 MCM. This covers most conductors and both wire
brushes are easily replaceable.
The DogBone Wire Brush is durable, lightweight (weighs
less than 0.5 lb) and is made of nonconductive material.
The design of this tool eliminates linemen hand and leg
discomfort currently experienced with other wire brushes.
The built-in snap ring makes it easy to store on belts or in
bucket trucks.
MADI, LLC | www.madillc.com
URD Tagging Device
The new
tagging device
U-008 from
Rauckman
Utility Products
is specically
designed for
underground
residential
distribution
power cables.
Made from a
special polymer,
the U-008 URD
Tag can perform
in severe frigid
or sweltering weather. The tag can be easily installed using
a shotgun stick and is uniquely designed to t multiple
diameter power cables. It is also equipped with two tag
attachment eyes for ease of use. It comes in yellow color and
weighs 4.4 oz.
Rauckman Utility Products | www.rauckmanutility.com
www.tdworld.com | February 2014 56O
PartingSHOT
Photograph by Tim Trudell, Orlando Utilities Commission
February 2014 | www.tdworld.com 56P
During morning trafc, Orlando Utilities
Commission (OUC) crews responded quickly to a
call that two 50-ft concrete poles were down near
a busy intersection. Deputies say the driver of a
stolen car reached very high speeds before losing
control. Upon the cars impact with the poles,
nearly 1,100 OUC customers immediately lost
power. OUC crews quickly isolated the damaged
areas and restored power to all but 30 customers
in about 75 minutes. The remaining repairs were
difcult, but crews worked hard to replace the
damaged poles and bring the last 30 customers
back on-line by 9:15 a.m.
During the cleanup, crews led by Lead Line
Tech Chris Wohlfart discovered a small amount of
cash and several checks near the point of impact
and on the roof of a building near the crash scene,
and gave it to deputies to return to the owner of
the stolen vehicle.
www.tdworld.com | February 2014 57
Storm Damage Assessment Software
GeoSpatial Innovations Inc. has released a cloud-based storm damage assessment
software for electric cooperatives that supports digital data collection and analysis for
major storm events, and cuts the time and costs of conventional solutions.
GSI Scout allows assessors and patrollers to record equipment damage and
restoration requirements in the eld. It sends the assessment data to dispatchers
without radio trafc and assists all stakeholders with seamless communication for
optimal service restoration.
Storm damage assessment allows mutual-assistance contractors to use their own
mobile hardware, saving utilities the cost of purchasing and maintaining expensive
devices. With GSI Scout, cooperatives can eliminate paper in the eld and use smart
phones, tablets or laptops.
This Software as a Service model is trending in the utility industry and offers
scalable, affordable solutions for data collection and storage. It alleviates back-end
information-technology infrastructure and expertise, and it also integrates to outage
management systems or geographical information systems.
GeoSpatial Innovations Inc. | www.gsiworks.com
Phasor Measurement Unit Calibration System
Fluke Calibration announces the
6135A/PMUCAL phasor measurement unit
(PMU) calibration system. This automated
and traceable PMU calibration system is
an integrated system of six components
that completes the approximately 600
tests that certify a PMU conguration
meets the latest performance standards
of the IEEE Standard for Synchrophasor
Measurements for Power Systems. The
system completes the tests in six to 12
hours, versus two to six weeks with manual
test methods. And because its an automated system,
even non-experts can start using it quickly to perform a complete complement of
required tests.
The system, which is mounted in a 19-inch (483-mm) rack with an integrated test
connection panel, includes a server PC, GPS receiver, system timing unit and three-
phase 6135A electrical power standard. It also includes calibration software that allows
users to create and store personality proles for the PMUs tested frequently, and to run
full certication tests and a wide range of automated and interactive tests.
The test system architecture allows a user-provided client PC to access the test
system over the Internet from anywhere in the world. System accuracy yields a test
accuracy ratio of 10:1 against the 118.1 PMU specications.
Fluke Calibration | www.ukecal.com
Demand Management
The Spara Hub platform takes Powerit Solutions advanced energy demand
management technology into the cloud, giving Spara DM users and Powerit partners a
user-friendly demand management tool.
Spara Hub links to multiple data streams and allows users to quickly get a
comprehensive view of their energy usage and costs to enable optimal control for
savings and sustainability. It connects changing utility data with changing customer
load information in real time, enabling energy-use decisions based on the price of
electricity. This access to real-time utility pricing, plus integration with the latest ISO,
utility and aggregator programs, allows Spara DM users to take full advantage of smart
grid capabilities.
With Spara Hub, users can remotely access data on any device without maintaining
onsite databases, log in with one password to view multiple sites, compare energy
data across sites to get an enterprise-level view of their energy use and demand
control savings, and manage demand settings and utility program participation.
Spara Hub also allows Powerit partners to integrate Spara into their solutions and
analyze customer-demand proles to create tailored demand management solutions.
Powerit Solutions | www.poweritsolutions.com
PRODUCTS&Services
Cable Fault Pinpointer
The new digiPHONE+ cable fault
pinpointer from Megger locates faults on
buried power cables with unprecedented
accuracy.
The digiPHONE+ is based on the
well-proven technique of comparing
acoustic and electromagnetic signals
that are produced by ashovers at the
fault when a surge voltage is applied to
the cable. Meggers background noise
reduction technology allows the user to
compare the acoustic signals produced
by two successive ashovers, eliminating
all types of noise that are not present in
both signals. The result is a clean acoustic
signal that relates only to the fault and,
therefore, allows its location to be
accurately determined.
The instrument also features an easy-
to-read display that continuously shows
the users distance from the fault and
the direction to it. The display positively
shows when the fault location is reached
and indicates the approximate depth of
the fault. The pinpointer also includes a
volume limiter that ensures the user is not
exposed to sounds louder than 84 dB(A)
in the headphones, and an automatic
proximity mute system that mutes the
headphones when the operators hand
approaches the instrument.
Megger | www.megger.com
Excavation Tools
Air-Spades UTILITY AIR-SPADE 4000
SERIES is designed for safe excavation
around buried utilities. Electrically
insulating and nonsparking materials
make excavating around high-voltage
power lines safe.
The UTILITY AIR-SPADE comes in
two sizes: the 105 cfm with 4-ft (1.2-m)
barrel and the 150 cfm with 4-ft barrel.
The product feature patented supersonic
nozzles that use compressed-air to pro-
duce high-speed laser-like jets that move
at twice the speed of sound for faster,
more effective digging in the toughest
soils. Additional features include an er-
gonomic handle with plastic-coated grip;
retractable stabilizer bar and integral air-
pressure gauge; dead-man trigger with
trigger guard; adjustable thermoplastic
spray shield; and oversized trigger and
trigger guard to allow room for triple-
layered lineman gloves.
Air-Spade | www.airspade.com
Portable Timer
PRODUCTS&Services
DAS Switch and iDC Control
Eatons Cooper Power Systems DAS three-phase switch and iDC control featuring
the ProView platform host a complete set of switching, automation, metering and
data acquisition functionality to maximize system performance and reduce customer
outages while optimizing the grid via real-time data.
The DAS switch is a three-phase, electronically controlled vacuum switch with a
mechanism that provides close and latch capability for electrical operation through
a temperature range of -40C to +55C (-40F to 131F). The solid polymer system
does not rely on a gaseous, liquid or foam dielectric, and is highly resistant to ozone,
oxygen, moisture, contamination and ultraviolet light. Three-phase switching on
systems rated up to 15.5 kV is provided by DAS15 switches. DAS27 switches can be
applied on systems rated through 27 kV. Higher-voltage system switching at 38 kV is
provided by DAS38 switches.
Compact and lightweight, DAS switches are easily installed on poles or in
substations. Mounting equipment is available for both pole and substation
applications. Switch operations are programmed in an electronic control with accurate
characteristics and a host of advanced features. When system requirements change,
program settings are easily altered with no sacrice of accuracy or consistency.
The new microprocessor-based DAS iDC switch control runs the new ProView
5.0 application software, including an Application Launcher that features a common
interface for both iDC and Form 6 recloser controls. The iDC control integrates real-
time valuable grid and outage data to be ported to a SCADA or feeder automation
system. Complete with a separate regulated power supply, the control is automation-
ready for the users choice of radio.
Multiple communications ports are available including serial and Ethernet with wire
or ber options. Also, digital communications performance can be tailored with the
user-congurable mapping of DNP3 protocol. The control can be congured through
the simple front panel display or with a laptop through an RS-232 serial port on the
front panel.
Cooper Power Systems | www.cooperindustries.com
Concentric Neutral Resistance Tester
The OHM-CHECK Tester is designed
to measure the extent of deterioration of
a concentric neutral of a power cable.
A concentric neutral is made up
of many strands of round or at wire
helically wrapped around the cable
insulation and usually grounded at both
ends. It has multiple purposes. Severe
problems can occur for a utility if this
neutral has corroded to a point where
it can no longer carry return currents
and is not capable of returning fault
currents from a fault location back to the
grounded end of the neutral.
This concentric neutral may have 6
to 20 strands of aluminum or copper wire wrapped around the insulation. Whenever a
strand corrodes and opens, there is a very incremental and measurable change to the
neutrals resistance. The instrument measures how much of the neutral remains intact.
High Voltage Inc. | www.hvinc.com
Water Blocking for Underground Cable
Hendrix/Kerite Cable (Marmon Utility, LLC) announces its DUAL BLOCK product,
which provides a dual water blocking capability on
Hendrix primary underground cable.
Water is one of the enemies of long life in primary
cable, as water entering the cable core can lead
to premature failure. Hendrix DUAL BLOCK helps
prevent this from occurring. First, a ll compound is
continuously applied into the conductor interstices.
This prevents longitudinal water migration. Second,
a water-swellable powder is applied under the
polyethylene jacket. This prevents water from migrating along the neutral wires,
under the jacket. Taken together, these two applications provide a reliable barrier that
prevents water from entering the cable core.
DUAL BLOCK is an option for all stranded conductor Hendrix cables.
Marmon Utility, LLC | www.hendrix-wc.com
EuroSMC designed its PTE-30-CH
chronometer as an accessory to its
injection instruments to test protective
relays. Its function is to determine one
of the most important parameters, the
reaction of the delay time of a protection
relay in relation to a trip condition.
The PTE-30-CH detects state changes
in normally open or normally closed
contacts, as well as positive or negative
changes in voltage up to 250 V. The
measurement unit can be switched
between milliseconds and cycles at any
time. A special measurement mode can
display the frequency of a voltage signal
up to 4 kHz. When used in combination
with PTE relay test sets, the PTE-30-CH
can be controlled remotely over the built-
in PTE BUS interface. The timer measures
trip time in protective relays, time of
contact operation and duration of a signal
phase. It provides accuracy of 0.01%,
three selectable display modes (seconds,
cycles and hertz) and a resolution of 1 ms.
EuroSMC | www.eurosmc.com
Helicopter Blocks
Condux Tesmec 2-3 bundled
conductor helicopter blocks are now
available in 24-inch and 32-inch (610-mm
to 813-mm) diameters. The one-piece
cast-aluminum frame is 25% lighter,
yet stronger and less likely to break
compared to aluminum blocks with
welded extruded frames. The units
specially designed counterweight y-in
gate allows for quicker and more secure
rope installs, featuring a unique hinge for
safer and more efcient cable removal
during clipping operation.
With a workload rating of 12,000 lb
(5,443 kg), the conductor blocks are load
tested to 60,000 lb (27,216 kg), providing
a 5:1 safety factor. Lightweight aluminum
blocks are easier to handle and require
less fuel when hanging by helicopter.
Condux Tesmec offers a full line of
stringing equipment including pullers,
tensioners and puller-tensioners, as well
as productivity-enhancing conductor
stringing tools and accessories.
Condux Tesmec
www.conduxtesmec.com
www.tdworld.com | February 2014 59
PRODUCTS&Services
Advanced Laser Distance Meter

RIDGID announces the micro LM-400
Advanced Laser Distance Meter. Capable
of reading distances up to 229 ft (70 m) in
length, it is designed with many noteworthy
elements for quickly and easily viewing,
storing and sharing measurements.
Specically, it features a backlit four-line
display screen for a clear view of the reading;
an inclination angle measurement system
for indirect measurements in hard-to-reach
areas; an advanced calculation feature that
can adjust units instantly to inches, feet
or meters, and enough storage space for
saving up to 20 measurements at a time.
The new meter is also IP 54 dustproof, splashproof and has an auto shut-off after
3 minutes of inactivity to preserve battery life.
Additionally, the LM-400, via Bluetooth, is compatible with smartphones and
tablets, allowing users to view, store and share data remotely. Available as a free
download, the RIDGIDsketch App for Android and iOS enables wireless transfer
of LM-400 measurements to a room oor plan, photo or sketch.
RIGID | www.RIDGID.com
Industrial Computer
Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories new SEL-3355 high-performance, ruggedized,
rack-mount computer is designed for industrial automation, utility substations and
other harsh environments that require highly reliable and highly available computing.
Designed around an Intel Core i7 multicore processor with up to 16 GB of error-
correcting code RAM memory, the SEL-3355 operates silently without fans or vents
in temperatures ranging from 40C to 75C (-40F to 167F). Additionally, it reliably
operates in the presence of shock and vibration, electromagnetic interference and
electrostatic discharge. The SEL-3355 is SELs third-generation industrial PC and builds
on a demonstrated reliability that is 10 times that of typical industrial computers.
To address cybersecurity concerns, the SEL-3355 is available with tools to allow
customers to implement Center for Internet Security OS security benchmarks,
thereby providing industry-agreed-to settings in the OS to improve the device
security posture. In addition, Intel vPro technology includes several security measures
designed into the chip set that make it less vulnerable to computer viruses or loss of
sensitive information.
The SEL-3355 can be congured with dual hot-swappable power supplies; up to
four single-level cell solid-state drives that can be congured with RAID redundancy
to allow for drive replacement without loss of data; and SEL SysMon and Intel vPro
technology that provide management of security, monitoring, diagnosing and remote
computer repair.
Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories | www.selinc.com
WAVE Communicator Applications
Twisted Pair is offering a suite of push-to-talk (PTT)
applications that enable interoperability among and between
nearly all network and device types, including smartphones
and tablets, two-way radios, desktop PCs and more.
The WAVE Mobile Communicator application notably
brings PTT capability to smart devices and connects them
with any other system, removing boundaries to instant,
enterprisewide PTT voice communications. With the
WAVE Mobile Communicator, a smartphone operates as a
multi-channel radio handset, sending and receiving secure
audio to any other communications device. Accompanying
applications bring PTT to desktop PCs and laptop
computers.
WAVE allows mobile workers, backofce staff and
third-party vendors alike to connect in real-time, regardless of device type, job title or
geographic location. By maximizing interoperability and exibility of device choice,
WAVE enables organizations to achieve true enterprisewide PTT and enhanced
efciency of operations, all while conserving costs by not requiring an overhaul of
existing systems or the purchase of any new hardware.
Twisted Pair Solutions | www.twistpair.com
Line Monitoring System
GEs Digital Energy announces the
launch of an enhanced version of its
Multilin Intelligent Line Monitoring
System, an end-to-end overhead line
monitoring solution with advanced
analytics that provides actionable
intelligence to distribution utilities,
improving the reliability and efciency of
power delivery to their customers.
Using the system, utilities can reduce
the duration of outages by accurately
identifying fault locations, allowing
them to quickly dispatch repair crews.
Improved dynamic line rating also helps
them easily identify additional available
line capacity to maximize their existing
infrastructure investment.
Upgrades to the Multilin Intelligent
Line Monitoring System include a new
feeder visualizer application, which helps
utilities gather data from their network
to identify loading and phase imbalance
issues. The improved fault location allows
utilities to quickly and precisely identify
trouble spots, and send an e-mail or SMS
message to repair crews, getting them
dispatched to limit system interruptions.
By leveraging GEs patented time-
synchronized data delivery, the line
monitoring system delivers data to
utilities faster than ever before, ensuring
timely decisions are made when
weather or equipment failures interrupt
a network. Expanded communication
backhaul options also allow for greater
installation exibility into a utilitys
existing network.
GE Digital Energy
www.gedigitalenergy.com
Partial-Discharge
Detector
HAEFELY HIPOTRONIC announces
the launch of the new DDX9121b partial-
discharge (PD) detector.
The DDX9121b is modular and ts a
wide range of PD detection applications,
such as a single measuring input up to
nine measuring inputs simultaneously.
Traditional PDs according to IEC60270,
radio interference voltage measurement,
or PD under DC are covered. Pass/fail
testing to advance phase resolution time
analysis is also possible.
The DDX9121b increases laboratory
sensitivity, as it is equipped with digital
lters allowing the measurement
frequency band to be shifted into a less
noisy range, thus suppressing frequency
dependent noise. In addition, there
are gating possibilities to remove static
interferences.
HAEFELY HIPOTRONICS
www.hipotronics.com
PRODUCTS&Services
PRODUCTS & SERVICES HELP WANTED
NY metropolitan area contractor seeks an
estimator with knowledge of all facets of
electrical power construction including
transmission lines, substation and
distribution work. Salary comensurate with
experience.
Send resume to: construct567@aol.com
ELECTRICAL ESTIMATOR
Auto-Ranging Multimeter
Klein Tools
MM500 auto-
ranging multimeter
measures up to
750 V AC and DC,
resistance and
continuity.
The user-
friendly but tough
multimeter features
three-button
functionality,
automatic
detection of AC or
DC voltage, and
visual and audible
continuity indicators. The self-storing
leads are perfectly spaced for quick
measurements of tamperproof outlets.
Auto-hold automatically locks readings
on the display when measuring in hard-
to-access areas.
Additional features include a
4,000-count LCD display, a battery
door with captive screws to eliminate
lost fasteners, IP67 dust and waterproof
rating, 3-m (10-ft) drop protection and
CAT IV (600 V) safety rating.
Klein Tools | www.kleintools.com
Real-Time Data Calculation
HBM Inc. has added real-time data-calculation
capabilities to its 1-kV card. A new isolated 1-V
data-acquisition card lets the data recorders
perform real-time calculations on the y, while
allowing users to view results immediately. In
contrast, other devices require the use of post-
processing software to view analysis results later,
rather than in real time.
The new card also lets Genesis high-speed
recorders calculate more precise results. Many
data recorders provide an average value for a
block of data over a certain time period. The 1-kV
card, instead, provides values per half cycle at
sampling rates of up to 2 million samples/second
at voltages up to +1,000 V. Users, therefore, can
see dynamic data such as currents and voltages
produced when an electric motor is accelerated,
for example. This capability helps engineers
more easily meet design goals for optimization
and efciency. The new card is also useful in the
monitoring of generators and inverters, all applications that require millions of data
points to be acquired, stored and visualized.
The systems sampling rate can be automatically switched following a trigger event
in the real-time calculation channels. Maximum sampling rates are then only used
for particularly critical measurement events. This results in smaller data les, so that
testing becomes signicantly more efcient.
The Genesis 1-kV card ensures fast and secure processing of large data sets,
improving how the software streams data to memory and are displayed to the user.
HBM Inc. | www.hbm.com
PRODUCTS & SERVICES
Distribution Management System
Switching Management & Optimization
Load CurtaiIment & Restoration
Interchange Transaction ScheduIing
Energy Accounting & Trending
Contingency & ReIiabiIity Assessment
Geographic Information System Map
Distribution Management System
Switching Management & Optimization
Load CurtaiIment & Restoration
Interchange Transaction ScheduIing
Energy Accounting & Trending
Contingency & ReIiabiIity Assessment
Geographic Information System Map
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3M . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 www.3m.com
Aegion/Corrpro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 www.corrpro.com
*AFL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56m www.aglobal.com
Alber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 www.alber.com
Asplundh Construction Corp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 www.asplundh.com
Battcon 2014 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 www.battcon.com
Black & Veatch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 www.bv.com
Burns & McDonnell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IBC www.burnsmcd.com
*Doble . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1a www.doble.com
Eagleview Technologies/Pictometry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 www.eagleview.com
E-Train . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 www.tdworld.com
G&W Electric Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 www.gwelec.com
GE Digital Energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 www.gemoderizingthegrid.com
*Hi-Line Utility Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56i www.hilineco.com
Hubbell Power Systems Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 www.hubbellpowersystems.com
*Hubbell Power Systems Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56c www.hubbellpowersystems.com
IEEE PES T&D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 www.ieeet-pes.org
Kinectrics Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 www.kinectrics.com
Krenz & Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46-47 www.krenzvent.com
Lewis Mfg. Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 www.lewismfg.com
*Lewis Tree Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56e www.lewistree.com
Mears Group Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 www.mears.net
NLMCC/NECA-IBEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 www.nlmcc.org
*Osmose Utilities Services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56g www.osmoseutilities.com
Parkline Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 www.parkline.com
Preformed Line Products Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 www.preformed.com
Quanta Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 www.quantaservices.com
Rauckman Utlity Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 www.rauckmanutility.com
S&C Electric Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .IFC www.sandc.com
Sabre Industries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 www.sabreindustries.com
Schweitzer Engineering Labs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 www.selinc.com
Schweitzer Engineering Labs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 www.selinc.com
*Siemens AG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1b www.siemens.com
Siemens Industry Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 www.siemens.com
TDW Grid Masters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 www.tdworld.com
TDW Vegetation Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 www.tdworld.com
Utility Lines Construction Services Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BC www.utiliconltd.com
WEG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 www.weg.net/us
StraightTALK
This leads to a few natural questions: Just how do we make
these determinations, who should pay and how should these
costs be allocated? For many regulators, one useful approach
is to differentiate between and within customer classes. Com-
mercial and industrial customers, for example, could lose a
considerable amount of business from a prolonged outage and
may be more willing to pay for system hardening. Residential
consumers, meanwhile, face other hardships when the power
is out, such as health concerns if the outage occurs during a
heat wave or cold snap.
So, where do we go from here? The NARUC paper is a con-
versation starter; we will be engaging with our members and
other key stakeholders, including utility organizations, the
federal government, companies and consumer advocates, to
broaden and inform the dialogue. Our Grants and Research
team is planning on holding workshops around the country to
address these issues.
And we need your help. Do we need new tools to evalu-
ate risks? Are new partnerships between the federal and state
governments necessary to help identify problem areas on the
grid? What kinds of contingency plans may be necessary to
prepare for a 1-in-a-100-year storm that may never come or
occur frequently for some states?
We at NARUC will engage in these kinds of conversations
over the next year. We hope to learn from our colleagues in
New Jersey, Texas, Ohio, Florida, Maryland and Pennsylvania.
These states are already pursuing resilience programs. We are
also watching closely as the New York Public Service Commis-
sion initiates a top-to-bottom review of its policies to ensure
resilience, among other factors, is a key driver in its decisions.
While NARUC does not endorse any particular approach, we
can learn a great deal from the states that are pushing ahead
with new and innovative policies. We applaud their efforts.
Typically, we dont think of resilience until after a hurri-
cane or other natural or manmade disaster knocks out power
to millions. We hope that, through these discussions, we can
better prepare ourselves for the next event.
By Colette D. Honorable, NARUC
Resilient Grid Tops Agenda
W
e often hear about making our electricity system
more reliable, but how do we also make it more
resilient?
Over the next several months, our national organization
the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commission-
ers (NARUC) will be initiating a dialogue over how best to
assess resilience investments intended not only to keep the
lights on but also to help the electricity system better with-
stand massive storms, catastrophic manmade events and other
disruptions.
We are undertaking this effort because more utilities are
seeking ratepayer recovery of costs associated with what have
often been characterized as resilience investments. The con-
cept of utility resilience is not new; Louisiana, Texas and Flor-
ida deal with hurricane damage almost every year. But severe
weather events like Superstorm Sandy, Hurricane Irene and
the 2012 derecho are forcing utilities and regulators across a
wide swath of the Mid-Atlantic, Midwest and Northeast to con-
sider these issues and their collective response as well.
Although resilience tends to ft within the existing struc-
ture of reliability that regulators already oversee, a singular
focus on resilience is necessary because of growing concerns
about extreme weather events and other natural and man-
made disasters. Our work in this area is intended to initiate a
conversation and lay the foundation for establishing common
defnitions and methodologies for state commissions, industry
and others when exploring utility resilience investments.
Just what is a resilience investment? Essentially, this kind
of investment involves hardening the system so it can better
withstand catastrophic events. Should a utility underground
its system in urban areas? Should it invest in reinforced con-
crete poles that can better withstand high winds?
These are the kinds of decisions utilities and regulators are
called upon to make. From the NARUC perspective, applying
a risk-based approach makes the most sense. Underground-
ing transmission lines is a popular notion after a severe storm
brings about lengthy power outages, but regulators and con-
sumers tend to balk at the costs. Moreover, making every ele-
ment of a utilitys system resilient is not only cost-prohibitive
but also unnecessary. State commissions seek investments that
deliver the best system improvements and ratepayer value. To
do so, NARUCs Grants and Research departments recent
paper on resilience recontends that a risk-based approach is
preferred. This means we must prioritize our investments
putting ratepayer money where it is most needed frst.
Colette D. Honorable is president of National Association of
Regulatory Utility Commissioners and chair of the Arkansas
Public Service Commission.
Editors note: To see the NARUC white paper on grid resilience,
visit www.naruc.org/Grants/Documents/Resilience%20in%20
Regulated%20Utilities%20ONLINE%2011_12.pdf.
WEBI NARS
E n g i n e e r i n g , A r c h i t e c t u r e , C o n s t r u c t i o n , E n v i r o n me n t a l a n d C o n s u l t i n g S o l u t i o n s
January: Sustainable Design
February: Communications for the Modern Grid
March: 3-D Design
May: IEC 61850
June: Transformers
July: High-Voltage Direct Current
September: Grounding
October: Engineer-Procure-Construct (EPC)
Advanced Substation Design
2014
For more information about our experience or the webinar series, go to www.burnsmcd.com/substationwebinars.
E/ectr/c Substat/on & 7ransm/ss/on
E/ectr/c D/str/but/on Overhead/Underground
Street L/ght/ng
Project Management
Emergency Storm P/ann/ng & Restorat/on
Learn more at www.utiIiconItd.com/uIcs or caII
1-877-884-5426 today.
With proven personneI and a eet of
speciaIized equipment, UtiIity Lines
Construction Services, Inc. (ULCS) buiIds
and maintains the infrastructure you need
today to serve your customers tomorrow.
ULCS, an AspIundh company, is a trusted partner
with over 50 years of experience and expertise in:

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