Utility Horizons - Second Quarter 2013 - (Page 47)

STANDARD Bearings... integration (e.g., Home Area Network devices such as in-home displays, programmable communicating thermostats, smart appliances, electric vehicle charging) with real-time smart meter data? ■ Is there a platform (e.g., Green Button) that allows: ✔ Customers to obtain their own energy usage information ✔ Automated third party access to customer energy usage information, which incorporate strong privacy provisions ✔ Is customer education/outreach on grid modernization being implemented successfully? ■ Are software analytics being used to segment, understand, and communicate with customers? The modernization of grid operations section of the index looks at whether ESPs in the state are implementing technologies on the electric system to deliver the benefits of a modernized grid. The following technologies and capabilities compose this section of the index: ■ Automated Meter Reading (AMR)? ■ Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI)? ■ Advanced, communicating transmission-based sensors such as: ✔ Phasor measurement units ✔ Dynamic line rating ✔ Fault indicators ✔ Transformer monitoring ■ Advanced, communicating distribution sensors such as: ✔ Phasor measurement units ✔ Dynamic line rating ✔ Fault indicators ✔ Transformer monitoring ■ Energy storage leveraged as a tool for system planning? ■ Price responsive and/or ride-through (voltage and/or frequency) capable microgrids? ■ Integration of AMI with other utility systems to increase benefits, such as outage detection, remote connect/disconnect, tamper detection, power quality monitoring, etc.? ■ Distributed Automation (DA) at: www.UtilityHorizons.com ✔ Substation ✔ Line switches ✔ Circuit ties ■ Integration of Distribution Management System functionality with sensor data, capacitor bank monitoring and/or control, voltage regulator monitoring and/or control, storage charge and/or discharge? ■ Probabilistic planning based on new data from equipment and sensors are being used in Distribution, Transmission, Customer interactions and/or across the enterprise for increased system value? ■ “Self-healing” capability (i.e., to autonomously operate and/or reconfigure) ■ Geographical (aka Geospatial) Information System (GIS)? ■ GIS integration with Asset Management (AM)? ■ Advanced visualization tools? To ensure consistency of interpretation and scoring, the GWA has established a GMI project team made up of its members to research the progress of grid modernization in each state utilizing published documents and interviews with key stakeholders. Leveraging this information, the project team scored each criteria question for each state. Since different states have various providers of electric service, the survey leverages the term Energy Service Providers (ESPs) to indicate the collection of entities providing electric service in that state. This includes, but is not limited to, investor-owned utilities, retail service providers, cooperatives, and municipal power utilities. The GMI produces a score for each state. The term state when used to evaluate grid modernization criteria refers to the public utility commission, state legislature, and/or the greater majority of ESPs in the state. In other words, the state is being measure for moving forward with grid modernization, regardless of which entities within the state are driving progress forward. The questions in the policy section can be rated a high score if the majority of utilities in the state are moving forward in these areas (e.g., utilities have data security policies even if not required to by the state) without policies requiring them to do so. GWA/SGPC will evaluate the data to determine the impact policy is having on advancing grid modernization investments. An example of this is the impacts of net metering policies on investments. It Q2 - 2013 • UTILITY HORIZONS • 47  http://www.UtilityHorizons.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Utility Horizons - Second Quarter 2013

Utility Horizons - Second Quarter 2013
Publisher’s Message
Contents
The Queue
Automation Rising!
Inside Tracks
Focal Point
Automation and Innovation at Epcor Water Services
BLeading Edge: Advanced Technology Perspectives
Consumer Engagement: The Future Goes Mobile
Demand Response: Why the Future Is in the Cloud
Building Paths to Smarter Water Management
Bullet-Proofing Your Scada System Against the Evil-Doers
Education Matters
Standard Bearings
Regulation De Rigueur
On the Horizon
Purviews
Intersections
Eventualities
Thinking It Through With Sparky Flamedrop
Loose Ends

Utility Horizons - Second Quarter 2013

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