Pgi 201509

POWER-GRID.
COM : SEPTEMBER 2015
T H E O F F I C I A L P U B L I CAT I O N O F
20 Smart Work Force

24 The Power of GIS
28 Workplace Safety
10 YEARS
AFTER KATRINA:
Entergy New
Orleans Comes
Back Stronger
YOUR POWER DELIVERY MEDIA SOURCE
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Air monitor.
Sound detector.
Heat tracker.
Wind gauge.
Light sensor.
Energy saver.
Crime ghter.
That also happens to be
a streetlight.
The Sensus VantagePoint Lighting Solution can be all of that and more.
It leverages the Sensus FlexNet communication network to enable a
powerful platform that transforms a passive streetlight into a critical hub
for a host of smart city applications. Sensus also provides the software
to not only monitor and control lighting, but also give you better insight.
That way you can optimize system performance and be more efcient
with your operations. So, as you can see, the future is not only bright,
its limitless.
Nothings out of reach.
To learn more, visit sensus.com/VantagePoint

Go to pgi.hotims.com for more information.
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Industry standard,
consider yourself raised.
The NEW FLIR T1K HD Thermal Camera.

BUILT FOR THE EXPERT, BY THE EXPERTS.
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12
Photo courtesy of Entergy
SEPTEMBER 2015 VOLUME 10.09
20 Smart Work Force Strategy:
10 Years After:
Remembering how Entergy
New Orleans Survived
Hurricane Katrina
Looking Beyond Wrench Time
Bob Kelley of BRIDGE Energy Group writes that an effective asset

management program built around a smarter work force and driven by
an assessment and improvement plan will allow a utility work force to do
what it does bestoperate and maintain the assets that help utilities meet
their business objectives.
In the wake of the storm of the century, Entergy

New Orleans had no choice but to rebuild itself. In
Senior Editor Rod Waltons 10-year retrospective,
Entergy New Orleans employees and Hurricane
Katrina survivors, who are one and the same, share
stories and memories about the days just after
Katrina, as well as the 10 years that followed.
24 Unleashing the Power of GIS
Schneider Electrics Matthew Crooks writes that

many utilities have become too comfortable
with their legacy GIS, uninformed of the
considerable benefits and capabilities available
through modernization. He shares how utilities
can leverage todays technologies and tools to
unleash new functionality from their GIS.
From the Editor 4
28 Processes, Technologies Drive
Notes 5
Down Utility Workplace Fatalities
Chief Editor Teresa Hansen presents the latest statistics on utility work
place accidents, which reveal that arc flash injuries and fatalities are a
major risk for electric utility employees. She writes that arc-flash resistant
switchgear and current limiting technology can reduce that risk.
Cyber Security and 16

the National
Power Grid: A Battle
for Control Systems
32 How to Deliver
the Most Value

Through Your
Smart Meter
Michael Singer of AT&T Business

Solutions describes three main forces that
drive cyber security problems and explains
how software defined networking can help
mitigate ICS security problems.
Ty Benefiel, co-founder and CEO of

MeterGenius, reveals three great ways
utilities can make their customerfacing portals more user-friendly
through the use of smart meters.
18 Developing a
Smart Work Force

Larry Womack of Oncor, the
largest transmission and
distribution utility in Texas,
explains how the distribution
utility built a better bench of talent throughout the
organization and further developed its existing talent.
CAN STOCK PHOTO INC. / WAVEBREAK MEDIA LTD
PowerGrid International : ISSN 1547-6723,

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FROM THE EDITOR
SENIOR EDITOR
ROD WALTON
Welcome Senior Editor

Rod Walton
Id like to use this months column to let Senior Editor Rod Walton, the
newest member of our team, introduce himself. The entire staff is thrilled
to have him.
EDITOR IN CHIEF
Teresa Hansen
918.831.9504 teresah@pennwell.com
SENIOR EDITOR
Rod Walton
918.831.9177 rwalton@pennwell.com
ONLINE/ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Once a daydreamer always a daydreamer.

I have chosen to work as a writer-editor covering an industry full of pragmatic,
no-nonsense and scientifically driven people. Yet I cannot shake the occasional
detour into flights of fancy.
I was inspired recently by the news that a new play about Alexander Hamilton
was going to debut on Broadway. Hamilton is my favorite founding father, or my
FFF if you will. The stranger than fiction story of the ultimate American dreamer
is going to be told not with historical footnotes but through hip hop music.
Along those lines, I was driving home one evening thinking about my new job
as senior editor of both Electric Light & Power and POWERGRID International
magazines. I had just seen data which shows that the transmission and distribution sector attracts more readers than some other subjects within the industry.
One thing led to another. A story about Alexander Hamilton led to thoughts
about hip hop and ultimately to my daily work. Soon I was mimicking Chuck
D. from Public Enemy and imagining this sing-along in my car: Chuck D. rapping out Im talking about T&D, and then a dance-happy chorus shouting out
Transmission and Distribution!
Im sorry, but this is what youre stuck with for a while. I jump into the kinetic, frenetically advancing world of the power grid with much excitement and
energy. Previously I spent 22 years as a writer and editor with the Tulsa World
newspaper. My last eight years were focused on the down, up and down-again
oil and gas industry.
Yet electrical power constantly crossed my path. I wrote about rate increases
and plans to shut down coal-fired plants. Ive met more than once with the people behind the Plains and Eastern Clean Line HVDC transmission project to bring
wind power from western Oklahoma and the Texas Panhandle through Arkansas
and to the Tennessee Valley Authority.
The world is ever changing. Theres a phrase we used in the newsroom that
we dont have the megaphone to ourselves anymore. Media outlets were a oneway communication from the decision makers to the audience. The Internet and
wireless revolutions surely have made that a two-day dialogue.
The same is true in the Im talking about T&D world. Smart meters, demand
response and, in some states, deregulation, have put some of the power into the
customers hands. Utilities dont have megaphone to themselves anymore, either.
Its exciting, and a little scary to see where this is all going. Not as scary, of
Jeff Postelwait
918.831.9114 jeffp@pennwell.com
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
Deanna Taylor
918.832.9378 deannat@pennwell.com
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
TransmissionHub Senior Analyst Corina Rivera-Linares
BUSINESS ADMINISTRATOR
Angie ODea
918.831.9431 angieo@pennwell.com
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& MARKETING
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course, as hearing me sing hip hop in the safety of my own car.
4 | September 2015
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NOTES
BY ROD WALTON, SENIOR EDITOR
NATIONAL CYBERSECURITY GROUP PUSHES ELECTRIC

UTILITIES TO STEP UP THEIR IDENTITY SECURITY GAME
Electric utilities must and can now find
ways to tighten up their networked controls over power generation, distribution
and transmission, a government group
focused on cybersecurity reported on
August 25th.
The National Cybersecurity Center of
Excellence has released a practice guide on
Identity and Access Management (idAM)
tools and solutions available for security
engineers. It offers what the NCCEE says
are ways for utilities to implement a centralized idAM platform which identifies
all the systems users involved in all the
companys control systems.
Our conversation with utility company
employees confirmed that current (idAM)
implementations are often decentralized

and controlled by numerous departments
within a company, the NCCEE executive
summary reads. Several negative outcomes
can result from this: An increased risk of
attack and service disruption, inability to
identify potential sources of a problem or
attack, and a lack of overall traceability and
accountability regarding who has access to
both critical and noncritical assets.
The challenge is greater now while the
utility industry is trying to enhance older
grid infrastructure in response to emerging
technologies and new devices, according
to the report.
The NCCEE is a part of the U.S.
Department of Commerces National
Institute of Standards and Technology. The

report says that these solutions are commercially available to utilities and also
released a lengthy how-to guide.
Electric utilities need the ability to provide the right person with the right degree
of access to the right resources at the right
time, and quickly, the summary reads.
The NCCEE says the guide does not
mean it is endorsing any or all of the commercially available products. It also asked
those engineers and other implementers
to participate in a forum and contribute
feedback to the findings.
For more information on the report, go
to https://nccoe.nist.gov/ and see the new
energy practice guide.
Consolidated Edison, National Grid,

Iberdrola and Central Hudson were
among the power utilities included when
New Yorks State Department of Public
Service selected demonstration projects
for Gov. Andrew Cuomos Reforming
the Energy Vision (REV) strategy. The
companies will work in partnerships to
develop clean energy projects.
These demonstration projects represent, collectively, important first steps in
how utilities will develop new business
models to improve the customer experience in New York, said Department
CEO Audrey Zibelman. They further
Governor Cuomos REV strategy by
supporting clean-energy innovation and
investment, and they will provide customers, including low-income customers, with opportunities to gain greater
control over their energy use and reduce
power bills. As a result of these projects,
utilities will be positioned to operate
more efficiently through

better integration of
distributed resources, working with third
parties in new kinds of
business relationships.
The partnerships and
projects include:
Retroficiency and
Con Edison Building
Efficiency Marketplace.
Simple Energy and
Orange and Rockland Customer
Engagement and Marketplace Platform.
Smarter Grid Solutions and
Iberdrola Flexible Interconnect
Solution.
SunPower, Sunverge and Con
Edison Clean Virtual Power Plant.
Central Hudson Central-E.
Iberdrola Community Energy
Coordination.
National Grid Neighborhood Solar.
While the traditional utility business

model is based on spending electric
consumer dollars and earning a regulated rate of return, these projects include
private investment from third-party
partners and are intended to demonstrate how new revenue streams can be
created from the market, rather than
from the traditional rate base, according
to the New York Department of Public
Service.
BIG STOCK / DELLM60
UTILITIES/PARTNERS APPROVED FOR NEW YORK REV DEMOS
September 2015 | 5
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NOTES
BY MICHAEL G. ALBRECHT
In an age of international geopolitical

computer hacking, compliance with high
stakes, evolving North American Electric
Reliability Corporation (NERC) cybersecurity regulations, including new Critical
Infrastructure Protection (CIP) Version 5
standards due in April 2016, are a priority in utility strategic planning.
Traditional analog utility infrastructure is now intimately tied to constantly
evolving IP-based digital hardware and
software, which means that compliance
with regulations does not necessarily
equate to security, said Chris Humphreys,
CEO and director of The Anfield Group
and former NERC-certified auditor.
Regulations usually lag behind technology, Humphreys said. I advise clients, dont do NERC, do NIST (National
Institute of Standards and Technology).
When you implement NIST 800-series
guidelines and apply governance, risk
and compliance (GRC) best practices in a
methodical way, anchored by configuration management tools, then as a natural
by-product youll be ready for NERC.
Rapidly evolving electric industry ecosystems, configuration management vendors and NIST guidelines are often ahead
of NERC compliance standards, he said.
These and other recommended
NERC regulatory compliance strategies were explored at Anfield Groups
annual Technologies for Security and
Compliance Summit in early August in
Austin, Texas.
Grid-related companies NovaTech,
RedSeal Networks, Tripwire, SAP
Greenlight, Quantum Technology
Services and SparkCognition showcased their products and strategies at
the event, and a presentation by Matt

Mereness, ERCOTs compliance director
and Edward Valdez of EcoTech Ventures
chief strategy office, provided compelling, battle hardened commentaries.
The summit conveyed a sense of optimism that help is available to utility
stakeholders grappling with demanding, even dreaded, cybersecurity
compliance audits. It
also informed
attendees of
the huge benefits organizational culture
change
can
bring to the
audit process.
Cultural
change efforts that
break down or at
least open windows
in the organizational
silos must be set in place
at the utilitys executive
level, summit participants told
the audience. Participants explained
how automated configuration change
management tools can map detailed network activity to specific security compliance standards. They said manual record
keeping belongs to another time and
place and that searching for lost documentation with an auditor waiting in the
lobby never has to occur again.
Simply purchasing and installing configuration management software does
not ensure organizational change, network integrity or compliance success,
Humphreys said.
If the IT side decides to make a
network configuration change, say to

open an FTP port on a server, without
consulting with business or operations,
time and money will be wasted when
ops reports that the change conflicts
with NERC regs, he said.
Kenneth McIntyre, executive vice president of The Anfield Group and former
ERCOT vice president for grid
planning and operations,
reinforced the
message that
utilities can
reduce compliance pain
and smoothly prepare for
NERC audits
by employing a
calm, methodical
approach to share
information across
the utilitys business,
information technology
and operations silos.
Rather than approaching
federal compliance audits under the
cloud of an us vs. them witch hunt
mentality, compliance and true grid
security can be realized by building over
time the methodical, daily application of
well-documented internal control best
practices, interdepartmental communication and process ownership linked to
configuration software tools, McIntyre
said.
To illustrate the benefits of configuration management tools to the open
organization, the summit highlighted
several platforms that allow utilities to
automatically generate comprehensive
BIG STOCK / MKABAKOV
CYBERSECURITY SUMMIT OFFERS NERC

COMPLIANCE STRATEGIES FOR THE 21ST CENTURY
6 | September 2015
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is not cited and fines assessed, but in

their evaluations NERC auditors take
into consideration demonstrated efforts
by the utility to justify and provide
documented evidence of internal controls and change management processesnames, dates, reasoning, scenario
testing, risk assessment and evaluation,
and process ownership. Information
exchange and collaboration between
industry and regulators moves the audit
process in a more productive direction
for all parties, he said.
The summit concluded with a look
at new seismic detection technology for
physical infrastructure surveillance and
protection by Quantum Technologies,
and a presentation by SparkCognition
describing their artificial intelligence
(AI) neural networking tools being
applied in the electric utility space to

automate and streamline risk assessments and evaluations.
More than 50 mostly generation and
transmission industry personnel attended The Anfield Groups Technologies for
Security and Compliance Summit, the
fourth in a series of annual cybersecurity summits organized by the security
and reliability consulting firm. Contact
the firm at info@theanfieldgroup.com
or at 512-687-6224.
Michael G. Albrecht is a freelance smart
grid writer and public speaker with his
Evolving Electric Grid presentation. He is
also a writer-researcher for CMG Consulting LLC. His works have been published in
Utility Analytics, Renewable Energy World,
and Smart Grid Insights.Reach him at
mike@texasenergy.solar.
BIG STOCK / MKABAKOV
topological maps that itemize not only

all network devices but also drill deep
into the network to itemize existing
software, version numbers, communication protocols, server ports and IP
addresses.
A key benefit of these configuration
tools is they map detailed network elements to NERC compliance standards
and effectively build the Reliability
Standard Audit Worksheets (RSAWs).
On a broader look at the compliance landscape, Humphreys described a
new spirit of security collaboration that
exists between industry and regulators
who share the common goal of national
grid security.
NERC is moving from policeman to
a partner, Humphreys said.
This is not say that noncompliance
September 2015 | 7
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NOTES
Fewer customers are actively shopping

for electricity, so utilities in competitive
markets need to improve their focus on
the customer experience beyond pricing,
according to the J.D. Power 2015 Retail
Electric Provider Residential Customer
Satisfaction Study released in mid-August.
The study looked at 86 providers in nine
states. It looked at five key factors: price;
communications; corporate citizenship;
enrollment/renewal; and customer service;
an additional factor, billing and payment.
was measured in Texas.
Champion Energy Services ranked highest both in Texas and nationwide with a
score of 766, just ahead of Green Mountain
Energy and Bounce Energy, at 754 and 752
points, respectively, in the same state.
AEP ranked highest in Illinois with a
score of 724 points, while Liberty Power
and Nordic Energy finished just behind
AEP in the state. Utilities were scored on a
1,000-point scale.
Overall, the J.D. Power study indicated that improving the customer experience generates high levels of retention
and even advocacy. The study found
that 57 percent of highly satisfied retail
customers (those who gave scores of
900 or higher) said they definitely will
renew their contracts, while only 23
percent of customers said they planned
to switch from their local distribution
company in the next three months.
Energy providers are challenged by
a rapidly evolving energy marketplace
and fewer customers are shopping for an
alternative electricity supplier, said Jeff
Conklin, senior director of the energy practice at J.D. Power. In this environment, it
is even more vital to differentiate the customer experience on something other than
price to increase retention and improve

market share.
Retail electric provider study rankings
by state, aside from Illinois and Texas are:
Connecticut: Ambit Energy ranks
highest in Connecticut with a score of
689 and performs particularly well in
the price and enrollment/renewal factors.
Connecticut Gas & Electric (657) and
ConEdison Solutions (645) follow Ambit
Energy in the rankings.
Maryland: Maryland is not ranked
this year due to insufficient sample.
Massachusetts: Viridian Energy
ranks highest in Massachusetts with a
score of 682 and performs particularly
well in the customer service factor.
Massachusetts Gas & Electric (637)
and Direct Energy (626) follow in the
rankings.
New Jersey: New Jersey Gas &
Electric ranks highest in New Jersey with
a score of 657 and performs particularly
well in the communications factor. Ambit
Energy (656) and North American Power
(655) follow in the rankings.
New York: Green Mountain Energy
ranks highest in New York with a score
of 684 and performs particularly well in
the communications, corporate citizenship and customer service factors. Agway

Energy (665) and NOCO Electric (650)
follow Green Mountain Energy in the
rankings.
Ohio: IGS Energy ranks highest in
Ohio with a score of 642 and performs
particularly well in the price and customer service factors. Direct Energy (637)
ranks second, followed by DPL Energy
Resources and DP&L Energy (629.
Pennsylvania: ConEdison Solutions
ranks highest in Pennsylvania with a score
of 698 and performs particularly well
in the price factor. Ambit Energy (695)
and AEP Energy (688) follow ConEdison
Solutions in the rankings, performing
above the Pennsylvania average (664).
Texas had the highest statewide customer satisfaction average of 715 points.
The 2015 Retail Electric Provider
Residential Customer Satisfaction Study
is based on responses from 21,744 electric retail residential customers of the
86 ranked retail electric providers in
nine states regarding their experiences
with their retail electric provider. Online
interviews were conducted August 2014
through June 2015.
CHAMPION ENERGY, AEP HEAD UP J.D. POWER

RETAIL STUDY OF COMPETITIVE ELECTRIC PROVIDERS
8 | September 2015
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BY CORINA RIVERA LINARES, CHIEF ANALYST, TRANSMISSIONHUB
ENTERGY MAKES TRANSMISSION

INVESTMENTS IN LOUISIANA, OTHER STATES
Entergy continues to make productive

investments in transmission, Entergy
Chairman and CEO Leo Denault said
on Aug. 4 during the companys 2Q15
earnings conference call.
In April, we announced that in
the fourth quarter of 2015, Entergy
Arkansas will begin constructing a new,
about $62 million transmission line
from Monticello to Reed, he said, adding that the project will include expanded electrical facilities, including a new
substation in Reed to move power more
reliably and efficiently into the region.
In April, we
announced that in the
fourth quarter of 2015,
Entergy Arkansas will
begin constructing a
new, about $62 million
transmission line from
Monticello to Reed,
Entergy Chairman and
CEO Leo Denault said.
As TransmissionHub reported, the
project involves building the new
24-mile line, crossing parts of Drew
and Desha counties, and expanded
electrical facilities, including the new
substation in Reed. The proposed route

includes a transmission line segment to
the Monticello Industrial Park where
the company plans to build a new distribution substation to serve industrial
and commercial customers who locate
there, the companys April 6 statement
added.
Also in April, Denault said during
the Aug. 4 call, Entergy Louisiana
the existing Iberville substation in

Plaquemine, La. Construction of
the Richardson to Iberville component is projected to begin with the
Richardson substation in August
2016, and will be followed by construction of the new 230-kV line
from Richardson to Iberville. Both
have a projected in-service date of
December 2018
filed for certification of an about $57

million transmission line in southeast
Louisiana, with an in-service date of
December 2018.
This project is expected to lead to
$515 million in savings to Louisiana
customers over its first 20 years, which
will be realized through a lower fuel
adjustment clause, he said.
An Entergy spokesperson told
TransmissionHub on Aug. 4 that the
Louisiana Economic Transmission
Project (LETP) is a portfolio of four
transmission projects designed to
cost-effectively reduce congestion in
the Baton Rouge industrial corridor and
to increase the amount of economic
power that can flow into the Amite
South region.
The spokesperson noted that the
LETP is subject to regulatory approval
and consists of four individual projects:
1. The Richardson to Iberville Line
includes the construction of a new
substation at Richardson, and about
11 miles of new 230-kV line from
the new Richardson substation to
2. The Bagatelle to Sorrento cut-in to

Panama 230-kV substation project
would turn the existing Bagatelle
Sorrento 230-kV line into and out
of the Panama 230-kV substation.
Construction is to begin in January
2017, and the project has an in-service date of December 2018
3. The upgrade of the Line Bay Bus
at the Romeville substation project
includes upgrading the line bay
bus to allow the flow limit on
the WiltonRomeville bus to
increase. Construction is to begin
in February 2017, and the project
has an in-service date of December
2017
4. A second 500/230-kV 1186 MVA
autotransformer at the Coly substation project would add three
single-phase auto-transformer
banks that duplicate the existing
1186 MVA 500/230-kV auto-transformer at the Coly substation.
Construction will begin next
December; and the project has an
in-service date of June 2018.
September 2015 | 9
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NOTES
EYE ON THE WORLD

Navigant: Global demand response spending will top $6 billion through 2024
technology and are calling for more flexibility from utilities,
and advancements in DR and ADR can help meet those
demands.
Navigant noted that the impact of outages from Hurricane
Sandy three years ago has pushed utilities, governments and
business toward solutions that keep the electric grid going
even in the face of natural disasters. Those efforts provide a
great opportunity for grid operators to use strategies such
as DR to help lessen risks from weather-related outages.
Demand Response Enabling Technologies analyzed the
global DR market and focused on three main categories:
metering, communications and controls. Global market
forecasts for DR sites and spending are segmented by applications (including residential, commercial, industrial,) and
by region. An executive summary of the report is available
for free download at www.navigantresearch.com.
CAN STOCK PHOTO INC. /CREATIVE ENDEAVOURS
Utility system operators, seeking reliability on the evolving power grid, are expected to spend about $6.2 billion
globally on demand response (DR) programs from 20152014, according to a recent report from Navigant Research.
The report, Demand Response Enabling Technologies,
determined that advanced technologies such as automated
demand response (ADR) will help operators deal with the
changing energy landscape. DR programs can speed up and
help smooth out the transition from traditionally centralized
power plants to distributed energy resources, proponents say.
For years, utilities have had to rely on operators of
different sites to manually turn off equipment or run
programs that gave customers little choice in how they
participated, Brett Feldman, senior research analyst with
Navigant Research, said in a news release announcing the
reports findings. Customers today expect more help from
South America spending nearly

$4 billion to improve power grid
Brazil leads the way as South American utilities plan to
invest more than $38 billion in modernizing the continents
power infrastructure over the next 10 years, according to
a new study published in August by Northeast Group LLC.
Utilities in the region see smart metering as the best
answer for pervasive electricity theft, poor reliability
and operational inefficiencies. About 9 percent of South
Americas electricity is stolen, with theft rates in some service territories spiking to more than 30 percent.
Brazilian utilities have announced plans to invest $25.6
billion over the next 10 years, including deployment of
more than 3 million smart meters.
Brazil is by far the largest market in the region
for smart grid investment, said Ben Gardner, president
of Northeast Group. Beyond Brazil, countries such as
Colombia, Ecuador, Chile and Argentina are serious about
grid modernization and planning significant investment.
South America will spend about $22.6 billion in smart
metering, $7.2 billion in distribution automation and $8.3
billion in other smart-grid segments from now until 2025,
Gardner added.
Vendors view South America as one of the next key
battlegrounds for winning major contracts. International
players such as ABB, Aclara, Alstom, Elster, GE, Iskraemeco,
Itron, Kamstrup, Landis+Gyr, Schneider, S&C, SEL, Sensus,
Siemens, Silver Spring Networks, Trilliant and Ziv are all
well positioned in the market. Several local vendors are also

competitive such as Weg, ELO, Nansen, CAM and others.
South America is emerging as a key geography for
Chinese vendors hoping to steal market share from the
European and North America vendors. Recently, Hexing
acquired Eletra Energia to boost its position in Brazil and
Wasion has announced smart meter projects in Brazil. Other
Chinese vendors will be looking for similar deals.
CAN STOCK PHOTO INC. /SPECTRAL-DESIGN
10 | September 2015
www.power-grid.com
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CAN STOCK PHOTO INC. /CREATIVE ENDEAVOURS
India building momentum on Seven Horses of Energy transformation
A new report by the Institute for Energy Economics and

Financial Analysis (IEEFA) indicates that India already is making
progress on long-term plans to increase its renewable energy
installation by 175 gigawatts and spend $50 billion on modernization of the electricity grid in less than a decade.
The report, Indias Electricity-Sector Transformation, cites
Prime Minister Narenda Modis call for Seven Horses of
Energy to diversify the nations supply beyond coal, hydro,
nuclear and gas.
The report estimated a 60 percent, or 500 terawatt hours,
increase in electricity demand up to the year 2022. Solar installation totaling close to 75 gigawatts could deliver 110 terawatt
hours, or 22 percent of the demand rise, according to the IEEFA,

while efficiency at thermal coal-fired plants also will hopefully
drive down energy loss.
For such a transformation to come about, efficiency will
be keyefficiency of coal production and delivery of targets;
efficiency in railway dispatches by lifting freight-utilization rates
with measures such as washing coal to lower tonnage required
to be moved; grid-efficiency gains to lower the highest AT&C
grid-loss rates in the world (26 percent); operating efficiency to
drive the Discoms (Indian plants) from their current unsustainable operating-loss position so that power purchase agreements
have bankability and cash-flow security; energy efficiency to
lower the ratio between electricity demand growth and economic growth; raising coal-fired power plant thermal efficiency
to lower the tonnage of coal required per kilowatt hour of
electricity produced; carbon efficiency to lower the electricity
sectors emissions intensity through better emissions standards
and a greater reliance on low carbon alternatives such as wind,
solar and hydro electricity; and finally, financial-market efficiency
to drive down the cost of capital and increase access to capital,
the IEEFA report reads.
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1509pg_11 11
9/3/15 3:55 PM
BY ROD WALTON, SENIOR EDITOR
ntergy New Orleans employees and

customers could be forgiven for wondering if they would ever wake up from
the logistical and personal nightmare that
was Hurricane Katrina. Even 10 years later,
the memories are thick and the emotions
close to the heart for those who endured
the storm that killed nearly 2,000 people,
drove the utility into bankruptcy and disrupted power for more than a year in some
places.
Just talking about this takes me right
back there, said Toni Green-Brown, public
affairs manager for Entergy New Orleans.
Katrina hit land on Aug. 29, 2005, with
unrestrained fury and yet a misleading
softer front edge. In fact, Entergy had
mobilized a response team in advance and
was getting immediate word back that it
wasnt as bad as originally feared.
We had boots on the ground, said
Melonie Stewart, director of customer service for Entergy New Orleans, which provides electric power and natural gas to
more than 200,000 customers combined.
Afterward (once the storm made landfall)
they were reporting back to us that things
looked pretty good out in the field. We had
dodged a bullet.
The real trigger, however, was pulled
when some of New Orleans levees failed,
sending what looked like Biblical volumes
of water pouring into large parts of the city.
12 | September 2015
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Many sections of the city filled up like

a bowl, and the Lakeview, Lower Ninth
Ward and eastern sections of the city
were devastated. Entergy New Orleans
could not even send crews back for
restoration until the water was pumped
out two weeks later.
The priceless human and $100 billion-plus financial toll of Katrina upon
New Orleans is well known. First, there
were those who died, those who were
forced to move and those who never came
back. The Lower Ninth is still vastly diminished. Even today, the citywide population
is not yet 90 percent of what it was in early
August 2005, although the tourism industry is vibrant once again.
What were seeing, which is so exciting, is the wonderful economic development rebuild thats occurred since Katrina,
said Stewart, noting that parent company
Entergy Corp. chose to keep its headquarters based in downtown. A lot has
happened since then.
In pure utility terms, Entergy New
Orleans basically was forced to rebuild
itself, too. Just within the city, Entergy lost
1,763 distribution poles, 12 out of 22 substations were flooded and 95 of 125 miles
worth of transmission lines went out of
service. Some 123,000 of the utilitys then
189,000 electric customers were unable to
accept service for months because of extensive damage to their homes or businesses;
Entergy New Orleans also lost more than

In September 2005, only one month
half of its natural gas customers in the after Katrina made landfall and 13 months
region.
before power was restored to Rosemonds
A story in the January/February 2006 home, Entergy New Orleans was forced
edition of Utility Automation and Engineering into Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The parent
T&D (now POWERGRID International) Entergy Corp. was dealing with more than
magazine about Entergy Corp.s losses from $1 billion in restoration costshalf of
Hurricane Katrina indicated that the storm which was falling on the shoulders of the
created the largest number of power dis- New Orleans subsidiarywhile the utility
ruptions from a single
virtually had no reveevent in Entergys his- I wanted to be
nue base from which to
tory. Overall, the mas- here. I wanted to be recover costs.
Entergy New Orleans
sive storm knocked out with my company
about 263 substations
received loans from parwhere Id worked
and 1,550 feeders.
ent Entergy Corp. just
for
almost
30
years,
Polly Rosemond,
to continue utility operwhich
was
going
ations and keep paying
who is manager of
wages and benefits to
regulatory affairs for into bankruptcy. I
Entergy New Orleans, wanted to see the
its employees, many
remembered that she
of whom were living
power restored.
did not get to turn the
in temporary or bor- Polly Rosemond
rowed housing and also
lights on in her home,
in the eastern part of the city, until October commuting from other locations. Entergy
200614 months after Katrina. And she Corp. had to move its financial offices to
was one of the first three neighbors back in the Houston suburb of The Woodlands
her neighborhood.
temporarily, while the transmission sectors
I was very happy, Rosemond said headquarters was shifted to Jackson, Miss.
Stewarts commute turned into a threeabout that day, noting that she knew that
the 14,000 workers, deployed to repair hour daily ordeal from her home north
Katrina damage not only in New Orleans of Lake Pontchartrain. Green-Brown rode
but throughout the Entergy system, were with five others in a carpool every day
hard-pressed to keep up with their unre- from Baton Rouge to work in a single-wide
lenting workload. We were in the streets customer-service trailer within the damcelebrating.
aged area.
September 2015 | 13
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1509pg_13 13
9/3/15 3:55 PM
headquarters in New Orleans central

business district about eight months
after the hurricane. It needed temporary homes for critical payroll and
logistical functions, but no thought was
ever given to abandoning the city, these
employees say.
Its part of the fabric of the city,
Entergy New Orleans spokeswoman
Charlotte Cavell said.
Stewart said even the bankruptcy
reorganization did not force it to cut
the workforce. The company has about
6,000 direct and indirect employees
in the New Orleans
area. Many of those
are holdovers who
chose to stay.
Green-Brown
transferred with
Entergy to the office
in West Monroe,
Louisiana, for about
a year. She was glad
for the time away,
she said, giving her
spent about $1
perspective on the
billion since 2008
storm and eventuon hardening the
Entergy employees, left to right, Toni Green-Brown, Melonie
plants, substations, Stewart and Polly Rosemond pose in front of their companys logo ally sharpening her
desire to return.
transmission and in New Orleans. Courtesy: Entergy
Rosemond also
distribution assets
within its service territory to withstand came home to eastern New Orleans,
reclaiming the house from the nine feet
something like another Katrina.
After the storm we looked at what we of water that poured into it on Aug. 29,
could do to improve the resilience of our 2005, after the levies failed.
To me it was no doubt, Rosemond
system, Stewart said. We hardened 25
critical substations across south Louisiana. said. I wanted to be here. I wanted to
We now use concrete and steel structures be with my company where Id worked
for transmission lines, constructing them for almost 30 years, which was going
into bankruptcy. I wanted to see the
to extreme wind-load criteria.
On the distribution side, we use power restored.
They all did, both to the company
larger poles nowClass 3 or larger
and selectively use storm guy wires to and the city it supplied.
Be sure to check out the Katrina slideshow
stabilize them, she added
Entergy Corp. returned to its on the website at www.power-grid.com.
rate increase as low
as possible, according to Entergy.
Stewart pointed
out that Entergy
New
Orleans
focused on reinvesting its new-found
funds right back
into the electric
grid in and around
the battered landscape. In addition,
Entergy Corp. has
The therapeutic part of it was you got

to share your stories, she said. We got
excited every day when the American
Red Cross truck came by with lunch.
We got to know the customers very
well. Many of the employees in customer service had lost a home or had a
family member who lost a home.
The bankruptcy proceeding eventually allowed Entergy New Orleans to
emerge from Chapter 11 in May 2007,
clearing its books and benefitting from
some inside and outside financial assistance. The New Orleans City Council
granted a rate increase that raised customers bills about 8 percent. The utility
also gained $200 million in Community
Development Block Grants and received
insurance claim payments totaling about
$250 million, which helped keep the
14 | September 2015
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1509pg_14 14
9/3/15 3:55 PM
less data.
more action.
The world doesnt need more data. It needs the right data.
Itron aggregates, manages and interprets data to help utilities solve
problems and take action saving time, money and resources.
Actionable intelligence. One of the ways were helping to create
a more resourceful world.
itron.com/resourceful
1509pg_15 15
9/3/15 3:55 PM
BY MICHAEL SINGER, AT&T BUSINESS SOLUTIONS
A BATTLE FOR
CONTROL SYSTEMS
U
SA Today recently completed an

investigation suggesting physical or
online attacks to the national power grid
in the United States occur almost once
every four days. While one might quibble
with the numerical accuracy of this study,
or with the definition of what constitutes
an actual attack, few would argue with the
clear trend toward increased cyber security
issues in the energy industry.
Three powerful forces appear to be
driving this cyber security problem in the
sector: First, malicious actors of all sorts,
including nation state groups, terrorist
cells, organized criminals and individual
hackers, have raised their games substantially. This advancement of capability
is not, however, unique to the energy
industry, even though grid components
and systems are certainly high value
16 | September 2015
targets. Instead, all industrial sectors,

especially ones considered critical infrastructure, are now forced to deal with a
more capable cyber adversary.
Second, the components one finds in
an industrial control system (ICS), such
as sensors, actuators, and controllers,
are now massively interconnected across
private networks, mobile networks, and
even the public Internet. Such energy sector interconnectivity, necessary for
low-cost operational control, maintenance and monitoring, clearly increases
the attack surface for these grid devices,
which are collectively referred to as part
of the burgeoning Internet of Things
(IoT). The well-known 2010 Stuxnet case
in which a computer worm was aimed at
logic controllers, illustrates the manner
in which malware locates and attacks ICS
components over the Internet.

Third, and perhaps most profoundly, the cyber security industry has traditionally built its defensive controls
and protective tools for generic information technology (IT) customers, rather
than for specific ICS applications. Nextgeneration firewalls come pre-loaded
with the ability to handle Web or corporate application traffic, but few firewalls
understand the protocols for communicating with the proprietary safety system
attached to an electromechanical heat
pump. Even when specific ICS security
components are available from vendors
almost always as customized hardware racked appliancesthe ICS test
and deployment process is lengthy and
requires special engineering expertise.
This process challenge can be
CAN STOCK PHOTO INC. / OLECHOWSKI
Cyber Security and

the National Power Grid:
www.power-grid.com
1509pg_16 16
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CAN STOCK PHOTO INC. / OLECHOWSKI
illustrated with a typical actuator connected to an electromechanical component.

This device was likely
manufactured with a
proprietary interface
that
understands
electronic
pulse
controls for basic
functions like powering on and off.
To provide security
for such interfaces,
the engineer must
understand not only
the specifics of authentication, access control
and monitoringthree
basic tenets of computer
securitybut also how best
to embed these controls into the
connection between that actuator and
control center.
Improper design can lead to serious
problems such as latency-initiated outages or misfiring. The process is further
complicated by the plethora of proprietary and legacy sensors, controllers,
switches, and other IoT devices one
finds in an ICS environment.
The ICS engineer must also contend
with the fact that telecommunications
and computer security have evolved
toward greater reliance on hardware for
proper functioning. Hardware increases
speed and efficiency, but greatly reduces
flexibility and modification, crucial in a
typical ICS environment.
In the actuator example cited above,
the security solution would likely be
provided as specialized hardware that
would have to be tested, delivered,
installed, monitored, and protected in the optimal physical configuration and locations that could include
multiple data centers. This is an expensive endeavor for ICS companies, especially since a typical environment in the
energy sector will have hundreds, thousands or even millions of specific endpoints to be connected and protected.
One architectural trend that does
provide some relief is the migration
of certain ICS control functions onto
mobile networks. Often initiated as
replacements or backups for existing
legacy approaches, wireless protocols
such as Wi-Fi or ZigBee reduce the
on-premise complexity of local area network switching and routing by offering
simpler airborne connections. As radio
access network technology and deployments increase in range and power,
direct connections to mobile service
provider infrastructure further reduce
complexity and cost.
In spite of the transition to mobility,
ICS security remains complicated by
the challenges of dealing with proprietary hardware. To help address this
problem, scientists at AT&T Labs and
the AT&T Chief Security Office have
begun taking advantage of the industry
shift to software defined networking
(SDN). An SDN removes a great deal
of distributed control from network
elements, and centralizes this control
in a software-based cloud with application programming interfaces (APIs)
for third-party extensions. It is precisely
these third-party extensions that provide a means for ICS security functions
to be more easily embedded via APIs
into the control stream.
Furthermore, SDN will provide energy
companies with the ability to dynamically embed their own customized virtual
protections into their networks using
software provisioning. While this process requires that security technology
companies virtualize their products, the

industry shift from hardware to software
is already well underway and includes
companies that offer ICS security functions. The shift is driven by the efficiency, cost and extensibility advantages of
software virtualization.
Once sufficient progress has been
achieved in the virtualization of security products, energy companies should
have the ability to provision security on-demand and in real-time into
their SDN-powered ICS infrastructure,
without the need for expensive and
lengthy hardware integration. If under
live cyber attack, for example, energy sector security teams will have the
ability using SDN to click a link on
a provisioning screen to immediately
increase the mitigation protection for
any ICS component being targeted.
Eventually this will lead to the development of learning algorithms that can
guide such defensive action through
automated provisioning without any
human intervention.
While this progression to SDN and
virtualization continues to unfold, telecommunications companies can provide
the energy sector with interim assistance
through expert security consulting,
network architecture assessment and
cryptographic analysis. Such cross-sector information sharing will strengthen
awareness on the part of service providers and their customers. Finally, the
near-term prospect of an SDN-powered
telecommunications infrastructure is an
exciting one and should bring needed
cyber security relief to an energy industry under serious attack.
Michael Singer is assistant vice president of
mobile, cloud and identity security for AT&T. He
joined AT&Ts growth platform team in 2013.
September 2015 | 17
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BY LARRY WOMACK, ONCOR
Developing a Smart Work Force
s the largest transmission and distribution utility in Texas, Oncor serves

more than 3.3 million points of delivery
via more than 121,000 miles of transmission and distribution lines, and does so
employing more than 3,400 employees.
From a work force planning perspective,
Oncor works to attract, hire and retain the
most qualified work force it can with the
end game always being improved business
performance in an increasingly competitive
environment.
Historically, Oncor and our predecessor
companies have believed in growing our
own. We have traditionally hired at the
entry level for craft and technical roles,
engineers, accountants, customer facing
roles and corporate center general and
administrative roles such as procurement,
human resources and information technology. Sourcing for jobs like meter readers,
field services, linemen and technicians was
done exclusively from local labor markets
in our service area, using our internal job
posting system.
For our campus recruiting efforts, we
focused mainly on electrical engineers,
accounting majors, management information systems and an occasional marketing
or management major. We cultivated relationships with a small number of colleges
and universities to meet our needs.
Consistent with many other utilities,
Oncor recognized a significant aging work
force concern in the last decade. At that
time, the average employee age was over
40 and the average tenure was more than
20 years. 35 percent of the work force was
eligible to retire, with projections increasing to 40-45 percent within 3-5 years. A
significant mass exodus of tenured, knowledgeable employees would have serious
negative impacts on Oncors operational
performance and overall success.

Through a series of fortunate internal
and external factors, a mass exodus never
materialized. What did occur, however,
was Oncors response to a timely wakeup call for our business. Three emerging trends were in front of us: new grid
technology was coming, advanced meters
were in development and deployment and
renewable energy sources were booming
throughout Texas. As a leading-edge business, Oncor needed to figure out how to
best manage and maximize each of these
emerging trends.
The response was a realization that we
had to raise the bar. We needed to build
a better bench of talent throughout the
organization as well as further develop our
existing talent.
To build that better bench, Oncor needed to re-focus on the basics of recruiting
as well as adopt new approaches. The
basics included remembering that effective
recruiting really boils down to improving
business performance. Since it is employees who ultimately make any business successful, recruiting and subsequent staffing
is among our managers most important
responsibilities. We also had to reinforce
that work force planning, job design and
hiring processes are all strategic, fact based
efforts which drive business outcomes.
The new approaches to recruiting included embedding an understanding within
operational leadership that traditional, time
honored concepts had to change as the
complexity of the utility technology base
evolves. For example, candidates strong in
science, technology, engineering and math
(STEM) were historically chosen first. We
understand today that STEM is the ticket
to the dance, the minimum requirement.
Oncor is now looking for employees who
can communicate and possess relationship

skills in addition to displaying the technical
savvy required. We are also looking for a
cultural fit into Oncor. We will hire for fit
into Oncor and teach the additional skills
and abilities to succeed.
We reinforced that the time that managers spend hiring the right candidates the
right way is nothing compared to the time
that is required in dealing with the wrong
hires.
Although we still utilize locally based
sources for entry level craft talent, Oncor
has developed partnerships with lineman
colleges and lineman certification programs in or near our service area to source
this talent. For the technician talent pool,
we have reached out to a large network of
2-year and 4-year colleges and universities
near us. We use the schools existing curriculum/degree plans in power distribution,
electronics, electrical technology and other
disciplines, and then modify our in-house
training to further build on that educational framework.
Oncor has also reached out to Norfolk
Naval Air Station, the Naval Submarine
Base in Kings Bay, Georgia, and the Joint
Reserve Base in Ft. Worth, Texas, as veteran recruiting sources. The nuclear trained
electricians, electronics technicians and
SEABEES from these programs have transferrable skills that fill a need for Oncor.
In the entry level engineering and facilities design space, Oncor moved to a robust
internship program as the primary sourcing outlet for this talent. Oncor employed
more than 80 interns in 2015. We will
make offers to 25-30 graduating engineers/
Larry Womack is director of HR Operations
with Oncor in Dallas. Reach him at lwomack1@oncor.com.
18 | September 2015
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1509pg_18 18
9/3/15 3:55 PM
designers each year. The take rate on

offers to interns is approximately 80 percent and the 2-year retention rate is more
than 90 percent. The move toward the
internship program was a direct response
to both the aging work force issue and
the desire to build a better bench in the
enterprise.
Finally, to further develop our existing
talent, Oncor implemented five distinct
employee development and leadership
programs to both train and retain employees for the 21st century business environment. A very unique aspect of these
programs is that Oncor leadership serves as
steering committee members, mentors and
instructors in the programs. Oncor leaders
are growing Oncor leaders.
The New Engineer Development
Program is targeted toward degreed engineers from hire through the first three to
four years of employment. The primary
focus areas include personal development,
technical development and business development. New engineers are all enrolled in
the program and assigned a mentor.
The APEX Program is targeted toward
high performing; non-supervisory employees who want to develop leadership skills
and grow their career. Group projects, team
activities problem solving and leadership
development exercises are highlighted in
this program.
The Horizons Program focuses on high
performing employees in technical job
families who may desire to grow into a lead
or supervisory role. Participants increase
their overall knowledge of Oncor while
enhancing their leadership and communications skills.
The Leadership Development Program
consists of existing first-line supervisors
and managers as well as leading individual
contributors and subject matter experts.
The programs focus is on enhancing
leadership skills while broadening overall
Oncor knowledge. The ultimate goal is to

develop participants for possible moves
into progressively larger and more challenging roles.
The Vantage Point Program targets
existing managers and directors. Vantage
Point enhances overall Oncor knowledge,
provides peer network development and
promotes greater self-awareness. There
is emphasis on project management and
developing strategic thinking to elevate
personal and team performance.
Oncor has long been positioned to recognize emerging trends in the industry and
proactively plan and implement processes
to keep it at the forefront of technology and
performance. The efforts undertaken to
develop a smart work force through internal and external recruiting and employee and leadership development programs
help ensure a diverse candidate pool of
qualified individuals to meet our ever
growing needs.
Keeping you connected and compliant

with mission-critical software and services
DATABASE &
WORK FLOW
CONSULTING
PROTECTIVE
RELAY TESTING
SOFTWARE
TRAINING
A DIVISION OF DOBLE
1509pg_19 19
SYSTEM
PROTECTION
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9/3/15 3:55 PM
efore you begin to think that Im

going to discuss the next silver
bullet solution to developing a smarter
work force, let me say in advance, that
is not my intent.
I will, however, share some of my tested
and proven experiences while working in
maintenance and operations for the past 40
years. Ive concluded that while we all love
to talk about the latest technology solutions, work and asset management strategies or complex condition-based maintenance implementations, we often leave the
greatest potential benefits unrealized.
Why, you might ask? Because they are
simple and not as exciting and most of us
would prefer to talk about the latest solutions that are making headlines. Thats not
to say that implementing simple solutions
is easy. As a matter of fact, its sometimes
difficult to achieve the results of simple
solutions.
DEVELOPING AND ENABLING
A SMARTER WORK FORCE
The following puts a spotlight on developing and enabling a smarter work force by
focusing on the basics: tools, training and
well-defined processes, all things that will
increase productive time or wrench time
(time spent doing the planned work). As
managers, asset management executives
or engineers, these are the things that will
have the most positive impact on our work if goals set forth at the beginning of the
forces safety and productivity, and ulti- project are met.
mately our success.
People: Is your organization strucSo, where do we begin? You cannot tured to support the new asset manageunderstand the impact, or the benefits, ment strategy? Is your work force trained
and do they have the
of making sure that your
necessary trade skills to
work force has the tools
Successful
accomplish your asset
to work safely and effiwork and asset
management
goals?
ciently without considermanagement
Have you considered
ing all of the components
improvement
the change management
of an asset management
programs
implications beyond the
program. First, dont start
include a focus
specific training requirewith the tools. Start at the
on strategy,
top with clear business
people, process ments? Have you providgoals, a strategy, an overand technology. ed your workers with the
required tools to safely
view of the entire program
and the means to measure the results. and efficiently perform the work in support
Successful work and asset management of the overall asset management program?
Process: Have you documented
improvement programs include a focus on
strategy, people, process and technology. your as-is work and asset management
All of these components are needed to processes and do you have a plan in
provide the work force with the tools to place to get to the desired goal? Have you
identified process improvements before
work smarter.
Strategy: Define where you want overlaying technology changes and tools?
to be and the key business goals, identi- Have you factored these changes into your
fy the gaps between that vision and the change management plan?
Technology: Does your current
current state, and put the plan into place
to achieve your desired objectives. Define technology support your goal? Does it
key performance indicators (KPIs) and provide the data necessary to monitor and
the methods to collect and calculate the maintain the health of your assets? If you
data needed as part of the initial strategy. need a new system, how will you establish
Determine in advance how you will mea- a new system while operating and mainsure the outcomes in order to determine taining your existing systems? How does
>
>
>
>
20 | September 2015
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1509pg_20 20
9/3/15 3:55 PM
KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
the new system/tools fit into your existing

processes or do you need new processes?
Its easy for an asset manager to lose sight
of the ultimate goal-which is essentially
determining ways to maximize the productivity while minimizing asset lifecycle
costs. If you dont identify and implement
the appropriate KPIs (see Figure 1) and the
means to measure and report on them, you
risk losing sight of the program objectives.
CASE STUDY
A large utility who had invested a great
deal of time and money in work and asset
management program was not meeting
the expected benefits post implementation
and wanted to take a closer look at possible
gaps and pitfalls. After reviewing the program, the following facts were noted:
The utility had a well-documented
strategy and the organizational structure was in place to support that

strategy.
The maintenance engineers, operations managers, as well as planners,
and tradespeople were well trained
and motivated. Leading practice business processes had been built into
their enterprise asset management system (EAM).
The utility had developed a sophisticated integration between their EAM
and the corporate financial system
so that all of the labor and materials
used in the operations, maintenance,
and project work could be accurately
tracked using activity-based costing
techniques.
So what went wrong? Despite these facts,
and the significant investment of resources
in the program, a large percentage of work

orders were closed without labor costs
assigned, resulting in inaccurate financial
system actuals. They were accomplishing
the complex tasks well, but inattention to
the basics, such as training gaps and a lack
of consistent measurement and monitoring of the results, seriously hindered the
expected benefits of their investment. Even
including a simple measurement such as
the percentage of actual hours expended
versus hours reported in the financial
system would have quickly identified the
discrepancy and provided the opportunity
to deal with the key issues.
We can all agree that developing a smarter work force is directly related to increasing the productivity of the work force, but
focusing on a single component or even a
focus on three of the four components of
the puzzle will lead to failure. The utility
in this case study did nearly all of the right
things. Unfortunately, they missed putting
effective measures in place to flag shortcomings of the program in not meeting
the stated objectives. For example, people
conducting the work were not reporting
their time according to their documented
processes and training.
SMARTER WORK FORCE LOOK
BEYOND WRENCH TIME
Lets explore the monitoring and
improvement process a bit more. To know
whether your programs are successful or
need further tweaking you must measure
and monitor the results, then be prepared
to make the changes that will support
Bob Kelley is an engagement partner at
BRIDGE Energy Group. He brings more than
40 years of experience in enterprise asset
management covering the full gamut of roles
from hands on operations and maintenance
to maintenance and outage project planning.
September 2015 | 21
www.power-grid.com
1509pg_21 21
9/3/15 3:55 PM
METER REPLACEMENT STEPS
long list of tasks mentionedcounts as

wrench time and those others are preparation or job closeout tasks.
All of the components of a successful work and asset management program
(strategy, people, process and technology)
are required to achieve the ultimate goal
of effective, hands-on work performed.
However, without the actual time measurement for each step, you cant determine
where the bottlenecks in your program
may occur.
Its not unusual to see wrench time
as low as 25 percent in many industries
where travel is involved. If your wrench
time is in the range of 25 to 35 percent
then an increase of one additional hour of
wrench time in an eight-hour work day
translates into an improvement of 40 to 50
percent. Thats a level of improvement that
is worth working toward.
To gain and improve overall efficiency, consider all of the tasks required for
completing the work that are not really
hands-on wrench time. These include:
planning the job, identifying and ordering
the required materials, arranging for permits or inspection, traveling to the work
location, documenting the as found and as
left condition, and finally returning to the
dispatch site.
Here are some ideas to help increase
wrench time:
Clearly Define the Strategy
Document your program goals and
the methodology of measuring the
results.
Analyze what does and doesnt
work and measure efficiency gains
versus cost.
Enabling the People
Ensure each team member understands the programs objectives and
has the skills, motivation and training required to accomplish them.
>
increased wrench time. I define hands-on

or wrench time as the time spent doing
the planned work and not the preparation,
travel or post job tasks. An example of
what comprises wrench time and what
needs to be measured to determine success can be sited from a gas distribution
organization where meter replacements are

a common and regulated activity. Someone
has to track the current meter in service
and determine when its due for replacement as well as consider the following steps
(see Figure 2):
Only the meter replacementfrom the
>
22 | September 2015
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1509pg_22 22
9/3/15 3:55 PM
Communicate the fastest route to

the work site, traffic and weather
conditions to increase wrench time.
Documenting and Improving
the Processes
Improve field work force productivity through job planning and
scheduling.
Effectively dispatch resources and
maximize their effectiveness by
knowing where your people are
and what they are working on.
Focus on the supply chain by ensuring you have the right materials, in
the correct quantities, and that those
materials are available in time and
where needed to complete the task.
Talk to your people on a regular
basis for their input and feedback.
>
> Apply Technology
and Tools
as Appropriate
Maintain accurate records of the
age, condition and location of all
your assets.
Implement mobile solutions that
provide access to GIS, CIS, work
and asset management and engineering data.
CONCLUSION
An effective asset management program, built around a smarter work
force and driven by an assessment and
improvement plan, will allow your work
force to do what they do bestoperate
and maintain the assets that help you
meet your business objectives. Work
and asset management needs to be
thought of in a holistic way where

each of the pieces is implemented with
a strong focus on monitoring, measuring, and looking for improvement
opportunities. Implementing a program
that takes into account an overall asset
management strategy, people, process,
supporting technology, and the metrics to monitor the overall program, is
all about laying the groundwork and
building a strong foundation for future
success and asset management improvements. The end result is not just a
smarter work force but the impact of
that smarter work force on a safer work
environment, reduced operations and
maintenance costs and increased asset
reliability.
Its well worth the effort.
Tap into forward thinking.

Take on the connected world.
Leidos is helping utilities to become the
energy systems of the future. Our crosscutting expertise in grid engineering,
systems integration, data analytics, energy

transforms your utility with data-driven
intelligence so you can take on whats next.
Activate Tomorrow, Today.

Chris Johnson
Project Controls
Sukhwinder Kaur
Electrical Designer
Lance Anderson
Civil Engineer
leidos.com/activate
September 2015 | 23
www.power-grid.com
1509pg_23 23
9/3/15 3:55 PM
BY MATTHEW CROOKS, SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC
UNLEASHING
the Power
24 | September 2015
www.power-grid.com
1509pg_24 24
system, and achieve a system that goes

beyond its status of a network repository to a true, business driver.
THE SOURCE OF DEFINITIONAL

INCONSISTENCIES
GIS was initially built to track and manage increasingly complex asset networks.
For distributed assets, maps were used to
document the location and characteristics
of equipment. Over time, more and more
data was added to the network, crowding
information and requiring various map
products at different scales for different purposes. This, along with the need
to update maps with new information
from the field, required more work and
so backlogs continued to grow. Workers
eventually lost trust in the accuracy of
information. In an attempt to solve the
problem, digital maps were created, but
that led to further issues.
Early implementation of digital mapping systems, called automated mapping/
facilities management, were costly and
inconsistent. Inaccurate data was carried
over from paper maps, while workflows
to keep maps current went unchanged.
Ultimately, utilities needed a platform
that allowed workers to share map-based
information amongst their networks, giving users the means to communicate
immediately, share information and collaborate.
GIS AS A PLATFORM
A platform is a tool that allows people to
communicate with one another and obtain
information, according to Phil Simons
book, The Age of the Platform: How
Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google
Have Redefined Business. It is a destination for people to share insights and
information, collaborate, and complete the
tasks at hand. A modern GIS is a platform.
A key characteristic of a platform is its
ability to track an identity. After a worker
identifies herself, access within the platform is possible wherever she goeson any
device, at any time. Just like an e-book,
that worker can pick up where she left off,
whether on a computer, tablet or smart
phone. Platforms also can interact with
other platforms and carry a workers identity from one platform to another, creating a
seamless transition between systems.
Because of the perception that platforms
are complex, many utilities are hesitant
to move to a modern GIS. However, this
Matthew Crooks is technical product
manager at Schneider Electric. He guides
development of the ArcFM product and many
of its extensions.
CAN STOCK PHOTO INC. / PICTOORES
hat is a geographic information

system (GIS)? If you were to
ask five people at the same utility, you
could get a slew of different answers:
a digital mapping system, a network
documentation system, an as-built data
processing system or a tool to create
work orders, to name a few. These definitional inconsistencies highlight that
although GIS has been used since the
mid-1970s, utilities remain unaware of
its full potential.
The problem is that many utilities
have become too comfortable with their
legacy GIS, uninformed of the considerable benefits and capabilities available
through modernization.
For example, GIS is regularly cited
as a mission critical systemits failure will result in the failure of utility
operationsyet it remains underutilized
for any real business transformation.
Rather than used as a strategic solution,
GIS most commonly acts as a simple
data source for smart grid systems, like
outage management. In todays fastpaced world, utilities must use a GIS
that can help meet heightened goals and
increasing demands. Modernization of a
utilitys GIS can accomplish this, shifting to become a platform that fosters the
company mission or a decision support
9/3/15 3:55 PM
perception is misinformed; even users of

the most advanced systems find modern
GIS straightforward, yet powerful. The
difference between it and other platforms
is that modern GIS uses maps, providing
a modern GIS, utilities must first take a

hard look at their information systems.
Assessing whether GIS is helping address
big problems, living up to its original
mission and easy to use is a good place
a natural way for people to communicate.

What better way for utilities to connect
departments, field workers, regulators, the
media and their customers than a mapbased platform with which these stakeholders are already familiar?
to start when deciding if modernization

is needed. Additional questions in the
assessment process should include:
Is it easy to get data into the field?
Have paper maps been eliminated?
Is it so easy to use that anyone can
tailor it to his or her needs?
Can workers access and share directions to transformers, valves, pipes,
poles or wires?
of GIS
CAN STOCK PHOTO INC. / PICTOORES
ASSESSING GIS TO DETERMINE

MODERNIZATION
To utilize the collaborative potential of
Is system data current, complete and

reliable?
Is GIS successfully doing everything
wanted from it?
If the answer to most of these questions
is no, it is probable the utility is operating
with a legacy GIS that is not keeping up
with the times.
Asking these questions is vital to utility operations. Currently facing immense
challenges as the industry changes, utilities
are dealing with smaller budgets and revenue erosion, as well as new competition
in the delivery of electricitymost often
from solar energy. In addition, utilities are
forced to manage massive infrastructure
thats aging faster than anyone can hope
to upgrade. Further complicating matters,
utility workers are aging, and fast. As they
retire, they take with them their beneficial
nuances of the utilitys previous system
that young workers will lack. In the midst
of these challenges, utilities need more
1509pg_25 25
9/3/15 3:55 PM
than a network documentation system,

they need an information system that supports their goals. They need a platform.
customers can acknowledge an outage,

allowing utilities to present a solution
timeline and receive feedback following
prompt maintenance of the problem.
MAKING MODERNIZATION
Since utilities have essentially four
A REALITY
common goals: make money; keep
Five unique elements
customers happy; keep
of a modern GIS platemployees safe and motiGetting
form can evolve a utilitys
vated, and comply with
information
system beyond network
laws, rules, and regulato and from
documentation. Because
tions. To achieve such
citizens
much of the data in an
goals, they must be able to
strengthens
electric company is locabalance the needs of ownthe
tion based, using mapers, customers, employconnection
based data for asset manees and the community
between the
agement is natural and
at largeall of which
utility and its
intuitive. The planning
compete with one anothcustomers.
and analysis made poser for time and resources.
sible with a modern GIS allows utilities Through modernization utilities can reap
to transform data gathered through asset the considerable benefits of GIS, when
management into actionable informa- much of the work to negotiate interaction that can be seen on a map, such as tions with these stakeholders can exist
vulnerable infrastructure, and visually in geospatial representations and provide
understand what will be required of that richer opportunities.
infrastructure now and in the future.
With the most workers operating out- YOUVE COMMITTED TO
side of utility headquarters or service cen- MODERNIZATION, NOW WHAT?
ters, field mobility allows them to get
After making the commitment to
information wherever they are working modernize your GIS, the first step is to
each day, find assets on a map and perform ask yourself what you want your current
work at specific locations more efficiently.
system to do that it currently does not
By distributing geographical informa- do. For example, does it leverage the
tion on assets, workers have a greater latest technology, such as the cloud,
understanding of the operational state imagery, smartphones and tablets to
of the network, such as whats going on streamline the editing process? Does the
right now and where trouble areas are location analytics of the system take data
located, heightening the utilitys situa- from tree-trimming programs, assets
tional awareness.
involved in previous failures, crime data
Getting information to and from citi- from the police department, and more,
zens strengthens the connection between to help identify potential problem spots
the utility and its customers. Since for crews?
people use maps every day on their
Further advancement of GIS can be
smartphones, tablets, and computers, uncovered when its truly thought of as a
its an easier way to provide informa- platform. In the past, GIS was difficult to
tion and receive feedback. For example, integrate with other systems, but modern
GIS talks easily with and allows todays

business systems to get location information by directly collaborating with the
GISnot by a clunky data extraction,
transfer or load process. Thats because
modern GIS is agile, with the vast majority of features configurable.
The final step in modernizing a GIS
is implementing relevant solutions that
are accessible inside and outside of
the utility. New functionality should
be accessible through web services for
faster, easier implementation to make
solutions work undocked and outside
the walls of the organization. The tools
dedicated to solving industry challenges
live in industry-focused applications.
MODERNIZATION IS KEY
TO A UTILITY OF THE FUTURE
Stemming from the need to track
and manage increasingly complex asset
networks, the first GIS was created.
Increasingly crowded and inconsistent
over time, the need for a platform to
share map-based information became
clear.
As a destination for people to share
information, collaborate and complete
tasks, its clear a platform is the best
solution for utilities to connect departments, field workers, regulators, the
media and customers. With that being
said, the question is, why arent all utilities using a modern GIS platform?
By leveraging the latest technology,
utilizing location analysis, thinking of
GIS as a platform, applying configuration
and implementing solutions that are
accessible inside and outside of the
company, new functionality is possible.
The time is now to push aside hesitancy
and achieve a modern GIS that reaches
the goals and demands of todays
utilities.
26 | September 2015
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1509pg_26 26
9/3/15 3:55 PM
Your First Line of Defense.

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1509pg_27 27
9/3/15 3:55 PM
Processes, Technologies Drive

Down Utility Workplace Fatalities
BY TERESA HANSEN, CHIEF EDITOR
he U.S. Department of Labor (USDL)

tracks the nations most dangerous
jobs based on the number of people
who die at work. On Sept. 11, 2014,
the USDLs Bureau of Labor Statistics
(BLS) released its national census of
fatal occupational injuries that occurred
in 2013. You might be surprised to
learn that firefighters, police and security guards didnt make the top 10 list.
You might be more surprised to learn
that fishing is the most dangerous job
in the United States. If youve ever
watched Discovery Channels Deadliest
Catch, portraying the lives of Alaskan
crab fisherman, however, you probably
understand why.
A statistic that likely doesnt surprise
you is that people who install and repair
electrical power lines and associated
electrical equipment like transformers,
along with telephone and cable TV
infrastructure installers and repairers,
made the top 10 list. These jobs ranked
No. 8 when the number of fatal injuries
per the number of full-time equivalent
workers was considered. The hazards
associated with these types of jobs are
fairly obvious. They include working
with high-voltage electricity, often at
great heights and sometimes around
the clock in the worst of weather conditions.
The risks of falls and auto accidents
are part of what make electrical workers
FATAL ELECTRICAL INJURY FROM CONTACT

WITH POWER LINES BY INDUSTRY, 2004-2010
Natural Resources
and Mining
12%
Service
39%
Construction
52%
Source: Fire Protection Research Foundation, "Occupational Injuries From Electrical Shock and Arc Flash Events, March 2015
jobs in the field dangerous, but risks of

electrocution and electrical burns cannot be understated. In its report titled
Occupational Injuries From Electrical
Shock and Arc Flash Events released
in March 2015, the Fire Protection
Research Foundation reports that BLS
statistics reveal nearly 6,000 U.S. workers died from electrical injuries between
1992 and 2013. Figures 1 and 2 provide a breakdown of fatalities based on
equipment type and job function from
2004 to 2010.
BLS data also reveals that 24,100
nonfatal electrical injuries occurred
from 2003 through 2012, which is the
most recent 10-year period for which
data is available. Many of these injuries
required employees to take time off
work to recover and some resulted in
permanent disability.
Fatal workplace electrical injuries
have fallen steadily over the past 20
years, from 334 in 1992 to 139 in
2013, according to the Fire Protection
Research Foundation report. The nonfatal electrical injury trend is less consistent. Between 2003 and 2009, nonfatal
injury totals ranged from 2,390 in 2003
to 2,620 in 2009, with a high of 2,950
injuries in 2005, according to the Fire
Protection Research Foundation report.
Nonfatal electrical-related injuries are
expensive, can devastate the injured
workers life and cannot be ignored.
The estimated costs of an employees
expenses and damages resulting from
an electrical-related injury vary greatly
depending on the source of the estimate and whether or not it includes
28 | September 2015
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1509pg_28 28
9/3/15 3:55 PM
standards. Although it is just one of

several organizations that provide arc
2
flash prevention and mitigation standards and recommendationsothers
include Occupational Safety & Health
Other
10%
Administration (OSHA) and National
Electrical Manufacturers Association
Manufacturing
10%
(NEMA)NFPA 70E is the go to
standard for worker safety around elecConstruction
Service
tricity. NFPA recommends the following
57%
23%
steps be followed to create an electrically safe work condition:
1. Determine all possible sources of
electrical energy to the equipment.
2. Interrupt load current and open
Source: Fire Protection Research Foundation, "Occupational Injuries From Electrical Shock and Arc Flash Events, March 2015
disconnecting devices for all sourcfines, disability payments, increased as destroy equipment. Severe burns,
es.
insurance premiums and other ancillary electrical shock or electrocution, blunt
3. Where possible, visually confirm
expenses. It isnt unusual, however, for force trauma from explosion, shrapnel
that disconnecting devices are
such an injury to render an employ- damage to the skin, vision damage
open.
4. Follow appropriate lockout/tag-out
ee permanently disabled and cost the from light flash, hearing loss from the
employer and its insurance company explosion and respiratory damage from
procedures.
millions of dollars for a single accident. breathing toxic fumes are the most com5. Verify that equipment is de-enThe Fire Protection Research mon causes of arc flash-related injuries
ergized using a voltmeter. Until
Foundation report reveals that contact and deaths.
equipment is tested,
assume that it is still
with electric current from a machine,
Arc flash is basiFatal workplace
tool, appliance or light fixture was the cally the rapid release
energized.
electrical injuries
leading cause (37 percent) of nonfatal of electricity, said Jay
6. Use grounding devichave fallen over
electrical injuries between 2003 and Prigmore, a product
es where the possibilthe past 20 years,
2010. The second leading nonfatal elec- development engineer in
ity of stored energy or
from 334 in 1992
induction exists.
trical injury event was caused by con- G&W Electric Co.s systo 139 in 2013,
tact with wiring, transformers or other tem protection division.
NFPA 70E recomaccording to the
Fire Protection
electrical components and was close It can create temperamends that all comResearch
behind the No. 1 cause at 35 percent, tures of up to 35,000
panies perform an arc
Foundation report.
according to the report.
flash hazard analysis for
degrees
Fahrenheit,
their electrical equipwhich is hotter than the
ARC FLASH INCIDENTS
surface of the sun. NFPA (The National ment. This study should determine a
Arc flash, which is defined as an Fire Protection Association) says it can workers potential exposure to arc flash
undesired electric discharge that travels be deadly to an individual who is as far energy, how injury can be prevented,
through the air between conductors or away as 10 feet.
what safe work practices need to be followed, the minimum arch flash boundfrom a conductor to a ground, is one
of the electric utility employees most NFPA SAFETY
ary required to keep the worker safe
and the appropriate levels of personal
common and dangerous risks. An arc RECOMMENDATIONS
flash can result in an explosion and fire
The NFPA is a non-profit organi- protective equipment (PPE) needed.
and can seriously injure people, as well zation that creates employee safety
These
guidelines
and
FATAL ELECTRICAL INJURY FROM

CONTACT WITH WIRING, TRANSFORMERS,
ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS BY INDUSTRY, 2004-2010
September 2015 | 29
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1509pg_29 29
9/3/15 3:56 PM
MITIGATION STRATEGIES
Fault Interrupting
Current Reduction
Current limiting fuse
Current limiting reactor
Expulsion fuse
High resistance ground
Circuit breaker
Arc Diversion/Detection
Triggered Current Limiter
3-phase earthing switch
Current Limiting Protector
Arc flash relay
Is-Limiter
Source: G&W
OPERATION TIME FOR VARIOUS

ARC FLASH MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES
30kA Fault, 4000A Circuit

2500
2000
miliseconds
2000
1500
1500
1000
500
104
Expulsion
High Speed
Earthing
Fuse
Current Limiting Switch
Fuse
100
51
10
Relay +
Breaker
Arc Flash
Relay +
Breaker
Current
Limiting
Protector
Source: G&W
recommendations are just the basics

of a comprehensive personnel safety
program. They do not account for any
measures needed to protect and mitigate
damage to expensive equipment.
SAFETY BY DESIGN
Most experts believe that safety by
design is the most effective way to mitigate
arc flash risks. Highly effective arc flash
safety programs place arc flash resistant
components and equipment at the top of
the defense list, instead of safety evaluations, worker training and personal protective equipment. Safety can be incorporated
into new systems during the design stage
and by retrofitting existing systems with
controls and equipment designed to mitigate hazards and reduce risks.

Most electrical equipment manufacturers have developed and incorporated
arc flash resistant components like fuses,
switches and relays into their switchgear.
This equipment can mitigate arc flash incidents through fault interruption, current
reduction, arc diversion/detection or current limiting (see Figure 3).
TRIGGERED CURRENT LIMITER
Energy released during an arc flash is
proportional to arcing time; the faster a
device can act, the less hazardous the incident. A quick-acting device can be key to
an effective mitigation strategy.
A triggered current limiter, also known

as a current limiting protector, can be
the most effective of all mitigation strategy technologies in certain situations, said
G&Ws Prigmore.
It (current limiting protector) is a little
known technology, but it has been around
for 30 years. It was developed by EPRI
(Electric Power Research Institute) in the
70s for medium voltage applications,
Prigmore said.
The technology has been in use in
niche markets for medium voltage
applications for years, but G&W has
developed and introduced it for low
voltage applications, he said.
We recognized that this technology
could work with low voltage and was
especially good for safety, Prigmore said.
A current limiting protector can operate much faster than other mitigation
technologiesup to 150 times faster
than expulsion fuses (see Figure 4).
It can interrupt the circuit before the
first peak and reduce the arcing fault
duration, he said. How it compares in
cost depends on the application and
the technology to which it is being
compared. It isnt the best mitigation
strategy for every application, but it is
a mitigation technology that utilities
should consider for their low voltage
applications, Prigmore said.
Employee safety is a priority for NFPA,
OSHA and utilities, but mitigating risks is
difficult and expensive. Utilities and other
companies whose employees work around
electrical equipment need a plethora of arc
flash mitigation strategies and technologies
in their arsenals. Current limiting protectors might need to be included.
Utilities must to do what is necessary to ensure that the current trend
of decreasing fatal workplace electrical
injuries continues.
30 | September 2015
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1509pg_30 30
9/3/15 3:56 PM
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e wear watches that analyze our heart

rates and bracelets that study our
sleep patterns. Data collection technology
has come a long way in recent years, and
our analysis of energy consumption is
slowly but surely following suit.
With cryptic units of measurement,
overwhelming spreadsheets and antiquated pricing, evaluating energy consumption
is something thats often overlooked by
consumers. The smart meter, however, will
make this analysis clearer, easier and more
useful.
Traditional spinning meters and monthly electricity usage reports will eventually
be replaced by sleek and wireless real-time
32 | September 2015
devices, ultimately leading to a much more

energy-efficient world.
SMART METERS: BUILDING STEAM
Smart meters continue to gain momentum as their benefits become more
apparent. From a utility providers standpoint, this new technology removes the
need for meter readers and truck rolls,
allows power to be switched on and off
remotely and greatly improves response
times after power outages. And with
a tamperproof reading system, smart
meters cut down on theft and fraud
risks by making it nearly impossible for
consumers to steal electricity.
For homeowners, smart meters are successfully leading to a greater awareness of

consumption habits, best practices and
energy efficiency. Instead of providing consumers with 30-day consumption reports,
people will be able to access 15- to 30-minute snapshots of their overall energy usage.
They can zero in on specific times and
dates to see exactly how much electricity
they used, enabling them to pinpoint energy-saving opportunities.
CUSTOMER PORTALS
NEED UPGRADES
Most electricity companies have created
customer portals in an attempt to make
CAN STOCK PHOTO INC. / RA2STUDIO
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1509pg_32 32
9/3/15 3:56 PM
BIGSTOCKPHOTO.COM / RA2STUDIO
BY TY BENEFIEL, METERGENIUS
BIGSTOCKPHOTO.COM / RA2STUDIO
turn this information into easily digestible tools, tips, and programs.
information more accessible. Users can

download Excel spreadsheets containing
monthly data, but these datasets are far
too broad and difficult for the average
consumer to comprehend. Theyve been
assembled according to electricity executives preferences and not through the eyes
of an inexperienced energy consumer.
In order for customers to better understand their energy usage, they need to
feel as though their utility company is
helping them and not assigning them
data-centric homework. No one has the
time or desire to go through these electricity consumption graphs, and companies find the most success when they
THE FUTURE OF ENERGY DATA

Here are three great ways utility companies can make their customer-facing portals more user-friendly through the use of
smart meters:
1. Implement time-of-use pricing
programs and tools
These programs already exist at many
utility companies, but they are poorly implemented and communicated.
Customers need to know about peak-hour
energy pricing, be provided with ample
tools to track their usage and have an
incentive to cut back during those times.
For example, try creating a point system
that can turn energy conservation into a
game by having customers gain points
when they use more electricity during
low-demand times. Once smart meters
are able to pick up on extreme amounts
of energy usage in real time, clients should
receive a text message that says, Youre
using a lot of energy right now; try these
things to cut back.
2. Go beyond graphs
Even the most detailed and helpful
graphs will cause the average customers
eyes to glaze over. A massive amount of
raw data is a major perk of smart meters,
but the true value is in how the data can be
used to engage customers.
Present the data within a framework
they can relate to. Directly show them
how their consumption habits impact their
bank accounts and lives as a whole. Show
them what they can do to improve and
how much money they can save.
3. Connect more than just the
meter
We continuously interview our utility
partners customers to better understand
and improve the experiences we build. The
No. 1 request is to include more device

types and manufacturers in our list of compatible connected devices.
Once you engage your customers, you
will create a demand for more control.
Giving customers the ability to control
their thermostats, water heaters, or lights
not only increases their engagement with
you, but it also increases your ability to
implement successful demand response or
time-of-use pricing programs. One portal,
through which customers can control their
devices and understand their impact on
their overall energy bill, is exactly what
customers want. There is a network effect
to connected devices the more devices
that are connected and interoperable, the
more likely customers are to want more
devices to connect and control. Start with
the smart meter and enable your customers
to grow from there.
As you read this, some companies
are already embracing smart meters by
running small-scale pilots to test out
their effectiveness. But the key here
is for these companies to shift their
mindsets away from the immediate cost
and return on investment. Instead, they
need to examine how long-term customer engagement through real-time
data will pay dividends down the road.
The utility industry cannot afford to
be constrained by its traditional models.
The only viable option is to embrace
this new technology and find ways to
have it benefit both customers and longterm bottom lines.
Ty Benefiel is co-founder and CEO of MeterGenius, a free website and mobile app that
helps residential users engage with and
learn to lower their electricity usage. It provides
electricity providers with new ways to increase
customer satisfaction and retention, reduce
overall electricity consumption and manage
peak demand usage.
September 2015 | 33
www.power-grid.com
1509pg_33 33
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PRODUCTS
Regenerative AC Load Bank Reduces

Energy Costs by 90 Percent
Visibility is a framework that allows customers, security

and network equipment vendors, as well as managed
Intepro Systems, a provider of power
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Visibility Fabric through REST-based application pro-
test equipment, announces the PEL Series
gram interfaces (APIs). By writing programs that use
Regenerative AC Electronic Load Bank.
Gigamons APIs, functions previously requiring manual
Built around a 60 kVA chassis, the system
intervention can be automated to improve responsive-
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the equipment under test load power back to the utility.

The PEL Series provides an energy-saving solution when
Arc Flash PPE Quick

Reference Guide
testing any type of power used in a range of industries.

The PEL Series features three modes of load settings:
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Every three years, the
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releases a new edition of
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electrical hazards. Graphic Products has summarized ele-
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Quick Reference Guide. The 2015 standard uses a new
Arc Flash PPE Category system to replace the Hazard/
Software Automates Network Traffic Visibility
Risk Category (HRC) previously used. The Arc Flash PPE
Gigamon Inc., a provider of traffic visibility solutions with
Quick Reference Guide is an easy-to-use graphic which
its Unified Visibility Fabric, introduces Software Defined
outlines the four PPE categories used to classify arc flash
Visibilitya framework that allows customers, security
hazard ranges. The graphic details arc-rated clothing and
partners, managed service providers and others to auto-
personal equipment based upon the standards recom-
mate detection, reaction and response to threats and pro-
mendations for equipment and practices. The guide can
grammatically adapt security policies to network changes.
be used as a safety training resource to help companies
Software Defined Visibility enables security tools, such as
and employees avoid workplace injuries and fatalities,
IPSs, WAFs, Secure Web Gateways, Sandboxes and other
and comply with applicable OSHA standards. Facilities
in-line or out-of-band security appliances to program
can request the complimentary quick reference guide or
the Gigamon Visibility Fabric to automatically update
receive it as part of Graphic Products comprehensive Arc
traffic Flow Maps and GigaSMART operations based on
Flash Labeling Best Practice Guide, which further outlines
real-time conditions. By enabling the programmability of
NFPA 70E labeling requirements, electrical safety pro-
Visibility Fabric, customers can adjust and enhance their
grams and more.
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ing costs and network complexities. Software Defined
34 | September 2015
www.power-grid.com
1509pg_34 34
9/3/15 3:56 PM
DistribuTECH 2016: The industrys most

comprehensive conference on automation, smart grid
and T&D engineering. Feb. 9-11, 2016, Orlando, Florida.
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ADVERTISER. ............................. PG#
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, NORTH AMERICAN

POWER GENERATION GROUP
Richard Baker
918.831.9187 richardb@pennwell.com
SYSTEMS, INC.
CHINA & HONG KONG SALES MANAGER

Adonis Mak
ACT International
Unit B, 13/F, Por Yen Building
478 Castle Peak Road, Cheung Sha Wan
Kowloon, Hong Kong
+86.138.252.678.23 fax +852.2.838.2766
adonism@actintl.com.hk
http://bit.ly/1FOpHEP
Los Angeles
14 17
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KYLAND-USA ................................ C3
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918.831.9884 fax 918.831.9834 joannas@pennwell.com
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POWER ENGINEERS ....................... 3
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918.831.9184 fax 918.831.9834 toml@pennwell.com
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ADVERTISING TRAFFIC MANAGER
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918.831.9473 glendav@pennwell.com
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OCTOBER
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P.O. Box 1260 : Tulsa, OK 74101
918.835.3161, fax 918.831.9834
www.pennwell.com
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ISRAEL SALES MANAGER

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Margola Ltd.
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phone/fax +972.9.899 5813
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Las Vegas
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JANUARY
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& SPONSORSHIP SALES MANAGER
Sandy Norris
918.831.9115 fax 918.831.9834
sandyn@pennwell.com
DISTRIBUTECH EXHIBIT &
SPONSORSHIP SALES MANAGER
Melissa Ward
918.831.9116 fax 918.831.9834
mward@pennwell.com
Nominate a utility
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REPRINTS
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219.878.6094 fax 219.561.2023
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September 2015 | 35
www.power-grid.com
1509pg_35 35
9/3/15 3:56 PM
AES Tait Generating Station storage project, pictured

here, deploys 40 MW of advanced energy storage to PJM
Interconnection and is located in Dayton, Ohio. Courtesy: AES
BY BRIAN PERUSSE, AES ENERGY STORAGE
The True Cost Of Storage

E
nergy storage is in a period of rapid

adoption and it is time that the reality replaces the rumors when it comes to
understanding the true cost of energy storage. Leading power markets, utilities and
regulators are benefitting from commercially operating storage or have made commitments to implement the technology.
More customers are considering storage to solve their grid needs and skipping expensive demonstration projects.
Though the benefits of advanced energy
storage have never been disputed, its viability as a cost-effective resource was called
into question in the early years of storage
deployments. Some have called storage
too expensive, despite the continued completion of successful, unsubsidized gridscale projects.
In order to unlock the potential of
energy storage and build a better, smarter
and greener grid, this misconception must
change.
When compared to a peaking power
plant, energy storage costs less and does
more. Battery-based storage is unique in
that it has the ability to act as both generation and load, providing twice the flexibility on the same interconnection. This gives
customers twice the value at the same cost.
For example, in PJM, advanced storage is
competitively procured every day and is

providing faster, more responsive reliability reserves, improving the performance of
the power system as a whole, while reducing the cost for customers and lowering
system-wide emissions. In just one year,
AES 100 MWs of resource in the market
have saved more than $20 million for PJM
customers.
Additionally, recent evaluations for storage have proven it as an economic capacity resource. Take for example Southern
California Edisons (SCE) selection of
more than 250 MWs of energy storage
in its competitive solicitation for capacity
last year. The SCE selection marked the
first time energy storage was specifically
allowed to compete alongside peaking and
other capacity alternatives.
This is a huge win for SCE customers
because storage was less expensive than
traditional peaking power plants and will
deliver a number of other benefits, such as
enhanced reliability. With the added capability to perform multiple grid-level jobs at
this competitive price point, storage proves
it absolutely delivers value as a smart alternative to traditional generation.
As utilities, planners, and power system
operators prepare for the retirement of the
current generation fleet, due to factors like
age, cost, or emissions, advanced storage

resources need to be looked at as a cost-effective choice compared to low-utilization
power plants. Energy storage can provide
the same capacity benefits as a peaking
plant, but in addition, it also improves the
efficiency of existing generating sources,
lowering customer costs and emissions.
AES has been operating energy storage
facilities commercially for over eight years.
Our experience operating the worlds
largest fleet of energy storage projects
has proven that storage is commercially successful today, and the number of
economic applications of energy storage
will only increase going forward. Proven
battery-based energy storage is available
today and can be utilized for the most
important jobs on the grid.
I continue to be encouraged by the
rapid acceptance of storage around the
globe and its potential to provide a smarter, more secure and more sustainable grid.
Leading power markets, utilities and regulators are already benefiting from cost-effective energy storage. Join us as we continue our work to transform the electric
grid - #ChooseStorage.
Brian Perusse is vice president of international market development at AES Energy Storage
36 | September 2015
www.power-grid.com
1509pg_36 36
9/3/15 3:56 PM
Introducing an
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2015 Advanced Control Systems, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
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POWER-GRID.

COM : SEPTEMBER 2015

20 Smart Work Force

YOUR POWER DELIVERY MEDIA SOURCE

Nothings out of reach.

To learn more, visit sensus.com/VantagePoint

The NEW FLIR T1K HD Thermal Camera.

CHECK OUT THE AMAZING HD THERMAL VIDEO AT WWW.FLIR.COM/T1K

Go to pgi.hotims.com for more information.

Photo courtesy of Entergy

SEPTEMBER 2015 VOLUME 10.09

20 Smart Work Force Strategy:

Looking Beyond Wrench Time

Bob Kelley of BRIDGE Energy Group writes that an effective asset

In the wake of the storm of the century, Entergy

24 Unleashing the Power of GIS

Schneider Electrics Matthew Crooks writes that

From the Editor 4

28 Processes, Technologies Drive

Down Utility Workplace Fatalities

Cyber Security and 16

the Most Value

Michael Singer of AT&T Business

Ty Benefiel, co-founder and CEO of

Smart Work Force

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addresses to P.O. Box 122, Niagara Falls, ON L2E

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FROM THE EDITOR

Welcome Senior Editor

Once a daydreamer always a daydreamer.

TransmissionHub Senior Analyst Corina Rivera-Linares

VICE PRESIDENT-AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT

AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT MANAGER

P.O. Box 3264, Northbrook, IL 60065

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, NORTH AMERICAN

PENNWELL CORP. IN EUROPE

PennWell International Limited

PRESIDENT/CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER/

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POWERGRID International is the

course, as hearing me sing hip hop in the safety of my own car.

BY ROD WALTON, SENIOR EDITOR

NATIONAL CYBERSECURITY GROUP PUSHES ELECTRIC

implementations are often decentralized

Institute of Standards and Technology. The

Consolidated Edison, National Grid,

more efficiently through

While the traditional utility business

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UTILITIES/PARTNERS APPROVED FOR NEW YORK REV DEMOS

In an age of international geopolitical

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CYBERSECURITY SUMMIT OFFERS NERC

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