Moderator. How Utilities Apply Technology Throughout an Outage Lifecycle NH Emergency Preparedness Conference

Transcription

1 How Utilities Apply Technology Throughout an Outage Lifecycle Presented By: 2017 NH Emergency Preparedness Conference Moderator Thomas Murphy Manager, Environmental Health & Safety

2 Moderator Presenters The Power Delivery System 2

3 Response & Restoration Priorities Life Safety Top Priority is always life safety or public & employees Priority Level 1 Life Threatening/Imminent Danger Situation Priority Level 2 Hindering Emergency Operations Priority Level 3 Non Threatening Electrical Hazard Electric Infrastructure: Transmission lines/substations Utility Defined Critical Facilities: Hospitals, police/fire stations, water supply, sewage treatment facilities (identified by Municipal Officials) Circuit Backbones: Main line distribution circuits which feed lateral lines Lateral Feeders: Large blocks of customers and/or whole neighborhoods, largest number of customers in the minimum amount of time Transformers/Secondary Circuits Individual Services 5 Initial priority is always Public Safety During and immediately following a storm event, public safety is our first priority Responding to Wires down & hazardous equipment conditions Working with Municipals to keep roads clear for emergencies (cut & clear for public safety) 3

4 Emergency Management Lifecycle Mitigation Preparedness Recovery Response Technology Enhancements Benefits of technology: Real time information sharing/hosting Collaboration w/ colleagues and peers Automate solutions Mobile versions and user friendly Utility enhancements via technology Communicate w/ employees, customers, municipal officials and others Track & manage systems, equipment, and resources during emergency events Ultimately improve reliability and service restoration/response 4

5 Before an Emergency Utilities use various types of technology and systems to prepare or get-ready for an emergency such as: Live weather monitoring & proactive forecasting Systems Vegetation Management practices Pre-Emergency Notification Systems & Communications System Monitoring Weather Forecasts & Alerts Utilities receive daily forecasts tailored to their area and also receive special weather alerts for weather disruptions 5

6 Additional Weather Info Most utilities have access to their own radar and individual forecasts, however all access and utilize additional publicly available weather sources Vegetation Management Utilities have annual vegetation maintenance plans & use various types of technology to mitigate tree hazards Additional vegetation management may be needed in certain areas such as near Critical or Main Line Circuits Utilities use technology such as LIDAR (Light detection & Ranging) Mapping imagery to identify risk areas to be trimmed 6

7 Pre Emergency Notifications Internal Notifications Send Word Now Arcos Calls, s, Texts Internal Coordination Resource & Logistical Planning External Notifications Municipal & State Notifications ( ) Public Notifications (PSA, Social Media, Company Websites) Direct calls to customers storms COMMUNICATIONS Utilities use various technology to communicate before, during and after an emergency Type of technologies or systems/mediums utilities use to communicate include: Public Communications (PSAs) & Social Media Utility Websites and/or Mobile Apps Municipal Communications NH WebEOC Publicly available resources 7

8 Public Notifications If a known major weather event is predicted that may interrupt service, utilities will attempt to contact customers Call blasts to customers with preparatory information Additional messaging for Life Support Customers Channels for communication messaging: Media outlets (PSAs) Social Media (Twitter, Facebook, etc.) Company websites and/or Apps Types of Information given shared: Safety and preparation information Customer Contact information Outage & restoration information Company Websites/Apps Company websites provide the most accurate information available including outage maps 8

9 Municipal Communications All utilities have a municipal liaison process to communicate with municipal first responders in their impacted towns. Specifically for First Responders in Unitil Service Territories Downloads easily to smartphone Easy menu options & steps to report NH WebEOC NH HSEM WebEOC activates for a statewide impact Coordinating information for events that may have a state wide impact Utilities coordinate through our ESF 12 lead (NH PUC) Utilities also monitor WebEOC when notified by HSEM Significant Events, Road Closures, Shelters 9

10 Publicly Available Resources Outage Central (outagecentral.com) Click on a State or Mutual Aid Group Displays the list of serving utilities with a link to both their Company website and their outage map Publicly Available (fee) Data Fusion Center datafusionsolutions.com National Power Outage Map Color Coded & Lists Outages 10

11 Outage Management Utilities use various technologies and systems when outages are reported to track, manage, and respond to customer interruptions such as: Outage Management System AMI/SCADA Outage Map Info Resource Tracking 21 Outage Overview How do utilities know when an outage occurs? Outages Reported or Detected Direct Customer Calls or IVR Online Outage Reporting or App AMI Flag Outages Confirmed & Tracked Outages entered into OMS System Outage confirmed with AMI/SCADA, if available Outages Assigned & Information Updated Crews assigned to outage location Crews update outage details OMS is updated with ETR, etc. 11

12 Outage Management Systems Utilities use OMS systems to manage & track outages It s important for impacted customers to call the utility it verifies/confirms OMS outage information AMI & SCADA Equipment used to confirm power for outages including single services AMI confirming Outages for OMS 12

13 AMI & SCADA Public Outage Maps Available on each Company s Website 13

14 Assigning Crew Resources Some utilities use systems to track & assign crews to field locations and dispatch work on laptops or mobile devices Future Technology Utilities are constantly reviewing emerging technology; New tech is coming out everyday! New tech must be easily integrated with existing processes and systems and ensure it enhances or adds value; Need to ensure it has been tested and bugs worked out Always have to maintain back up or paper based processes for when technology and/or data service fails! Certain areas in NH have very little or limited data service available! 14

15 How Communication Happens Damage Prediction Model 15

16 Damage Prediction Model Output Still in development. Relies on accurate forecast. Historical data from our OMS and real weather results. Damage Prediction Model Outputs Snow amount VS. weight 12 light and fluffy / 12 heavy and Wet Localized Wind gusts Recent weather that has weakened trees. Help to assist with tree trimming 16

17 CLICK Resource Management Systems designed to: Track active crew locations & timesheets Assign mobile work Provide information to field resources Update and restore outages Benefits: Faster deployment of resources Reduces paper based function time Quicker field information sharing Mobile Work Management 17

18 Which Platform.. More Technology! Drones vs. Helicopter Patrol Aviation guidelines Mobile Apps for various uses Pole inspections Damage Assessment Crew Tracking 18

19 Electric Utility Service Areas Liberty Utilities NH Electric Co Op Eversource NH Unitil Energy Systems Municipal Electric Depts Electric Service Not Available Questions? 19