Electric Energy Issue 1 2017

SPOTLIGHT ON CRITICAL ENERGY ISSUES ISSUE 1 / 2017 www.RMEL.org

ENGINEERING AND OPERATIONS STRATEGIES FOR THE

Distribution Volt VAR

Moving the Project Management Maturity Model Forward

Modernizing an Urban Power Plant

Plugging Into Economic Development

AMI Data to Detect Power Theft

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CONTENTS

12

Distribution Volt-Var Control & Optimization Basics

21

AMI Data to Detect Power Theft

By James C. Statzer, Meter Engineering

By By Dr. Murty V.V.S.

Support, Salt River

Yalla, IEEE Fellow,

Project

President, Beckwith Electric Co. Inc. & Mike Simms, Manager of Grid Management Midwest, Duke Energy

Moving Moving theProject Project the Management Management MaturityModel Maturity Model Forward Forward By Deborah Knudtzon, ByProject Deborah Sr. Coordinator, Knudtzon, Sr. Cook, HDR, & Bryan Project Coordinator, Sr. Project Manager, HDR, & Bryan HDR Cook, Sr. Project Manager, HDR

28

Satisfying the Competing Objectives for Modernizing an Urban Power Plant

By Brent Gifford, Manager, Major Projects and New Generation, APS

06 Message from the

37 RMEL Membership Listings

40 Section Takeaways

Executive Director

08 Board of Directors and

Foundation Board of Directors

09 President’s Message 10 Attend RMEL’s Spring Management,

4

24 24

Engineering & Operations Conference

ELECTRIC ENERGY | SPRING 2017

41

34

Plugging Into Economic Development: A Story About Teamwork

By Scott Carlberg, President, Talking Points – Public Affairs Management

Index to Advertisers

42 2017 Calendar of Events

OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN ELECTRIC ENERGY MAGAZINE DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE OPINIONS OF RMEL OR HUNGRY EYE MEDIA.

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RMEL INFORMATION

Letter From the Executive Director

T

THOUGH THERE ARE MANY OUTSIDE

influences and pressures on our industry, engineering, operations and technology remain the most critical drivers moving electric energy forward. Electricity exists today because of invention and imagination. No matter what the question, challenge or issue is, the people in this industry are using that same spirit of ingenuity to find new solutions every day.

In this issue of Electric Energy, experts from electric utilities and services and supplier companies take us through what works now and how these current solutions will sustain a rock-solid future for electricity.

Deborah Knudtzon, Sr. Project Coordinator, HDR, and Bryan Cook, Sr. Project Manager, HDR, introduce us to the Project Management Maturity Model.

Scott Carlberg, President, Talking Points – Public Affairs Management, showcases some strategies that Great River Energy, Ameren and Duke Energy are using to attract economic development.

On the T&D side, Mike Simms, Manager of Grid Management Midwest, Duke Energy and Dr. Murty V.V.S. Yalla,

6

ELECTRIC ENERGY | SPRING 2017

IEEE Fellow, Beckwith Electric Co. Inc. cover a distribution Volt-Var case study at Duke Energy. James C. Statzer, Meter Engineering Support, Salt River Project, points out some of the ways AMI data can be used to detect power theft.

Brent Gifford, Manager, Major Projects and New Generation, APS, gives details on how APS is satisfying the competing objectives for modernizing an urban power plant.

We don’t have a crystal ball to predict politics, the economy or consumer attitudes, but we do have a network of people sharing lessons learned as we work toward the same objectives.

I hope you enjoy this small sampling of engineering, operations and technology best practices from this great industry.

Sincerely,

Rick Putnicki Executive Director at RMEL

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RMEL INFORMATION

RMEL Board of Directors OFFICERS. PRESIDENT Jon Hansen Omaha Public Power District VP, Energy Production & Marketing PRESIDENT ELECT Tom Kent Nebraska Public Power District VP & COO PAST PRESIDENT Tony Montoya Western Area Power Administration Executive VP & COO VICE PRESIDENT, EDUCATION Joel Bladow Tri-State Generation and Transmission Assn.

Sr. VP, Transmission VICE PRESIDENT, VITAL ISSUES Neal Walker Texas New Mexico Power President, TNMP VICE PRESIDENT, MEMBERSHIP Scott Fry Mycoff, Fry & Prouse LLC Managing Director VICE PRESIDENT, MEMBER SERVICES Kelly Harrison Westar Energy VP, Transmission VICE PRESIDENT, FINANCE Paul Barham CPS Energy Sr. VP of Delivery Engineering, Integrated Planning, Substation & Transmission

DIRECTORS.

OFFICERS.

DIRECTORS.

Elaina Ball Austin Energy Deputy General Manager and Chief Operating Officer

PRESIDENT Paul Compton Kiewit Sr. VP, Business Development

Doug Bennion PacifiCorp VP, Engineering Services & Asset Management

VICE PRESIDENT, FINANCE Barry Ingold Tri-State Generation and Transmission Assn.

Sr. VP, Generation

Tim Brossart Xcel Energy VP, Enterprise Transformation Office John Coggins SRP Sr. Director, Power Delivery Susan Gray UNS Energy Corporation VP, T&D Operations/ Engineering

CHAIR, MEMBER DEVELOPMENT Michael A. Jones SRP Director CHAIR, SCHOLARSHIPS Karin Hollohan Platte River Power Authority Chief Administrative Services Officer

Andy Ramirez El Paso Electric Company VP, Power Generation Dan Schmidt Black & Veatch Corp.

Sr. VP, Power Generation Services Stuart Wevik Black Hills Corporation Group VP, Electric Utilities Ken Wilmot Associated Electric Cooperative, Inc. VP, Power Production

ELECTRIC ENERGY | SPRING 2017

Tom Haensel Burns & McDonnell Project Manager Kelly Harrison Westar Energy VP, Transmission

John Johnson Black & Veatch Corp.

VP, Power Generation Services Rick Putnicki RMEL Executive Director Hossein Tabrizi Ulteig Engineers, Inc. Senior Market Director Power

Tammy McLeod Arizona Public Service VP, Resource Management Kevin Noblet Kansas City Power & Light VP, Delivery

Bob Gresham Zachry Group VP, Engineering Development

Gary Hellard Babcock & Wilcox Company Director, Sales and Business Dvlp.

Mike Kotara Zachry Group VP, Business Development

SECRETARY Rick Putnicki RMEL Executive Director

8

Foundation Board of Directors

www.RMEL.org Published Spring 2017

PUBLISHED FOR: RMEL 6855 S. Havana St, Ste 430 Centennial, CO 80112 P: (303) 865-5544 F: (303) 865-5548 www.RMEL.org

Kathryn Hail EDITOR (303) 865-5544 kathrynhail@rmel.org Electric Energy is the official magazine of RMEL. Published three times a year, the publication discusses critical issues in the electric energy industry. Subscribe to Electric Energy by contacting RMEL. Editorial content and feedback can also be directed to RMEL. Advertising in the magazine supports RMEL education programs and activities. For advertising opportunities, please contact Susan Wist from HungryEye Media, LLC at (303) 378-1626.

P U B L I S H E D B Y:

www.hungryeyemedia.com

800.852.0857 Brendan Harrington PRESIDENT

Susan Wist ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

(303) 378-1626 susanwist@hungryeyemedia.com Lindsay Burke ART DIRECTOR

Alithea Cessna DESIGNER

Susan Humphrey MARKETING OPERATIONS MANAGER

President’s Message

A

AS RMEL’S 2016-2017 PRESIDENT, I appreciate this opportunity to share why I believe RMEL and its members are vital to the success of our individual organizations and the electric energy industry as a whole.

RMEL’s Mission: RMEL, through its diverse membership, educational events, and programs, facilitates the discovery of solutions and strategies for vital issues facing the electric utility industry.

Omaha Public Power District joined RMEL in 2010, and as more and more of our employees became involved by doing presentations and attending events, it became apparent very early on how valuable this association and its members are. I began talking to RMEL participants from all different types of utilities and services and supplier companies, and I wanted to continue to work with this network of incredible people. Employees at our organization make it a priority to take advantage of what RMEL has to offer, so that we can do our jobs in the most efficient ways possible. Even in these uncertain and sometimes very difficult times for our industry; when tough decisions have to be made, we rely on our RMEL network to help us figure out the absolute best ways to move forward.

It’s times like these that we need organizations like RMEL the most, and it’s critical that all RMEL member companies stay active and involved in the organization. The excitement around RMEL is contagious and draws more utilities and more participants into our programs. RMEL’s mission ties in with our priorities at OPPD and the goals of the industry.

For example, at each of our organizations, we are developing young people in our industry.

RMEL’s Emerging Leader Awards Program and the RMEL Foundation encourage both

students and emerging leaders to get excited about the power industry and how they can make an impact.

I also encourage you to contact the RMEL office at (303) 865-5544 to learn about opportunities to bring an RMEL event to your utility and/ or region. We’ve had the privilege to host the RMEL Spring Management, Engineering and Operations Conference in 2012 and will host the event again May 21-23 at the Omaha Hilton. I absolutely believe that bringing this conference and other events to our region have helped inspire even more folks from OPPD and other neighboring utilities to get involved.

RMEL and its mission continue to be relevant as the industry changes and transforms.

It’s your member input and involvement and our ability to listen and act that will help us continue to successfully bring members together so that we can share and learn from each other.

RMEL has already seen a great start to 2017 with events covering security, generation, transmission, distribution and safety. It’s going to be a productive year with all of us collectively working together as we navigate our changing industry!

Sincerely,

Jon Hansen VP, Energy Production & Marketing Omaha Public Power District 2016-2017 RMEL President

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9

ATTEND RMEL’S

Spring Management, Engineering & Operations Conference SPRING

OMAHA, NE

&

Management, Engineering Operations

CONFERENCE

2017

May 21-23 Omaha, NE

J

oin 300 members of RMEL’s trusted community to learn, network and discover solutions at RMEL’s Spring Management, Engineering and Operations Conference, May 21-23, 2017 in Omaha, NE. This year’s theme is Adjusting the Game Plan for Future Success. Sessions and discussion will focus on strategies, best practices and solutions that electric utilities are using and adapting in this challenging regulatory climate.

If you are managing people or projects, engineering, planning or operating systems in the electric utility industry, this conference is for you.

The Spring Management, Engineering and Operations Conference has been a tradition since RMEL’s early beginnings. Known for providing outstanding continuing education and networking opportunities, this conference is a must attend event for engineering, operations and management personnel in the electric energy industry. With 30 presentations, this conference covers issues in generation, transmission, distribution, safety, customer service, human resources and other management topics. The timely topics and breakout

10

ELECTRIC ENERGY | SPRING 2017

structure of the conference allows attendees to customize their education experience to focus on presentations and resources that address their needs. Ample time is also provided to network with industry peers and visit with exhibitors.

The event will feature a keynote presentation from Tom Osborne, Former Head Football Coach and Athletic Director, University of Nebraska and Former Nebraska Congressman. Tom is probably most widely known for is his 25-year coaching career at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. As head coach, he led the Nebraska football team to three national championships (1994, 1995 and 1997) and 255 wins, all of which earned him a spot in

the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame. Tom retired from coaching in 1998 and served three terms in the U.S. House of Representatives from Nebraska’s Third Congressional District from 2000 to 2006. In Congress, Tom worked to promote mentoring as a key component in improving quality of life for our nation’s youth.

Tom was Nebraska’s Athletic Director from 2007 to 2013 where he led the University in a move to the Big Ten Conference.

An Executive Leadership Panel will feature Tom Kent, VP & COO, Nebraska Public Power District; Elaina Ball, Deputy General Manager & COO, Austin Energy; Mike Risan, Sr. VP of Transmission, Basin Electric; and Kevin Noblet, VP, Delivery, Kansas City Power & Light.

Educational breakout sessions will take place in three tracks: generation; transmission and distribution; and management.

The slate of generation track presentations will guide attendees through

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topics like Coal Plant Shutdowns, Solar Integration - a Tenaska Perspective, CCR Case Study, Platte River Power Authority Rawhide Energy Station, Transformation of Nebraska Public Power District’s Sheldon Station Unit 2, “Head Winds & Tail Winds” of Wind Energy, Grid Stability, Large Combustion Turbine Black Start Considerations and Case Study and Deploying FastResponding Battery Energy Storage Systems for Utility Fleet Optimization.

In the T&D Track, look forward to topics like a Physical & Cyber Security Panel, Omaha Public Power District Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS), TINCAP (Transmission Incident Notification System for Critical Asset Protection), Current Events in the Mountain West Transmission Group, IEEE 1547 Update, SPP’s Experience with Resource Changes in Planning and Operations, Planning the Distributed Energy Future and Prioritize Your Capital Spending and O&M Efforts with Transmission Systems Wildfire Risk Assessment.

The third track of presentations, focused on management, covers the RMEL Emerging Leader Panel, Putting a Face on Safety, NV Energy’s Capital Project and Portfolio Management Solution, APS: Value of Solar, What a Trump White House Means for Energy Policy, Westar Energy’s Customer Experience Travel Guide and Cyber Threats.

This event offers something for every person in the utility industry, whether you need to make the right contacts or find the right answers.

Utilities of all types of ownership participate including IOU, G&T, municipal, cooperative and others. Vendors of all types are valued participants in the conference and community dialogue to improve operations and enhance customer service.

NETWORKING GOLF OUTING

Enjoy a golf outing at Quarry Oaks on May 21st. The format will be a fourperson scramble and proceeds will benefit the RMEL Foundation scholarship program.

GUESTS AND SPOUSES ARE WELCOME

Bring your guest to the 2017 Spring Management, Engineering and Operations Conference. If your guest registers for the full conference, they are registered for all meals and the Champions Receptions on Sunday and Monday. If they register for an individual day, they will be registered for meals and the Champions Reception for that day only. Guest registration prices simply cover the cost of meals.

All attendees will receive a continuing education certificate.

The certificate provides professional development hours based on participation. For more information and to register for the Spring Management, Engineering and Operations Conference, go to RMEL.org or call (303) 865-5544.

W W W. R M EL .O R G

11

Distribution Volt-Var Control & Optimization Basics WITH A CASE STUDY FROM DUKE ENERGY

BY BY DR. MURTY V.V.S. YALL A, IEEE FELLOW, PRESIDENT, BECKWITH ELECTRIC CO. INC. & MIKE SIMMS, MANAGER OF GRID MANAGEMENT MIDWEST, DUKE ENERGY

12

ELECTRIC ENERGY | SPRING 2017

VVO CONTROLS

Capacitor banks are used for offsetting distribution system var requirements which reduces current reduces losses (I2R), reduces voltage variation, reduces consequential vars (I2X) and increases equipment capacities. Capacitors can be operated locally with various control methods including: Fixed Banks with no control; Time control; Temperature control; Voltage control; Current control; var/PF control and Combination controls - “programmable”.

Capacitors will compensate for voltage drop but SUMMARY: Volt Var Optimization (VVO) is the ability to they alone will not achieve voltage optimization deliver power within appropriate voltage limits so that conand energy reduction. VVO provides the capabilsumer’s equipment operates properly and to deliver power ity to optimize the feeder voltage and essentially flatten the voltage profile across the circuit. at an optimal power factor to minimize distribution losses.

VVO combined with CVR permits the optiThe objectives for volt var control have expanded to increase mized voltage to be reduced providing energy overall efficiency, reduce electrical demand using Conservation reduction as illustrated in Figure 1 below.

Voltage Reduction (CVR) and improve power quality. Volt Var LTC/voltage regulators are used to control Optimization systems must also operate effectively during circuit the voltage profile at the substation or along reconfiguration and with distributed resources. the feeder as illustrated below in Figure 2.

LTC/regulator controls operate within the This article presents the basics of distribution Volt var control and control bandwidth and time delay setoptimization; strategies and business case for VVO; operation, meatings. As the voltage moves outside the surement and verification of VVO; VVO circuit to circuit performance. band center for longer than the time delay the control operates to bring the voltage with in the band.

I. DISTRIBUTION VOLT VAR CONTROL & OPTIMIZATION BASICS DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM VOLTAGE

Historically utilities have operated at the high end of ANSI C84.1 voltage standard range. Operation at the higher end of the allowable range provides opportunities to apply VVO and achieve energy or demand reduction savings.

CVR has been used by utilities for many years to reduce demand during critical load periods. Three load types are typically used to describe the load response to voltage reduction, constant power - load current changes inversely to the change in voltage, constant impedance - load current changes linearly with the change in delivered voltage while the demand varies as a squared function of the voltage change and constant current - power delivered to the load varies linearly with the change in voltage delivered to the load. The load response to voltage reduction is characterized as CVR factor. CVR factor is defined as the ratio of the change in energy divided by the change in voltage. CVR factors are higher at close to unity power factor which means LTC/regulators alone can’t be used to reduce system voltage, capacitors must also be included. The main equipment used for VVO are LTC’s, line regulators, substation capacitors and line capacitors.

FIGURE 1: Example voltage profile with no VVO, with VVO and VVO+ CVR

FIGURE 2: LTC/Regulator control illustrating basic settings (Band center,

Bandwidth (BW), Block raise, Block lower and time delay

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13

T1<T2<T3

REVERSE POWER OPERATION OF VOLTAGE REGULATORS AND LTC TRANSFORMERS

FIGURE 3: Time delay coordination of LTC

and Regulator controls

FIGURE 4: Distribution feeder representation

for the purpose of LDC calculations

A typical time delay setting for an LTC control in a substation is 30 seconds. If there are line regulators on the feeders a common practice is to add 15 seconds to each stage moving out of the substation. For proper time coordination it is important that the shortest time delay is set at the substation and longer times in the feeder as illustrated Figure 3 below.

If not properly coordinated (shortest time in substation, longer time farther out in the feeder) LTC controls and Regulator controls may force making unnecessary taps for large system voltage variations.

There are generally two types of time delays.

1. Definite time delay with a fixed setting 2. Inverse time delay which varies with the amount of voltage difference.

LINE DROP COMPENSATION

Line drop compensation (LDC) allows the LTC/regulator control to regulate the voltage at a point closer to the load as the voltage drops due to line impedance as shown in the diagram below. There are two types of LDC usually provided R/X compensation or impedance (Z) compensation. Figure 4 illustrates the distribution feeder with R+jX or Z compensation which can be used to calculate the load center voltage.

VOLTAGE REDUCTION

Voltage Reduction lowers the control band center setting to induce the controls to lower the voltage instead of increasing the sensed voltage (analog controls used this approach). Because of the bandwidth setting (upper band edge â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Lower band edge), which is used to reduce unnecessary tap changes, entering voltage reduction does not always reduce the voltage near the amount of requested reduction. Controls typically support three reduction levels with reduction level range set from 1 -10 %.

14

ELECTRIC ENERGY | SPRING 2017

When reverse power is detected by LTC/Regulator control it has to determine the mode of operation. If the reverse power is due to line switching where the distribution feeder is being fed from the opposite end, then raise and lower outputs must be reversed and the voltage on the source side must be measured or calculated; otherwise, the LTC/Regulator will go to the extreme taps (+16 or -16) causing very high voltage or low voltage. If the reverse power is due to a small Distributed Generator (DG) then the LTC/Regulator must regulate normally without reversing raise and lower outputs as the small DG will not be able to regulate the feeder voltage. The following reverse power modes are typically implemented in the LTC/Regulator controls: Block; Regulate Forward (Ignore); Regulate Reverse; Return to Neutral; Distributed Generation and control automatically determines the best mode of operation (DG Vs Reverse Regulate).

Reverse power can cause issues if var controls are used.

The current sensing transformer will be on the wrong side of the capacitor bank. The capacitor control mode must be changed either to voltage control or keep the var control but calculate the vars using bank status.

COMMUNICATIONS CONSIDERATIONS FOR LTC/ REGULATOR/CAPACITOR CONTROLS

Implementation of VVO requires communications to the controllers. Traditionally serial RS-232/RS-485 communications (speeds of 9600 to 115 k baud) have been used. Modern controllers support high speed Ethernet ports (speeds of 10 to 100 Mbit/sec) with multiple concurrent sessions. LTC and Substation Regulators can use a wired communications with serial or Ethernet connection. Feeder Regulator and capacitor controllers require wireless communications (Cellular, 900 MHz etc.). Cyber security features are important to guard against hackers from using remote control features of these controls to raise/lower distribution system voltages to dangerous levels. Modern controls have the capabilities to provide advanced cyber security features such as authentication and encryption of the data.

II. DISTRIBUTION VOLT VAR CONTROL AND OPTIMIZATION STRATEGIES AND BUSINESS CASE VVO CONTROL STRATEGIES

There are generally two control strategies used to achieve benefits with VVO. Energy reduction, which means VVO is run continuously in order to reduce watt hour usage. Energy reduction strategies do not require the fast response (10-15 minutes) of a peak demand reduction program. Energy reduction also allows for individual substations or circuits to be run independently versus the large scale response required for peak demand reduction. Peak

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demand reduction VVO typically targets a larger voltage reduction response to reduce peak demand. In order to extract the higher amount of voltage reduction, circuit conditioning may be required before implementing VVO. In order to optimize voltage and vars on the distribution system, control of all voltage and var devices is required, including load tap changers, three phase bus regulation, single phase bus regulation, single phase circuit regulation and distribution capacitor banks. With three phase regulation there are generally no voltage imbalance issues but there may be limits on optimization due to having only three phase voltage control. With single phase regulation there needs to be awareness of single phase loads and potential voltage imbalance on circuits.

Optimizing voltage and vars requires specific measurements with defined accuracy. Line devices with three phase sensing are preferred. Accuracy requirements generally need to be 1% or less to allow for accurate voltage control since voltage will only be reduced a small percentage. Voltage accuracy is more critical to VVO operation, with watts and vars being more critical to power flow.

Voltage

VVO Circuits

Total Circuits

VVO Subs

Total Subs

34.5kv

58

62

21

22

12.47kv

476

556

148

153

4.16kv

0

161

0

72

totals

534

779

169

247

TABLE 1: Details circuits and substations involved in smart grid deployment

Ohio Substation Components (ITF = Inside the Fence) Total of 148 substations

Ohio Distribution Line Components (OTF = Outside the Fence) Total of 534 circuits out of 747

• 74 - Breaker Replacements

• 126 – Electronic Reclosers

• 561 - Regulation Controls

• 1947 – Capacitor Controls

• 377 – Microprocessor Relay

• 4085 – Line Sensors

Upgrades

• 30 – Self Healing Teams

RMEL EVENT SPOTLIGHT: Distribution Engineering and Design Best Practices October 11-12 RMEL is hosting a Distribution Engineers Workshop October 11-12 at the Denver Marriott South.

Engineers and designers involved in distribution will find this course helpful. In addition, supervisory or management personnel who desire a review of distribution practices and standards, or who are new to power distribution, will benefit from this course.

Experts from electric utilities and services and supplier companies will present on various topics during the two-day course.

PRELIMINARY TOPICS INCLUDE: • Wireless

TABLE 2: Details of the Ohio substation/Distribution line components

• Fault Indicators • Utility Scale Battery Storage • 1547 transfer trip • Large EV Integration • Smart Grid • Microgrids • Construction Standards • Best Practices for Standards Panel • Emerging Technologies Workshop topics are subject to change. Visit www.RMEL.org for updates and to register.

FIGURE 5: Results achieved with VVO for 2013 to 2015 with a base line without VVO in 2012

16

ELECTRIC ENERGY | SPRING 2017

Load allocation and power flow perform best with actual customer load data typically supplied with AMI data. Most AMI meters can also supply voltage data which can be integrated into the VVO system. Model accuracy is also critical for power flow based VVO. In order to perform an accurate enough power flow to control voltage within a small percentage GIS data must be highly accurate and accuracy must be maintained. Power flow can converge with poor data and the proposed plans could cause inadvertent operation resulting in high/low or imbalanced voltage.

VVO BUSINESS CASE

This particular business case was developed as part of an overall smart grid filing. VVO was a key component of the business case and comprised 45% of the potential benefits.

DMS software deployment was also included as part of the business case and is a foundational component of the smart grid system, including VVO. The smart grid deployment required 5 years to install field devices as well as the DMS system and integrate DMS with a legacy OMS system.

EGIS model to field verification was also performed as part of the deployment to ensure adequate model accuracy.

Sub transmission circuits were excluded as well as a secondary network and 4kv circuits. The full smart grid deployment, including VVO, consists of a number of devices and circuits shown in Table 1.

The VVO business case was developed based on energy reduction savings, meaning the VVO system is intended to run 24/7/365. The targeted voltage reduction was 2% and assuming a CVR factor or 0.5 to 0.79 should result in 1-1.58% energy reduction.

A power flow based DMS VVO algorithm has multiple problem formulations for optimization. Among those options are minimize demand, reduce violations, reactive area support, minimize losses, heuristic and custom problem formulations. The quality of the power flow solution utilized for VVO is dependent on how well the power flow solution calculates the voltage vs the measured voltage values. Power flow accuracy is measured by tracking voltage mismatch between power flow calculated and measured voltages. AMI voltage spot checks were also used post VVO deployment to verify model and VVO operation accuracy. AMI voltages can be used to analyze low voltage areas prior to deployment and can also be used to validate VVO performance in terms of energy and voltage reduction during and after operation.

VVO OPERATION, MEASUREMENT AND VERIFICATION

A voltage baseline was established prior to implementing VVO in order to have measurement comparison. After VVO is initiated the voltage will be reduced and voltage reduction levels wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be available. Results achieved with VVO from 2013 to 2015 are shown in Figure 5. The baseline voltage as well as the average system voltage per year is shown. The average system voltage has been reduced each year as more circuits were implemented with VVO. 2015 average voltage levels were approaching the target voltage of 120.9V.

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TABLE 3: Calculated MWh reduction for each deployment year

Station Bus voltage regulation typically set at 123.5V with 3V Bandwidth and 2012 Baseline established after DA deployment with data collection and prior to VVO Operation.

Measurement and verification of VVO performance is critical to developing a business case and quantifying benefits pre and post deployment. There are multiple methods utilized to quantify VVO performance. In this business case a simple validation approach was used. Based on the average system voltage the energy savings can be calculated using a simple formula.

Calculated Energy reduction= Measured Energy X Measured voltage reduction X CVR factor (Assumed CVR factor 0.5 to 0.79) Using this method the calculated benefit was based on two measured values and the basic CVR equation. The measured voltage reduction is the difference from 2012 baseline voltage to current measured daily average voltage. Using the formula above the calculated MWh reduction for each deployment year was calculated in the table below. A common rule of thumb in the industry is that 8090 percent of CVR savings accrue to the customer and 1020 percent to the utility.

VVO CIRCUIT TO CIRCUIT PERFORMANCE

There are large variations in voltage reduction performance across circuits. There is also a large variance in the availability of circuits being able to run VVO. Operational data showing variance in voltage reduction performance are shown in Figure 6. Some circuits have high availability with good voltage reduction. Other circuits have poor availability and poor voltage reduction. The low availability and poor performance is generally caused by customer load characteristics not conducive to voltage reduction,

18

ELECTRIC ENERGY | SPRING 2017

FIGURE 6: Voltage reduction performance

Power Flow Runs

2254

VVO Plan Runs

2962

VVO Periodic Plan Runs

1747

VVO Backbone Plan Runs

97

VVO Voltage Quality Plan Runs

1100

VVO Voltage Quality Plan Runs

317

VVO MWh Reduction VVO Voltage Reduction

334 1.93%

TABLE 4: Summary of a system activity for a typical day

power flow quality, model quality, device data quality and communication availability. Further work is required to develop performance improvement strategies.

POWER FLOW AND VVO PLANS

Power flow based VVO requires the DMS system to perform power flows on a periodic interval. This system is configured to run power flow at a minimum of every 15 minutes.

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FIGURE 7: Periodic activities for a typical day

shown for a few weeks

Power flow will also run any time a system configuration change is made or a system load value changes. VVO is triggered by voltage limits being exceeded or a system configuration change. A summary of the system activity for a typical day is shown for several months in Table 4 and Figure 7.

Check out RMEL magazine online at http://dev.rmel.org/RMEL/ News_/Electric_Energy.aspx to view charts in more detail.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS Dr. Murty V.V.S. Yalla has been with Beckwith Electric Co. since 1989 and is the current President. He was the organizer of the IEEE PES Tutorial on “Distribution Volt Var Control and Optimization” during 2015 and 2016 PES General meetings. He received a BSEE (JNTU) and MSEE (IIT, Kanpur) from India and a Ph.D. in EE from the University of New Brunswick, Canada. Dr. Yalla taught and conducted research on digital power system protection at Memorial University in Newfoundland, Canada. He has published several research papers, holds five U.S. patents in the areas of digital controls and protective relays, was appointed chairman of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC, Geneva, Switzerland) Technical Committee 95 and was a U.S. delegate to the International Council on Large Electric Systems (CIGRÈ, Paris, France) among many other honors, awards and accolades throughout his career.

Michael D. Simms has a BS degree in Electrical Engineering Technology from Northern Kentucky University and is a registered professional engineer in the State of Ohio. Mike is currently the manager of Grid Management Midwest at Duke Energy and has over 35 years’ experience in the power industry in the areas of power systems engineering, control and protection, power quality, meter engineering, distribution system planning and grid management.

Mike is an IEEE PES Senior member active on IEEE Smart Distribution working group, Volt/var task force, DA Cyber security working group and PSIM Sensor working group.

Mike is currently contributing to IEEE P1885 VVO measurement and verification guide, IEEE P1854 Smart Distribution Applications Guide and participated in development of the IEEE 1453 Voltage Flicker Standard. Mike is also currently Vice Chair of the IEEE Volt Var Task Force and is a technical advisor for NEETRAC and EPRI.

YOUR BEST ELECTRICAL CONNECTION Since 1912, Sturgeon Electric has been one of the region’s top specialty contractors providing quality electric utility construction including overhead and underground distribution, transmission, substations, service and maintenance and emergency restoration.

Sturgeon Electric Company, Inc. | 303.286.8000 | sturgeonelectric.com MYR GROUP INC. AND ITS SUBSIDIARIES ARE EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYERS. M/F/DISABLED/VETERAN ©2017 MYR GROUP INC.

“People Do Projects”

EPC for Power Projects Biomass, Waste-to-Energy (WTE), Simple Cycle, Combined Cycle, Reciprocating Engines, CHP & Alternative Energy Our people each possess more than 30 years of experience in the power business; working as Developers, Contractors, and as Owners Tier 1 Financial Strength, with the flexibility and responsiveness of a small firm Diane Giacomozzi | VP of Operations

Diane.Giacomozzi@mastec.com | (303) 390-3064 4600 South Ulster Street, Ste 800 Denver CO 80237

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For us, the switch is always on.

We do more than carry your project from concept to completion.

Our team stays plugged in, ready to help you address expansion, modernization and other needs that arise in the future.

Learn more at burnsmcd.com/RMEL17.

Offices Worldwide

AMI DATA

TO DETECT POWER THEFT

BY JAMES C. STATZER, METER ENGINEERING SUPPORT, SALT RIVER PROJECT

M

MANY UTILITIES ACROSS THE WORLD HAVE FOUND ways to provide customers with electric power for decades.

Over time, with the improvements of technology and evolving innovations, utilities are able to gain and provide more data than ever before. For example, mechanical meters would measure energy flow using voltage and current and displaying the kilowatt hours on a spinning dial in which a meter reader would know how to interpret. Today, the

industry has what is known as smart meters. These meters are solid state digital meters that can measure just about anything from the standard kilowatt hour to sags, swells, volts, amps, harmonics, and custom defined alerts to name just a few. They also have the capability to be remotely read, operated, and programmed through two way communication. Data management systems are also utilized to store the abundance of information from the meters. Utilities refer to

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this new system as their Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI). With AMI, utilities have been able to more effectively be able to use the AMI data to detect all kinds of things including power theft.

Here in the Phoenix Metropolitan area of Arizona, there is at least one utility that has been able to use the combination of the AMI data and seasonal weather to catch power thieves. In Arizona, there are really two seasons, summer and winter.

In the summer time, the outside temperature can reach up to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Nearly all customers will use and turn on an air conditioning unit as their source of cooling and utilities see an increase in loads during this season. In the winter, temperatures moderately stay in the low 60s and customers’ heaters are running but nowhere near the loads that utilities will see in the summer months. With this information, it would seem to be expected that a customer’s load should follow fairly closely to the average temperature when looking at a couple of years’ worth of data for a particular customer. As such, this in fact tends to be the case in general for the Phoenix Metropolitan area after much research and analysis

of data over the years. The pattern in the data is much like a sinusoidal wave where the peak loads match the high temperatures in the summer and starts to decrease as the season starts to shift to the winter where loads inherently also start to decrease. Any pattern that deviates from this becomes suspect to a power deviation.

Detecting true power theft however is not straight forward. There are many factors that come into play.

Utilities have to have hard evidence before making any assumptions or accusations. Factors that need to be taken into consideration are on the customer’s life style. For example, is the customer out of town? Is the home completely vacant? Or is this customer in a financial need that they do not use their air conditioning unit in the summer months?

Determining which sites are actually stealing power takes more investigated work.

Investigations typically start with a field visit. Sometimes a visual inspection is all that is needed. Commonly it is found that the customer has bypassed the meter. This could be either using additional wires on the back of the meter’s stabs which can only be found by pulling the meter

out or any conductive material in the meter can, also known as utility’s pull section or service entrance section, while the meter has been removed.

However, customers have also learned how to be more creative as time goes by. Within that same respect, utilities also need to get creative on detecting power theft.

One way of doing this is by metering the distribution transformer.

QUICK TIPS: To Detect Power Theft Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) data allows utilities to more effectively detect all kinds of things including power theft.

Determining which sites are actually stealing power takes more investigating because power thieves have also learned how to be more creative.

Metering the transformer that feeds into customer homes provides great insight as to if power is missing.

Using all the meters on the same distribution transformer and knowing the transformer’s average voltage, a utility can compare all of the meter’s voltage data against the transformer’s average voltage.

Another method is to use meter events or meter alarms that are built within the meter.

Utilities are continuing to get more creative and exploring new methods to detect power theft.

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ELECTRIC ENERGY | SPRING 2017

Metering the transformer that feeds into customer homes provides great insight as to if power is missing. In fact, the sum of all the kilowatt hours from each home that the transformer is outputting should be nearly equal to the kilowatt hours of the meter on that transformer. If it is not, then there is a clear indication that something is wrong. Using the AMI data for each home on that same circuit where it has now been verified that power is missing, can typically pinpoint to the one location that is indeed stealing power by looking at trends in usage, voltage, and sometimes other data points.

In one particular case, the customer hid the theft so well that it could not be physically seen from any connection point after an initial field visit.

Using this method of metering the transformer confirmed that power was indeed missing which lead to a more intensive investigation. A second field visit lead to the use of a camera scope which was feed down the conduit of the service entrance section where long and behold the camera spotted an illegal wire connection. This wire was bypassing the customer’s air conditioning unit which was underneath a four inch layer of the customer’s concrete driveway. The customer also had a tamper switch wired to the garage to turn the bypass switch on or off. If it wasn’t for the meter on

the transformer that indicated that power was missing, this particular customer would have continued to steal power and may have even gotten away with it.

Utilities have been dealing with theft for many years, but utilities also need to find methods for detecting theft. Besides metering the distribution transformer there are other methods that are being explored to detect power theft. If a utility’s AMI data is bringing back voltage, then one could use this to help identify theft. Using all the meters on the same distribution transformer and knowing the transformer’s average voltage, a utility can compare all of the meter’s voltage data against the transformer’s average voltage. Any

meter that has an unusual drop in voltage in comparison with the others would be a typical sign of the possibility of power theft, especially if usage is also low. Another method is to use meter events or meter alarms that are built within the meter. Some meters do not have these capabilities, but more and more meter manufacturers have these features built within the meter. Some alarms include reporting back when the meter has been powered down, when the meter has been powered up, meter has been tilted, meter has a voltage drop, excessive leading current, unauthorized request, tamper attempt, and test mode was entered to name just a few. All of these methods will help utilities in finding power theft customers.

Utilities need to realize that power theft cannot be ignored. The meter is like the cash register for the company. It measures the customer’s usage and utilities bill the customer for this usage. This is one of the main revenue streams of any utility.

Stealing power means loss revenue.

Now with the abundance of data using AMI, detecting power theft is becoming easier to spot more than ever. Power thieves are out there, and it is only a matter of time before they are caught. With an AMI system, utilities are able to spot and detect power theft in a much more effective way.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR James Statzer began his career at Salt River Project in 2011, as an intern in Substation Maintenance Engineering. While working as an intern, James was completing his degree in Electrical Engineering. In 2011, he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Arizona State University. In 2012, he was hired on as an Electrical Engineer in the Meter Engineering Support department at Salt River Project. His roles consisted of implementing and improving advance metering infrastructure across the valley from generation and substation sites all the way down to residential customers. While experiencing different roles in the metering area, James was working on completing a higher education. In 2015, he received his master’s degree in Business Management from Western International University. In the beginning of 2017, he transition as the Meter Engineering Supervisor over Meter Engineering Support.

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MOVING THE

PROJECT MANAGEMENT MATURITY MODEL

FORWARD

BY DEBORAH KNUDTZON, SR. PROJECT COORDINATOR, HDR, & BRYAN COOK, SR. PROJECT MANAGER, HDR

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ELECTRIC ENERGY | SPRING 2017

T

HE PROJECT MANAGEMENT Maturity Model (PMMM) is the framework by which the maturity level of an organization can be assessed to understand its current position and help determine where it plans to be in the future. The PMMM is a progressive implementation of knowledge, skills, tools, techniques, and processes that over time increase the level of maturity an organization reaches in its project execution and delivery. With maturity and sound project management methodology, the ability to manage and control project activities increases quality, client satisfaction and product results while reducing project overruns and other undesirable consequences of under-performing project activities.

Maturity does not happen without attention or effort. What better time than now to go beyond the status quo and move the project management processes and techniques forward to the next level of maturity, efficiency and effectiveness.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT MATURITY MODEL AND ASSESSMENT

The following Project Management Maturity Model, based on Project Management Institutes’ PMBOK Guide and Standards, will aid in assessing an organization’s performance and evaluate its processes at five levels, including factoring in variables such as visibility, consistency, and control. The organization’s maturity level is determined by the use of a question and answer assessment covering the knowledge areas and project phases by rating them from 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest).

The scores are tallied and provide an analysis of the results. These results provide a detailed breakdown of an organization’s score and the score for individual project managers.

Aside from providing a baseline for an organization and the project manager, it benchmarks project execution performance against that of other companies in the industry and in the wider marketplace.

The average maturity level for organizations worldwide is at 2.5.

LEVEL 5 LEVEL 4 LEVEL 3 LEVEL 2 LEVEL 1

Optimized Processes

Integrated Processes

Fully Standardized Processes

Some Standardized Processes

Ad-hoc Processes

The maturity levels graphed above use a bottom up perspective, with each level explained in detail.

LEVEL 1 AD-HOC PROCESSES STAGE

At the Ad-Hoc Processes Stage, no formal procedures or plans to execute a project exist. Project activities are poorly defined and cost estimates are inferior. Project Management (PM) data collection and analysis are not conducted.

PM processes are unpredictable and poorly controlled.

There are no formal steps or guidelines in place to ensure that PM processes and practices are performed. As a result, utilization of PM tools and techniques are inconsistent and applied sporadically, if at all.

Organizations at Level 1 are functionally isolated and are not familiar with PM concepts or project-oriented organizational structure. Senior management is unaware and does not understand key issues necessary for PM. The project’s success will depend on individual efforts rather than on the implementation of a reliable, consistent and effective PM process. Projects lack the disciplined process that a repeatable, integrated PM process affords. A Level 1 organization can be described as trying to establish a basic PM process.

LEVEL 2 SOME STANDARDIZED PROCESSES STAGE

At the Some Standardized Processes Stage, informal and incomplete procedures manage a project. Some PM problems are identified, but they are not documented or corrected. PM-related data collection and analysis is informally conducted but is not documented. PM processes are partially practiced and controlled by project managers. As with Level 1, planning and management of projects depend on the ability and performance of individuals.

The organization at Level 2 is more team-oriented than Level 1. The project team understands the project’s basic commitments. This organization possesses strength in doing similar and repeatable work. However, when the organization is presented with new and unfamiliar projects, the organization confronts major chaos in managing and controlling the project. Level 2 PM processes are efficient in individual project planning.

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RMEL EVENT SPOTLIGHT: Transmission Project Management Workshop August 2-3

LEVEL 3 FULLY STANDARDIZED PROCESSES STAGE

At the Fully Standardized Processes Stage, PM processes become partially formal and demonstrate a basic project planning and control system. Most of the problems regarding project management are identified and informally documented for project control purposes. PM related data is collected across the organization for project planning and management. Various types of analyzed trend data is shared by the project team to help it work together as an integrated unit.

An organization at Level 3 concentrates on systematic and structured project planning and control. Project teams work together to manage projects efficiently. Team members are trained and provided tools to apply PM skills and practices. This organization works hard to integrate cross-functional employees to form a project team.

LEVEL 4 INTEGRATED PROCESSES STAGE

At the Integrated Processes Stage, PM processes are formal with documented information and processes. The organization at Level 4 can efficiently plan, manage, integrate, and control multiple projects. PM processes are well defined, quantitatively measured, understood, and executed. PM process data is standardized, collected, and stored in a database to effectively evaluate and analyze the process. Collected data is used to anticipate and prevent adverse productivity or quality impacts allowing an organization to establish a fact-based decision making foundation.

A Level 4 organization can conduct multiple project planning and control. A strong sense of teamwork exists within project teams on each project. PM training is planned and provided to the entire organization according to the respective role of the team members. Integrated PM processes are fully implemented at this level. Level 4 organizations succeed in planning and controlling multiple projects in a professional manner. The PM process is reliable and project success has shifted from the efforts of an individual to the practices required of the organizational structure.

LEVEL 5 OPTIMIZED PROCESSES STAGE

At the Optimized Processes Stage, PM processes are evaluated through analysis of lessons learned and continuous improvement. Problems associated with applying

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ELECTRIC ENERGY | SPRING 2017

Hear more from Bryan Cook at RMELâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Transmission Project Management Workshop August 2-3 at Western Area Power Administration in Golden, CO. Regardless of the types of projects that you work, they all require you to have sound project management skills in order to successfully plan, manage and control the projects.

This course provides in-depth discussions and applications to help you become a more disciplined, well-organized and highly effective project manager.

THIS IS A GREAT WORKSHOP FOR: Anyone who wants to master the critical skills of project management, as a way to improve project success and/or to advance their career.

Register and get full details at www.RMEL.org

project management are fully understood and eliminated to ensure project success. PM data is collected automatically and utilized to identify the weakest process elements. This data is rigorously analyzed and evaluated to determine what is needed to improve the PM process. Innovative ideas are vigorously pursued and implemented to improve an organization’s PM processes and practices.

Organizations at Level 5 are involved in the continuous improvement of PM processes and practices. Each member of the project team spends time and effort to maintain and sustain the project-driven environment. Project teams become dynamic, energetic, and fluid to achieve project-centered organizational structure.

The project management maturity assessment process is the precursor to evaluating and adopting the best project management methodology to ensure project success. The methodology, whether through a traditional or modern approach, should be a strictly defined combination of logically related practices, methods and processes, that best determine how to plan, develop, control and deliver a project through continuous improvement into successful completion and closure. This will allow for controlling the entire management process through effective decision making and problem solving, while ensuring the success of specific processes, approaches, techniques, methods and technologies. The methodology selected should keep in mind the end result of successfully and consistently meeting the needs of the project sponsor.

Taking the time and effort necessary to review, reflect and assess the maturity level of PM in your organization or on your team provides valuable information to improve the organization’s project methodology. Every project offers the opportunity for improving performance from lessons learned on the next project going forward. On larger ongoing projects, this assessment can be performed on a frequent basis to evaluate whether a change of course is necessary and improving outcomes before project delivery. Project managers and organizations invested in maturing the performance of their organizations will remain competitive in the marketplace by realizing increased client satisfaction and improved bottom line.

What is next? Perhaps it is time to perform an assessment and develop an action plan to address the needs identified, whether that is additional training, provide project management tools, enhanced processes and/or enforcement or some other project management methodology assets to grow and mature the organization’s project delivery success.

HIGH-QUALITY ACADEMICS WITH HIGH-IMPACT EXPERIENCES

ABOUT THE AUTHORS Deborah Knudtzon is a Senior Project Coordinator for HDR, Inc. where for the past seven years she has provided project management support to many projects in Power Delivery. She earned her Bachelor of Science, Business Administration - Accounting degree from Montana State University, Billings and is a CPA (inactive). She is currently pursuing a PMP Certification.

Bryan S. Cook is a Senior Project Manager for HDR, Inc. He has more than 20 years of experience as a project manager, with 15 years in the energy industry. As a Certified PM Instructor he has conducted training for federal agencies in Washington D.C. on Capitol Hill and in academic institutions, including the University of Texas and Amarillo College. He holds an Advanced Project Management Professional Certification, Project Management Professional Certification, Business Analyst Certification and was a Top Ten Finalist in the 2008 International Project Manager of the Year, Kerzner Award. He is a graduate of Saint Edward’s University.

Come visit us! See how our innovative programs and new facilities foster hands-on learning.

Norfolk, Nebraska 402-371-2020 | northeast.edu W W W. R M EL .O R G

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SATISFYING THE COMPETING OBJECTIVES FOR MODERNIZING AN URBAN POWER PLANT

By Brent Gifford, Manager, Major Projects and New Generation, APS

28

ELECTRIC ENERGY | SPRING 2017

M

ODERNIZING AN URBAN POWER PLANT ENTAILS MEETING numerous objectives, many of which seemingly compete with each other. Evolving environmental regulations, prudency requirements, sustainability needs, community involvement, power market dynamics and financing objectives present many challenges to maneuver through – in addition to the usual “scope, schedule and budget” trifecta. Even so, the Ocotillo Modernization Project has managed to meet all of these criteria. The Ocotillo Power Plant, located next to Arizona State University in Tempe, is owned and operated by Arizona Public Service (APS). The plant’s two 1960s-era, 110MW natural gas-fired steam units have reached the end of their life and no longer economically meet APS’s changing generation needs. Built to be base-loaded, the steam units will be replaced with GE’s LMS 100 units, which will provide quickstart, flexible generation needed in a modern resource portfolio. The project will enable APS to integrate growing renewable resources, satisfy load-pocket requirements and offer power-quality support with a cleaner, more efficient plant.

MODERNIZING AN URBAN POWER PLANT: HOW TO KEEP EVERYBODY HAPPY

Renewable generation, specifically solar, is changing the load shape and quickly into something referred to as the Duck Curve. So what’s a utility to do?

5,000

150

4,000

120

3,000

90

2,000

60

1,000

30

0

(Solar) MW

(Load) MW

APS EVOLVING LOAD SHAPE • NON-SUMMER ILLUSTRATION

0 1 AM

5 AM

9 AM

1 PM

5 PM

9 PM

Feb 2015 Rooftop Solar 2010 Net Load

2015 Net Load

2020 Net Load

2025 Net Load

WHAT IS APS DOING AND WHY?

The Ocotillo Power Plant, located next to Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona, is owned and operated by Arizona Public Service (APS). The plant’s two 1960s-era, 110MW natural gas-fired steam units were built as baseload units and were located on farmland well outside Tempe’s urban footprint (Fig 2 and 3).

As the city’s population quadrupled during the next 20 years, once rural location came to reside in the heart of Tempe, next to Arizona State University (ASU), Rio Salado Parkway, Tempe Town Lake, a vigorous business district, and several residential areas (Fig 4). The plant also transitioned from a baseload resource to providing peak load support. Today, the steam units can no longer economically meet APS’s changing generation needs. They are at the end of their life, take hours to start, and do not use water and fuel efficiently.

APS’s and Arizona’s needs have evolved. So, back to the duck curve: Growing solar energy resources and our customer’s changing energy needs require quickstart, fast ramping, flexible generation that can start multiple times a day to integrate our growing solar energy resources to maintain grid reliability (Fig 1).

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Load

500

4,000 Net Load - MW

THE JUGGLING ACT

600

400

3,000

300 2,000

200

1,000

100

0

Ocotillo Output (MW)

5,000

0 1

4

7

10

13

16

19

Every stakeholder has their own objective that often doesn’t align with one another. What did APS have to juggle? As you can see from the following table, many issues crossed over among numerous internal and external stakeholders.

MAKING EVERYBODY HAPPY

It starts with getting internal alignment and ends with “there is no such thing as too much communication.”

22

Hour FIGURE 1: The new units and the non-summer duck curve.

APS selected five of GE’s LMS100 units. They can be on line in six minutes and at full load in less than 10 minutes, ramp at 50MW/minute, and have excellent turndown capabilities, while still meeting emissions and fuel efficiency requirements. The new 510MW’s will be in-service before the summer of 2019 and the two steam units will then be decommissioned and demolished (Fig 1). The area were the new units will be built has been cleared and prepared.

Construction began in early 2017 and major equipment has begun to arrive.

The new units consume less water, have fewer emissions, don’t make as much noise, are less visible than the old units, and use existFIGURE 2 ing land. What’s not to like? Well, that depends. While these changes are all positive ones, diverging interests amongst stakeholders still requires active communication and education throughout the process.

INTERNAL ALIGNMENT

Electric utilities have matured. We are much more sophisticated than we used to be. This is a result of smart people from across the organization having a stake in the planning, execution, and outcome including resource planning, project management, generation engineering, T&D engineering, communications, safety, environmental, fuels, financing, regulatory, government affairs and community affairs. It is a collaboration that requires a vision and mission.

APS’s approach was to focus all the internal stakeholders on three deliverables: 1) Project Need and Benefits, 2) Key Messages, and 3) External Stakeholder Communication Plan. The development of those deliverables drove the alignment and promoted internal engagement.

Project Need and Benefits

Clean, clear, and concise: • Get rid of obsolete steam units • Use the existing site and infrastructure • Promote generation portfolio diversity and renewable integration • Manage the grid reliability improvements • Ensure environmental benefits

Key Messages

FIGURE 3

1. The Ocotillo Power Plant in Tempe has served Valley customers reliably for more than a half-century. APS plans to invest in the aging plant today so we can produce energy in cleaner, more efficient ways for decades to come.

2. The proposed plan to modernize Ocotillo, located at University and McClintock, includes replacing two old generators built in 1960 with five modern, more efficient units on the existing plant site. Five large oil storage tanks will also be removed.

3. The natural gas-fired combustion turbines we plan to install will create numerous visual, environmental and economic benefits. They will:

FIGURE 2: Ocotillo Steam Units 1 and 2 under construction.

FIGURE 3: Ocotillo Steam Units 1 and 2 today.

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ELECTRIC ENERGY | SPRING 2017

STAKEHOLDER

OBJECTIVE

ISSUE

ENVIRONMENTAL & REGULATORY

Reduce water use

Dry vs. wet cooling and how wet is wet?

Reduce air emissions

Clean power plant requirements from EPA In a non-attainment area Emissions offsets Stack height, the taller the better

Noise

Existing ambient vs. expected delta Short/loud/daytime vs. long/less loud/early morning

Visual

Stack height Dry vs. wet cooling

Historical

Archeological (pre-industrial civilizations) Steam unitâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s historical significance

Tax Base

Increase in APS vs. impact on adjacent property values

Jobs

How many during construction and permanent?

Bargaining unit or not

Traffic

Construction vs. permanent and how to accommodate

Aesthetics & Revitalization

Height, perimeter walls, and landscaping

Health

Impact of emissions

Noise

See above

How many units?

2 vs. 5 2 units to replace steam units Proof that the next 3 are the most prudent, location, cost and technology

Cost

Technology selection for flexibility Least cost/MW vs. flexibility

Resource options

Own vs. power purchase agreement Fossil vs. renewable

Renewable integration

Technology selection for flexibility

Energy Imbalance Market

How will the new units fit into it?

Value of ancillary services

What is the value?

Rate cast alignment

Resource need vs. rate recovery

Cost and cash flow certainty

Risk mitigation

GOVERNMENTS & COMMUNITY

PRUDENCY REQUIREMENTS

POWER MARKET

FINANCING

W W W. R M EL .O R G

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a. stand about half as tall as the old generators b. reduce water-use rates and air emission rates c. improve overall noise conditions at the plant d. provide more than 100 jobs during construction e. increase property-tax revenue from $600,000 to an estimated $8 million for city, county and state agencies by the fifth year of operation.

4. The new units also will be much more responsive to customer demand. They can start up and begin delivering electricity in less than six minutes, while the old generators take up to six hours to start.

5. We plan to invest up to $700 million in the project, which would nearly double Ocotillo’s generating capacity from 330 to 620 megawatts. The increased capacity would enable us to reliably incorporate more sources of clean, renewable energy on the electric grid for customers.

FIGURE 4: Ocotillo Power Plant in 2016

External Stakeholder Communication Plan

Every external stakeholder needs their own reassurances. The relationship manager for each stakeholder was tasked with the what, when, and how of individualized communication. What were each stakeholder’s primary concerns, when and how often did communication need to happen, what forum was best used – private, group, committee. Further analysis of the combined plans focused on commonalities, collateral material needs, forums, vehicles, and generational opportunities.

Some of the communication vehicles that proved very useful were the project website at www.azenergyfuture.com/ocotillo, open houses, and direct mail (Fig 6).

STAKEHOLDER HAPPINESS

With internal alignment, the path to external stakeholder happiness became clear as well. The relationship managers had the tools and framework they needed with the External Stakeholder Communication Plan.

Each stakeholder deserves and received their own plan with a pre-identified owner.

Real time changes obviously were needed but were easily accommodated.

Implementation of the communication plan started in late 2014 as soon as APS made its plans public. Support has been broad based. The attention the project has drawn has been positive. All regulatory requirements have been satisfied on schedule. The theme that comes up consistently is that stakeholders have appreciated APS’s efforts to reach out to them with well thought out communications that addresses their concerns.

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ELECTRIC ENERGY | SPRING 2017

FIGURE 5: Ocotillo Power Plant in 2019

COMMUNICATE, COMMUNICATE, COMMUNICATE

Stakeholders are sophisticated. They expect transparency as well as readily available, accurate information (Google mentality). It takes rigor, professionalism and the mentality that there is no such thing as over-communication.

FIGURE 6: Typical direct mail communication.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR J. Brent Gifford, PE, PMP, has been employed at Arizona Public Service for 30 years - all in Fossil Generation. He began as a Civil Engineer and later transitioned to plant capital improvement project management. In his current role as Manager, Major Projects and New Generation, he is responsible for a portfolio of air quality control system, combustion turbine reliability improvement and new generation projects.

WHERE PEOPLE+PASSION=

POWER AT NPPD, WE GET CHARGED PROVIDING POWER TO AN ESTIMATED 600,000 NEBRASKANS. WE ARE ALWAYS NICK ENGINEER

LOOKING FOR ENERGETIC AND SKILLED ENGINEERS TO JOIN OUR TEAM. ARE YOU READY TO TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR CAREER? IF SO, THEN WE’RE READY FOR YOU!

NPPD — IT’S WHERE YOU WANT TO BE.

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The Power of Reliability TRC delivers what power utilities need.

With nationally based teams of utility experts, we provide comprehensive engineering, environmental, communications and security solutions, plus essential operations and management support, to help you successfully complete even your most complex projects.

Jeff Armbruster 281.626.0169 jarmbruster@trcsolutions.com @TRC_Companies www.trcsolutions.com W W W. R M EL .O R G

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PLUGGING INTO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: A STORY ABOUT TEAMWORK

BY SCOTT CARLBERG, PRESIDENT, TALKING POINTS â&#x20AC;&#x201C; PUBLIC AFFAIRS MANAGEMENT

T

HE RECIPE FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT – ATTRACTING more business and industry to a region – has an increasingly important ingredient: electricity. Once a straightforward utility service, electric service is now a nuanced element of economic success.

Electricity may not be not top-of-mind for some people, so it may be easy to overlook the way power companies contribute to regional business development.

Electric availability and cost are just the beginning considerations when corporations look at a region for relocation or expansion. “While availability and cost competitiveness will continue to be basic needs, electric customers are also asking for more advanced services, and also a partnership with their utility providers,” says Kenny McDonald, chief economic officer of Columbus (OH) 2020, an economic development initiative.

New facets of electric service catalyze the final sale for business expansion.

POWER QUALITY

High-tech manufacturing and services need high-quality power. Quality, in this case, typically means no power interruptions, and no electrical disturbances, such as transients, harmonics, or voltage rises or sags.

“The technical and mechanical issues of power reliability are a mandate resulting from highly sensitive equipment, costs associated with production disruptions and productivity enhancement,” says Mike Kearney, director of economic development at Ameren, a St. Louis-based energy company.

Power interruptions are particularly harmful to manufacturing lines where electricity discontinuity can cause loss of product due to line shutdowns. Some processes, like semiconductor manufacturing, are particularly sensitive. That’s important as manufacturing and high-tech are attractive economic development targets.

FLEXIBILITY

This responsiveness builds as energy companies increasingly know their customers, business trends, likely expansions, and developing technologies. “As companies consider potential expansions, they want to know feeder capacity, reliability indices, and planned improvements to fully gauge infrastructure extension and upgrade costs and to do risk management,” says Kearney.

Then, they move fast to get services in place. That’s on-the-ground work, having plans, materials, and people ready. “We’re constantly building and moving lines to accommodate changes and growth; we’re a vital part of our communities’ future as we work to attract jobs and capital investment,” says Sandy Martin, South Carolina economic development manager for Duke Energy.

Martin has seen the need for flexibility, which often translates to speed, for companies searching for expansion sites. “Economic development has changed, with tighter site-selection time lines than before, increased client expectations about the speed of power delivery, and site-certification demands, for instance.”

Consider the utilities’ response a form of mass customization, the ability to swiftly produce highly individualized solutions for a multitude of customers. As Nike, Starbucks, and Etsy cater to each consumer, utilities have their own version of that customer demand.

Here’s an example of ready, and ready to customize in the electric sector.

Great River Energy, a Minnesota wholesale electric service, initiated a data

W W W. R M EL .O R G

35

CONNECTING

POWER TO

PEOPLE.

SINCE 1977.

TRANSMISSION LINES DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS SUBSTATIONS/SWITCHYARDS

center shovel-ready site certification program. The sites are, in effect, wired and ready for building. “We needed to standardize our level of qualified sites to respond quickly to large data center inquiries,” says Tom Lambrecht, manager of economic development services for Great River Energy. The wholesaler serves 1.8 million people.

Often the timeline for requests for information were days or a couple of weeks. Not a lot of time. “Having a utility level certification program allows us to present a credible inventory of vetted site options quickly. This makes us more competitive in real estate solutions for the data center industry.”

TOP-NOTCH PLANNING – LONG AND SHORT TERM:

Utilities have been smart long-term planners, essential to fulfill their publicneed mission. That analytical capability increasingly applies to short term planning and response. Electric suppliers have to think as fast as their customers.

The timeframes may seem paradoxical: “While we deliver with flexibility and a sense of urgency today, we’re constantly planning five, ten, fifteen years out,” says Duke Energy’s Martin. In an industry like electricity that has large capital projects and is deemed essential to safety and society, the ability to balance long-term planning with immediate customer needs is vital.

The wherewithal to plan well grows with continual customer contact. “Know your customer, understand their business, manufacturing processes, renewable strategy, and emerging technologies. Look for opportunities to meet and exceed customer expectations to build positive customer relationships. Be at the table when customers are considering process changes or expansions, and look to innovate in ways to meet customer needs,” says Ameren’s Kearney.

STEWARDSHIP

“Corporations shopping for new locations are becoming more cognizant of social responsibility and sustainable business practices. They will align with their utility provider for renewable options and distributed energy resources,” says Kearney.

Stewardship goes beyond adding renewables or employing a corporate “reduce, reuse, recycle” philosophy. Energy companies have information, a resource that can help customers. “A utility’s ability to aggregate data and to reduce cost, waste, and business interruption is critical,” says McDonald. “Utilities can influence a bottom line difference for companies in their service territory.

That is real value and collaboration.”

Business is continuously under intense pressure to control or cut costs.

“Expansion and relocating companies seek applied engineering partnerships from vendors, consultants, and utility providers,” says McDonald.

Utility companies create this collaboration as they may, for instance, help businesses shave energy use during peak hours, provide variable pricing for greater control for customers, or do energy audits. Kearney says it well: “Utilities have a goal of being the customer’s trusted energy advisor to help evaluate and support energy options.”

This article was previously published on Scott Carlberg’s LinkedIn page.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

303.688.5816 gswc.us MYR Group Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/Disabled/Veteran. ©2017MYRGROUPINC.

36

ELECTRIC ENERGY | SPRING 2017

Scott Carlberg is the president of Talking Points – Public Affairs Management, based in Charlotte, NC. He leads corporate and nonprofit public affairs initiatives, emphasizing departmental turnarounds and start-ups. His areas of particular interest have been in energy and economic development projects.

Previous work history includes leading strategic communications at a global research organization, the Electric Power Research Institute, and positions at Duke Energy and Phillips Petroleum, President of E4 Carolinas (a two-state energy industry trade association).

MEMBER LISTINGS

Member Listings 1

ABB, Inc.

49 City of Glenwood Springs

2

ADA Carbon Solutions, LLC

50 City of Imperial

95 Gunnison County Electric Association, Inc.

3 Advanced Electrical & Motor Controls, Inc.

51

96 Hamilton Associates, Inc.

52 Co-Mo Electric Cooperative

97 Harris Group, Inc.

4 AECOM

53 Colorado Highlands Wind LLC

5

Alexander Publications

54 Colorado Rural Electric Association

98 Hartigan Power Equipment Company

6

Altec Industries, Inc.

55 Colorado Springs Utilities

7

American Coal Council

56 Colorado State University

8

American Public Power Association

57 Commonwealth Associates, Inc.

City of Yuma

9 Arizona Electric Power Cooperative, Inc.

58 ComRent

10 Arizona Public Service

60 Culture Change Consultants

11

Arkansas River Power Authority

12

Asplundh Tree Expert Co.

13

Associated Electric Cooperative, Inc.

14 Atwell, LLC 15

Austin Energy

16

AZCO INC.

17

Babcock & Wilcox Company

18 Babcock Power, Inc. 19

Barton Malow Company

20 Basin Electric Power Cooperative 21

Beckwith Electric

22 Beta Engineering 23 Black & Veatch Corp.

59 CPS Energy 61

D.C. Langley Energy Consulting, LLC

62 Day & Zimmermann 63 Delta Montrose Electric Assn.

64 DIS-TRAN Packaged Substations, LLC 65 DMC Power Inc. 66 E & T Equipment, LLC 67 E3 Consulting 68 El Paso Electric Company 69 Electrical Consultants, Inc. 70 ElectroTech, Inc. 71 Emerson Process Management Power & Water Solutions

99 HDR 100 High Energy Inc. (HEI) 101 Highline Electric Assn.

102 Holy Cross Energy 103 Hubbell Power Systems 104 Hughes Brothers, Inc. 105 IBEW, Local Union 111 106 IEC Rocky Mountain 107 IMCORP 108 Incorporated County of Los Alamos Department of Public Utilities 109 Independence Power & Light 110 Innova Global, Inc. 111 Integrated Security Corporation 112 Intercounty Electric Coop Association 113 Intermountain Rural Electric Assn.

114 ION Consulting 115 Irby

24 Black Hills Corporation

72 The Empire District Electric Company

25 Black Hills Electric Cooperative

73 Empire Electric Association, Inc.

117 James Industries, Inc.

26 Boilermakers Local #101

118 Kansas City Board of Public Utilities

27 Boone Electric Cooperative

74 Energy & Resource Consulting Group, LLC

119 Kansas City Power & Light

28 Border States Electric

75 Energy Education Council

120 KD Johnson, Inc.

29 Bowman Consulting Group

76 Energy Providers Coalition for Education (EPCE)

121 Kiewit

77 Energy Reps

123 Kleinfelder

78 ESCÂ engineering

124 Klute Inc. Steel Fabrication

79 Evans, Lipka and Associates, Inc.

125 L. Keeley Construction

80 Evapco - BLCT Dry Cooling, Inc.

126 La Junta Municipal Utilities

81

127 La Plata Electric Association, Inc.

30 Brink Constructors, Inc. 31

Brooks Manufacturing Company

32 Burns & McDonnell 33 Butler Public Power District 34 Carbon Power & Light, Inc. 35 Cargill Industrial Specialties

Exponential Engineering Company

116 Irwin Power Services

122 Kit Carson Electric Cooperative

82 Fairbanks Morse Engine

128 Lake Region Electric Coop Inc.

37 CDG Engineers, Inc.

83 Foothills Energy Services Inc.

129 Lamar Utilities Board

38 Center Electric Light & Power System

84 Fort Collins Utilities

130 Lampson International LLC

85 Fuel Tech, Inc.

131 Las Animas Municipal Light & Power

39 Chimney Rock Public Power District

86 Gamber-Johnson LLC

132 Leidos

40 City Light & Power, Inc.

87 GE Power

133 Lewis Associates, Inc.

41 City of Alliance Electric Department

88 Genscape, Inc.

134 Lincoln Electric System

42 City of Aztec Electric Department

89 Golder Associates, Inc.

135 Llewellyn Consulting

43 City of Cody

90 Grand Island Utilities

136 Longmont Power & Communications

44 City of Farmington

91

137 Loup River Public Power District

45 City of Fountain

92 Great Southwestern Construction, Inc.

138 Loveland Water & Power

93 Greer CPW

140 Marsulex Environmental Technologies

36 Casey Industrial, Inc.

46 City of Gallup Electric Department 47 City of Garden City 48 City of Gillette

Grand Valley Rural Power Lines, Inc.

94 GSW Integrated Services

139 Magna IV Engineering Inc.

141 MasTec Power Corp.

W W W. R M EL .O R G

37

MEMBER LISTINGS

142 Merrick & Company

163 Omaha Public Power District

187 REC Associates

143 Midwest Energy, Inc.

164 Osmose Utilities Services, Inc.

188 Reliability Management Group (RMG)

144 Missouri River Energy Services

165 PacifiCorp

189 Reliable Power Consultants, Inc.

145 Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems Americas, Inc.

166 Panhandle Rural Electric Membership Assn.

190 Safety One Training International, Inc.

146 Morgan County Rural Electric Assn.

167 PAR Electrical Contractors, Inc.

191 San Isabel Electric Association, Inc.

147 Morgan Schaffer Inc.

168 Peak Reliability

192 San Marcos Electric Utility

148 Mountain Parks Electric, Inc.

169 Peterson Company

193 San Miguel Power Assn.

149 Mountain States Utility Sales

170 Pioneer Electric Cooperative, Inc.

194 Sangre De Cristo Electric Assn.

150 Mountain View Electric Association, Inc.

171 Pipefitters Local Union #208

195 Sargent & Lundy

172 Platte River Power Authority

196 Savage

151 Mycoff, Fry & Prouse LLC

173 PNM Resources

197 Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories

152 NAES Corp.

174 Poudre Valley Rural Electric Assn.

198 Sega Inc.

153 Navopache Electric Cooperative, Inc.

175 Powder River Energy Corp.

199 Sellon Forensics Inc.

154 Nebraska Public Power District

176 Power Contracting, LLC

200 Siemens Energy Inc.

177 POWER Engineers, Inc.

201 Sierra Electric Cooperative, Inc.

178 Power Equipment Specialists, Inc.

202 Solomon Associates

179 Power Pole Inspections

203 South Central PPD

180 Power Product Services

204 Southeast Colorado Power Assn.

181 PowerQuip Corporation

205 Southeast Community College

182 Preferred Sales Agency, Ltd

206 Southern Pioneer Electric Company

183 Primary Energy

207 Southwest Generation

184 PSM (Power Systems Mfg., LLC)

208 Southwest Public Power District

185 QuakeWrap, Inc.

209 Southwire Company

186 Quanta Services

210 Springfield Municipal Light & Power

155 NEI Electric Power Engineering, Inc. 156 New Mexico State University 157 Nooter/Eriksen, Inc. 158 Norris Public Power District 159 Northeast Community College 160 Northwest Rural Public Power District 161 Novinium 162 Olsson Associates

WWW.TRISTATE.COOP

POWERING THE RURAL WEST Using a diverse, reliable generation portfolio, we supply power to 43 cooperatives and public power districts with more than 1 million combined consumers.

38

ELECTRIC ENERGY | SPRING 2017

211 SPX Transformer Solutions, Inc.

232 TurbinePROS

253 Wheat Belt Public Power District

212 SRP

233 U.S. Water

254 Wheatland Electric Cooperative

213 St. George Energy Services Department

234 UC Synergetic

255 Wheatland Rural Electric Assn.

235 Ulteig Engineers, Inc.

256 White River Electric Assn., Inc.

214 Stanley Consultants, Inc.

236 Underground Consulting Solutions

257 Wichita State University

215 Sturgeon Electric Co., Inc.

237 United Power, Inc.

216 Sulphur Springs Valley Electric Cooperative

238 Universal Field Services, Inc.

258 Wilson & Company, Engineers & Architects

239 University of Idaho Utility Executive Course College of Business and Economics

259 WSP/Parsons Brinckerhoff

240 UNS Energy Corporation

261 Wyoming Municipal Power Agency

241 Utility Telecom Consulting Group, Inc.

262 Xcel Energy

222 T & R Electric Supply Co., Inc.

242 Valmont Utility, Valmont Industries, Inc.

264 Yampa Valley Electric Association, Inc.

223 Technically Speaking, Inc.

243 Vertiv - Electrical Reliability Services

265 Zachry Group

224 Tenaska Marketing Ventures

244 Verve Industrial Protection

225 TIC - The Industrial Company

245 Victaulic

226 Towill, Inc.

246 Volkert, Inc.

227 Trans American Power Products, Inc.

247 Wärtsilä North America, Inc.

228 TRC Engineers, Inc.

248 Westar Energy

229 Trees, Inc.

249 Western Area Power Administration

230 Tri-State Generation and Transmission Assn.

250 Western Line Constructors Chapter, Inc. NECA

231 Trinidad Municipal Light & Power

251 Westmark Partners LLC

217 Sundt Construction 218 Sunflower Electric Power Corporation 219 Surveying And Mapping, LLC 220 Switchgear Solutions, Inc. 221 System One

260 WSU Energy Systems Innovation Center

263 Y-W Electric Association, Inc.

TOTAL NUMBER OF MEMBERS: 265

252 Westwood Professional Services

W W W. R M EL .O R G

39

DEPARTMENT SECTION TAKEAWAYS TAG HERE

SATISFYING THE COMPETING OBJECTIVES FOR MODERNIZING AN URBAN POWER PLANT (Get details on page 28)

➔ The Ocotillo Modernization Project will enable APS to integrate growing renewable resources, satisfy load-pocket requirements and offer power-quality support with a cleaner, more efficient plant. ➔ Support has been broad based. The attention the project has drawn has been positive. ➔ All regulatory requirements have been satisfied on schedule. ➔ Stakeholders are sophisticated. They expect transparency as well as readily available, accurate information (Google mentality). It takes rigor, professionalism and the mentality that there is no such thing as over-communication.

DISTRIBUTION VOLT-VAR CONTROL & OPTIMIZATION BASICS (Get details on page 12)

➔ Volt Var Optimization (VVO) is the ability to deliver power within appropriate voltage limits so that consumer’s equipment operates properly and to deliver power at an optimal power factor to minimize distribution losses. ➔ VVO basics, include distribution system voltage, VVO controls, line drop compensation, voltage reduction, reverse power operation of voltage regulators and LTC transformers and communications considerations for LTC/regulator/ capacitor controls. ➔ Duke Energy’s VVO business case includes details on VVO operation, measurement and verification, VVO circuit to circuit performance and power flow and VVO plans.

AMI DATA TO DETECT POWER THEFT (Get Details on page 21)

➔ To Detect Power Theft Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) data allows utilities to more effectively detect all kinds of things including power theft. ➔ Determining which sites are actually stealing power takes more investigating because power thieves have also learned how to be more creative.

40

ELECTRIC ENERGY | SPRING 2017

➔ Metering the transformer that feeds into customer homes provides great insight as to if power is missing. ➔ Another method is to use meter events or meter alarms that are built within the meter. Utilities are continuing to get more creative and exploring new methods to detect power theft.

MOVING THE PROJECT MANAGEMENT MATURITY MODEL FORWARD (Get Details on page 24)

➔ The Project Management Maturity Model (PMMM) is the framework by which the maturity level of an organization can be assessed to understand its current position and help determine where it plans to be in the future. ➔ The PMMM is a progressive implementation of knowledge, skills, tools, techniques, and processes that over time increase the level of maturity an organization reaches in its project execution and delivery. ➔ There are five maturity levels, including: Ad-hoc Processes, Some Standardized Processes, Fully Standardized Processes, Integrated Processes and Optimized Processes. ➔ Taking the time and effort necessary to review, reflect and assess the maturity level of PM in your organization or on your team provides valuable information to improve the organization’s project methodology.

PLUGGING INTO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: A STORY ABOUT TEAMWORK (Get details on page 34)

➔ The recipe for economic development – attracting more business and industry to a region – has an increasingly important ingredient: electricity. ➔ Electric availability and cost are just the beginning considerations when corporations look at a region for relocation or expansion. ➔ An example of ready, and ready to customize in the electric sector: Great River Energy, a Minnesota wholesale electric service, initiated a data center shovel-ready site certification program. The sites are, in effect, wired and ready for building. ➔ Stewardship goes beyond adding renewables or employing a corporate “reduce, reuse, recycle” philosophy. Energy companies have information, a resource that can help customers.

ADVERTISERâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S INDEX

Black & Veatch

17

www.bv.com

(913) 458-2000

Border States Electric

41

www.borderstates.com

(701) 293-5834

Burns McDonnell

20

www.burnsmcd.com/RMEL17

(816) 333-9400

Commonwealth Assoc. Inc

38

www.cai-engr.com

(425) 404-2424

Great Southwestern Construction

36

www.gswc.us

(303) 688-5816

MasTec Power Corp

19

www.mastecpower.com

(888) 419-6432

Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems

5

www.mhpowersystems.com

(908) 605-280

Nebraska Public Power District

33

www.nppd.com

(402) 564-8561

Northeast Comm College

27

www.northeast.edu

(402) 371-2020

Inside Front Cover

www.novinium.com

(253) 395-0200

Novinium Pike Enterprises, LLC Siemens

15

www.pike.comC12

(336) 789-2171

Inside Back Cover

www.siemens.com

(303) 696-8446

Stanley Consulting

3

www.stanleyconsultants.com

(800) 878-6806

Sturgeon Electric Co.

19

www.sturgeonelectric.com

(303) 286-8000

T & R Electric Supply Co, Inc.

39

www.t-r.com

(800) 843-7994

TIC - The Industrial Company

Back Cover

www.ticus.com

(303) 325-0300

TRC

33

www.trcsolutions.com

Trees Inc.

41

www.treesinc.com

(866) 865-9617

Tri-State Generation

38

www.tristate.coop

(303) 452-6111

Zachry Holdings

7

www.zachrygroup.com

(505) 342-6369

(210) 588-5000

Providing vegetation management services

MONITOR and

PROTECT

Faced with increasing security threats to critical infrastructure and remote facilities, utilities need to protect their assets from theft and damage.

Border States security and surveillance solutions can be customized for a wide range of applications.

Contact your local Border States branch for more information on how we can help monitor and protect your utility assets.

to the power and energy industries.

Line Clearance Storm and Emergency Response Right-of-way Management Herbicide Applications

Trees, Inc. 1-866-865-9617 info@treesinc.com

borderstates.com 10-061 (2017-03)

W W W. R M EL .O R G

41

DEPARTMENT CALENDAR OFTAG EVENTS HERE

2017 Calendar of Events JULY

OCTOBER

26-27

5

Plant Management, Engineering and Operations Conference & Vital Issues Roundtable

JANUARY

19

Introduction to the Electric Utility Workshop Lone Tree, CO

25-26

Physical and Cyber Security Conference San Antonio, TX

APRIL

11-13

Distribution Overhead and Underground Line Staking Workshop Austin, TX

19-20

Safety and Technical Training Conference & Roundtable Lone Tree, CO

FEBRUARY

MAY

21-23

Spring Management, Engineering and Operations Conference

Lone Tree, CO

Omaha, NE

8-9

JUNE

Transmission Planning and Operations Conference & Roundtable

22

15-16

Lone Tree, CO

Lone Tree, CO

Distribution Overhead and Underground Operations and Maintenance Conference

Distribution Engineers Workshop Lone Tree, CO

25

Safety Roundtable August 2017 Golden, CO

Tucson, AZ

18-19

Renewable Planning and Operations & Environmental Conference Lone Tree, CO

NOVEMBER

3

Safety Roundtable - November 2017 Fort Collins, CO

Transmission Operations & Maintenance Conference

28

RMEL Foundation Golf Tournament Littleton, CO

Lone Tree, CO 42

Transmission Project Management Workshop

Fall Executive Leadership and Management Convention

Westminster, CO

Power Supply Planning and Projects Conference & Roundtable

2-3

11-12

17-19

Safety Roundtable February 2017

1-2

Lone Tree, CO

AUGUST

SEPTEMBER

24

MARCH

Austin, TX

2018 Spring Management, Engineering and Operations Conference Planning Session

ELECTRIC ENERGY | SPRING 2017

CONTINUING EDUCATION CERTIFICATES Continuing education certificates awarding Professional Development Hours are provided to attendees at all RMEL education events. Check the event brochure for details on the number of hours offered at each event.

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