pwr_february-2025 - 38

OUTAGE MANAGEMENT
from years to hours. Risk mitigation is
the ultimate goal, and new AI-assisted
software
programs empower
utilities
to better understand the vulnerabilities
within their networks so they can identify
exactly where their networks need
attention and the best ways to get ahead
of potential issues. "
Neara's modeling technology takes
into account a range of data sources,
including LiDAR (light detection and
ranging), GIS (geographic
information
8. Technology that can help utilities and grid operators determine flood risk to their infrastructure
is another way to enable proactive measures that can mitigate the impacts of disruptions
to an area's power supply. Courtesy: Neara
with more details about why service has
been disrupted. Walkingshaw noted the
importance of more accurate forecasting.
" Our restoration time estimates integrate
multiple data sources and predictive
modeling to provide accurate
projections. The calculations factor in
real-time system status, historical performance
metrics from comparable events,
current operating conditions, geographic
distribution of affected areas, and available
resource capacity, " he said. " For
field crew management, we employ an
adaptive dispatch system that optimizes
deployment by prioritizing critical infrastructure,
coordinating
between automated
and manual interventions, and
adjusting resource allocation as events
unfold. This approach enables efficient
coverage across our infrastructure while
maintaining appropriate emergency response
capabilities. We continuously
refine our estimates based on real-time
feedback from field operations and system
diagnostics, ensuring our restoration
projections remain accurate as
conditions change. "
Meeting Future Challenges
Rob Brook, senior vice president Americas
at Neara, a group that works with
utilities worldwide on simulations of
severe weather events to support grid
hardening, said, " We're asking the power
grid to do more in the next 10 years
than we have in the last 50. This demand
is driven by a number of factors, like an
increase in severe and unpredictable
weather, multiple accessible technology
devices in the hands of every consumer,
and power-hungry data centers.
" To meet this unprecedented energy
demand and better manage power
outages, migration to AI-assisted software
platforms can help grid managers
identify outage and safety risks such as
equipment
failures
38
and
maintenance
blindspots, " said Brook. " Upgrading to AIenhanced
software helps utilities surface
bottlenecks in their network that they
can't easily see otherwise, and can offer
tailored recommendations to reduce the
likelihood of outages and shorten their
duration. For example, by simulating various
weather-related conditions, Neara's
technology highlights where specific
upgrades, like increasing pole height or
changing the conductor type, would result
in the network's ability to support
fast-growing loads. Today, every business
and consumer rely on electricity and they
expect clear communication and maintenance
from their providers during outages-up-to-date
software helps every
stakeholder do just that. "
Said Brook, " While real-time information
is essential to fuel effective
in-the-moment decision-making, the
ability to anticipate potential outages
and their impact before an actual gridthreatening
event also plays a critical
role in accelerating recovery times and
minimizing impact. Accurate 3D mapping
across network environments [Figure
7], including manmade assets like
poles, lines, and stakes, as well as natural
elements like vegetation and ground
topography, is extremely important for
establishing the ground truth that can
help utilities proactively plan to reduce
outages and respond more effectively
by monitoring real-time conditions in
extreme weather. "
Brook said Neara's technology " enables
utilities to simulate weather like
storms, wildfires, floods [Figure 8], and
winds to see how these events will impact
the grid, and provide AI-enhanced
improvement recommendations accordingly.
Neara helps utilities take a more
proactive approach to resiliency, reducing
time-spent on processes from structure
loading assessment to new network
design
and
vegetation
management
www.powermag.com
system), imagery, pole libraries, etc., that
help paint the most accurate possible
picture of utilities' entire networks, including
all assets and surrounding things
like vegetation, roads, buildings, and
more. " A common delay in power restoration
is the reality of poor data quality.
Utilities must understand the relative
strengths and weaknesses of different
data sources, then employ the right mix
of these sources to maximize visibility
and de-risk networks. Without accurate
data, utilities are unable to easily identify
the cause of an outage, such as a pole
failure, and critically, the precise location
of that pole failure, " Brook said.
" By modeling customers' networks
with multiple data sources, we help them
automatically correct errors in GIS, which
means that they can pinpoint the cause
of an outage and the exact location of
the offending equipment failure or vegetation
encroachment, save time across
routine field operations, particularly in
instances where a pole marked for maintenance
might be 600 yards from where
the map indicates, and most importantly,
in emergency situations when on borrowed
time, they know exactly where to
send field teams, and when it's safe to
do so, " he explained.
Giroux-Maltais also noted the importance
of gathering data and automating
processes. " Grid automation software
automates the fault isolation and restoration
process, reducing the need for
large field crews to manually handle
these tasks. Restoration times are calculated
more accurately through realtime
data insights, and the utility can
deploy crews into the field more strategically
by first assessing the severity
and scope of the outage, " he said.
" To put it simply, automated systems
improve efficiency by centralizing operations,
allowing the utility to deploy
the right number of field workers to the
right place the first time to minimize
service disruption for its members. " ■
-Darrell Proctor is a senior
editor for POWER.
POWER | February 2025
http://www.powermag.com
pwr_february-2025

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