Cooperative Living February 2017 - 23

WebTalk | by Tom Tate, Contributing Writer
Outage maps keep co-op members
informed when the lights go out
C
o-ops across the country are
using a powerful tool to aid in
power restoration and keep you
informed during major weather events:
the outage map.
Outage maps are just what they sound
like: a graphical representation of an
outage displayed on a map of your electric
co-op's service area. The typical map will
show where the outage is occurring and,
depending upon the system's capability,
include information such as the number
of members without power, icons for
individual homes without power, location
of crews (or their ETA) and expected time
for restoration.
Behind the map is a sophisticated
system that provides the data needed to
populate the graphic. I consider this
technology to be part of the smart grid
because it does what the smart grid is
supposed to do: improve control, reduce
outage length, increase reliability and
provide better information to employees,
co-op members and the public.
Maintaining an accurate outage map
starts with the devices on the co-op's lines
that can report their status to the
cooperative. These include a growing
number of switches and individual meters.
By " report their status, " I mean they can
report if they have been tripped or if there
is power at the meter. This data flows back
over the power lines to a computer at the
co-op. There it is analyzed, and the results
are presented to the engineering and
operations folks for action.
Let's set up an example. Something
causes a fault in the lines that blows a fuse
or trips a circuit breaker. The cause could
be a gust of wind dropping a branch on a
line. Or a furry critter deciding the brush
around the transformer looks like dinner.
A car hitting a pole. Regardless of the
cause, the power is now out to a number
of members.
The piece of equipment nearest the fault
signals that it cannot see anything down
the line or that it has tripped. A program
now runs to determine the extent of the
outage. It looks at other devices to
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Something causes a fault
in the lines that blows a
fuse or trips a circuit
breaker. The cause could
be a gust of wind
dropping a branch on a
line. Or a furry critter
deciding the brush around
the transformer looks like
dinner. A car hitting a pole.
Regardless of the cause,
the power is now out to a
number of members.
determine where the flow of power stops.
Once it has completed its detective work, a
map is generated showing the extent of the
outage. Of course, co-op employees can
operate the program rather than waiting
for the computer.
Because of the power of the information
contained in these maps, co-ops are
making them available online. Members
can use the map rather than wait in a
telephone queue to speak to a customer
service representative about their power
Maintaining an
accurate outage map
starts with the devices
on the co-op's lines
that can report their
status to the
cooperative.
outage. They can check to see if their
power is out, back on or when it is
expected to be restored, all with the click
of a button!
People may wonder how they can
access the internet if their power is out.
There are a couple of ways to do this. The
first is via your smartphone or cell-enabled
tablet. Another is to ask a friend or family
member who has power to check for you.
Or head to a place with power and PCs,
like a library or internet café. The point
being, there are many ways you can access
this information during an outage and
keep yourself informed on the status.
Knowledge is power, and when it comes
to outages, knowledge is also a comfort
because it can tell you when the lights are
coming back on. With this knowledge,
you can take any steps necessary to protect
your family and your property. Outage
maps are a great example of how co-ops
work to keep their members informed
about their service. 
Tom Tate writes on cooperative issues for the
National Rural Electric Cooperative
Association, the Arlington, Virginia-based
service arm of the nation's 900-plus consumerowned,
not-for-profit electric cooperatives.
February 2017 | Cooperative Living | 21
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Cooperative Living February 2017

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