The improvements allow utilities to detect and isolate problems before they become widespread or reroute the flow of electricity to prevent customers from losing power.
Utilities also are using technology to monitor demand and prevent the electric grid from being overwhelmed as customers crank up their air conditioners to combat sweltering temperatures.
The loss of power for air conditioners during the summer heat might be frustrating for electric customers, but utilities say the improvements they are making go beyond addressing just concerns about the performance of the grid during hot weather.
“I would emphasis that we're not only targeting summertime readiness, we're trying to make the system more resilient and more durable to help prevent outages, and so when outages do occur, we can repair them faster,” West Penn Power spokesman Todd Meyers said.
West Penn's average outage duration for each customer served fell by 83 minutes from 2013 to 2014, according to Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission reports, the most recent statistics available.
But some experts say spending on smart technology by utilities is not the only reason for the improved performance of the grid. They credit an emphasis on energy efficiency and conservation for helping to reduce the demands that have overwhelmed the system at times, noting the increasing use of energy-saving light bulbs and appliances by utility customers.
PUC reports suggest outages of all types are falling statewide year-by-year while outage severity decreases. A 2014 report, the most recent available, showed only one of the state's utilities failed to meet three-year rolling average outage duration benchmarks in 2014 compared to three companies in 2013. Utilities statewide similarly improved their performance as measured by the average number of interruptions.
Duquesne Light, which serves more than 1 million people in Allegheny and Beaver counties, reported few outages related to hot weather this summer, while West Penn reported no heat related outages for its roughly 720,000 customers during last month's heat wave. West Penn's service territory spans more than 20 counties in western and southern Pennsylvania.
Investment in technology upgrades by the utilities has combined with more aggressive tree-trimming programs that keep downed trees from snapping power lines during severe weather, and make it easier for crews to work on lines when outages occur.
West Penn's parent company, FirstEnergy Corp., spent $181 million on projects in the utility's service area in 2014 and plans to spend “significantly more” on similar projects in 2016, Meyers said. FirstEnergy did not separate capital spending in West Penn territory from company-wide figures in 2015.
Some of the 2016 investment will go toward installing more “smart” technology that helps prevent outages or isolate the power disruption to smaller areas.
For example, smart circuit breakers called reclosers regulate power by automatically opening and closing distributions lines when they detect problems. If problems persist, they can cut off power to isolated lines on a given circuit.
In the past, entire circuits might shut down if one line had a problem.
FirstEnergy isn't the only company spending hundreds of millions of dollars on maintenance and capital projects to improve the performance of the electric transmission and distribution infrastructure.
Duquesne Light has invested more than $2.6 billion in infrastructure and technology upgrades between 2010 and 2020, spokeswoman Ashlee Yingling said.
The utility about six years ago began installing devices called IntelliRupters throughout its system that can detect problems on a circuit, so Duquesne Light can reroute power to prevent outages, Duquesne Light Director of Operations Pat Conti said.
University of Pittsburgh Center for Energy Director Gregory Reed said such technology relies on sensors and automation to address issues and communicate problems to utility operators at extremely fast speeds.
“They operate in what we call a dynamic sense, meaning very fast, and things in an electric utility system happen very quickly,” he said.
But Duquesne Light and West Penn officials said new technology alone can do only so much to improve reliability. Tried-and-true operations like improving tree-trimming efforts and preventive maintenance are essential, and must take place before summer months strain the electric grid.
West Penn will spend more than $27 million in 2016 to trim trees and maintain vegetation along its lines, Meyers said.
Jay Apt, director of the Carnegie Mellon Electricity Industry Center, said generation resources are under less stress since demand for electric power stagnated nationwide — and even decreased in some areas — starting in 2007. He attributed that change in part to behavioral adjustments like companies becoming more efficient and the proliferation of energy-saving light bulbs.
Apt also credited reliability improvement to demand response programs, which involve regional transmission operators offering financial incentives to customers who reduce their energy use during peak times.
“That's extremely significant in hot weather,” he said.
©2016 The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (Greensburg, Pa.) Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
