By Jay Bogenschneider, Wisconsin Public Service, Michael Cote and Joey Nichols, 1898 & Co., part of Burns & McDonnell
For many electric utilities, grid modernization begins with replacement of and upgrades to existing devices to enable advanced functionality, control, and visibility. Upgrades of related communications networks, advanced distribution management systems (ADMS) and other information and operational technology (IT/OT) software — and the deployment of additional devices — logically follows.
Green Bay-based Wisconsin Public Service (WPS), which provides electric service to 440,000 customers across northeastern Wisconsin, had a different idea. Before renewing existing assets and implementing additional grid modernization measures, WPS leaders wanted first to take a fresh look at the utility’s system to align efforts with the changes the system has undergone since its inception.
Challenge: Improve resiliency
Like most of its peers, WPS has expanded distribution incrementally over its nearly 100-year history. Despite careful consideration and analysis, the system grew slightly less efficient and less optimally configured with each addition.
While its grid has been consistently ranked among the nation’s most reliable electric systems, WPS could no longer presume that the equipment added to its system over the decades had been placed where it might best benefit from new technologies and modern grid functionality while maintaining the reliability its customers expect.
“We began our asset renewal program with a holistic look at our distribution system,” said Steve Pecha, Manager of Electric Reliability and Planning at WPS. “This big-picture perspective cleared a path for more efficient investment, reducing dollars spent per unit of realized benefit for our customers.”
Built on a smart, flexible and self-healing frame, the grid of the future envisioned by WPS leaders would have lower operations and maintenance costs and produce higher customer satisfaction. WPS retained 1898 & Co., a Burns & McDonnell company that performs strategic planning and analysis for electric utility systems, to help turn that vision into reality.
Solution: A holistic approach
When assessing recommendations for strategic investments in a given area, 1898 & Co. considered projects that supported system efficiency (geographic compactness), system connectivity (ties and relationships between circuits and substations), aging asset replacement, protection coordination, volt/VAR optimization, and reliability improvement.
A key component in this analysis was developing predictive reliability modeling, then incorporating those models into existing distribution planning models and software. The models blended inputs of key asset expected failure rates, external factors that cause faults on the distribution system (e.g., weather, animals, vehicles), and operational practices that affect outage restoration sequences and times.
1898 & Co. partnered with the Synergi Electric software developer DNV to customize and document the process for WPS, enabling the program scope to be continually refined and future analysis enhanced.
The resulting robust project scopes contained quantifiable benefits that could inform the utility’s investment decisions and project priorities. Each dollar spent on a project had an associated reliability, voltage profile and asset utilization benefit. Further, projects that were highly beneficial but difficult to justify based on single or siloed use cases could now be justified and appropriately prioritized in the context of other investments systemwide.
Additionally, the analysis showed that the utility could increase reliability and lower costs by reducing the number of devices on its system and standardizing their size.
Result: A 5-year $140M grid modernization plan
When the analysis was complete in early 2020, planners had identified 26 area-level projects with construction costs ranging from $1.3 million to $33 million.
WPS reviewed the recommendations with field staffers, who added their insights on the recommendations. Using several performance indices, WPS compared each project’s cost to its projected impact on system performance and efficiency. The resulting strategic projects accomplish three goals:
- Modernization and optimization of 1,300 critical distribution assets such as reclosers, regulators and capacitor banks.
- Targeted reliability improvement that reduces the likelihood, magnitude or duration of outages on the distribution system.
- Enablement of automated outage restoration and reconfiguration schemes.
Completion of these strategic projects is expected to reduce system maintenance costs by enabling remote sensing and communication and reducing the number of devices requiring maintenance. For instance, the number of capacitor banks required to support voltage and counteract system inefficiencies will be reduced by one-third. These projects are also expected to improve the average system SAIDI and SAIFI performance by 15%-20%.
With construction surpassing the halfway point, the current asset renewal program is expected to be complete in 2023. But for WPS, its completion will only mark the beginning of a new chapter.
“The added analysis capabilities we are gaining through this asset renewal program will do more than help us track, learn from and prevent service interruptions,” Pecha said. “As customer demand evolves, we will be able to detect load point changes and apply future funding toward projects that further bolster system flexibility and resiliency with additional system automation and remote capabilities.”
All this was made possible by the decision to take a holistic approach to asset renewal and grid modernization. By transforming its distribution planning practices, in other words, WPS is transforming its grid.
About the Authors
Jay Bogenschneider is a Professional Engineer licensed in the State of Wisconsin who has worked for Wisconsin Public Service for over 13 years. During his time with the company, he has supported both generation engineering and substation control. In his current role as Engineering Major Project Supervisor, Jay supervises the replacement and addition of distribution equipment to improve reliability and power quality.
Michael Cote is a project manager within 1898 & Co., part of Burns & McDonnell, advising electric utilities on complex investment and operational decisions to better prepare the grid for future challenges and transformations. Michael specializes in grid modernization planning strategies to help meet increasing consumer demands for better reliability, distributed energy resources, energy efficiency and grid automation.
Joey Nichols is a utility consulting director with 1898 & Co., a part of Burns & McDonnell, focusing on grid modernization and distribution planning. Throughout his more than 16-year career, he has worked as a consultant for large investor-owned utilities, electric cooperatives, and municipal utilities, helping these utilities plan and implement a modern grid.
