Pennsylvania
utility earns accolade for innovation in electric grid
operation
ALLENTOWN, Pa., Aug. 24,
2022 /PRNewswire/ -- PPL Electric Utilities is
proud to announce it has been named POWER Magazine's 2022 Smart
Grid Award winner for its work in creating and deploying an
innovative and automated self-healing grid that improves overall
reliability and reduces outages.
"Our groundbreaking use of technology has allowed us to blaze
trails for the benefit of our customers," said PPL Electric
Utilities President Steph Raymond.
"The smart grid has been a tremendous tool to help keep the lights
on for our customers. It's making our grid more reliable, and it's
a major catalyst in building the utility of the future, today."
Knowing that the energy landscape was beginning to change, PPL
Electric began implementing various innovations across its electric
grid over the past decade with the goal of improving the safety and
reliability of its power distribution network. Through a
partnership with GE Digital, PPL Electric was able to apply GE's
Advanced Distribution Management Solution (ADMS) software to its
entire electric grid.
The new ADMS system also included a technology called Fault
Isolation Service Restoration (FISR) which was achieved by
deploying state-of-the-art sensors and switches across the grid
that segment customers into smaller spans. If an outage occurs,
FISR senses the problem and automatically reroutes power around the
trouble spot to get most customers restored within seconds, keeping
the outage contained without any human intervention and often
without the customer even noticing.
PPL Electric was the first utility to centrally install FISR
across its entire service territory to automate restorations. That
network of smart devices, coupled with GE's advanced software
system, has assisted PPL Electric in creating an autonomous,
self-healing grid. In fact, since 2015, PPL Electric's smart grid
has helped prevent more than 1.4 million customer outages. And, in
2021 alone, customers experienced 34% fewer outages compared to the
average over the prior five years.
The smart grid is also improving data and analytics to bolster
reliability. This data helps PPL Electric make more informed
decisions about both maintenance and investments. The smart grid
can also pinpoint issues, allowing for the dispatch of crews to an
exact location, saving both time and money. Other benefits include
a Distributed Energy Resource (DER) Management System that manages
two-way power flow and advanced meters that enable customers to see
usage.
Using industry-leading technology and innovation, PPL Electric
has created a smart grid that is likely unrecognizable to utility
workers of past generations. The smart grid, combined with other
groundbreaking advancements, is helping PPL Electric continue to
build the utility of the future, today. For more information on
what PPL Electric is doing to innovate and improve grid
reliability, visit pplelectric.com/reliability.
The POWER Smart Grid Award has been handed out since 2011 and
recognizes outstanding smart grid projects, throughout the world,
that demonstrate the benefits of new data-rich technologies to
power generators, distribution utilities, and customers. For more
information about the award, as well as previous winners, visit
powermag.com/power-awards.
PPL Electric Utilities delivers safe, reliable and affordable
electricity to more than 1.4 million homes and businesses in
eastern and central Pennsylvania.
It regularly ranks among the country's best utility companies for
reliability and customer satisfaction. PPL Electric Utilities is a
major employer and an active supporter of the communities it
serves. It is a part of the PPL Corporation (NYSE: PPL) family of
companies. Visit pplelectric.com or connect on social media
via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for energy efficiency
tips, bill help information, guidance on shopping for an
electricity supplier, storm updates and more.
POWER has been known as a magazine for many years but has
evolved to a trusted brand that includes publications, trade events
and conferences, as well as electronic media. In all its formats,
POWER provides important business operations, legal and regulatory
news as well as operations and maintenance information, for the
power industry. Through POWER, industry professionals learn about
best practices, safety issues, improved productivity, and more. To
learn more about POWER, visit their website at powermag.com.
Note to Editors: Visit our media website at
www.pplnewsroom.com for additional news and background about PPL
Corporation.
Contact:
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For news media: Russ
Hryvnak, 570-807-2229, rhryvnak@pplweb.com
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PPL Electric
Utilities
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SOURCE PPL Electric Utilities