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Tuesday, June 2 - 9:20 AM

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Keynote Speakers:

Gordon van Welie President & CEO, ISO New England

Stephen Whitley President & CEO, NYISO

Jim Avery Executive Vice President, Sempra Energy

Peter MolengraafCEO, Alliander

Kim Greene Chief Operating

Ofcer and EVP,

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DNVGL_PGdec_1505 1 4/13/15 2:33 PM

16 Best Practices to Mitigate Data Exfiltration

18 Who Owns the Data?

21 Utilities and Digital-savvy Customers

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YOUR POWER DELIVERY MEDIA SOURCE

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The Missing Element for Physical Security

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PowerGrid International: ISSN 1547-6723,

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CAN STOCK PHOTO INC. / FASTFUN23

MAY 2015 VOLUME 20.05

12Your Physical Security

System is Missing a Crucial Element

Bert Williams of ABB Wireless explains the

advantages of wireless networks over wired

networks and why utilities prefer them to

deploy in substations.

21 The Benefits, Challenges of Integrating Consumer-driven Technology Into Utilities Jay Cadman of Ubisense shares how smart devices and 24/7 Internet access is changing utilities, a sector that historically lagged behind others in rolling out the newest technologies.

24 The Steady (but Speedy) Technology March of Demand Response Schneider Electrics Phil Davis writes that Newtons safety net is crumbling as new power sources with little to no mass become significant. The result? Software is replacing rotating mass.

28 How Electric Utilities Can Compete in the Digital Consumer Economy Satya Ramaswamy of Tata Consultancy Services writes that if electric utilities can harness five digital technologies effectively, the benefits will be enormous.

30 Tree Service Fleets Use GPS Tracking Technology to Solve Common Problems Jenny Malcolm of GPS Insight shares how GPS tracking can improve customer satisfaction, eliminate unauthorized usage, reduce fuel costs and improve driver behavior.

35 Calendar/Ad Index

36 Products

From the Editor 4

Notes 5

What We Learned 16From a Data

Exfiltration Incident at an Electric Utility

Del Rodillas of Palo Alto Networks comments on a case study from his favorite

conference session at DistribuTECH and provides best practices and technologies that might have

mitigated the event.

18 Who Owns the Data? EnerNOCs Kevin Tate writes that big data brings big concerns, including how to use secure customer data to better engage customers and delight them with improved communication.

32 Case Study: Electric Cooperative Switches Rural Lighting to LEDs David Tanonis of Evluma tells how a switch from HPS to LED rural lighting came about at Inland Power and Light Co. in Spokane, Washington.

30

1505pg_2 2 5/5/15 4:51 PM

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+ Defending the Grid

+ Demand Response

+ Distributed Energy Resources and

Renewables

+ Energy Efficiency

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Management

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SUBMIT YOUR ABSTRACT OR UTILITY UNIVERSITY PROPOSAL

DEADLINE IS MONDAY, JUNE 8Submit online at distributech.com


1505pg_3 3 5/5/15 4:51 PM


FROM THE EDITOR

EDITOR IN CHIEF Teresa Hansen

918.831.9504 [email protected]

SENIOR EDITOR Kristen Wright


ONLINE/ASSOCIATE EDITOR Jeff Postelwait


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June Griffin

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POWERGRID International is the offcial publication of

EDITOR IN CHIEF TERESA HANSEN

The U.S. energy delivery infrastructure needs a lot of work, according

to the first Quadrennial Energy Review (QER) released April 21 by the

Obama administration. President Obama commissioned the report when

he announced his Climate Action Plan in June 2013. A White House press

release states the QER was commissioned to examine how to modernize the

nations energy infrastructure to promote economic competitiveness, energy

security and environmental responsibility and take full advantage of American

innovation and the new sources of domestic energy supply that are transform-

ing the nations energy marketplace.

The QER looked at more than just electricity delivery infrastructure. It

includes oil and gas and transportation infrastructure, too. Im not sure if the

QER uncovered anything surprising in those areas, but the electricity infra-

structure-related findings were no surprise.

The report concludes the obvious: Our energy landscape is changing dra-

matically, and the electricity delivery business is transforming quickly. The

decline in coal-fired power brought on by environmental regulations, includ-

ing the Clean Power Plan; the tremendous increase in the use of renewable

energy sources, especially solar, which the report says has increased 20-fold

since 2008; the need for a more resilient and reliable grid in light of increasing

extreme weather events; the need to combat cyberattacks and cyberthreats;

and the influx of new technologies require changes to the way we deliver

electricity and the way we monetize and regulate it. The QER recoginzes these

challenges and states transformation will not be easy or cheap.

The QER identifies some obvious challenges and emphasizes the adminis-

trations stand on climate change: It is a threat and the challenges it creates are

serious and must be addressed.

The QER goes beyond identifying vulnerabilities and challenges associated

with grid transformation. The document recommends the federal government

invest in the transformation by providing states with up to $350 million over

five years to improve the electricity infrastructure. In addition, the QER rec-

ommends the federal government create policies and programs to increase

cooperation among states to improve grid reliability.

In addition, the Department of Energy has requested $3.5 billion in federal

funds over the next 10 years to support technology development, enhance

grid security and provide technical support to facilitate the evolution toward a

more flexible and modern grid.

Given that several recent studies predict the U.S. electricity grid will need

$1.5 trillion to $2 trillion in investment before 2030 to continue to operate

safely and reliably, a few billion dollars isnt much.

The bright spot in the QER could be the conversations and actions it initi-

ates from regulators and lawmakers, but will that be enough?

Will White Houses QER Matter?

1505pg_4 4 5/5/15 4:51 PM

NOTES


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medium- and low-voltage distribution net-

works in an integrated software platform.

By efficiently managing their distribution

assets, utilities can cope better with the

continual changing world of distribution,

improving reliability and efficiency and

reducing the impact of outages.

Collaborating with companies like

ABB allows us to automate the grid

and improve the way we operate, said

Kenny Mercado, senior vice president

of electric operations at CenterPoint

Energy. Last year we saw power reliabil-

ity improve by more than 28 percent,

and we expect this trend to continue.

The Department of Energy (DOE),

CenterPoint Energy and power

and automation technology group

ABB recently completed an initia-

tive to advance the reliability of the

Houston power network by deploying

an advanced intelligent grid system.

The deployment includes ABB enter-

prise software solutions composed of an

advanced distribution management sys-

tem (ADMS) integrated with a mobile

work force management system and an

advanced outage analytics package that ties

the systems together.

Five years ago, CenterPoint Energy won

a $200 million Smart Grid Investment

Grant to deliver benefits to consumers

and the environment through the com-

panys Advanced Metering System (AMS)

and Intelligent Grid (IG). The IG, which

includes the ABB software solu-

tions, is designed to improve

service to the utilitys 2.3 million

metered customers and includes

installation of 31 substations and

771 intelligent grid-switching devic-

es on 188 distribution circuits, making

this deployment one of the worlds largest

ADMS systems in operation.

Leveraging the ADMS software, this

intelligent self-healing grid can identify,

isolate and restore power outages more

quickly.

Since 2011, it has helped customers

avoid more than 100 million outage

minutes.

ABBs Network Manager DMS provides

real-time monitoring and control, net-

work analysis, network optimization and

outage management for subtransmission,

CENTERPOINT ENERGY TEAMS WITH DOE, ABB TO IMPROVE POWER RELIABILITY

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NOTES

and dispatch of the microgrid distributed

energy resources (DERs), allowing the sys-

tem to maximize renewable energy usage

and storage while minimizing energy costs.

DSOs platform makes this possible by

leveraging market pricing signals, weath-

er and forecasting information, historical

energy usage data and real-time building

information.

To help educate and demonstrate

the benefits of microgrids to residents,

students, policymakers and businesses,

S&C and Schneider Electric were asked

to develop a microgrid demonstration

facility on the SOSF campus. That facili-

ty will be known as Oncors Technology

Demonstration and Education Center

(TDEC) and consists of two exhibits:

an immersion room and a demonstration

center. In the immersion room, the Oncor

microgrid story is brought to life on seven

screens for a full cinematic experience.

The microgrid story highlights the history

of the electric grid and the changes Oncor

has made.

The center, which also serves as the

SOSF microgrid control center, displays

the new technology that Oncor is using

on its system. The demonstration room

features a fully functioning supervisory

control and data acquisition (SCADA) rep-

resentation of the microgrid to show how

the system reacts to a loss of power event

such as extreme weather. Once an event

is created, the switching devices respond

accordingly, clearing the fault, isolating

the faulted section and restoring service

from an alternate source. The switching

devices, controls, communications and

software shown are all real and completely

functional. Tours of Oncors microgrid may

be arranged by e-mailing microgrids@

sandc.com.

S&C Electric Company and Schneider

Electric have announced the unveiling of

one of the most advanced microgrids in

North America for Oncor, an electric trans-

mission and distribution company with 10

million customers across Texas.

The microgrid is engineered to max-

imize newly installed energy storage,

renewable generation and improve reliabil-

ity. S&C teamed with Schneider Electric

to combine new hardware and soft-

ware technologies for the facility, which

includes an integrated demonstration

center for Oncor to showcase the micro-

grids advanced capabilities and custom-

er benefits.

S&C and Schneider Electric built the

microgrid at Oncors System Operating

Services Facility (SOSF) near Lancaster,

Texas. The system consists of four intercon-

nected microgrids and uses nine distribut-

ed generation sources, including two solar

photovoltaic arrays, a microturbine, two

energy storage units and four generators.

To turn these diverse generation assets into

a microgrid, S&C and Schneider Electric

developed a distribution automation

scheme that leverages intelligent grid solu-

tions from both companiesenabling the

four microgrids to operate independently

or as one larger microgrid.

Improving power reliability and opti-

mizing generation assets requires disrup-

tive technologies that allow customers to

work on and off the grid, said David

Chiesa, director of microgrid business

development at S&C. Oncors microgrid

is showing the world how utilities can help

their communities in the future.

During a loss-of-power event, a com-

bination of S&Cs advanced distribution

automation equipment and Schneider

Electrics Microgrid Controller (MGC) use

high-speed communications and distrib-

uted grid intelligence to detect a prob-

lem automatically on the grid. It starts

with S&Cs IntelliRupter PulseCloser fault

interrupter, which detects an interrup-

tion in power, tests to see if the issue

is temporary or permanent, and if it is

permanent, dynamically islands the facil-

ity. The system then uses S&Cs Scada-

Mate CX Switches and Vista Underground

Distribution Switchgear to reconfigure the

distribution system automatically while the

MGC autonomously switches to alternative

distributed power sources.

The energy storage systems are the back-

bone of the microgrid and include S&Cs

PureWave Community Energy Storage

System. The on-site energy storage, which

stores energy from either the utility feed

or any of the facilitys generation sources,

provides the voltage signal for the site,

enables renewable integration, controls the

microgrid frequency and is the first gener-

ating source to respond during unexpected

power loss.

The microgrid system also benefits

from advanced grid technologies devel-

oped by Schneider Electric, including the

PowerLogic load preservation system, the

microgrid controller and a new technol-

ogy called StruxureWare Demand Side

Operations (DSO). Schneider Electrics

DSO model delivers economic optimization

S&C, SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC AND ONCOR COMPLETE DER MICROGRID

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1505pg_6 6 5/5/15 4:51 PM

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will investigate avenues that improve the

scalability and economic feasibility of these

communities across the state.

Meritage Homes designed the houses

in the development. The dwellings

feature such items as high-effi-

ciency solar panels, HVAC sys-

tems, water-heating equipment,

heat pumps and integrated

fresh air ventilation.

In addition, each

will have spray foam insulation, highly

insulated windows, energy-efficient light-

ing, smart chargers and smart appliances.

With these technologies, the homes are

projected to curb energy use as much as 60

percent compared with a house built to the

latest California Energy Code.

The model houses range from 1,936 to

2,915 square feet.

The Electric Power Research Institute

(EPRI) will lead an effort by three com-

panies, a utility and the California Public

Utilities Commission (CPUC) in evaluating

the energy use and grid integration of a

new community of at least 20 zero net

energy houses, the first development of a

community of highly efficient houses in

the state.

Results from this project support EPRIs

work with utilities in the U.S. and abroad

on a more integrated power system while

propelling the CPUCs objectives to increase

energy efficiency and renewable energy in

California.

Meritage Homes, BIRAenergy, Itron and

Southern California Edison (SCE) will

work with EPRI and the CPUC in build-

ing and evaluating the project, which will

help California meet its big bold goal for

all new houses in the state to be zero net

energy by 2020 and meet the states stricter

limitations of carbon emissions.

Zero net energy houses, with help from

the grid, are designed to generate the same

amount of energy that they consume. They

have been a central goal of California strat-

egies aimed at increasing energy efficiency

and reducing carbon dioxide emissions;

however, they were neither cost-effective

nor available for most homebuyers until

recently.

Zero net energy houses still rely on the

grid, both to absorb excess solar generation

during the day and to deliver power at

night. During the next several years, the

project team will study how these hous-

es and their advanced technologies can

be integrated effectively into the utilitys

electric grid. Simultaneously, researchers

20 ZERO NET ENERGY HOMES TO BE BUILT IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY

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NOTES

EYE ON THE WORLD

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Locamation B.V. recently signed a memorandum of

understanding (MoU) with Liaoning Construction of Power

Transmission & Transformation Project Co. Ltd. (Liaoning) during

an official ceremony in Shenzhen, China.

The MoU confirms exclusive cooperation for the supply

of substation automation and smart grid technology for the

Shenzhen Low Carbon City Project. The MoU was signed

during a trade mission led by Dutch Prime Minister Mark

Rutte, who facilitated the ceremony and witnessed the signing

of the agreement.

The agreement covers the supply and installation for the

Berlin Technical University and Dresden University of Applied

Sciences, among others, are working under the lead management

of Siemens on developing a new gas-insulated DC transmission

line known as the DC CTL (Compact Transmission Line for Direct-

Current High Voltage) for laying underground.

The new line is designed to transmit up to 5

GW of power per system. The German Federal

Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy

(BMWi) is providing 3.78 million euros in this

development project.

The DC CTL will be based on the technol-

ogy of the existing gas-insulated transmission

line (GIL), which consists of two concentric

aluminum tubes. A mixture of gases is used

as the insulating medium. Until now, the GIL

has been available only for alternating current.

The challenge for the DC CTL is posed by the

special design of the components, taking into account their specific

properties at high direct voltages. Because of its significantly higher

current carrying capacity of up to 5,000 amperes (A), the DC variant

of the GIL would not only be able to transmit the required amounts

of electrical power more efficiently compared with cable in the

future grid upgrade; it also would make power transmission routes

more environmentally compatible and cheaper.

Expansion of the transmission grid is necessary if 80 percent

of demand for electrical energy in Germany is to be covered by

renewable energy sources by 2050. The power generated by wind

turbines in the north of the country and off the German coast will

need to be transported as efficiently as possible to the load centers

in southern Germany. Direct current transmission is the method of

choice for doing this because of its low electrical losses compared

with alternating current transmission. Developing the grid using

high-voltage direct-current (HVDC) transmission technology with

Locamation BV signs MoU with Liaoning Construction of Power Transmission & Transformation Project Co.

Siemens develops gas-insulated transmission line for high-voltage DC

Shenzhen Low Carbon City Project, where both parties have

agreed to take part in an innovation consortium. The MoU

was signed by Jia Wu of Liaoning Construction of Power

Transmission & Transformation Project Co. Ltd. and Locamation

B.V Chief Operating Officer Pascal Bleeker.

The Shenzhen region has been earmarked by the Chinese

government as the countrys most innovative region. Locamation

is proud to have its products installed in this region.

We are happy with the backing of our prime minister,

who provided personal support to allow the partnership with

Liaoning to succeed, Bleeker said.

overhead power lines and gas-insulated DC transmission lines bur-

ied underground over certain sections could be implemented using

considerably less resources than three-phase technology.

The underground DC transmission line is of significance for

Germanys transition to a new energy mix because its development

will initially take place in Germany, said Denis

Imamovic, who is responsible for gas-insulat-

ed transmission systems at Siemens Energy

Management Division. Later on, inquiries

from other countries in the EU or elsewhere

in the world would be quite possible. In any

case, with development of the gas-insulated

DC transmission line, Germany will play a

pioneering role in the design of future energy

transmission systems.

Integration of renewable energy sources in

existing power transmission and distribution

systems challenges Germanys energy transition. The continuation

of overhead power routes sectionwise underground in the form of

a gas-insulated transmission line represents a key piece of the route

planning mosaic, since possible corridors for new overhead lines are

restricted because of existing buildings. Gas-insulated DC lines can

handle the power from an overhead line with the same number

of conductors. This means that the substations and transmission

corridors can be designed to take up less space, which makes them

more cost-efficient.

Use of the DC-GIL also will allow the advantages of gas-insu-

lated transmission technology to be exploited for the new HVDC

multiterminal systems and networks, as well. This would make

the vision of a transmission grid with superimposed DC a reality.

HVDC systems in conjunction with gas-insulated DC transmission

lines routed sectionwise underground are perfectly suited as a key

technology for this.

1505pg_8 8 5/5/15 4:51 PM

May 2015 | 9 www.power-grid.com

Cost Effective Easy to Install

For more information, call 1-877-848-9682

1800 Shames Drive, Westbury, NY 11590 electroind.com

Automation begins with Power Meters

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EVESA, the operator responsible for managing the street

light and traffic control systems in Paris, has expanded its

relationship with Silver Spring Networks Inc. to deploy a

citywide canopy network that connects the above-ground

and subterranean cabinet-based controllers for street and

traffic lights across the city, including such iconic neighbor-

hoods as the Louvre, Hotel-de-Ville, Palais-Bourbon, Elysee,

the Bourse and remaining arrondissements, Silver Spring

Networks announced.

With more than 2 million citizens and 16 million annual

visitors, modernizing the public lighting infrastructure for the

city of lights while preserving its world-renowned aesthetic

is a crucial undertaking, said Scott Lang, chairman, pres-

ident and CEO of Silver Spring Networks. We are excited

to now complete the first phase of our project and extend

our relationship with EVESA to deploy a smart city canopy

network across Paris. EVESAs diligent planning and intense

technology testing help ensure the citizens of Paris receive

a globally proven, highly reliable and secure smart city

solution.

Silver Springs smart city platform helps municipalities

deploy intelligent lighting systems that improve system

reliability, increase energy efficiency, lower operational costs,

extend equipment life spans and enhance citizen safety

and quality of life. The open, standards-based solution also

enables cities to establish a platform for future smart city

applications and services such as traffic management, envi-

ronmental sensors, smart parking, electric vehicle charging,

Silver Spring Networks wins comprehensive smart city deployment in Paris

electricity metering, water conservation and

many others.

In addition to Paris, Silver Spring recently

has been selected by Florida Power & Light

for what is believed to be the worlds largest

connected lighting project with nearly 500,000

networked street lights across South Florida.

Silver Spring also is connecting critical infra-

structure in Bristol, Chicago, Copenhagen,

Glasgow, Melbourne, Miami, Sao Paulo, San

Francisco, Singapore and Washington, D.C.,

and has delivered more than 20 million IPv6-

networked devices for critical infrastructure

networks on five continents.

1505pg_9 9 5/5/15 4:51 PM


NOTES

CAN STOCK PHOTO INC. / ARNAU2098

EYE ON THE WORLD : CONTINUED

Swiss battery manufacturer Leclanch will play a key role in the

renewable energy project being developed in Graciosa by Younicos,

a German-American specialist in renewable energy integration.

Leclanch will provide the complete Battery Energy

Storage Solution (BESS), using its industry-leading lithium-ion

batteries, which will be combined with Younicos Energy

Management software. In addition, an affiliate of Recharge

ApS, one of Leclanchs largest shareholders, will provide 3.5

million euros in convertible debt financing to the projects

operating company Graciolica, a wholly-owned subsidiary of

Younicos. Both announcements are milestones that will help

accelerate implementation of the project in the coming weeks

and will ensure substantial progress during 2015.

The worlds first megawatt-scale renewable energy plus

storage system, being built on the island of Graciosa in the

Azores (Portugal), will set new standards for islands worldwide.

Furthermore, by stabilizing the grid without the rotating mass of

a conventional thermal engine, the system will enable the grid to

be fully powered by wind and solar energy. The centerpiece of the

system is a fully automated, intelligently managed 2.8-MW battery

Leclanch joins Younicos in delivering renewable energy-powered microgrid to Graciosa

park integrated into the intelli-

gent energy management system

developed by Younicos. In addition,

the system will incorporate wind

(4.5 MW) and solar (1 MW) power

resources and intelligent inverters.

The renewable energy-powered

grid will boost the islands annual

share of renewable energies from

a previous limit of 15 percent to

up to 65 percent and allow the island to reduce its dependence

on fuel imports.

This is an exciting partnership on many levels, said James

P. McDougall, CEO of Younicos. We have long been intrigued

by Leclanchs BESS and are confident that, coupled with our

software, it will provide an extremely stable backbone of a funda-

mentally new energy system. At the same time, working with an

industry-leading battery manufacturer such as Leclanch, and with

Recharge as financing partner, underscores the ability of Younicos

to lead microgrid projects worldwide.

LINCOLN ELECTRIC SYSTEM EXPANDS ITRON CONTRACT TO COMPLETE METER REPLACEMENT

Lincoln Electric System (LES), a

publicly owned, municipal electric util-

ity that serves some 135,000 custom-

ers in and around Lincoln, Nebraska,

recently expanded its contract with

Itron to continue installation of auto-

mated meter reading (AMR) technolo-

gy across the remainder of its service

territory, Itron announced.

Itrons technology is an import-

ant component of our Mobile Meter

Reading Project and is enabling LES to

streamline its meter-reading process,

achieve system efficiencies and address

business priorities, said Lisa Hale,

vice president of customer services

at LES. LES will use Itrons solution

with mobile collectors to improve day-

to-day meter-reading operations and

reduce vehicle trips to the field.

As part of the contract, Itron distribu-

tor the Dutton-Lainson Co. in Hastings,

Nebraska, will provide LES with more

than 100,000 Itron electricity meters

during the next 12 to 18 months.

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The Industrial Energy Consumers of

America (IECA) congratulates CalPortland,

Eastman Chemical Co. and Saint-Gobain

for receiving the 2015 Energy Star Partner

of the Year-Sustained Excellence Award

and Bristol-Myers Squibb and Corning Inc.

for receiving the 2015 Energy Star Partner

of the Year Award for their voluntary pub-

lic-private partnership work to manage

and improve energy efficiency.

This is an outstanding accomplishment

that few companies achieve and says a lot

about leadership and the relentless com-

mitment in pursuit of energy efficiency

improvement that benefits competitiveness

and the environment, said Paul Cicio,

president of IECA.

BRISTOL-MYERS SQUIBB

The Energy Star program helps compa-

nies actively assess their energy programs

and obtain graded feedback from the EPA

on several different categories of energy

management, said Carol Powell, global

head and vice president of environment,

health, safety and sustainability. In select-

ing us for this recognition, the EPA and

DOE considered not only the companys

measurable energy savings but also the

effectiveness of its overall energy man-

agement program, including policies and

management support. We gain tremen-

dous value from benchmarking and collab-

orating on best practices and energy strat-

egy both within our industry and across

industries, including through the Energy

Star Pharmaceutical Focus Group, which

includes more than 15 peer companies.

CALPORTLAND

CalPortland has been an Energy Star

partner since 1996, said Allen Hamblen,

president and CEO of CalPortland. For

nearly two decades, that relationship

has been instrumental in the continuous

improvement of our energy program. We

BRISTOL-MYERS SQUIBB, CALPORTLAND, CORNING INC., EASTMAN CHEMICAL CO., SAINT-GOBAIN WIN EPA ENERGY STAR PARTNER OF THE YEAR AWARDS

have established a core culture of energy

management that includes all levels of the

companys operations. Our employees are

very proud of their accomplishments to

improve energy efficiency, reduce emis-

sions and contribute to the protection of

our environment while reducing cost.

CORNING INC.

Were honored to be named an Energy

Star Partner of the Year for the second

consecutive year, said Wendell P. Weeks,

chairman and CEO of Corning. We com-

mitted ourselves to ongoing improve-

ments, and this award demonstrates that

we are making terrific progress in our

energy journey. This is also a great example

of how we can do well by doing good.

Responsible energy management helps us

maintain the trust of our stakeholders, con-

trol costs and compete more effectively in a

global economy. In other

words, we are investing

in Cornings future as

well as the health of our

planet.

EASTMAN

CHEMICAL CO.

It is an honor to be

recognized once again by

the EPA with the Energy

Star Partner of the Year-

Sustained Excellence

Award, said Mark Costa,

chairman and CEO of

Eastman. This achieve-

ment is a testament to

the hard work and com-

mitment of the men and

women at Eastman who

continue to chart new

territory for our industry

in sustainability. I could

not be more proud of

our worldwide energy

team and deeply appreciate the tremen-

dous effort required throughout the com-

pany to drive improvements and achieve

this recognition.

SAINT-GOBAIN

Saint-Gobains 350-year history is root-

ed in the innovation and manufacturing

of building materials that enable people

across the globe to live in more efficient,

comfortable and healthy environments,

said John Crowe, president and CEO of

Saint-Gobain and its North American con-

struction materials subsidiary, CertainTeed

Corp. As Saint-Gobain looks to the future,

we believe that a sustainable habitat is with-

in our reach and will continue to develop

innovative, effective methods to reduce the

environmental impact of our solutions,

plants and processes across our entire fam-

ily of companies in North America.

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CAN STOCK PHOTO INC. / FASTFUN23

1505pg_12 12 5/5/15 4:55 PM


Your Physical Security System is Missing a Crucial Element

BY BERT WILLIAMS, ABB WIRELESS

During the past two years, dozens of attacks have been reportedincluding trespassing, vandalism, theft

and sabotageon critical utility infra-

structure in the U.S. that posed dangers

to life, property, reliable grid operation

and utility worker safety.

These attacks included shooting at a

security guard, crippling a substations

service for a month and a complete power

outage that affected 10,000 customers.

This is serious busi-

ness. Utilities are los-

ing millions of dol-

lars from assaults on

substations and other

critical utility infra-

structure. Equipment

damage, material and

equipment theft, as

well as fines and lost

revenue from power outages, are affect-

ing utility reliability and safety.

Physical security can be a signifi-

cant factor in minimizing or deterring

Bert Williams is global marketing director

for ABB Wireless. He brings 30 years of

experience in leading the marketing

organizations of networking companies.

Williams has a Bachelor of Science with

University Honors in Electrical Engineering

from Carnegie Mellon University and an

MBA from Harvard Business School. Reach

him at [email protected].

Utilities are losing millions of dollars from assaults on substations and other critical infrastructure.

1505pg_13 13 5/5/15 4:55 PM


to respond to verified incidents.

IS A WIRELESS

NETWORK RELIABLE?

Physical hardening, battery backup,

IEEE 1613 compliance, etc., are standard

reliability features of todays wireless net-

works; however, access to radio frequen-

cy (RF) spectrum, automatic interference

avoidance software and mesh routing

software are key elements to assure net-

work reliability.

When wireless networks have more

access to RF spectrum, they have more

available channels to use to avoid interfer-

ence. Additional spectrum also makes it

much more difficult for saboteurs to jam

the wireless communication network.

If the wireless network cant dynam-

ically use the RF spectrum, however,

its of little use. By deploying automatic

interference avoidance software, a wire-

less communication network can find

and use a clean chunk of spectrum in

real time, mitigating interference, whether

from other legitimate spectrum users or

malicious jammers.

threats. Conventional security measures

such as walls, fences and locks are

coupled with surveillance and thermal

imaging and night vision cameras, gun-

shot location sensors, door alarms, key-

pads and biometrics for access control,

motion detectors and intrusion sen-

sors. This 24/7 centralized monitoring

provides early awareness and visibility

into incidents, enabling timely utility

response.

MODERN WIRELESS NETWORKS

VITAL SECURITY TOOL

Multi-application communications

among security devices (cameras,

sensors, keypads, lights, etc.) require

reliable, secure, broadband networks.

Wireless networks offer many

advantages over wired networks and

are preferred by utilities because they

are much easier and more cost-effective

to deploy in substations; they require

no trenching.

Its vital to consult multiple systems to

determine how a security breach might

have occurred. One example is to use

streaming or captured video to confirm

what triggered a substation motion sen-

sor. This approach enables utility secu-

rity employees to screen for and ignore

false alarms. It also better equips them

to dispatch the correct personnel (e.g.,

security, maintenance, police, fire, EMS)

Mesh Networks Enhance Substation Communication Resiliency

An advantage of using wireless mesh networks for substation physical

security system communication is that mesh networks can maintain

connectivity with a substation even if the landline and point-to-point/

point-to-multipoint (PTP/PTMP) wireless links to the substation have

been disabled. Figure 1 shows a mesh network that covers part of a utility

service territory served by three substations. At each substation, landline,

PTP/PTMP or both wireless links provide backhaul to the mesh network,

as well as connectivity for other data and voice services.

Figure 2 shows that if the landline and PTP/PTMP wireless links

are disabled by cutting wires, shooting equipment, etc., the mesh

automatically will reconfigure to provide connectivity to the substation

under attack via backhaul points in other substations.

NORMAL OPERATIONS SUBSTATION FRONTHAUL 1

Wired Backhaul

Optimal Routing Paths

Backup Links

1505pg_14 14 5/5/15 4:55 PM


of bandwidth, added together, the band-

width can be substantial.

CAN IT SUPPORT ALL OF YOUR

SECURITY APPLICATIONS?

Another consideration when operat-

ing multiple substation physical secu-

rity applications on a single wireless

communication network is support for

virtual LANs (VLANs) and quality of

service (QoS). With VLANs, each appli-

cation gets its own logical network

that is configured with appropriate

security and QoS settings. Using QoS

and VLANS, a utility can, for example,

ensure that latency-sensitive applica-

tions get priority over applications with

less stringent latency requirements.

BEING PROACTIVE

CAN THWART ATTACKS

Many benefits come with deploying

and operating network-enabled remote

physical security monitoring, from pro-

viding an audit trail of authorized per-

sonnel entering and exiting the facility to

substation motion sensor trips. Remote

video monitoring quickly can determine

if an intruder set off a motion sensor or if

it was just a curious animal. Having real-

time intelligence allows personnel to be

dispatched for only serious alarms. Also,

quick, appropriate response to physical

attacks, coupled with audible alarms and

warning lights, can cause attackers to flee

before they are able to vandalize, steal or

damage property at substations. If they do

stick around, archived video evidence can

aid in the apprehension and prosecution of

perpetrators.

The best attack is the one that doesnt

happen. If potential thieves and sabo-

teurs are aware that a facility is well-se-

cured, they likely will give up and move

along.

Mesh networking provides another level

or building block to thwart attacks quick-

ly. Mesh routing software enables wireless

communication networks

to be self-healing, enabling

fast recovery from equip-

ment failure and damage.

Mesh routing can restore

connectivity even if sab-

oteurs cut fiber-optic and

copper cables at the sub-

station. Because mesh

routers are small and easily

disguised, they are more difficult for sab-

oteurs to take out than wireless point-

to-point (PTP) or point-to-multipoint

(PTMP) systems, which generally must be

mounted on a mast or tower.

BUT ARE THEY SECURE?

Physical security and cybersecurity

are interdependent. Physically break-

ing into a substation is an easy way

to launch a cyberattack. Conversely,

a cyberattack can support a physical

attack by taking remotely monitored

security systems offline.

Wireless communication networks,

like all networks in

substations, come

with potential vul-

nerability to cyber-

attacks. Deploying a

multilayer, defense-

in-depth securi-

ty architecture that

extends all the way

to the networks edge

can mitigate vulnerabilities.

WHAT ABOUT PERFORMANCE?

Its all about broadband. Critical security

applications such as video surveillance and

thermal imaging are bandwidth-intensive

and require high resolution and frame rates

for optimal display. In addition, broadband

is required for supporting physical secu-

rity applications at multiple substations

concurrently. Although individual security

applications might not take large amounts

FAILED OPERATIONS AT SUBSTATION BACKHAUL 2

Wired Backhaul

Optimal Routing Paths

Backup Links

If all backhaul to a substation fails, the mesh network automatically reconfigures touse backhaul at other substations.

Wireless communication networks, like all networks in substations, come with potential vulnerability to cyberattacks.

1505pg_15 15 5/5/15 4:55 PM


(IT)-OT perimeter, whether direct

employees or third-party workers,

could be assumed as trusted and

not be subject to as much auditing as

traffic coming from, say, the business

network. But many threats originate

from within, so a zero-trust approach

involving micro-segmentation of the

OT network and the mindset that no

networks can be assumed safe must

be employed. Surely there is a point

where there could be over-segmen-

tation, for example, creating security

zones for each engineering worksta-

tion in the development environment

where all employees are internal,

but often OT networks are closer

to being too flat vs. having enough

points of segregation and inspection.

VPNs help provide authentication and

encryption for the allowed insiders

and segment off the outside world;

however, VPNs do not guarantee the

security of the traffic carried within

the private tunnel. Organizations also

One of the most inter-esting talks during

DistribuTECH Conference &

Exhibition was a case study involv-

ing sensitive data exfiltration from the

operational technology (OT) environment

of a North American electric utility.

We often hear about the dangers of a

cyberattacks taking down the grid, but sel-

dom is public information available about

the loss of sensitive information, particular-

ly from the OT. The confidential informa-

tion in this case was the utilitys smart grid

and metering R&D knowledge base, which

is intellectual property and information

that attackers can use to compromise the

smart grid.

The utility was short on engineers, so it

hired third-party resources from East Asia

to augment its work force. These supple-

mentary employees were segregated in

an off-premises enclave that had a virtual

private network (VPN) connection into the

operational network where the main R&D

was conducted.

One day, the utility noticed computers

in the OT randomly were sending unusual

traffic to the network. This activity contin-

ued for months, and based on its initial

analysis, the utility concluded it was in the

midst of a targeted attack by an advanced

persistent threat (APT). There was a grow-

ing suspicion that the third-party workers

had something to do with it, but no hard

evidence supported this belief.

The utility employed a range of security

devices to gather forensics information

over months. Eventually, and consistent

with suspicions, the traffic was traced back

to the third-party enclave. A 4-G puck

was found that the spies used to transmit

sensitive information back to the Far East.

These actors were caught, but only after the

loss of confidential data and a lot of time

and resources were expended on forensics.

Analysis shows that the attackers were

exploiting open ports and using a legacy

high-speed token ring protocol, encapsu-

lated in Internet Protocol, as a means for

stealthy communications. We dont know

all the details and cant make full conclu-

sions, but lets look at some best practices

and technologies that possibly could have

prevented or at least mitigated this event:

1. A zero-trust model must always

be in force. Organizations that

operate critical infrastructure often

focus on defending against exter-

nal, Internet-borne threats. Insiders

behind the information technology

What We Learned From a Data Exfiltration Incident at an Electric Utility

BY DEL RODILLAS, PALO ALTO NETWORKS

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might have helped stop this attack is

the content inspection technology, or

Content-ID. The classification engine

looks at applications, users and the

payload of the traffic. All three param-

eters are inspected in parallel to ensure

high performance, low latency and

shared context. Content-ID enables

users to implement policies that

reduce the risks associated with the

transfer of unauthorized files and data.

The latest version of NERC CIP stan-

dards includes CIP-011-1 Information

Protection, whose purpose is to

prevent unauthorized access to BES

Cyber System Information by speci-

fying information protection require-

ments in support of protecting BES

Cyber Systems against compromise

that could lead to misoperation or

instability in the BES. The capability

to inspect and control content at the

detailed level will be helpful in being

able to address the requirements with-

in CIP-011-1.

One thing that wasnt covered in the

DistribuTECH session or that I might

have missed is the role of malware and

exploits in this breach. If exploits and mal-

ware were part of the attack, cloud-based

threat intelligence can stop known and

unknown threats that traverse the network,

and Advanced Endpoint Prevention tech-

nology stops threats at endpoints such as

HMIs, automation servers and engineering

workstations. Access control reduces the

attack vectors, but utilities need threat

prevention to stop malicious traffic that

might have gotten into the control systems

over valid traffic or directly at endpoints via

removable media.

need to put points of inspection and

access control to even the traffic that

traverses a VPN connection as part of

a zero-trust approach.

2. Application-layer visibility is

no longer just a nice-to-have.

Stateful-inspection firewalls that pro-

vide visibility and access control sim-

ply at the port level remain com-

mon in many industrial automation

environments; however, as this and

other high-profile APT attacks such

as Havex and Stuxnet have shown,

attackers are exploiting applications

and even industrial control proto-

cols in several ways from gaining

the initial foothold into organizations,

establishing command and control

infrastructure and communications,

payload propagation, to data exfil-

tration. Application visibility, which

is a core value proposition of our

enterprise security platform, is crucial

for being able to definitively identify

network traffic. Any traffic that is not

positively identified will show up as

unknown TCP or unknown UPD and

must be analyzed further to assess its

validity.

3. Reduce the attack surface

by controlling applications.

One point that was repeated often

during the DistribuTECH cybersecu-

rity track is that compliance to the

North American Electric Reliability

Corp. (NERC) critical infrastructure

protection (CIP) standard is a good

baseline posture but doesnt guar-

antee security. NERC CIP mandates

the creation of electronic security

perimeters (ESPs) where inbound

and outbound access permissions are

enforced, denying all other access by

default. This enforcement is simply at

the port and service level; however, as

was the case with this attack, todays

advanced attacker likely will know

which ports are open and stealthily

exploit this open vector to conduct

his or her attack. The attack foot-

print would be reduced dramatically

if traffic could be constrained at the

application level vs. just the port level.

The custom application used by the

attacker likely would have shown up

as unknown TCP or UDP and stood

out as an anomaly vs. the positive-

ly identified applications. As men-

tioned, such suspicious unknown

traffic should be investigated further

and blocked if deemed malicious.

Sometimes, however, unknown traffic

ends up being valid, as we saw in one

of Palo Alto Networks free application

visibility and risk report (AVR) assess-

ments for a South American utility

that was encapsulating a serial IEC

protocol in TCP/IP. A useful feature

of our next-generation firewall is the

ability to create custom application

signatures. This capability can be used

to conclusively identify custom appli-

cation traffic then apply policy to pos-

itively allow this traffic. In that case,

the utility created a custom App-ID to

ensure it was able to identify this valid

application vs. being left to guess.

In addition to whitelisting protocols

and applications, an additional layer

of segmentation based on user or

user group could be applied to fur-

ther reduce the attack footprint. This

concept of role-based access con-

trol is a critical concept that can be

implemented on Palo Alto Networks

next-generation firewalls using User-

ID technology.

4. Implement content inspection/

blocking for sensitive data and

file types. Another capability that

Del Rodillas is senior security manager,

SCADA and industrial control systems, at Palo

Alto Networks.

1505pg_17 17 5/5/15 4:55 PM


We live in a world ripe with tech-

nological advancements that

make our lives better, or at least more

efficient. With many applications being

used by millions of people every day

comes an immense amount of data. And

although the free collection and dissem-

ination of data might be the norm in

many industries, in the energy industry

its a topic that is growing in complexity

by the year.

THE CURRENT STATE

OF AMI DEPLOYMENT

There are nearly 50 million smart

meters deployed across the U.S. and

millions more worldwide, according to

the Edison Foundation. This gives util-

ities and energy retailers access to a tre-

mendous amount of customer data

and includes a number we can

expect to grow. Thirty of the

largest U.S. utilities have

deployed smart meters

to their customers, according to the

Institute for Electric Innovation (IEI).

And global penetration is expected to

reach 800 million installed smart meters

by 2020, according to Telefonica.

The bulk of smart meter deployment

Who Owns the

BY KEVIN TATE, ENERNOC

1505pg_18 18 5/5/15 4:55 PM


CAN STOCK PHOTO INC. / SIELEMANN

Kevin Tate leads EnerNOCs Utility Solutions

Product Development team. He has been

in the software industry more than 30

years and has extensive experience in

UX, agile methods and the development

of energy solutions for utilities, computer

networks, operating systems, 3-D graphics

and computer animation.

Utilities are getting better at communicating with their C&I customers.

is focused on residential; however, utili-

ties are ramping up deployment to their

business customers to provide better

insight and value-added service to their

heavy energy-consuming customers. In

the U.S. alone, smart meters have been

deployed to 4.6 million commercial and

industrial (C&I) customers, according to

the Energy Information Administration.

This represents only 11 percent of

the total deployment, but these smart

meters serve nearly 340 million mega-

watt-hours (MWh), making up 49

percent of all energy served by total

advanced metering infrastructure (AMI)

installs.

INCREASING ROI WITH

CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT

With these extensive deployments

comes a high cost. Total capital costs

per meter, including

installation, range from

$81 to $532, according

to Siemens, and when

multiplied by a million

or so meters, costs

quickly inflate. One

way utilities are accelerating their

smart meter ROI is by using the AMI

data to deliver shared utility-customer

value, particularly for C&I customers.

JD Power announced in January that

electric utilities have achieved the high-

est level of business customer satisfac-

tion since 2009.

When a utility highly satisfies its cus-

tomer base, there is a quantifiable pos-

itive impact on profitability and credit

ratings for the utility, according to JD

Power.

One way utilities can delight custom-

ers is by improving communications, a

tactic enhanced by the insights utilities

can draw from their customer data,

accessed through smart meters.

Consider these stats that show

improvement in utility communications

to C&I customers: Overall communi-

cations satisfaction among customers

who recall receiving a communication

from their utility is 74 points higher

than among those who do not recall

any communication. And the percent-

age of business customers recalling a

communication from their utility has

increased to 55 percent in 2015 from 51

percent in 2014, according to JD Power,

demonstrating that utilities are getting

better at communicating with their C&I

customers.

Having access to the AMI data that

can help utilities better engage their

customers is a great place to start,

but many utilities struggle to use data

in new, different and innovative ways.

Building customer rela-

tionships and improv-

ing satisfaction rates can

be challenging without

an obvious starting

point, and many utili-

ties reach out to third

parties such as EnerNOC to help them

make the most of their data.

CYBERSECURITY

IN THE 21ST CENTURY

Although the improved utility access

to customer data can mean only good

things for the evolving customer experi-

ence, utilities and third-party providers

still have a responsibility to protect

sensitive customer information. In our

daily lives, we tend to be more relaxed

about others having access to our data,

with many of us freely sharing our infor-

mation on Google or Facebook without

understanding the implications.

1505pg_19 19 5/5/15 4:55 PM


without access to good, clean customer

data, utilities cant perform on-demand

analyses that help add value for their

customers.

In other instances, energy retailers

face issues in open markets where they

have access to customer data but are

restricted from using it for what could

be construed as marketing purposes

because it might offer them a competi-

tive advantage.

Educating customers is an important

step here and will help reinforce the

message that their utilities are trusted

energy advisors.

HOW ENERGY INTELLIGENCE

SOFTWARE COMPANIES HELP

BRIDGE THE GAP

EnerNOC works with utilities to help

them achieve all of their C&I demand-

side goals, from customer engage-

ment and energy efficiency to demand

response and operational effectiveness,

with energy intelligence software.

Both utilities and third parties should

protect customer data by following

industry best practices in security

such as using demilitarized zones, data

encryption and privacy by design prac-

tices to prevent infractions.

Whether implementing an existing

third-party system or starting anew

with an internal system, utilities must

remember that data security can help

avoid potential issues.

Although the 100 percent breach-

proof system might be the result of

wishful thinking, utilities and third

parties can make it much more dif-

ficult to obtain data when a breach

occurs through simple practices such as

encryption and data separation, protect-

ing customer data and avoiding major

issues.

We desire to share, and definite value

exists in sharingour Internet experience

is that much richer and more tailored

because we share our data with Google

and othersbut what works for social

media doesnt work for the energy industry.

Customers expect their utilities to deliver

on three critical items: reliable energy, low

prices and emergency communications,

according to E Source. To achieve these

three deliverables, grid security is essential.

Regulators continue to beef up securi-

ty rules. The Federal Energy Regulatory

Commission is working with the North

American Electric Reliability Corp. to

determine how to best

protect essential sub-

stations and facilities

critical to the opera-

tion of the electric

grid, according to

Security Magazine.

Not unique to North America, grid

security is a global issue. The grid is

critical infrastructure no matter where

in the world we are, and a massive

security breach that causes a wide-scale

blackout would devastate the economy.

Security breaches have occurred, and we

can expect them to occur again. Last year

researchers demonstrated Nest thermostat

vulnerabilities, and the Department of

Homeland Security confirmed a brute

force attack had occurred on a public

U.S. utility. No harm was done in either

instance once access was acquired, but it

is a sobering reminder that threats occur,

and we must be prepared for them.

HOW UTILITIES ARE APPROACHING

THE OPPORTUNITY

Security focuses on where the data is

stored and how it is transmitted.

Whether the data is hosted by the

utility or a third party, its ideal to keep

data in the same country from where it

was sourced to avoid legislative barriers

surrounding privacy laws.

The way data is transmitted also is

important. When files are sent from one

server to another, encryption is crucial,

as is only transmitting essential data

(avoiding credit card information or

other tempting data sets) to avoid disas-

ter should a breach occur.

Some utilities around the world are

building their own systems to host and

analyze energy data, but many others

are outsourcing to third parties that

have expertise in the area.

Working with a

third party is becom-

ing more popular as

utilities become more

open to using cloud-

based solutions, which

move away from bulk-

ier, more complicated desktop software.

This is often a favorable solution

when different software applications

dont play nicely with others. Solutions

that easily are integrated into legacy

systems ease the burden on a utilitys

information technology team and enable

greater visibility into data across the

organization, crossing silos and internal

barriers.

Where some utilities encounter prob-

lems, however, is in the disconnect

between what they can deliver and what

customers assume they can deliver.

In the Internet of Things, especially

when smart meters are involved, cus-

tomers expect that utilities can access

and analyze their data on demand,

which frequently is far from reality.

Challenges also arise when utilities

dont have good customer databilling

address, floor area, operating hours,

etc.at the outset. Energy data aside,

Grid security is critical for reliable energy, low prices and emergency communications.

1505pg_20 20 5/5/15 4:55 PM


careful, measured approach to rolling

out new technology and an intense reli-

ance on proven methods.

CONSUMER TECH AND UTILITIES

This reliance on proven methods

might fuel the adoption of consum-

er-driven technologies. Take, for exam-

ple, a recent consumer technology

disruption in the geospatial industry:

C onsumer-driven technologies are influencing the development of enterprise hardware and software,

enterprise information technology (IT)

operations and how enterprises conduct

business internally and externally.

Historically, government research

and large enterprises drove technology

innovation, which then trickled into

the consumer market. During the past

decade, a profound shift in this phe-

nomenon has occurred largely because

of the proliferation of smart devices and

omnipresence of Internet access. This

trend is weaving its way into the utility

sector as we see some utilities begin

to adopt consumer-driven innovations.

They see the benefits: significantly

enhanced asset management, proven

compliance, improved safety and more

reliable service to their customers.

Utilities typically have lagged behind

in rolling out new technology solu-

tions compared with other industries

because they provide services critical

to daily life. Service disruption must

be minimized. In addition to pure crit-

icality, utilities face several operational

challenges depending on the areas they

serve. For instance, large amounts of

geographically dispersed infrastructure

typically require manual labor to inspect

and maintain. Combine this with con-

stantly changing demand, increasing

environmental volatility and aging infra-

structure, and the challenge to maintain

safe, reliable service becomes more dif-

ficult. These challenges mean a more

The Benefits, Challenges of Integrating Consumer-driven Technology Into Utilities

BY JAY CADMAN, UBISENSE

Jay Cadman is vice president of industry

marketing for utilities and telecommunications

for Ubisense, a global location intelligence

systems company. He has more than 20

years of sales and marketing experience

in the location intelligence sector, having

worked at Smallworld and GE Network

Solutions before joining Ubisense in 2003.

Reach him at [email protected].

With access to enterprise data in a simple mashup tool on a smart device, field personnel can quickly communicate what they see with those who need to know.

1505pg_21 21 5/5/15 4:55 PM


Body copyGoogle Maps and the subsequent release of associated products such as

Google Street View and Google Traffic.

The ease of use and availability of

this data has created many time-saving

advantages for utilities. For example,

gaining the ability to see satellite imag-

ery of a site and investigate assets using

Google Street View prior to an on-site

visit can reduce the number of site vis-

its for repair. Efficiency gains multiply

exponentially when these types of con-

sumer-based technologies can be inte-

grated into daily operations and with

enterprise data such as the geographic

information system (GIS), outage man-

agement system (OMS) and work man-

agement system (WMS).

Then there are the advances in mobile

hardware and software, which are driving

the use of smart devices in the field. For

many years, field-based technology meant

mounting a laptop inside a truck and

transporting an office environment around

in the field. That was game-changing at the

time, but it did not replace most traditional

paper-based processes because functional-

ity was limited and data in the field was, for

the most part, read-only. Now utility field

crews can employ smart phones and tab-

lets with integrated GPS and cameras and

log specific location-based data that is tied

directly to back-office systems, all in near

real time, thanks to the wide availability of

network connectivity. This sophistication

means a huge shift in how utilities can

manage their operations.

USABILITY: SIMPLE BEATS

FUNCTIONALITY

Utility employees have become

tech-savvy users, thanks to the sim-

ple, easy-to-use technology available to

them everywhere, and they are bringing

their expectations to work. They expect

applications and solutions to be simple

and efficient. IT is working to comply

with this expectation to foster compa-

nywide adoption.

Leading utilities are looking at new

Web mash-up tools to fulfill applica-

tion requirements in a rapidly changing

technology environment with a new

user base. These tools use lightweight

integrations, combining different types

of data into actionable

information for users to

make rapid decisions

(think current outages

overlaid on GIS data with

a Google Maps base map

showing crew locations

and live radar). The enter-

prise systems still do all

the heavy lifting of man-

aging complex business

rules and data integrity, but casual users

neither know nor care what happens on

the back end; all they get is exactly what

they need: the information, in a simple,

familiar interface. They dont have to

learn myriad disparate, complex enter-

prise system interfaces; they only need

and use the Web mash-up.

These Web mash-ups have an added

benefit of presenting as different apps to

answer a specific question rather than a

single, powerful interface that can answer

any question posed. In this way, the apps

evolve to meet the needs of the types of

users, but its all the same tool. This focused

way of developing interfaces creates great-

er user acceptance and follows the same

model as modern consumer applications

that people use every day.

EXAMPLE: AN ACCIDENT

AND A MASH-UP

A utility receives a call from a police

department that a pole has been

knocked down in an auto accident.

Using a smartphone, the police can

send a georeferenced photo of the sit-

uation to the utility so it can view and

assess the damage quickly. The utility

restoration team responds; they see a

pin appear on their Google Maps base

map, which is linked to that photo.

Because they have integrated GIS data

with Google Maps, they can select the

pole and see it is record-

ed as a 45-foot class 4

pole that was installed in

1997.

When they check

Google Street View to

confirm this is the same

pole, they notice there

are cable and telephone

attachments on the pole,

so they send a link to the

field supervisor. She is in the field but

receives the link on her smartphone.

She can click that link and see what

they see: the map, pole data, location

information and photo from the field.

She calls the appropriate telephone and

cable companies, streamlining an effi-

cient restoration effort.

The restoration team also notices that

the pole is located on a busy street. They

use this information and other images they

have received to record an estimated time

for restoration (ETR), which is higher than

their average restoration time. That ETR is

entered into a Web mash-up form, which

goes to the OMS because that, too, has

been integrated.

The customer service center

automatically receives the list of

customers from the OMS with

the ETR and begins to call, text or

email customers based on their

communication preferences. Customers

are kept informed proactively.

Leading utilities are looking at new Web mash-up tools to fulfll application requirements.

1505pg_22 22 5/5/15 4:55 PM


CEOs of the Year and Projects of the Year will be recognized in Electric Light & Power and

POWERGRID International magazines, at North Americas largest annual T&D event,

DistribuTECH, and at the Electric Light & Power Executive Conference.

Visit www.distributech.com to submit your nominations! DEADLINE: SEPTEMBER 15, 2015

NOW ACCEPTING NOMINATIONS FOR:

CEOs OF THE YEAR AND PROJECTS OF THE YEAR

CEO of the Year awards will be given in two categories:

Small Utility CEO of the Year (fewer than 400,000 customers)

Large Utility CEO of the Year (400,000 customers or more)

Projects of the Year will be awarded in the following categories:

Smart Grid Renewable Grid Integration

Demand Response / Energy Ef ciency Customer Engagement


In the meantime, the dispatch center locates on the

map the crew in the field closest to the site and that

has the necessary equipment to make the repairs. (All

crews have GPS-enabled devices so their locations can

be determined easily.) The assigned field crew receives

all of the available information including the photos of

the scene and the links to the asset location, all accessed

on their smart devices. And because the accident has

caused significant traffic congestion, the crew uses the

real-time traffic feed in Google Maps within the mash-up

to determine the optimum driving route to the scene.

EXAMPLE: EFFICIENT

DAMAGE ASSESSMENT

A storm has passed through and the power is out in

hard-hit areas. Damage assessors are deployed to gauge

the scope of the damage so crews can be dispatched and

power can be restored. Their marching orders are deliv-

ered by the storm center directly to their smart devices,

assigned based on proximity and with the route already

determined based on current traffic conditions.

As assessment points are completed, the details are

transmitted back to the storm center where information

is displayed as soon as it is received. All the while, the

assessors are watching real-time weather patterns to

make informed judgments in the field about how to

manage their progress safely.

Decision-makers in the storm center see data aggre-

gating, the number of customers affected and the pattern

of the damage. Crews are dispatched accordingly, and

this one appears manageable; they wont need mutual

assistance this time.

SUMMARY

With the increasing ubiquity of real-time data com-

munications, smart devices and cloud-based data (such

as Google Maps, live traffic and real-time weather) and

the power of simple Web mash-up tools, it is easier than

ever to integrate disparate, complex enterprise systems

and drive efficiencies in day-to-day operations. More

utilities should consider how their existing systems must

evolve to leverage proven, consumer-based innovations

as a way to optimize their service performance, improve

safety measures, meet compliance and provide better

customer service.

1505pg_23 23 5/5/15 4:55 PM

24 | May 2015www.power-grid.com24 | May 2015www.power-grid.com

response exists today; not as a custom-

er-reactive program, but as a coordinated

virtual power plant (VPP). This VPP pro-

vides portfolio management capability that

stratifies resources according to energy

characteristics, thus giving the dispatcher

all the buttons to press for reliability, econ-

omy, safety and environmental impact. As

utilities break apart silos, demand response

becomes the generic name for the discipline

of managing control center to customer.

As technology advances, so do the busi-

ness processes that depend on it. Demand

response has become active load man-

agement. Just as demand response before

it, active load management has distinct

applications.

Closest to home and most appealing

is volt-VAR control (V-VC) and its off-

shoot, conservation voltage reduc-

tion. Utilities can use these tools,

which have the same impact

Large, rotating masses are the unsung

heroes of reliability on the electric grid.

Loads come and go, but our Newtonian

friends, Momentum and Inertia, make

order from chaos. They provide precious

seconds for dispatch to react to large load

excursions while smaller ones disappear as

noise, swallowed by the flywheel effect and

some really smart automated controls.

With the prospect of strong

Environmental Protection Agency action

under section 111(d) of the Clean Air

Act, nuclear issues and renewable sources

growing at an unanticipated rate, Newtons

safety net is crumbling as new power

sources with little to no mass become

significant.

The result? Software is replacing

rotating mass.

Inconveniently, software cannot pro-

duce electrons, so it must use synthetic

equivalents. Key among these is demand

response. Demand response started as a

fairly straightforward method of adding

capacity by inciting many customers to

curtail load when asked. Then it became

a strategy to extend existing energy sourc-

es (energy markets); and lately, demand

response has gained some currency as

spinning reserves and frequency regula-

tion resources (fast demand response)all

fine, but not breakthrough stuff, or even

mainstream, in professional energy circles.

Its even become fashionable to refer to this

just like software (i.e., v1, v2, etc.).

That habit has spread to nearly every

corner: Utility 2.0, Smart Grid 3.0not

the best analogy. As Silicon Valley inves-

tors discovered, advancements have bee

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