Smart Grid

Our Advances

Smart Technologies Working Together

In the coming years, our grid will get smarter, more flexible, and more agile. This new capability results from the intelligent monitoring and control systems and devices — such as synchrophasors — that we are implementing throughout our transmission, distribution, and delivery systems.

These technologies will help us restore power faster after outages, and decrease the number of customers who are affected by outages. We expect these technologies to even prevent many large-scale outages.

Smart grid technology can also help us heighten the capacity of our transmission infrastructure, which will improve overall system efficiency.

These advances are possible because of the pioneering work of our smart grid architects and engineers. They design systems that evolve along with technology. One example, our Synchronized Phasor Measurement system, displays real-time grid performance information for grid operators. Another monitors the flow of electricity from power plants to match real-time demand from our customers. A third provides advanced protection at interconnection points, safeguarding our grid from power irregularities.

Interoperability for Command-and-Control

The smart grid is a command-and-control system. To share the benefits of the smart grid among utilities and throughout the nation’s grids, we are strong advocates for interoperability. As technology continues to advance, we are working with manufacturers, standards organizations, research institutes, and the U.S. Department of Energy to develop standards to help keep power flowing reliably throughout the industry.

Smart Grids are Self-Healing

In partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy, we are putting our smart grid technology to the test in a “connected home” environment. It links devices, components, communications networks, and systems for a holistic smart grid, and includes forward-looking features like solar generation, distributed energy storage, electric vehicles, smart appliances, and smart meters.

The Avanti electricity distribution circuit — our most advanced — features a unique, distributed configuration. When a power delivery problem emerges, its wireless and fiber-optic communication technologies locate and isolate the problem, and re-route electricity around it. We call Avanti the circuit of the future, and through it, we are delivering electricity even more reliably to some of our customers.

With the promise of greater reliability and more agile response to consumer demand, the smart grid plays a key role in managing electricity more intelligently for the future.