GIS for Enhanced

Electric Utility Performance

Bill Meehan

ARTECH

HOUSE
BOSTON|LONDON
artechhouse.com
Contents

Foreword xiii

Preface xv

What Is This Book About? xvi

Who Is This Book For? xvii
What's Inside? xvii

How to Use This Book xvii

Acknowledgments xix

Introduction xxi

So What Exactly Is
Utility GIS?
a xxi
A Computerized or Digital Map? xxi

Each Is Very Different xxii

Geocentric Versus Geoenabled xxv

of Mapping xxvi
Taking Advantage
Geocentric Workflows Build Spatial Content xxvi

Geoenabling Enriches Existing Information xxvii

The Future of Utility GIS xxvii

GIS and the Business of the Utility 1

for Solutions 2
GIS: A Spatial Context
Transforming a Century-Old Industry 2
Do You Know Where Your Poles Are? 3

GIS Helps to Put Locational Data in Order 4

4
Managing Data
Spatial Analysis 5
Awareness 5

Development of GIS at Electric Utilities 6

Dysfunctional
Get 7
Mapping Systems
Old Mapping Workflows 7

v
vi Contents

Birth of AM/FM 8
Development of Digital Mapping Systems—the
Not Much Changed 9

GIS Is Different 10

Networks Are Added to GIS 11

What's the Difference Between CAD and GIS? 11

GIS Architectures 12
12
GIS Is Changing Rapidly
What Matters Most to the Electric Utility 14
The Balanced Scorecard 14

GIS Visualize What Balance 15

Helps to

What an Electric Company Does 16

16
Managing Performance
Manage the Infrastructure 18

Managing Supporting Resources 19

Managing Information 19
19
The Utility Value Chain and Its Spatial Nature
Location Critical for Energy Supply 20
20
GIS Plays a Strong Role in Transmission

GIS Enhances Distribution 21

Customer Care Needs GIS 21

in the Complete Utility Value Chain 21
GIS Is Engaged
GIS Is Not Just About Mapping 21
What About the Data? 21

Solve the 22
GIS Helps Big Problems
Need to Complete the Data 23

Location Matters for Energy Supply 25

What Is in This Chapter? 25

A New Era for Electrical Energy Supply 26

from the Free-for-All Era 26

Moving
Competition for Energy Supply Emerges 27
The Era of Competition 27

of Risk 28
Shifting
The Energy Supply Market 29
The Market Will Only Get More Complicated 29

29
Energy Supply Complicated
Gets Even More

The Energy Supply Organization 29

Energy Contracts and Risk Management 29

Managing Power Generation Performance 31

Hydroelectric Generation 32

Nuclear Plant Performance 33

GIS Helps Nuclear Organizations to Plan for Emergencies 34
Fossil Plant Performance 35

Managing the Risk 35

Performance of Wind Power 36
Contents vii

Wind Still Has Environmental Issues 37

GIS Data Management Helps Wind Farms 38
Solar Electric Power Generation 38
Geothermal Power Plants 39
Distributed Generation 39
Energy Planning 40

Managing the Infrastructure 40

What's Involved in Building Electric Generation? 41

Exploration 41

Development 44
Managing Support Services 45
Managing Information 46
The Energy Supply Data Model 47

Information Products 48
Workflows 49
Location Matters in Energy Supply 50

Electric Transmission and GIS 51

Location Is Essential to Transmission 51

Transmission Lines 52
Transmission Substations 52
HVDC 55

Transmission System Components and GIS Data Model 55

A System in Transition 56

The Business of Electric Transmission 56

What Does GIS Have to Do with Transmission? 57
What Transmission Operators Worry About 58
Make Money 58

Keep Customers
Happy 59

Keep Employees Safe and Productive 59

Stay Out of Trouble 59

Managing Transmission System Operations 60

GIS in the Control Room 60

GIS in the Field 61

Understanding the Variables 62

Compliance 62

Vegetation Is the Transmission Line's Enemy 64

Asset Management 65

Risk Profiling 66
Other Uses of GIS for Operations 67
Substation
Management 68

Managing Transmission System Development 69

Load Forecasting 69

Line Siting 70
Construction Management 71
viii Contents

Managing Transmission Support Services 72

Supply Chain 72

Corridor Management 72

Change Detection 73

The Transmission Information Model 73

The Transmission Data Model 74

Information Products 74

Workflows 75

GIS Matters for Electric Transmission 75

The GIS Electric Distribution Facilities Model 77

Distribution Business Versus Retail 77

Who Owns the Meter? 78
The Business Drivers for Distribution 78
Distribution System Mapping Started a Century Ago 79
Results Have Been Mixed 79

Why Paper Anyway? 80

Digital Mapping Systems Evolve 80

The Electric Distribution System Facility Model 82
Medium Voltages 83

Low Voltages 83
Parts of the Distribution System and the GIS Data Model 83
The Electric Distribution System GIS Facility Information Model 83
HV/MV Substations 85
The High-Voltage Section 85

The Transformer Section 86

The Medium-Voltage Section 86

Other Equipment in the Substations 86

Issues of GIS with HV/MV Substations 86
The Data Model 87

Medium-Voltage Network and Feeders 88

GIS Modeling Issues on Medium-Voltage Feeders 88
GIS Medium-Voltage Network Data Model 91

Medium- to Medium-Voltage (MV/MV) Substations 91

GIS Issues on MV/MV Substations 92
GIS Data Model for MV/MV Substations 92
Low-Voltage Substations 93
Network and Spot Network Substations 93

Surface Mounted Substations 93

GIS Issues for MV/LV Substations 93

Low-Voltage GIS Data Model 94

The Low-Voltage Network 94
GIS Issues with Low-Voltage Networks 95
GIS Low-Voltage Networks Data Model 96
Distribution Structural Elements 96
Contents _•

Overhead Construction 96
SurfaceSystem Construction 97
Underground Construction 97
GIS Issues with Structural Elements 98

Density of Underground Structural Systems Is a Problem

The 99

GIS Data Model for Structural Systems 100

Summary of the Current State of GIS and the Electric Facilities Model 101
Additional Challenges of Distribution System GIS 102

The Problem of Scale 102

The Facility Information Model for Electric Distribution 103
Facility Model Workflows 103
Facility Model Information Products 104
The Facilities Model of the Electric Distribution System 105
Where the Facility Model Is Going 105

Electric Distribution Development and Operations 107

GIS Means Business for Electric Distribution 107

GIS for the Business 107

The Two Categories of Business Applications: System Development and

Operations 108

Electric System Development Using GIS 109

The Distribution System Never Stays the Same 109
Distribution Planning 109

Predicting the Future 110

GIS Can Bring Together Predictive Information from the Source 111

The Work Order Process 111

The GIS Design Process 112
The Long Transaction 113

GIS Design 115

The GIS Design and Construction Work Flow 115

Integration with Corporate Systems 116

Compatible Units 117

Longer-Term Proj ects 117

Integration with Network Analysis 117

Keeping the GIS Up to Date 118

Issues with GIS Design 118
False Conflicts 119

Substation Planning, Design, and Construction 119

The Information Model of the Electric Distribution

Infrastructure Development 121

Summary of the Role of GIS in Electric Distribution Infrastructure

Development 122

Nonemergency Business Operations and Maintenance 123

Maintenance 123
Substation Maintenance 124
X Contents

Special Maintenance Activities 125

Tree Trimming 125
Light Management
Street 125
Nonemergency Operations 127

Momentary Outages Are Annoying 127

Transformer Load Management 128
Call Before You Dig 130

Third-Party Attachment/Use Management 130

GIS Used in Electric Distribution Development and Operations 131

Emergency and Outage Management 133

Emergency Management 133

How Well Does the Utility Manage Its Reliability? 134
Other Reliability Measures 134
Reliability and GIS 135
Risk Profiling 136
GIS Tools for Risk Assessment 137
Vulnerability Factors 137
Consequence Analysis 139
Total Risk 139
Emergency Management for
Major Outage Events 141
Major Emergency Plans of Operations 141
Damage Assessment 142
Labor Issues 142
Tools of the
Emergency Trade 143
The Four Rs of Emergency Management for Electric Utilities 144
Risk Mitigation 144
GIS and Risk Mitigation and Planning for All the Disasters 145
Readiness 145
GIS and Readiness 146
Response 147
Recovery 147
GIS and
Major Emergency Management 148
Outage Management 149
Outage Management Information Products and Workflows 150
GIS Tools for Outage
Management 151
The Emergency Management Information Model
153
GIS and Emergency and Operations Management 154
Reference
154

GIS Enhances the Retail Business

155
The Meter
155
The Smart Meter
157
Contents xi

AMI Network 158

Meter Data Management (MDM) Systems 159
Role of GIS in AMI 159
Customer Care Business Processes and Drivers 160
GIS and the New Customer Connect Process 162
Role of GIS in the New Customer Process 163

GIS and Billing, Credit, and Collections 165

GIS and Metering 165
The Call Center 167
Geomarketing for the Retail Business 169
Economic Development 171

GIS and Customer Care 172

GIS and Shared Support Services 1 73

Managing Land Information in GIS 173

GIS for Real Estate 174

The Land Base 175

The Simple Solution 176

Preliminary Information 176

Different Levels of Accuracy and Display 177

Optimizing the Use of Land Information 178

Environmental Issues 178

GIS and Environmental Incident Management 179

Risk Assessment 180
GIS for Environmental Remediation and Compliance 180
GIS for Planning in Relationship to the Environment 181

Vegetation Management 181

Logistics and Supply Chain 182

Materials Management 182

Solving the Serviceability and Accessibility Problems with GIS 183

Fleet Management 183

Navigation and Automated Vehicle Location (AVL) 184

Vehicle Routing Problem 185
Closest Facility 185

Asset Tracking—Fixed and Mobile 185

Facilities Management 186

Green and Space Planning 187

Finance, Accounting, and Corporate Management 188

Plant Accounting and Taxes 188

Sales Tax 189

Revenue Protection 189

Safety 190

Security 191

Other Corporate Functions 191

GIS Is Critical Shared Services 192

to Support
xii Contents

APPENDIX A

GIS 101 for Electric Utilities 193

Data Model 193

Vector Data 194

Vector Layers and Features 194

Raster Data 195

Raster Layers 196

Network Data 196

The Data Model Development 197

Information Products 198

Workflows 200

Spatial analysis 201

Queries 201
Counts 201
202
Relationships
Buffering 202

Overlays 202
Union and Intersection Analysis 204
View Shed Analysis 204

Learning More About Spatial Analysis 204

Coordinate Systems and Accuracy 205

Cloud and Web-Based GIS 205
More Study Is Required 205

The Facility Model, GIS, and Smart Grid 207

Smart Grid Automates the Distribution System 207

Smart Meters Are the Heart of the Smart Grid 207
AMI Will Introduce Dynamic Pricing 208

Self-Healing 208
What Really Is Smart Grid? 209
What Does GIS Have to Do with Smart Grid? 209

GIS Issues Dealing with Smart Grid 209

Smart Grid Is also About Renewable Energy 210
A Grid Cannot Be Smart Without GIS 211

Summary 213

Bibliography 217

About the Author 219

Index 221