Renewable Energy 22 | Cable Monitoring 30 | Supply Chain 36

AUGUST 2022 tdworld.com

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 IN THIS ISSUE Vol. 74 | No. 8

30
DEPARTMENTS
14 6 Global Viewpoint
Utility Supply Chain Chaos
14 To Quit, or Commit By TERESA HANSEN, VP of Content

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT 8 Grid Talk

By JEFF POSTELWAIT, Senior Editor Are Utility Electrical Losses
Declining?
By DAVID SHADLE, Senior Editor
FEATURES
22 Rocky Mountain High 10 Charging Ahead
Caught By The Legacy Twins
RENEWABLES INTEGRATION By GENE WOLF, Technical Writer
By AARON WILSON, Xcel Energy; BEN RYAN, POWER Engineers; SCOTT GHIOCEL, Mitsubishi
Electric Power Products, and HIRANYA SURIYAARACHCHI, TransGrid Solutions
46 Solutions Center
Five Cybersecurity Roadblocks
30 Smart Cable Management, Smart Decisions Utilities Need to Address
By PIERRE-ALAN GRAF, Hitachi Energy
CABLE MONITORING
By RICHARD DENISSEN, DNV Netherlands B.V.
54 Social Media Hub
>>> EVENT PREVIEW <<< 55 Advertising Index
34 T&D World’s Inaugural Event Opens 56 Straight Talk
in Charlotte this Fall FERC’s New Draft
T&D World has added a face-to-face event to its repertoire of information Interconnection Process:
channels. The event offers the first-rate, peer-led intelligence that utilities Hindrance or Help?
need to navigate the energy transition in an intimate conference setting. By DOUG HOUSEMAN, 1898 & Co.
By TERESA HANSEN, Vice President of Content

36 Offshore Wind Energy Bottleneck

SUPPLY CHAIN
By SARA B. PARKISON and WILLETT KEMPTON, The University of Delaware

42 Leverage Existing Grid Architecture

to Attack Wildfires
WILDFIRE MITIGATION
By W. ALAN SNOOK III, GRID20/20 10
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2 T&D World | August 2022

 New on tdworld.com
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on solving “significant current backlogs” in grid interconnection queues.…
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4 T&D World | August 2022

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GLOBAL VIEWPOINT BY TERESA HANSEN, VICE PRESIDENT OF CONTENT

Utility Supply Chain Chaos

I
n T&D World’s July issue, the cover manufacturers and help with supply issues, standardizing
feature written by Senior Editor Jeff transformers and other components across the electricity de-
Postelwait focused on large trans- livery industry would be difficult. Because distribution utili-
former shortages and revealed that ties have so much equipment installed in the field, standard-
lead times for these important compo- ization would be extremely expensive and it would take years
nents is now up to three years or more. for utilities to replace existing equipment.
Short supply of large transformers is He added that the main problem is obtaining raw mate-
concerning, but it’s not the only chal- rials to manufacture the products and equipment needed.
lenge electric utilities face when it The push to decarbonize is being slowed by supply issues.
comes to supply chain. I attended a Preparing the infrastructure for large amounts of green en-
press briefing in late June that revealed supply chain issues go ergy requires infrastructure upgrades and lack of supplies is
way beyond large transformers and are impacting large and hindering preparation and slowing decarbonization.
small electric utilities. The virtual event was organized and Joy Ditto of APPA said many public power utilities are deal-
hosted by the United States Energy Association (USEA). The ing with these same issues. APPA is working with the federal
four panelists — Rudy Garza, interim president and CEO of government to get manufacturers in the room with utilities to
CPS Energy; Joy Ditto, president and CEO of American Public address pricing and lead time issues. Ditto also revealed that
Power Association (APPA); Ray Kowalik, chairman and CEO the smaller utilities APPA represents have small budgets and
of Burns and McDonnell; and Scott Aaronson, vice presi- supply needs, which equates to less buying power. This has
dent of Security and Preparedness for Edison Electric Insti- prompted some to refurbish components that a few years ago
tute (EEI) — shared their thoughts about supply chain and they might have replaced.
equipment availability and answered journalists’ questions.
Collaboration/Mutual Assistance
Price and Uncertainty The importance of mutual assistance cannot be over-hyped.
As is the case with most products these days, prices of compo- Black sky events are becoming more frequent and extreme,
nents and equipment vital to electricity delivery have increased. and utilities impacted by these events rely heavily on help from
Burns and McDonnell’s Ray Kowalik, who is knowledgeable on other utilities. I usually thought of workforce sharing as the
the various vertical markets the company covers, not just elec- main piece of mutual assistance, but this panel pointed out
tric utilities, said prices are up about 20% across industries, that the ability to share equipment is just as important.
but began stabilizing in June. Because of rising and varying Ditto said APPA utilities’ biggest concern is not being able
prices, there is no certainty in the market. Businesses can no to respond and help other utilities after weather-related events.
longer give a sure or fixed price for projects, new equipment, “They can send people, but they might not be able to share and
and supplies. This is a change from how construction projects send components, especially transformers.” Aaronson said the
have historically been done, but nevertheless, things are still same is true for EEI member utilities. “It has never been more
getting built and utility work is still robust. “Projects require important for utilities to work together than it is now.”
much more collaboration now. We are no longer working in
the world of firm prices,” he said. Parting Thoughts
CPS Energy’s Rudy Garza agreed that firm pricing is no lon- “We are in a very tenuous time,” Burns and McDonnell’s Ray
ger the norm. “We must get comfortable with ranges of prices Kowalik said near the end of the discussion. Labor shortages,
for components and projects,” he said. high fuel costs and the higher cost of money are driving infla-
tion. Trains, trucks, barges, ships are moving as much material
Supply Chain Bottlenecks as they were pre-pandemic. But, supplies are not yet built back
We’ve all heard how transport and delivery of equipment has up; there are no reserves in warehouses. The supply chain is
been constrained on the seas, in the air and over the road. Ac- fragile, and there is no room for error or breakdown. Such a
cording to the experts on the USEA panel, however, delivery thing will lead to more disruption, Kowalik cautioned.
is not the problem. EEI’s Scott Aaronson said delivery prob- Rudy Garza of CPS Energy agreed and added that the push
lems can be fixed with money. The biggest problem is caused to decarbonize and rapid electrification are big concerns.
by manufacturing delays. He said there are about 10,000 In addition to preparing the grid, the industry must expand
SKUs (stock keeping units) just for transformers in the U.S. the generation fleet to serve the electrification of the world.
“We need more standards at the distribution level to allow for Generation is not being talked about enough, but the industry
better sharing of equipment among utilities and to make it must tackle it. It is a big issue, Garza said.
easier for manufacturers.” The full press briefing, “How Supply Chain Chaos is Up-
Graza also said delivery is not the problem. He warned, ending the Electric Utility Industry,” is available on USEA’s
however, that while standardization could simplify things for website at www.usea.org.
6 T&D World | August 2022
GRID TALK BY DAVID SHADLE, SENIOR EDITOR

Are Utility Electrical Losses Declining?

T
he U.S. electric transmission and utilities are doing quite a bit to improve T&D efficiency, in-
distribution system is among the cluding factoring loss reduction into the design of new capac-
most efficient in the world. Yet, ity and reliability investments being made for other reasons.
according to the Energy Information This includes distribution capacitor installation, conservation
Administration (EIA), about 5% of voltage reduction, phase balancing, upgrading voltage class,
total generated electricity is lost each and even targeted transformer and conductor upgrades. In ad-
year during transmission and distribu- dition, utility demand response, interruptible loads and simi-
tion. This translated to a loss of 207 lar programs that reduce system loading during peak periods
million MWh in 2020 with a value improve efficiency and reduce losses. Further, circuit sensors,
of $6.21 billion based on an average AMI and system modeling and analytic tools help planners
wholesale electricity price of $30/MWh. At a time when fuel determine with real data where losses are greatest and what
prices are consistently hitting new highs and electricity custom- effect circuit modifications will have.
ers are struggling to deal with inflation on all fronts, are power ETAP, IBM, Shaw Power Technology, Inc., Siemens, ABB,
companies doing enough to mitigate T&D losses? MilSoft, PSE and many additional firms offer power system
A Pacific Northwest National Laboratory study reported that design and simulation tools and services. National Rural Elec-
one-third of the total T&D losses are attributable to distribu- tric Cooperative Association (NRECA) members employ an
tion transformers. The study projected that these ese losses additional Excel-based tool from Leidos that helps
addition
would be reduced significantly by the adoption on of cooperatives evaluate losses, analyze costs and ben-
coope
higher efficiency standards, which became effec- fec- efits, and identify optimized loss-mitigation tech-
efit
tive in 2016 for this class of transformers. No ap- niques. The software helps users methodically
ni
preciable change occurred in estimated T&D D dissect demand and energy loss components on
d
losses during the period from 2016 to 2020, 0, network feeders; factor in cost of losses and reduc-
n
perhaps because the transformer turnover nec- c- tion options using discounted cash flow assess-
ti
essary to realize expected benefits occurs over ver ment; and determine total ownership costs and
m
a 20-30 year time frame. The DOE is presently ntly benefit to cost ratios of loss reduction techniques.
ben
in the process of completing another mandated dated Study results may lead cooperatives to implement
six-year review of distribution transformer standards phase (load) balancing; manual or automated feeder
and may shortly propose amended requirements (see Dock- reconfiguration; voltage optimization; power factor correc-
et EERE-2019-BT-STD-0018-0022). As before, any standard tion with capacitor banks; upgrading primary secondary and
revisions likely will address only new equipment. service sizing; adding feeders; upgrading voltage class; or
Utilities historically have been unable to financially justify substation and distribution transformer changeouts.
comprehensive distribution transformer replacement pro- More utilities are moving to mega solutions to manage a full
grams based exclusively on efficiency improvement. The same range of issues on their distribution networks, including loss
applies regarding transmission and distribution lines where reduction, power quality, reliability, and resiliency. Advanced
a complex number of design and installation parameters af- distribution management system (ADMS) software platforms
fect conductor, dielectric, reactive current, and sheath losses. use digital sensors and switches with advanced control and
Aggregate losses are greatest for distribution networks and in communication technologies to provide phase balancing; volt/
contrast with the trend of undergrounding distribution sys- volt-ampere reactive (volt/VAR) optimization; conservation
tems for reliability reasons, studies show underground cable voltage reduction; peak demand management; and automated
losses are often higher than overhead conductor loses. fault location, isolation, and service restoration.
Regulatory policies in many states complicate the utility The passage of FERC Orders 841 and 2222 may be con-
efficiency investment picture by imposing energy efficiency tributing to a decision by some utilities to install another grid
resource standards that only allow end-use efficiency to count management mega solution: distributed energy resource man-
toward program targets. The result, while positive in some agement systems (DERMs) which assist with distribution sys-
respects, is resources are focused on helping customers imple- tem optimization and the integration of DERs. DERMs help
ment energy efficiency initiatives, while no incentives exist for utilities control grid-edge conditions such as local over/under
transmission and distribution investments, which could have voltage, frequency and loading issues, and increased intermit-
the same or greater impact of reducing electrical losses, and tency. DERM advocates believe DERs working in harmony
accordingly, energy use. with utility resources can help network operators optimize sys-
tem performance and loss reduction. Utilities are increasingly
Improving T&D Efficiency making decisions that contribute to loss reduction from system
Despite the regulatory situation and the magnitude of the design to equipment turnover and operations improvements.
challenge of replacing legacy infrastructure with the highest It will be so interesting to see if the recent pattern of 5% T&D
electrical losses (distribution conductors and transformers), losses starts to improve more quickly.

8 T&D World | August 2022

CHARGING AHEAD NEW TECHNOLOGIES & NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR UTILITIES BY GENE WOLF, TECHNICAL WRITER

Caught By The Legacy Twins

H
ave you ever been caught be- date technologically, and here I was stuck with old-school
tween the legacy twins? They’re entertainment technology.
legacy thinking and legacy tech- With so many other issues on our plates, it’s easy to overlook
nology. It’s easy to have it happen be- the obvious. That’s a big danger with legacy twins especially
cause no one is immune including me. when they’re combined with inertia. Last month’s Charging
I was shocked because I had thought Ahead article “Smarter Vegetation Management” was about
I was legacy twins knowledgeable, but infusing predictive analytics and AI to take vegetation man-
I didn’t realize they were so devious. agement to the next level. It’s all about using geospatial and
Legacy thinking is old-school think- remote sensing systems combined with AI, which provide
ing patterns that were shaped in the more details faster when it comes to identifying trouble trees.
past, but are still with us. Legacy technologies follows the same
pattern, but with out-of-date hardware and software. The Twins at Work
It all started for me when I saw the new 2022 QLED 4K TVs After completing the story, I was talking to a colleague who
at the big box store. There was one in particular that looked worked in vegetation management. He wasn’t getting it. His
amazing. It isn’t always the best to company used aerial surveying,
judge technology in the store, howev- but they preferred “boots-on-
er. There are so many ways to make the-ground” when it came to
electronics look good when they are identifying trouble trees. It’s the
calibrated for the sales floor. Since way they always did it, it worked,
I’m always digging into tech-trends, and weren’t interested in chang-
I hit a couple of my favorite research ing. The legacy twins had done
sites and found plenty of information their job. It’s not surprising, we
on this particular make and model. are all set in our ways somewhat.
As I worked my way through the Probably the most well docu-
technospeak, I was wowed by ar- mented case of the legacy twins
tificial intelligence (AI) built into at work is the dynamic line rat-
the TV’s processor, and then I got ings (DLR) phenomena. A cou-
sidetracked. Several of the review- ple of decades ago DLR technol-
ers moved into the built-in custom ogy became available, but many
streaming features that made cable North American transmission
cutting easier. Streaming has grown owners/operators continue to
in popularity while cable and satel- use 1930s technology to de-
lite services dropped in their ac- termine their line ratings. But
Transmission line DLR monitoring. Photo by Gene Wolf.
ceptance ratings. The statistics are maybe that’s changing. Recently
mind boggling, there are tens of millions of customers leav- FERC (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission) sent out
ing these providers for modern, cost effective entertainment notices about transmission line ratings being modernized.
technologies. If you’re not familiar with DLR systems, it’s a monitoring
technology that continuously provides real-time transmission
It’s About Inertia line ratings in all weather conditions. The technology is wide-
As I read, I realized that the legacy twins had gotten me. I ly used globally, but acceptance varies in North America. DLR
was using a provider supplied box with a hard drive to record is able to identify unused capacity on transmission lines that
shows when cloud storage was available. I recorded shows to use the old-school static line rating systems. Typically rating
fast forward commercials, while the streaming apps removed increases can range from 20% to 40%, which is why FERC is
the commercials automatically. If the local station preempt- interested.
ed the show I was recording, I missed the show, but not on Late last year, FERC issued order 881, which requires trans-
streaming. Twenty-first century thinking got me again! mission operators to migrate from seasonal or static line rat-
Being an engineer, I got busy with my spreadsheet soft- ings to hourly ambient adjusted ratings (e.g., DRL). Earlier
ware. To make a long story short, I ran a simple benefits- this year FERC sent out a related notice of inquiry, telling the
to-cost analysis and found it didn’t make sense to continue operators to look into the costs and benefits of implement-
the old way. It was time to ditch the box! At that point, I ing DLR. It will be interesting to see how regulatory support
started wondering why it had taken me so long to do it. I’m will fare against the legacy twins, but there’s way too much
always writing about the latest trends and keeping up to capacity being wasted not to do something about it!
10 T&D World | August 2022
POWER TRENDS BY GENE WOLF, TECHNICAL WRITER

German Grid Operator Uses Intelligent Multi-Sensor System To Ensure Secure Power Supply
Vegetation management has gone high-tech to keep ahead The artificial intelligence was previously trained with over
of unwanted vegetation on high-voltage transmission line two million images of European and North American grids to
rights-of-way. Intelligent vegetation management methods automatically detect faults in the images. This allows poten-
are proven to be an enormously important tool when it tial risks like trees growing too close to the line to be detected
comes to control and removal of intrusive earlier. During the flights, the surface tem-
vegetation. perature of the individual components is also
The German grid operators Schleswig measured, among other things.
Holstein Netz AG and Bayernwerk Netz The digital data obtained provides a precise
GmbH have commissioned Siemens Ener- and detailed overview of the condition of the
gy to inspect almost 2,485 km of high volt- operating equipment, and it can be combined
age overhead lines with the “SIEAERO” with existing data from the grid for other
high-tech multi-sensor system. Power line inspection with drone usng evaluations.
The “SIEAERO” service concept was SIEARO. Courtesy Siemens Energy. “The use of artificial intelligence is an
Siemens Energy.
developed by Siemens Energy. The inspec- important advance in the inspection of
tion will be conducted by a helicopter equipped with a system power lines. The high data quality makes us more precise and
that collects all the necessary data during the flight, which can more cost-efficient, and it also allows us to conduct the in-
later be evaluated with the help of artificial intelligence and spection more safely. What’s more, with conventional mea-
analyzed by other software tools. In the near future, this kind surement and inspection techniques, the lines would have
of holistic inspection of overhead power lines can also be to be flown over several times to get the same results,” said
performed with large drones. Milena Ramos Subires, vice president, Transmission Service
For the inspection, Siemens Energy attaches SIEAERO’s at Siemens Energy.
multi-sensor system to the underside of a helicopter. Equipped Every mile of line flown generates 300 gigabytes of data.
with 19 cameras and state-of-the-art 3D laser scanning sensors, The SIEAERO system uses this data to create a digital twin,
it captures all relevant inspection data in a single flight over a highly accurate image of the network infrastructure be-
the power line, resulting in up to 12,000 images and detailed ing inspected, including poles, lines, terrain, and vegetation.
3D data per kilometer of power line. The SIEAERO software, With the digital twin, network operators can simulate extreme
which uses artificial intelligence, can evaluate the images in events like a tree falling on a line and causing it to fail, and
just a few hours, whereas a human would need a few days. take the appropriate preventive measures.

Norway Completes One of Power Industry’s Largest Reactive Power Upgrades

Static Var Compensators (SVC) have proven to be an ex- implementation. “With the successful completion of this proj-
tremely important for grid stability in this time of renewable ect for Statnett, GE has once again proven the technical and
energy, but they have been around for many years. As a result, project execution capabilities of our FACTS solutions using
some SVCs need attention. Statnett, Norway’s electric trans- our innovative “SmoothSine” software approach,” said Fabrice
mission system operator (TSO) recently announced that GE Jullien, FACTS Global Business Leader at GE’s Grid Solutions.
Grid Solutions has successfully completed the three-month “SmoothSine will create the simplicity needed to enable our
trial of its SVC upgrade to the two existing SVCs at their Rød customers to embrace the energy transition with confidence.”
and Verdal substations. The Rød and Verdal SVCs use a 12-pulse configuration
The Flexible AC Transmission System (FACTS) upgrade enabling configuration without passive filters, which means
improves the operational efficiency and stability of Statnett’s they take up less space. Additionally, due to the limited space
alternating current (AC) power system in order to accommo- within the substation, GE introduced a unique three-phase
date more renewable energy. The upgrade marks the largest stacked thyristor valve configuration that contributed to
SVC revamp project Statnett has ever undertaken — and is a 66% footprint reduction. GE’s FACTS technology allows
also one of the largest in the industry. utilities to provide reactive power support, enhancing con-
During the three-month performance trial period, which trollability, improving stability, and increasing power transfer
ended in October 2021, not a single interruption occurred at capacity of AC transmission systems.
the Rød and Verdal substations. Ongoing operation of the The system design involves upgrades to Statnett’s exist-
two SVCs continues, including the use of advanced features ing SVCs to regulate the voltage in the system during normal
such as Power Oscillation Damping. The implementation of operations and provide reactive power compensation during
GE’s “SmoothSine” control software provides better consis- faults in the system. These facilities provide benefits such as
tency and efficiency of the software development, testing, and operational cost savings, increased quality, greater reliability,
implementation. and lower environmental impact as these technologies allow
This repeatable, standardized, robust software and archi- utilities to get higher efficiencies from their existing assets in-
tecture offers the ability for GE to “configure” all control stead of needing to spend significantly more for new, larger
functions in a simplified manner for every specific project transmission infrastructure.
August 2022 | T&D World 11
CHARGING AHEAD BY GENE WOLF, TECHNICAL WRITER

Making Unpredictable
Megawatts Predictable
Integrating data makes for intelligent electric vehicle charging systems.
It’s Happening

W
hat impacts can large-scale fleets of electric vehicles
(EVs) have on the power delivery system? That ques- Think about it, the typical delivery vehicle follows well defined
tion has generated a great deal of interest, but it’s a routes day in and day out. They make frequent starts and
tricky subject to concentrate on adequately. For this discussion stops, which would work well with EV regenerative breaking.
let’s limit the focus to the electrification of the medium- and They travel less than 200 miles (322 km) per-day, which is a
heavy-duty vehicles (MHDVs) used for the last-mile delivery sweet spot for EVs. At the end of the day they return to a cen-
fleet. Everyday fleets of trucks and vans burn a great deal of tral depot, and that is ideal for EV’s battery charging. These
fossil-fuels making deliveries to homes and businesses, which qualities are very important when it comes to the benefit-cost
seems ripe for electrification. ratio, but there are other considerations.
Corporations are finding that announc-
ing they are rolling out an EV delivery fleet is
good for their business image because their
customers are concerned with environment.
There are many studies that show the bene-
fits of MHDV fleets converting from internal
combustion engines to EVs is good for the
environment. One such study came from the
EPA (US Environmental Protection Agency).
It stated fossil-fueled MHDVs contributed
26% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
for the transportation sector, which is now
the number one sector for overall GHG
emissions.
Several states have been doing their own
studies and have provided some interesting
statistics. The Connecticut Department of
Energy and Environmental Protection pub-
lished a report in March 2022. The report
Courtesy of Hitachi Energy. Hitachi Energy
said that MHDVs in Connecticut accounted for
According to the World Economic Forum approximately about 37% of the GHGs despite being only 6% of the on-road
one-third of the total shipping costs are attributed to local vehicle fleet. Several other states in the area also reported
deliveries, which means there is a lot of incentive to find cost similar statics. In 2020, Massachusetts reported that MHDVs
saving methods to achieve this last-mile task. There have been make up 3% of their on-road vehicles, but are responsible for
a lot of studies and reports focused on this sector. The find- 29% of the on-road CO2 emissions.
ings make a great deal of sense business-wise, and that hasn’t New York reported that trucks and buses make up 4% of
been missed by Amazon, DHL, FedEx, Sysco, UPS, and oth- their on-road vehicles, but those vehicles product 25% of their
ers as they accelerate their efforts for electrification of their total transportation sector emissions. Interestingly, in May of
commercial vehicles. 2022 six customer and conservation groups asked the New
Converting the MHDV transportation segment into an EV York Public Service Commission to address the issues sur-
fleet will not be easy, but it has a lot going for it. It’s not hard to rounding the electrification of MHDVs. This should prove to
see why electrifying the MHDV fleet is getting so much atten- be interesting as regulators get involved.
tion. EV technology has matured to the extent that costs are
declining while efficiencies are improving, and fossil-fuels are Low-Hanging Fruit
climbing. Also the daily operational characteristics of MHDV It seems like most authorities agree that electrification of the
fleets needed for local delivery services are ideal for EVs to large-scale MHDV fleets roaming the streets of our cities and
perform effectively. towns is a no brainer in the battle against GHG emissions and
12 T&D World | August 2022
 CHARGING AHEAD

reducing the corporate carbon footprint. Some experts have similar to a flock of birds coming home to roost at night, but
even gone so far as to say it’s the low-hanging fruit, but what in this case it’s a fleet MHDV EVs returning to the warehouse
about the impact these MHDV fleets represent to the local parking lot. When these vehicles are plugged into charging
power grid? systems existing simple heating and lighting load become
Don’t forget they require an enormous fleet charging in- massive MW industrial spot loads.”
frastructure along with potential upgrades in specific por- At this point, Rackliffe explained, “In one case the study
tions of the transmission grid and the distribution network to found that a distribution circuit’s load was increased 60%
support these fleet charg- above the circuit’s rated
ing centers. There are, The operating characteristics of MHDV fleets capability because of the
however, problems with this EV charging cycle. That
scenario. The operating
vary as much as their locations do. The use charging created a new
characteristics of MHDV patterns vary by fleet along with the fleet peak demand in the middle
fleets vary as much as their sizes and there is a good probability that the of the night, which wors-
locations do. The use pat- ened when multiple fleets
terns vary by fleet along
best location for these fleets is the worst plugged in at the same
with the fleet sizes and case location on the power delivery system. time. Suddenly these cir-
there is a good probability cuits feeding commercial
that the best location for these fleets is the worst case location and industrial loads experienced a shift in peak demand that
on the power delivery system. was not on anyone’s planning models.”
This is such a new phenomenon there hasn’t been a great He pointed out, “As businesses continue to increase their
deal of real-world study work performed, but that is changing. EV fleets, the planning models for these impacted circuits will
Last year, a joint investigation by National Grid and Hitachi have to be modified. Substations and distribution circuits will
Energy took place and the companies published the results of have to be upgraded to meet the needs. There are, however,
their study. It’s titled “The Road to Transportation Decarbon- digital technologies available to lessen this impact on the pow-
ization: Understanding Grid Impacts of Electric Fleets,” and er delivery system. One of those is an advanced energy man-
is available online. This report describes itself as, “A “bottom- agement system that takes advantage of machine learning and
up” analysis of what the long-term impacts of fleet electrifi- modern communications technology to charge more EVs with
cation might look like on specific parts of the electric distri- less infrastructure.”
bution system.” The paper has some remarkable insights into Rackliffe resumed, “It does this by utilizing intelligent
this timely subject and the issues affecting the electrification charger hardware with sophisticated software. The system al-
of the MHDV fleet. lows the operator to replace the traditional practice of charg-
ing every vehicle as soon as they return to the depot, at the
Real-World Experience distribution center, and are plugged into the charging infra-
Recently Charging Ahead had a chance to speak with Gary structure. Instead, the system spreads the charging load over
Rackliffe, vice president North America Market Development the entire timeframe the vehicle is at the distribution center.”
and Innovation and Bart Gaskey, senior vice president of Stra- He continued, “This intelligent software knows the charg-
tegic Marketing and Business Development. These two gentle- ing characteristics of the vehicles, along with the capabilities
men are Hitachi Energy’s experts on key emerging innova- of the charging infrastructure, and the distribution feeder it’s
tions in the utility landscape. The discussion brought up some connected to, plus the amount of time available for each of
interesting perspectives when it comes to large-scale EV fleet the vehicles to be charged. By communicating with the grid
charging and the technology’s impact on utilities and the grid. and matching the load to the available circuit capacity the
Gaskey led off the discussion saying, “There has been a tre- energy management system lets operators charge their large-
mendous amount of work done on the residential EV charg- scale fleets minimizing the additional load on the feeders.”
ing, but it’s happening in small incremental amounts. What is EV fleet sales are expected to continue to grow. Bloom-
missing is the large-scale commercial and industrial MHDV berg New Energy Finance (BNEF 2021) projected that “EVs
EV fleet. To correct that situation, National Grid and Hitachi will grow to make up to more than 10% of commercial MHDV
Energy performed field studies in one of the metropolitan cit- sales by 2030 and almost 30% by 2040.” So it is reasonable to
ies in National Grid’s service territory. The city had more than expect operating issues will also grow proportionally. At the
50 MHDV EV fleets operating in its metro area. These instal- top of the EV MHDV problem list is charging. Fleet managers
lations were mapped in respect to the actual electric distribu- are concerned with demand charges, time-of-day rates, and
tion lines and substations serving them.” charges for overconsumption of electricity resources.
Rackliffe added, “We found these MHDV fleets tended to It’s going to require a change of mindset by everyone in-
be clustered in warehouse districts, and in many cases more volved, utilities, regulators, fleet owners, etc. Intelligent charg-
than one fleet was on the same distribution circuit. That can ing systems analyzing real-time big-data may be what’s needed
add megawatts (MW) of additional demand to the circuit’s to tame this latest onslaught to the electric grid. Can’t wait to
nightly off-peak load. The best way to describe it is to say it’s see where this is going!
August 2022 | T&D World 13
A human resources official for Portland General Electric said her utility has
seen less as a turnover problem and more ongoing retirements in the industry
and a restless workforce in America. Photo by Portland General Electric.

14 T&D World | August 2022

To Quit,
or Commit How utilities can hold on to their best and brightest
in ‘the Great Resignation.’
By JEFF POSTELWAIT, Senior Editor

T
his is partly a story borne out of frustration. To do my electricity to function, but more young people are imagining
job and find stories about the electric utility industry, themselves as coding an app in Silicon Valley than learning how
I have to cultivate sources like any journalist. My col- to design electrical transformers.
leagues and I have a shared document with hundreds “The colleges and universities moved on to talking about Silicon
of names and points of contact. Sometime about a year ago, Valley and high tech, while the power path was less attractive
though, a lot of these sources went quiet, their emails bounced to people. That really hurt us, and I don’t think we understood
back, calls went unreturned, or I heard from someone they had how bad it hurt us until now when we started to feel it,” said
moved on. How am I supposed to cover this industry if everyone Jason Hostetter, Senior Vice President of Field Operations for
is switching jobs? Each time it happens, I am sent back to square TRC Companies, an engineering, consulting and construction
one and must cultivate new sources, which takes a lot of time firm based in Connecticut.
and attention. Follow me on LinkedIn, by the way, while we’re Hostetter said he does not want to be a “doom-and-gloomer,”
on the topic. but the industry sits at a confluence of troubling workforce issues.
After a few months of this happening and my list of contacts “Human performance error is getting people hurt on the job,”
feeling half obsolete, I thought I can’t be the only one having Hostetter said. “We are already short on workers, so this is a prob-
this issue. The phenomenon goes by a few different names: The lem that definitely needs to be addressed. Again, I swear I’m not
Great Reshuffle, The Big Quit, The Great Resignation. Under a doom-and-gloomer. More than 80% of energy employers are
2022 conditions, the economy is – theoretically anyway – busy having trouble hiring qualified workers. I don’t think it’s 80%.
enough. However, factors like rising costs of living and wage I think it’s much higher than that.”
stagnation, coupled with on-the-job dissatisfaction are caus- Hostetter cited a 2021 report card by the American Society
ing more people to update their resumes and start putting out of Civil Engineers that gave U.S. infrastructure, including the
feelers for what else might be out there. power grid, a C- grade due to insufficient investments in upgrades
Other business writers are speculating whether this may be as well as an overreliance upon aging assets. Failure to properly
over, but that may be a touch optimistic. In any event, this mac- train the next generation of workers, he added, would make the
roeconomic trend is bound to hit utilities differently because industry too reliant upon aging people as well.
there are a lot of demands on utility workers. The work that “Finding qualified and experienced workforce in our sector
needs doing requires years of specialized training, technical has become like finding a unicorn,” Hostetter said. “If nobody
knowledge and sometimes a willingness to go out in the middle wants to be a lineman, we’re in trouble. If nobody wants to be
of nowhere where the work needs to be done. an electrician, we’re in trouble.”
Or, if we are talking about a more white-collar utility career, It is the responsibility of the industry itself to reach out to
energy companies are facing stiff competition from a glitzier, the public and highlight the benefits of working in the utility
perhaps more exciting field: Big Tech. High technology needs industry. There is hope, Hostetter stresses.
August 2022 | T&D World 15
 WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

Employees are expecting their workplaces to be more accommodating when and where work can be done remotely.
rem Photo by Portland General Electric.

“I believe it’s our responsibility to give people the tools they “I prefer text messages. I am not a phone person,” he said. “The
need to work effectively and safely. And we can provide them new generation does not want to be called after 5:00 p.m., or on
with a great career and a great industry,” he said. the weekends. You cannot blame them. That’s where they are.”

Hiring for Culture Safety is Everything

Morteza Talebi, National Testing & Commissioning Technical Tom Cohenno, Principal of Applied Learning Science, a work-
Training Manager at TRC Companies, spoke at the same force development firm for technical employees, said the industry
IEEE/PES Transmission and Distribution conference session needs to realize that there are no easy answers to these problems
as Hostetter, and engaged conference attendees on matters of because the easy answers have already been put into place.
workplace culture. “We’re now moving more into a psychological domain which
“I see the mix of people here, which makes me very happy,” is uncomfortable because it is a new concept, but actually an old
Talebi said. “The new generation is loyal only to their own career. practice. The trick is to advance the experience derived from
If you do not provide for them, they are not going to stay and a long career into those with less tenure, preventing injury and
see if it’s going to happen or not.” death,” Cohenno said.
Organization and industry culture are just as important as tech- All workers are guilty of a fundamental attribution error where
nical knowledge, Talebi said. Training begins with the onboarding we judge other people’s behavior uncharitably but cut ourselves
process. Coaching and mentoring need to begin immediately. slack. For example, everyone who went abroad publicly during
“If people don’t feel that they fit into your organization, they COVID-19 lockdowns had a good reason in their own minds,
will leave and go to work somewhere else, and you lose your even if they were judging others harshly for the same choices.
access to their skills and knowledge,” Talebi said. The safety techniques the industry passes on needs to account
The difference between a worker who feels welcomed and for human foibles, Cohenno said.
valued in their workplace can be as simple as communicating “The reality is that we are all weak, flawed and subject to bias
with them in a way they are comfortable with. Talebi said when and error. We need to design work such that it can accommodate
he speaks with his father, it might take half an hour to get around these universal human deficits and still remain positive and safe,”
to the point. Cohenno said.
With his own son, however, Talebi finds that everything his son Utilities have a culture based fundamentally on the regulatory
wants to say will be said in 5 minutes or less without spending a compact, strong union representation and the requirement to
lot of time on preludes. If relationships between fathers and sons ensure that the existing system remains energized and viable.
have changed this much, we should also expect relationships “It is basically the opposite of traditional business, rather than
between people at work to change also. growing outwardly, we’re focused on care and feeding of the
16 T&D World | August 2022
 WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

existing system; fine tuning, tweaking and reinforcing

the system and each other. It is not necessarily
ssarily bad;
it is what is required. Customers need uss to be this
way,” Cohenno said.
Focusing on safe operations builds corporate
porate and
worker pride, in addition to simply preventing
nting injury
and death.
“Pride in the work and the organization on serves as
retention magnet. Safety is the mother off all organi-
zational challenges. Solve safety, you solve anything,”
he said.
Cohenno said he has not seen a mass exodus out
of the utility infrastructure sector, with many
any people
already established preferring to stick around,
und, poten-
tially raise a family and contribute to valuable
uable work
that serves society as a whole. However, he agrees
that there is some pressure coming from m the high
technology side, such as IT.
“Line workers, protection engineers, gas technicians
are all trained for purpose and the primaryy alternative
would be a contractor position,” he said. “Future
uture proof-f
ing to me is about improving safety and operational
performance and less about retention.”

Staying Competitive
Ursula Schryver, Vice President of Strategic
gic Member
Engagement and Education for the American ican Public Line worker recruitment and retention has been and continues to be a challenge, sources
Power Association, said the skill sets of many utility said. Photo by Portland General Electric.

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August 2022 | T&D World 17

 WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

will be made to the workplace as a result

of the pandemic.
“Responses varied, but most utilities
that transitioned to telework felt that
employees were productive, but that
teamwork suffered to a degree. Most
agreed that some changes will likely
be made in the future as it relates to
telework,” Schryver said.
APPA and the industry as a whole
are focused on getting the word out
about positions that do not require a
college degree but still provide reliable
jobs and good pay, such as line work.
“Line worker recruitment and re-
tention has been and continues to be
a challenge,” Schryver said. “There is
an opportunity to expand the pool of
talent by reaching out to minorities,
women, veterans and other pools of
candidates that have not been heavily
represented in the past.”
Schryver said Tacoma Public
Utilities’ Women in Trades events are
an example of how utilities can reach
out to populations who are not well
represented in utility work historically.
Washington-based Tacoma Public
Utilities runs the program to train
line, wire and metering apprentices in a
7,000-hour program with benefits and
pay around the $75,000 per year mark,
with opportunities to make more than
$100,000 per year post apprenticeship.
Paul DeMichele, Manager of
Media Relations and Corporate
Communications for the New York
Power Authority, said like many orga-
nizations, NYPA has had its share of
turnover in recent months.
“However, it hasn’t been significantly
more than in an average non-pandemic
APPA and the industry as a whole are focused on getting the word out about positions that do not require a year. Still, there are some areas that
college degree but still provide reliable jobs and good pay, such as line work. Photo by Portland General Electric.
have felt turnover more than others,”
jobs are transferrable to other industries, and often these DeMichele said. “We also have succession plans in place and
industries pay significantly more. are putting a stronger focus on creating clear career paths for
“It’s important that utilities pay a competitive wage,” Schryver employees, which has reduced our time to fill open roles.”
said. “Some public power employees might be willing to accept The utility still receives interest from qualified candidates for
lower salaries and hourly pay because of other lifestyle consid- open roles, DeMichele said, adding that when employees believe
erations, but talented workers might not be willing to hold out in the overall mission, this benefits the organization.
when competitors are willing to provide substantial pay increases.” “We have a mission-and-value-driven culture and are finding
While pay is certainly a crucial element to attracting and re- that prospective and current employees are more passionate
taining talent, there are other considerations. Candidates are than ever about the betterment of the economy and environ-
also concerned about culture, non-pay benefits and other factors, ment and NYPA’s role in transitioning New York to a clean
such as the ability to telecommute. energy economy,”
APPA recently conducted a member survey assessing productiv- Responding to a question about “Zoom fatigue,” or the frustra-
ity and morale of the workforce as well as views on what changes tion with remote work that sometimes sets in, DeMichele said a
18 T&D World | August 2022
November 1-2, 2022
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 WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

collaborative, in-person work environment is hard to replicate brands, but in the last few years we really saw that turn around
from a distance. and we were able to showcase our strong employee value proposi-
“For employees who aren’t required to be on-site every day tion,” Mersereau said. “Now we have reached the other side of
to do their jobs, we have had a lot of success with a hybrid work that curve and are starting to lose some people to companies like
model,” DeMichele said. “There’s really no substitution for the Meta, Tesla, and others who see the work our employees have
camaraderie built through face-to-face interaction—but the done and what they have created here and want to institute that
world is changing and, more and more, professionals want at their own companies.”
flexibility. NYPA leadership is empowering our workforce by During lockdown, a lot of people had time to reassess and re-
designing workweeks that fit their needs, while still ensuring prioritize, and on top of this some families now need to be more
that operations run smoothly.” flexible due to childcare constraints. Employees are expecting
their workplaces to be more accommodating when and where
Restless Workforce work can be done remotely.
Anne Mersereau, Vice President of Human Resources Diversity “We do not have a one-size-fits-all return-to-workplace policy,
Equity and Inclusion at Portland General Electric said her utility but instead have left it up to individual employees and their man-
has seen less as a turnover problem and more ongoing retire- agers to ensure people are able to remain flexible,” Mersereau
ments in the industry and a restless workforce in America due said. “The ‘Zoom fatigue’ hits us all some days, but we are now
to the COVID pandemic. able to connect with our colleagues regardless of location like
“We are finding it harder to recruit a large talent pool for never before and that is certainly a silver lining.”
open roles given how many jobs are available right now and the PGE is also focusing on training line workers on new tools,
competitive market. This is a two-part problem because some of techniques and needed programs at its Sherwood Training
the issue is accessibility of utility sector jobs. Especially in clean Facility, making sure there is a pipeline of workers ready
energy where so many of the roles and needs associated with for tomorrow.
them are so new and undefined,” Mersereau said. “So much of the technology, and subsequently many of
Mersereau agreed with Schryver that employees want to val- the jobs we need to reach our clean energy goals, don’t exist
ue the work they are doing and know it contributes to a larger yet, but they will very soon. So, we need to be supporting a
purpose. strong pipeline of future employees while also empowering
“We used to struggle to find high quality candidates in our our current employees to take on the challenges of tomorrow,”
region given the competition with Nike, Adidas, and other great Mersereau said.

20 T&D World | August 2022

 RENEWABLES INTEGRATION

The AVSO controller helps to maintain healthy voltages at the

generation facilities and substation busses, such as at the Xcel
Energy Cheyenne Ridge Substation. As the scale and number
of closely coupled wind farms increase, the controls needed to
maintain system integrity become more complex. An Xcel Energy
team developed the innovative control device to automatically
perform voltage adjustments. Photo courtesy of Xcel Energy.

Rocky Mountain High

Automation eases Colorado wind farm integration and enhances system
operation for Xcel Energy.
By AARON WILSON, Xcel Energy; BEN RYAN, POWER Engineers; SCOTT GHIOCEL, Mitsubishi Electric
Power Products, and HIRANYA SURIYAARACHCHI, TransGrid Solutions

A
s anyone who has driven between Denver and Kansas of inverter-based generation can lead to undesirable reactive
City knows, there’s a lot of wind on Colorado’s eastern power swings as the generation ramps up and down.
plains. In this area, you’ll find five wind farms which For a single wind farm, a well-tuned droop control system
together generate up to 1,400 MW of power for Xcel often can handle these voltage swings. But as the scale and num-
Energy customers. That’s enough energy to power more than ber of closely coupled wind farms increase, the controls needed
750,000 homes. These resources are connected to Xcel Energy’s to maintain system integrity become more complex and often
Missile Site Substation through a 150-mile-long, radial 345 kV require operators to manually intervene.
transmission line. Collectively, the transmission line and the To manually maintain stability on the Rush Creek Gen Tie,
interconnected wind farms comprise what is known as the Rush operators need a comprehensive understanding of the transmis-
Creek Gen Tie. sion system characteristics and wind farm voltage schedules and
Wind can be a fickle and capricious resource. It blows when it capabilities. Preliminary studies indicated that the characteristics
wants to and as hard as it wants to. The variable nature of wind, of the Rush Creek Gen Tie would create a lot of challenges for
coupled with the long transmission line and the characteristics system operators. This effort would include frequent monitoring
22 T&D World | August 2022
 RENEWABLES INTEGRATION

Cheyenne Ridge East, and 300 MW Bronco Plains

wind farms. These wind farms use Type III and
Type IV turbines. Xcel Energy owns and operates
all the wind farm and transmission line facili-
ties except Bronco Plains and its line connecting
to the Shortgrass Substation. In addition to
the generation facilities, several switched fixed
capacitor and reactor banks and a STATCOM
are connected to the transmission line.
The initial radial system, built in 2018, con-
nected the Rush Creek I and II wind farms to the
Missile Site Substation, where the radial system
connected to the Xcel Energy network. (The
substation gets its name from a former national
defense site of the Cold War Era.) Most of the
rest of the system was put into service in 2020.
An interesting feature of the Rush Creek
Gen Tie is that the voltage at the Missile Site
The transmission line and five interconnected wind farms of the Xcel Energy Rush Creek Gen Tie Substation must be held within a narrow band-
deliver up to 1,400 MW of power for its customers. That’s enough energy to power more than width while each wind farm can vary indepen-
750,000 homes. Photo courtesy of Xcel Energy.
dently depending on its individual real power
of generation facility real power and the var support provided output and the aggregate flow on the transmission line.
by the available reactive resources. It was expected that voltage To provide optimal and stable performance, operators
setpoints would need to be routinely adjusted as the real power manually sent voltage setpoints they were trying to achieve to
fluctuated to keep the Missile Site Substation voltage and the each wind farm and the STATCOM. This increased the time
reactive power flows within established operating bands. operators spent on regulating the system, especially during
Xcel Energy wanted a better way to manage this complex increasing winds when line-charging characteristics changed
radial system and maintain efficiency and stability. The util- dramatically. Voltages at each facility had to be independently
ity teamed with POWER Engineers, TransGrid Solutions and evaluated and cross-referenced against the Missile Site Sub-
Mitsubishi Electric Power Products to design an automatic, station voltage before making any voltage reference changes.
coordinated voltage control system for the wind farm transmis- Automating these tasks clearly could reduce the risk of not cor-
sion system. Called an Automatic Voltage Setpoint Optimizer rectly coordinating the assets, as well as lower operator workload.
(AVSO), this control device performs voltage adjustments Given the distances between the generating locations and
that would otherwise be performed manually to improve the diversity of wind across the region, it is possible to have signifi-
power factor and to reduce the risk of significant or oscillatory cant reactive power swings from different facilities along the
reactive power swings among the wind farms. Rush Creek Gen Tie transmission tie line. Generators closer to
In operation since August 2021, the AVSO has narrowed the the Missile Site Substation had far greater influence on voltage
voltage band at Missile Site Substation, improved the operating regulation than those near the remote end of the transmission
voltage profile on the facilities, reduced the amount of circulat- line. Also, differences in turbine and control technologies among
ing reactive power present on the system and reduced operator the generating facilities yielded unsatisfactory distribution of
workload. By automating routine voltage coordination tasks, the reactive power along the line.
utility’s transmission system operators have more time to focus Detailed system modeling further showed the possibility of
on other critical and unplanned system events. wind farm overvoltage conditions tripping protective devices
and disconnecting from the transmission line. There was also
Controller Need Identified the possibility devices could trip in response to system distur-
The Rush Creek Gen Tie system comprises the 380 MW Rush Creek bances and conflicts from control interactions. Transmission
I, 220 MW Rush Creek II, 268 MW Cheyenne Ridge West, 230 MW line characteristics, low short-circuit ratio, and initial wind farm
 RENEWABLES INTEGRATION

Because the Rush Creek system was already operating when Xcel Energy
installed the AVSO, the project team first developed an overall system model
containing an equivalent of the Xcel Energy network. The model included radial A fiber communication network, along with additional copper backup paths,
transmission lines, each wind farm, the STATCOM and the AVSO controller. provides redundancy, delivers telemetry to the AVSO and carries system com-
Here, engineers support AVSO logic commissioning on the real, energized sys- mands to each controlled facility. Here, field specialists complete AVSO com-
tem. Photo courtesy of POWER Engineers. munication wiring to dedicated hardware. Photo courtesy of POWER Engineers.

and turbine settings increased the potential for issues, especially • Regulating transmission voltage at the Missile Site
during system disturbances. It was found that each wind farm Substation within a band that users could set. It also
voltage set point needed to be assigned within a particular range needed to maintain healthy voltages at the generation
to maximize ride-through performance in response to system facilities and substation busses.
disturbances. • A consistent design approach that would be easy to use,
These issues supported the view that the system would benefit troubleshoot and expand.
from a single controller regulating the reactive power output • Alignment of controller hardware selections with
of all the wind farms connected to the Rush Creek Gen Tie. existing utility equipment standards to reduce
A single controller also could coordinate the farms’ voltage engineering and field overhead during design,
references with the dynamic and static assets to maintain the installation and commissioning.
voltage where the radial system connected to the Xcel Energy • Integration of standalone controllers which control
network. the switched fixed capacitor and reactor bank assets.
• Automatic operation, with little to no input from
AVSO Goals Planned operators.
The goals the AVSO project team outlined during planning Extensive modeling determined the operating requirements
included: of the AVSO. Modeling analysis included quasi-steady state,
 RENEWABLES INTEGRATION

The transmission line and five interconnected wind farms of the Rush Creek Gen Tie deliver up to 1,400 MW of power for Xcel Energy customers. These resources
are connected to Xcel Energy’s Missile Site Substation. Differences in turbine and control technologies among generating facilities can yield unsatisfactory distri-
bution of reactive power. Xcel Energy’s Automatic Voltage Setpoint Optimizer improves the power factor and reduces the risk of significant or oscillatory reactive
power swings among the wind farms. Photo courtesy of Xcel Energy.

steady state contingency and transient studies. The project away. The facilities closest to the substation are also the first to
team performed these studies across a variety of system con- reach their reactive power limits. As the available reactive power
ditions, including low and high generation cases, genera- of a facility drops below the previously determined threshold,
tion ramp up and ramp down, facility outages, and system the voltage reference step size is proportionally reduced until it
disturbances. The team also conducted the studies in cases reaches zero and the facility reaches its maximum reactive power
where part of the system was at high output while others capability. As a result, generation facilities farther away from
were at low output to simulate the diversity of wind across Missile Site Substation provide an increased share of the reac-
the various facilities. tive power needed to maintain the point-of-use voltage. Facilities
With the high variability in power from the wind farms, the closer to the substation retain more dynamic reactive capability
team designed the AVSO to handle expected operating scenarios to support system transient events.
and lower the potential for reactive power oscillations within the
system. The AVSO acts as a steady-state system optimizer that Redundant Communication System
adjusts the voltage references to each wind farm and STATCOM Because of the importance of maintaining the reliability of
droop controller based on voltage deviations from the Missile the AVSO system, the design team implemented a dedicated
Site Substation voltage setpoint. high-speed fiber communication network, and redundant dedi-
The project team designed the AVSO’s operating parameters cated sensor and processor hardware. The fiber communication
to be highly customizable and modifiable at any time. Operators network, along with additional copper backup paths, provides
can define custom high and low limits for voltage regulation for redundancy, delivers telemetry to the AVSO, and carries system
each facility as well as define the size of the discrete voltage step commands to each controlled facility. This communication
issued by the AVSO. An operator can manually send an override system carries only AVSO communication traffic, reducing
voltage reference to any facility at any time without interrupting bandwidth requirements and potential packet loss. The sys-
automatic operation if needed to adjust reactive power flows. tem allows automatic packet forwarding using connectivity
System operators can send all AVSO setpoints and parameters fault management in the event of a disruption to part of the
remotely through dedicated interfaces. communication network.
Operators at the Xcel Energy control center receive feedback The team designed the AVSO equipment and architecture with
and alarms. Under normal operation, the AVSO autonomously physical redundancy, isolation from other systems and dedicated
makes voltage reference adjustments to maintain the point- hardware. Automatic failover features were also incorporated
of-use voltage. System operators can enable or disable any to identify and compensate for hardware and communication
facility or asset from AVSO control at any time. This allows failures. Because the Missile Site Substation is the critical point
continuity of control over several facilities in the event of of control, it also has enhanced security features.
wind farm maintenance, testing or outages. The AVSO regu-
lates system voltage in conjunction with dedicated automatic Extensive Simulations Conducted
voltage controllers, which command operation of switched Because the Rush Creek system was already operating when Xcel
reactive assets. Energy installed the AVSO, the team didn’t conduct initial test-
The wind farms and reactive assets closer to the Missile Site ing on the live transmission system. Instead, the project team
Substation affect the point-of-use voltage more than those farther developed an overall system model containing an equivalent of
26 T&D World | August 2022
UTILITY
ANALYTICS 101
UAI has partnered with the University of Oklahoma Data
Science and Analytics Institute (OU DSAI) to develop
and deliver Utility Analytics 101 training.

Utility-centric data & analytics training.

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 RENEWABLES INTEGRATION

Commissioning procedures consisted of communication verifi-

cation, data source verification, setpoint verification, reference
verification and functional testing.

Switching Operations Reduced

The 345 kV switched fixed capacitor banks at Missile Site saw
an 83% reduction in switching operations after the AVSO was
placed in service. This reduction was due to tighter regulation at
each of the generating facilities and their coordination with the
voltage cut-in points of the automatic voltage controller system
for the switched fixed reactive assets. Reduction in high-voltage
cap bank operation is expected to yield cost savings through in-
creased intervals between breaker maintenance and prolonged
equipment life.
The benefits of implementing the AVSO also included savings
in operational maintenance costs and reducing operators’ rou-
tine workloads. This has allowed operators to focus on critical
and unplanned system events. RTDS and field testing provided
operators and engineering staff confidence that the AVSO would
handle unique operating scenarios. Developing and implement-
ing the AVSO demonstrates how engineering problems can be
addressed as integrating inverter-based resources become more
widespread at the utility scale.

AARON WILSON ([email protected]) is a Senior Manager of

Substation Engineering at Xcel Energy and is a registered professional engineer
with more than 30 years of diverse T&D experience. He is a member of the IEEE
and is currently involved with several IEEE standards working groups including
serving as the current chair for IEEE 998, Guide for Direct Lightning Stroke
The development team subjected the AVSO control device and program to ex-
tensive RTDS simulations representing real-world operating scenarios. Testing Shielding of Substations.
demonstrated the benefits of the AVSO and automatic voltage controllers, and
provided a better understanding of AVSO operation under different conditions. BEN RYAN ([email protected]) is a Project Engineer experienced with
Photo courtesy of TransGrid Solutions.
SCADA, power delivery systems analysis, protection schemes, communications
the Xcel Energy network, the radial transmission lines, each wind troubleshooting and automation. His range of project contributions include automation
farm and the STATCOM. The team loaded the actual AVSO controllers, power system control and protection, and grounding analysis.
controller program into the controller hardware, which they then
integrated into the digital model. This allowed for hardware-in- SCOTT GHIOCEL ([email protected]) is a Managing Principal Consultant for
the-loop testing using the RTDS Simulator. Mitsubishi Electric Power Products. He specializes in electric power systems, including
The team subjected the AVSO to extensive simulations rep- modeling, monitoring, stability, and control of transmission systems and smart grids.
resenting real-world operating scenarios. Testing used a wide He has designed and deployed real-time energy management software applications
range of operating scenarios that covered voltage changes, for power system operations and control using synchronized phasor measurements,
power ramps, facility trips, line trips, energization, loss of including state estimation, voltage stability, and reactive power dispatch using flexible
signals, continuous operation, and primary and secondary AC transmission system controllers.
controller change-over.
During the testing, the team identified ways to improve the HIRANYA SURIYAARACHCHI ([email protected]) is a Principal Engineer for TransGrid
AVSO algorithm to refine the performance of the devices and Solutions. He is an electrical engineer with more than 15 years of experience in all as-
improve communication mapping. Testing also demonstrated pects of power system services including studies, equipment services and education.
the benefits of the AVSO and automatic voltage controllers, and He is an expert in VSC HVDC transmission and sub-synchronous interactions between
provided a better understanding of AVSO operation under dif- a doubly fed induction generator equipped wind farms and series compensated trans-
ferent conditions. By conducting witness tests, the utility’s system mission lines. He has led numerous RTDS AC system modelling activities for various
operators also gained increased confidence that the AVSO and HVDC and FACTS manufacturers including one of the world’s largest RTDS AC system
separate automatic voltage controllers would perform as they models and several HIL testing for TransGrid Solutions.
were designed to do.
The team also created a detailed commissioning test plan and For More Information
executed it on-site as each component of the AVSO was placed POWER Engineers | www.powereng.com
into service. The test plan culminated with full-scale testing of TransGrid Solutions | https://transgridsolutions.com
the entire Rush Creek Gen Tie system under AVSO control. Mitsubishi Electric Power Products | www.meppi.com

28 T&D World | August 2022

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 CABLE MONITORING

Example of a faulty MW underground cable.

Photo by DNV Netherlands.

Smart Cable Management,

Smart Decisions
Sensor-based digital cable monitoring platform enables distribution utilities to identify and
pinpoint weak spots in underground cables.
By RICHARD DENISSEN, DNV Netherlands B.V.

T
he availability of digital technology enables changes to en- the ability to integrate these new technologies. Over the next
ergy systems. With more customers becoming distributed five years, new and emerging technologies such as bifacial solar
electricity producers — generating their own power using modules, small-scale biofuel solutions and battery storage technol-
technologies such as solar panels — the market structure ogy will play a bigger role in the energy system. Simultaneously,
is changing and could completely reverse in the coming decades. these will increase the complexity of managing a reliable supply
Smart digital technologies are now used to control electricity and the distribution of electrical energy.
generation, switching and billing. However, throughout the next As many future power systems will be governed by variable and
decade, technology will need to expand further across the energy intermittent generation from renewables, network operators will
value chain to complete the transition. For example, accom- need to maintain and increase the security of supply and integrate
modating an increase in distributed energy resources (DERs), low-carbon technologies. Digitalization will reduce the complex-
transmission systems and distribution network power will require ity and enable cost savings through smarter asset management
30 T&D World | August 2022
 CABLE MONITORING

and asset lifetime optimization as well

as supporting the provision of flexible
solutions in a distribution grid.

Smart Cable Management

Today’s networks operate safely at the
highest possible capacity with margins
applied to protect the underground
cable infrastructure. Medium-voltage
(MV) networks are designed with re-
dundancies that, when combined with
automated switching plans, ensures
continuity of supply.
On-line and continuous cable mon-
itoring systems are used to identify
weak spots in the cable that ultimately
could develop into permanent failure
and damaging short-circuit currents.
Application of advanced digital sensor
technology enables network operators
to reduce the capacity safety margin to
accommodate the electricity demand, SCG control unit installation. Photo by DNV Netherlands.
thereby avoiding unnecessary invest-
ments in capital-intensive network reinforcement. that puts distribution utilities in complete control of their MV
distribution network Through a combination of a patented
Underground Cable Monitoring two-sensor technology and a machine-learning algorithm with
The Smart Cable Guard (SCG) from DNV Netherlands B.V. is 24/7 support, the system can identify and pinpoint weak spots
an example of a sensor-based digital cable monitoring platform in an underground cable.
 CABLE MONITORING

for analysis and warning submission. The key

challenge is to distinguish noise — for instance,
high-frequency pulses from power electronics
— from real partial discharges and faults from
switching activities.
Over 20 years of research and practical ap-
plication of the SCG platform globally has been
used to train the algorithm to perform this anal-
ysis with greater than 99% accuracy. The algo-
rithm uses about 20 parameters for distinguish-
ing partial discharges from noise. Examples of
these parameters include discharge intensity,
variation in level, variation over time, variation
because of temperature changes and cluster
width. For distinguishing fault pulses from
switching transients, the sensor units perform a
real-time waveform analysis that identifies genu-
ine fault pulses based on thousands of pulses
detected and collected in the past.
SCG sensor unit. Photo by DNV Netherlands.
If a weak spot or fault is detected, the net-
Weak spots are the result of small impurities, voids, manufactur- work operator is notified within minutes with the precise
ing defects and damage to the underground cable’s insulation. location of the weak spot or fault. Plus, status updates are
High partial-discharge activity is a strong indicator of weak spots provided, identifying any partial-discharge activity. The alarms
in an underground cable, but it is not easy to detect because it and analytical data are available and easy to access through
can be sporadic, change over time, and even disappear for days DNV’s secure SCG web portal or can be integrated through
or weeks at a time. In contrast to an application pro-
off-line monitoring systems that can gramming interface
only provide snapshots of a cable’s If a weak spot or fault is detected, the network (API) with the net-
health, the SCG system provides operator is notified within minutes with the work operators’ asset
around-the-clock surveillance of management or asset
partial-discharge activity, enabling
precise location of the weak spot or fault. operations’ IT systems.
the identification of all weak spots. Apply ing sensor-
Occasionally, cable failures cannot be avoided. The SCG based digital technologies in a distribution network enables
platform can pinpoint the location of the failure within the 1% control center operators to increase power, manage congestion,
of circuit length. This capability significantly reduces the time reroute power flows as deemed necessary, and schedule mainte-
and effort required to locate and repair the fault, enabling the nance procedures to repair or replace the underground cable
cable to be reenergized quickly and restoring the security of the without incurring a costly power outage.
distribution network.
Potential Applications
Smart Cable Guard Platform In 2022, DNV’s SCG solution surpassed a milestone of monitoring
The DNV SCG platform comprises two sensor units and two 3000 MV underground cables, with a total length of more than
control units, installed at each termination of the cable subject 4700 miles (7500 km) installed, voltage levels ranging from 3
to monitoring. The system has the potential to monitor multiple kV to 69 kV, and both single-core (triplex) cables and three-core
cable sections up to a length of 6 miles (10 km) of cross-linked cables. With new and growing markets in North America and
polyethylene (XLPE) insulated cable and 2.5 miles (4 km) of Australasia, the system is now active and available across the globe.
paper-insulated lead-covered (PILC) cable under typical noise Some applications for this technology are as follows:
conditions of the live MV cable. The system not only detects weak • Electricity distribution networks — These networks are
spots and faults within the cable’s circuit in the actual cable but becoming smarter, but they still are based largely on
also monitors all joints/splices and terminations. aging underground cable assets. The DNV SCG plat-
The sensor units are enhanced high-frequency current trans- form is a step toward digitalization and self-managed
formers that detect and measure the change in the high-frequency cable networks. It precisely locates weak spots and faults
pulses generated by partial discharges or faults. These sensor units in underground cables and supports real-time decision
inject pulses into the cable for time synchronization between the making in power flows, network capacity management
two sensors, which is required to accurately pinpoint the weak and maintenance. It can help to reduce customer min-
spot or fault. The control unit positioned at each termination utes lost by optimizing proactive maintenance strate-
processes the measured data and transfers it by a mobile or local gies through continuous and fact-based underground
ethernet connection to one of the cloud-based SCG control center cable condition data. This continuous data enables
32 T&D World | August 2022
 CABLE MONITORING

distribution network operators (DNOs) to focus their in- For large industrial users, the financial benefits are even more
vestment and resources on underground cables in need obvious. Any prevention of a failure will not only lead to reduc-
of repair or replacement. tion in operational repair and planning cost but also avoid a loss
• Large industrial facilities — Facilities such as oil in production and revenue. In many cases where the system has
refineries, car manufacturers, chemical plants, data been deployed on industrial complexes, the full return of the
centers, and any other large users that depend on a investment was achieved by avoiding just one failure.
reliable supply of electrical energy, benefit operation-
ally and financially from an on-line underground cable Rethink Electricity Markets
monitoring system. Any interruptions in the supply Using digital monitoring platforms enables grid operators to
of electricity can lead to production shutdowns and focus resources where they are needed most, especially for
revenue loss. The SCG platform’s continuous 24/7 critical infrastructure and large industrial users or produc-
monitoring of feeder cables ers. By replacing average lifetime
significantly improves statistics with de-averaged live
efficiency and minimizes Using digital monitoring platforms digital monitoring, fact-based
downtime. enables grid operators to focus decisions can be made on
• Onshore wind farms — As
these wind farms become
resources where they are needed most which underground cables to
repair or replace and when.
larger and more remote, Thanks to continuous real-time
individual turbines are connected into arrays to simplify cable monitoring, unnecessary work and unpleasant surprises
the wind farm interconnection. As a result, a single can be avoided. The Smart Cable Guard platform can save
feeder cable failure can have a significant impact on an time and money, and mitigate evironmental impact.
entire array. The current methods of locating faults in
feeder cables is relatively slow and expensive, whereas RICHARD DENISSEN ([email protected]) has more than 25 years of experi-
an on-line cable monitoring system’s continuous digital ence in the energy industry, general management, projects and maintenance manage-
monitoring can significantly reduce the time and cost ment. He worked for multinational companies in Europe, Asia, the U.S. and the Middle
of locating and repairing cable failures. This enables East before joining DNV Netherlands B.V. in 2016. Denissen is now responsible for
wind farms to come back on-line faster, thus maximizing the overall strategy, business development, sales and product development of Smart
performance and profitability. Cable Guard’s global business.
• Public transport systems — For mass train and metro rail
systems, reliability is a key factor. A single cable failure can
disrupt the entire network and leave passengers stranded,
jeopardizing the reputation of the transit operator. DNV’s
active digital power cable management system already
helps to keep numerous rail systems running around the
world. By pinpointing faults and weak spots in power
supply cables, the platform enables rail operators to
minimize the number and duration of service
interruptions, ensuring the services’ reliability and
keeping their trusted reputation intact.

Monitoring Benefits
The use of a digital cable monitoring platform such as SCG
provides significant benefits to distribution network operators
and large users of electricity operating their own grid, such as
industries, wind farm operators and rail operators. Based on a
variety of applications — small, medium and large scale — the
installation of the sensor-based SCG system should be evaluated
for each cable section in each substation. Typically, long cables
with many joints/splices and a high load are the preferred candi-
dates because their failure risk is above average and the impact
of a failure is significant.
Financial benefits consist of lower operational repair costs,
planning costs and outage penalties (regulation dependent).
As a result, implementation of the SCG platform in a distribu-
tion network has proven to be financially beneficial. A recent
cost-benefit analysis showed that the platform can even reduce
outage time by 55%.
August 2022 | T&D World 33
EVENT PREVIEW BY TERESA HANSEN, VICE PRESIDENT OF CONTENT

Hosted by

Sean Pavone/Getty Images

T&D World’s Inaugural Event
Opens in Charlotte this Fall
T&D World has added a face-to-face event to its repertoire of information channels. The event
offers the first-rate, peer-led intelligence that utilities need to navigate the energy transition in
an intimate conference setting.

S
ince 1948, T&D World has been the industry’s trusted Energy’s Emerging Technology Center at Mt. Holly, North
source for information. Beginning in October, that brand Carolina, which is a testing ground for projects that will help
will include the newest way to connect … in person. The modernize the electric grid – everything from near-term and
inaugural T&D World Conference and Exhibition will existing technologies, like home and utility storage batteries, EV
soon be held in Charlotte, North Carolina. The event, scheduled charging and solar, to longer-term projects that focus on tech-
for Oct. 5-7, 2022, will be one of the first face-to-face industry nologies that don’t yet exist at the commercial scale. Not only is
gatherings post summer 2022, which for many electric utilities Duke Energy hosting a technical tour, but the Charlotte-based
and transmission operators has been challenging. It will be the utility is also serving as the event’s host utility.
perfect event for power delivery companies and solution pro- A guided tour of the Electric Power Research Institute’s (EPRI’s)
viders to discuss their challenges, their wins and losses, as well Charlotte Transmission and Substation laboratory is also sched-
as their future plans while they navigate an industry in transi- uled for Wednesday morning. Attendees will see T&D equipment
tion… one being influenced by the race to decarbonize, new testing in action. The lab focuses on sensor development, and
federal and state regulations, mother nature’s wrath, the need for unique research for overhead and underground assets. One dem-
upgraded and new infrastructure, changing customer behavior, onstration test investigates the behavior of underground cables,
electrification and much more. another investigates performance of advanced overhead conduc-
The conference program for the upcoming event is set. More tors at high temperature and under tension. Those attending this
than 60 industry experts will present in the four general ses- tour will receive an up-close view of how this testing is done and
sions and 34 breakout sessions and two preconference seminars will have an opportunity for Q&A with an EPRI team member.
that will be offered over the three-day event. Nearly 40 of these The technical tours are free for utility and non-utility full-con-
presenters represent electric utilities. ference attendees; however, they require advanced registration.

Technical Tours Preconference Seminars

The conference program begins at 1:30 p.m. local time on In addition to the Technical Tours, the event also offers two,
Wednesday, Oct. 5, but the event kicks off at 9 a.m. Wednesday three-hour preconference seminars, both beginning at 9:00 a.m.
morning with two technical tours. One tour showcases Duke on Wednesday, Oct. 5.
34 T&D World | August 2022
 EVENT PREVIEW
The Accelerated Learning Forum focused on Spatial
Analytics for a Resilient Grid is the first live event of a
monthly series that began in July with virtual sessions.
The Accelerated Learning Forum was created by Utility
Analytics Institute and T&D World content experts, with
the help of founding partner, Utiligent. It brings utilities
together to collaborate on building a successful business
case around spatial analytics, which can improve grid
resilience and reliability. This face-to-face preconference
seminar will allow attendees to share their knowledge,
learn from experts in this space, and collaborate and
exchange information with other utilities.
A preconference seminar aimed at bringing together
fleet owners and electric utilities will also be offered on Conference goers will hear subject matter experts talk about the dramatic changes oc-
Wednesday morning. T&D World editorial staff worked curring in the power industry, where it’s heading next, and what new solutions, technolo-
gies and processes will facilitate the industry’s transition.
with editors from Fleet Owner magazine, another Endeavor
Business Media brand, to create a face-to-face event that will put • Digitalization
fleet owners, commercial electric vehicle manufacturers, utilities • Advance Metering Infrastructure
and other stakeholders in the same room to get a better under- • Renewables and DER Integration
standing of each other’s needs and barriers to electrifying fleet • DERMS
vehicles. The event will include presentations, as well as enough • Microgrids
time for questions, answers and discussion. • Energy Storage
These pre-conference seminars can be added on to your • E-mobility and Electrification
T&D World Conference & Exhibition registration. Pricing
and additional session and speaker details are available at Networking
https://events.tdworld.com/. After more than two years of no face-to-face events, we know
that those who are once again traveling to industry events are
Conference anxious to visit with peers and old friends, as well as make new
The T&D World Conference was created by an advisory board ones. For that reason, T&D World Conference and Exhibition
compiled of industry subject matter experts. These individuals is designed to provide plenty of time for attendees to network
helped T&D World’s editors create sessions based on the latest with other attendees, as well as the 50 solution providers that
trends and technologies. Conference goers will hear subject mat- are exhibiting and sponsoring.
ter experts talk about the dramatic changes occurring in the On Wednesday, Oct. 5, attendees will have the opportunity to
power industry, where it’s heading next, and what new solutions, attend the unique networking luncheon. It allows for small group
technologies and processes will facilitate the industry’s transi- discussions on a variety of topics. Attendees pick the topic and sit
tion. T&D World Conference and Exhibition’s intimate, nimble at a table with others who are interested in the same topic. Each
conference sessions will provide opportunities for attendees to table discussion is moderated by a leading professional in the
ask questions and discuss what’s challenging them the most. field. Utility attendees may attend at no cost but must register
They will hear panel discussions, use cases and formal pre- in advance. Non-utility attendees are welcome to attend for a
sentations about the latest trends and cutting-edge technology. minimal cost. A list of topics and more details on registration can
The schedule also includes ample networking opportunities for be found here: https://www.utilityanalyticsweek.com/2022/agenda
casual conversation with colleagues and peers. Other networking opportunities include breakfast on Thursday
The conference content is extensive and can’t be adequately and Friday, lunch in the exhibition hall on Thursday and two
covered in this article, but session and speaker details about the networking receptions on the exhibition floor on Wednesday
general and breakout sessions are available on the event website and Thursday.
at www.events.tdworld.com/tdw2022/program. Now is the time to register and make you travel plans to attend
In addition, content focus areas include: T&D World Conference and Exhibition. All event activities will
• Data Analytics take place at the Sheraton Charlotte Hotel. Located in Charlotte’s
• Asset Management Uptown district, Sheraton Charlotte Hotel is centrally located
• Black Sky Hazards and Grid Resiliency near Bank of America Stadium, NASCAR Hall of Fame and
• Vegetation Management many art museums. Reserve your room before September 12
• Response and Recovery to receive the best room rate. Details are available at https://
• Climate Change/Weather Events events.tdworld.com/tdw2022/venue.
• Transmission Planning and Construction
• Operation and Maintenance For full details and registration for T&D Conference and Exhibition
• Wildfire Mitigation 2022 visit https://events.tdworld.com.
• Future Distribution Grid
August 2022 | T&D World 35
 SUPPLY CHAIN

Today’s new commercially competitive OSW projects range

from 800MW to 1.2GW. CharlieChesvick/Getty Images

Offshore Wind Energy

Bottleneck
The supply of U.S. marshaling port infrastructure will be insufficient for demand by 2023
and far short of projected demand through 2050.
By SARA B. PARKISON and WILLETT KEMPTON, The University of Delaware

I
n March 2021, the Biden administration announced a target OSW Power Evolution
goal for offshore wind energy in the U.S. of 30 GW by 2030 and The world’s first OSW project, Vindeby, was built in 1991 off the
110 GW by 2050. States up and down the East Coast already Danish Island of Lolland and operated through 2017. Vindeby
have planned or committed to producing as much as 40 GW of consisted of 11 turbines mounted on the seafloor, in shallow
offshore windpower (OSW) — enough to power approximately waters near the shore. Each turbine produced 0.45 MW power at
13 million homes — by 2040. Virginia and North Carolina are peak, with the tower reaching 37&#8239;m (121 ft) from waterline
on the road to having their state utilities build OSW generation. to hub and a blade length of 17&#8239;m (56 ft). The heaviest
Many other states, including Maryland, New Jersey, New York, component lifted, the nacelle, weighed 27 tons; the tower was
Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts, are relying on 20&#8239;tons and each blade only 2.2&#8239;tons. Eleven such
third parties for construction and operation of OSW facilities. turbines made up the OSW project of 4.95 MW. Despite rough
The U.S. OSW industry is in the nascent stages of developing weather, the entire project was installed in 11 days. The turbines
a domestic supply chain because of market demand driven by were manufactured in factories built for land-based wind power,
policy directives, declining costs and sociopolitical initiatives for moved by conventional transport and easily deployed from a con-
energy system transitions. OSW technology is scalable and cost ventional port using nonspecialized marine construction vessels.
competitive. It can be deployed at a pace fast enough to exceed By contrast, today’s new commercially competitive OSW proj-
the replacement rate of retiring thermal generation — and poten- ects range from 800 MW to 1.2 GW — more than 160 times
tially at a pace required for effective climate-change mitigation. the power of Vindeby. Modern projects specify turbines with
To understand the range and magnitude of the needed infra- capacities of 12 MW to 14 MW, with hub heights of 138 m (453
structure to support the growth of OSW, the Center for Research ft) and blades of 107 m (351 ft) each. The nacelles weigh 600 tons
in Wind (CReW) at the University of Delaware conducted a study and each blade is 55 tons, thus requiring the use of a heavy-lift,
of the supply infrastructure needed to achieve the U.S.’s OSW ocean-going crane. Assuming a 1-GW OSW project uses 12-MW
power generation targets, published in the April 2022 issue of turbines, 83 turbines of such technical specifications would be
the Journal of Energy Policy. deployed.
36 T&D World | August 2022
 SUPPLY CHAIN

Given the evolution of turbine and project technology, the

original infrastructure specifications that were sufficient to Offshore Wind Advantages
build Vindeby are far from adequate for a modern OSW proj- 1. Offshore wind generation produces near-zero CO2
ect. Now, a 1-GW project needs a port that can receive, store, emissions in operation and over its life cycle.
move, assemble, load onto an installation vessel — with a deck 2. The resource is close to many of the largest and most
capable of accommodating component dimensions and a crane concentrated electrical loads in the U.S.
capable of the required lifts — and deploy 83 large turbines
3. In coastal states, it typically is the largest commercially
at sea over the span of 18 months to 24 months. Today’s port
available clean energy resource.
needs to meet more challenging area, access, handling and
load-bearing specifications. 4. The power capacity of one offshore wind project
is comparable to that of a large-scale nuclear or coal
Infrastructure Needed generator.
As turbines and projects have grown by orders of magnitude, the 5. The ocean surface is better than land for wind projects.
underlying physical infrastructure and supply chain have become Wind speeds are higher, turbulence is lower and
larger and more specialized. Today, new project components are much more area is available.
built in specialized factories, as opposed to onshore wind factories
that have been repurposed for OSW. As there currently is no priorities lead toward investing in and supporting U.S.-based
robust supply chain in the U.S. to support the nascent industry, manufacturing of OSW components. Substantial investments
OSW project developers are reckoning with how to work around in manufacturing will be required to meet state and federal
the lack of U.S.-based infrastructure. targets, but the known targets give investors visibility into the
Importing all components from overseas runs into several pipeline of project orders, and the corresponding return on
problems: investments in component manufacturing.
1. Europe’s OSW manufacturing facilities already are strained U.S. investments can be further facilitated by incentives to
to meet their own OSW goals. build manufacturing in the U.S., as has been pursued by both
2. Developers have been hesitant to rely on early-stage Asian the federal government and several states. The University of
manufacturing in which they do not yet have confidence. Delaware’s CReW does not treat manufacturing as a significant
3. As the components are very large, additional loading and barrier, as public policies (state and federal) already have cre-
unloading for trans-ocean shipping adds cost and logistics. ated an OSW power market and are incentivizing U.S.-based
This logic along with the Biden administration’s employment manufacturing.

Closeup Esbjerg harbor with offshore construction equipment and platform legs high up and sky blue a sunny day. The Port of Esbjerg in Denmark is a highly suc-
cessful marshaling port. 7000/Getty Images

August 2022 | T&D World 37

 SUPPLY CHAIN

Table. Existing, planned and conceptual ports along the U.S. East Coast that may serve as marshaling ports for OSW deployment. All
locations have unlimited air draft.
Marshaling Port Code Status Total Area, acre Laydown Area, Draft, m (ft)c Annual Capacity, Year Available
(hectare) acre (hectare)b MW/year
New Bedford, Massachusetts MA1 In Use 29 (12) 29 (12) 9 (29.6) 268 Now
Salem, Massachusetts MA2 Planned 42 (17) 29 (12) 2 to 10 (6.6 to 32.8) 185 2024
New London, Connecticut CT Planned 35 (14) 35 (14) 3 to 11 (9.8 to 36.1) 324 2022
New Jersey Phase 1 NJ1 Planned 55 (22) 30 (12) 3 to 5 (9.8 to 16.4) 278 2023
New Jersey Phase 1 + 2 NJ2 Planned 205 (83) 63 (25) 3 to 5 583 2026
Portsmouth, Virginiad VA Planned 101 (41) 72 (29) 13 (42.7) 667 2025
Arthur Kill, New York NY Concept 35 (14) 35 (14) 3 324 –
e
Delaware Phase 1 DE1 Concept 331 (134) 331 (134) 1 to 4 (3.3 to 13.1) 3060 –
Delaware Phase 1+2f DE2 Concept 810 (328) 810 (328) 1 to 11 (3.3 to 36.1) 7496 –
Esbjerg, Denmarka – In Use 440 (178) 440 (178) 13 4074 Now
Hull, United Kingdoma – In Use 150 (61) 109 (44) 9 1009 Now
g
Cuxhaven, Germany – In Use 295 (119) 243 (99) 9 to 13 (29.6 to 42.7) 2250 Now
a. Esbjerg and Hull published descriptions, plus personal communication between second author and Hull and Esbjerg Port representatives.
b. Areas from port literature, checked against calculation from linear map measurements.
c. U.S. measurements based on bathymetric NOAA Nautical Navigational charts (source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office of Coast Survey). Esbjerg and Hull esti-
mates derived from direct conversations with respective local port experts.
d. The current Portsmouth design shows 44 acre (18 hectare) reserved for monopile manufacturing and storage, leaving a turbine laydown area of 57 acre (23 hectare). Given the competi-
tion presented by an under-construction monopile facility with monopile storage yard in Paulsboro, New Jersey, Portsmouth may find its area more valuable for marshaling and, thus, may
expand to the full 101 acre (41 hectare) in the future.
e. Delaware Phase 1 assumes purchase or lease of Oxychem property plus Dredge Spoils Management Area 1 (DSMA 1) and the vacant area west of DSMA 1. Both phases are labeled
conceptual because no commercial development is currently planned.
f. Phase 2 would require purchase or lease of DSMA 2, DSMA 3A and DSMA 3B and bordering, unused area.
g. While various sections of the Cuxhaven Port are in use by shipping companies, some of which are not OSW related, the CReW attributes most of the total area to possible laydown area,
as it can be repurposed for this use. The CReW solely excludes a storage yard now leased as storage for Siemens-Gamesa blade manufacturing, as it cannot be repurposed easily (source:
AFW-Cuxhaven, German Offshore-Industry-Centre).

requirements indicate the best future marshaling ports may

not be at ports that exist today.
Additionally, while clearer thresholds of business viability
may exist for the other port types, expansion of marshaling
ports is a more difficult venture. Finally, capitalizing on the
promise of expanded supply chain capacity and meeting U.S.
offshore wind power generation targets without burdensome
and costly logistical complexity depends on early port develop-
The Port of Esbjerg OSW marshaling port in Denmark (2017). Blades and some ment, that is, by 2025.
tower sections are in foreground. Tower assembly can be seen in background
adjacent to load-out areas. For scale, blades pictured are 80 m (262.5 ft) long.
Reprinted with permission from the Port of Esbjerg. Marshaling Ports
Marshaling ports provide a staging ground where large turbine
Types of OSW Ports parts can be housed, partially assembled or readied before
Over the life cycle of an OSW power project, the Global Wind being loaded onto vessels and delivered to a wind project at
Energy Council identifies four types of OSW-related ports: sea. The Port of Esbjerg in Denmark is a highly successful
1. Small oceanic ports for survey vessels marshaling port. The port marshaled approximately 80%
2. Manufacturing ports of the 15-GW OSW capacity installed in Europe over the 16
3. Marshaling ports years up to the time of this picture in 2017. At the time of
4. Operations and maintenance ports. this photograph, the port was approximately 440 acre (178
Based on its comparison and analysis of the four OSW port hectare) of land area devoted to marshaling for the OSW
types, and especially the capacity to handle larger wind turbines industry. The turbines shown are one-third to one-half the
and project sizes, the CReW proposes that marshaling ports, that capacity (in megawatts) of those expected to be used going
is, ports where all components are collected, stored and made forward in the U.S.
ready just prior to loading out to a wind project at sea, hold the As discussed in the CReW’s study, all existing and planned
most promise for expanding supply chain capacity, reducing the U.S. marshaling ports together are approximately half the
cost of construction and, thus, ultimately further reducing the area of Esbjerg, yet OSW commitments by U.S. states demand
cost of electricity from OSW. deploying 2.5 times as many megawatts of installations in the
Whereas the other three port types can be rebuilt from same number of years. The desirable size and design of Esbjerg
old commercial ports, the marshaling port’s demanding is validated by the project planners and vessel operators who
38 T&D World | August 2022
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 SUPPLY CHAIN

prefer to use it over closer marshaling ports; Esbjerg often is potential economic benefits and job-creation opportunities,
used to marshal projects 500km (310 miles) away from the port. which leads to a proliferation of U.S. plans for ports that are
Finding and developing sufficiently large land areas adjacent tiny relative to existing European marshaling ports. While small
to the water, with no bridges or other obstructions to the sea, can marshaling ports may be useful for the first few projects, they
be challenging. Land adjacent to water is highly valued, and much exacerbate logistical inefficiencies, raise costs, and likely will not
has been developed as residential property, marketed for water be useful for OSW as turbine sizes grow and technology evolves
view and access to water recreation. Concurrently, remaining to more in-port assembly and floating wind.
undeveloped land may be environmentally valuable, restricted Unlike Europe, the U.S. has just one operational marshaling
wetlands or too soft to make high weight-bearing requirements port: the New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal, in New
problematic. Bedford, Massachusetts. This port is 29 acre (11.7 hectare)
Despite these constraints, states buying OSW-generated elec- and was designed originally for the Cape Wind project, with
tricity often push for a port within their state because of the turbines of 3.6 MW each.
Now, New Bedford has been leased to
help marshal the significantly larger 800-
MW Vineyard Wind 1 project, with turbines
of 13 MW each. Because of the limited
port area, parts will have to be marshaled
among three regional ports to accommo-
date the project’s size and target power-
on date. This increases the cost, logistical
complexity and time of the project’s instal-
lation, while also complicating port avail-
ability for other projects set to be deployed
within the same region and time frame.
The need to use three ports for a
single project demonstrates the short-
age of U.S. marshaling ports of suf-
ficient area for modern turbine and
project sizes. The April 2022 report
also examined the capital and cost alloca-
tion needed for OSW-related infrastruc-
ture to eliminate the foreseeable OSW
bottleneck.

SARA B. PARKISON is a Knauss Fellow currently working

with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s Office of
Environmental Programs as an underserved community
engagement advisor. Previously, she was senior policy
analyst with the Electric Vehicle Research & Development
Group within the University of Delaware’s Center for Re-
search in Wind. As a Ph.D. candidate within the University
of Delaware’s college of earth, ocean and environment,
her doctoral research focuses on multi-scalar energy
system transitions and the underlying interface of science,
technology and sociopolitical dynamics. She received her
bachelor’s degree in political science and public policy at
St. Mary’s Public Honors College of Maryland.

WILLETT KEMPTON is a professor at the University of

Delaware, affiliated professor at Technical University of
Denmark (DTU) and chair of the Technical Advisory Board
for Nuvve Corp. Kempton also is the founding director,
and now associate director, of the Center for Research
in Wind and inventor of the grid-integrated vehicles (GIV)
with vehicle-to-grid (V2G) power, holding four patents.
He writes and lectures widely on advanced research and
development on offshore wind power, GIV and V2G.

40 T&D World | August 2022

 Lifeline 40B | Parting Shot 40H

ELECTRIC UTILITY
OPERATIONS
AUGUST 2022 tdworld.com/electric-utility-operations

Lineworkers Rebuild
Century-Old Infrastructure
Electric Utility Operations

CONGRATULATIONS
TO OUR AUGUST
FEATURED LINEMAN!
Brandon Block
Source Power Services
• Born in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and moved to South
Dakota when he was 12 years old.
• Is the youngest of three children. His older sisters live in
Minnesota and Dallas.
• Married to his wife, Sarah, for four years and has three dogs:
Boss, a springer spaniel/heeler mix; Moose, a chocolate Brandon Block is featured in the July Line Life podcast episode, in which he
talks about his adventures in line work, including a week he spent at Yellow-
lab/border collie mix and Ruby, a Bernese Mountain Dog.
stone National Park as a lineman.
• Enjoys spending time with family and friends, exploring all
that Montana has to offer, going to concerts and playing
Monopoly.
Memorable Storm
In 2017 or 2018, we had a huge spring snow and ice storm. We
worked around the clock for a few days with little sleep working
Early Years on restoring power to the area. The wind, ice and snow storm
My father got me into the trade. He was an electrician and a came on so quickly, and the lines started galloping under the
plumber, and he worked alongside many linemen and felt it weight of the ice.
would be a great fit for me. I always had a passion of working The ice accumulation overcame the power grid, breaking
outside and with my hands. He inspired me to always work poles and crossarms. There were lots of tree branches down
hard and be 100% the best lineman I could be. I went to from the weight of the ice that caused even more damage. It
school at Mitchell Technical College in South Dakota, and was a cold and wet project with lots of snow, which made it dif-
after I graduated, I got a job in Nevada. My first job with a ficult to set up equipment.
utility was in Williston, North Dakota, with Montana Da-
kota Utilities. I was still an apprentice, and I was extremely Tools and Technology
busy at that time because in 2009, it was the peak of the I can’t live without a handy dandy pair of Kleins and a volt-
oil boom. meter. Also, when I’m working storm jobs at night, a Halo
headlamp for my hardhat is one thing I’ve relied on numerous
Day in the Life times. When it comes to other types of technology, however,
In 2019, my wife and I moved from Mitchell, South Dakota, traditional ways are tried and true.
to Montana. While my home base is Montana, I am cur-
rently working on the central coast of California. As a jour- Plans for the Future
neyman lineman at Source Power Services, I inspect and Because I have so many different interests, I’d be curious at
do quality control for PG&E’s power lines. My typical day trying other careers, but the utility industry has been really
includes traveling around to specific areas where I need to great to me. The amount of satisfaction and pride I have as
inspect poles. a journeyman lineman would be tough to match. My future
plans are to continue learning, bettering myself and passing
Safety Lesson that knowledge onto the younger apprentices coming up in
Safety has always been important to me. A time when it really the trade.
hit home for me, however, was when a close lineman friend
from my hometown was electrocuted doing maintenance
work on a leaning pole. As they were setting trucks up, the
Editor’s Note: If you are interested in being profiled in our
pole broke, causing the phase to fall on my friend and elec-
monthly Lifeline department or know of a journeyman lineman
trocuting him, burning him pretty bad. Luckily, his cowork- who would be a good candidate, email T&D World Field Editor
ers were able to do CPR and save his life. He made a full re- Amy Fischbach at amyfi[email protected]. To thank linemen
covery and is still in the trade. That is the moment I realized for their dedication to the line trade, Milwaukee Tool sends each
how important safety is, and to always take every precaution, profiled lineman a tool package.
even if it takes more time.
40B T&D World | August 2022
Electric Utility Operations

In the early days, lineworkers erected a lattice tower without

the heavy equipment that line crew have access to today.

Lineworkers Rebuild
Century-Old Infrastructure
Crews replace historic steel lattice towers with
weathered steel monopoles to improve reliability
in southwestern Pennsylvania.
By JASON HARTLE and MEENAH SHYU, Duquesne Light Company

O
ne hundred years ago, lineworkers constructed steel will also help to lay the backbone for future grid changes in the
lattice towers with horse-drawn wagons, transport Pittsburgh region.
carts, pulley systems and their own bare hands. Today, With the circuits and infrastructure supported by equip-
on the farmland stretching across southwestern ment that’s more than a century old, the current towers are
Pennsylvania that has now transformed into an urban area, nearing their end of life. To ensure continued reliability and
lineworkers are swapping out the historic structures with 99 resiliency, lineworkers are replacing 99 transmission towers
steel pole monopoles. with weathered steel monopoles over a 14.5-mile stretch be-
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based Duquesne Light Company tween the Brunot Island and Crescent Township substations
(DLC) is modernizing the overhead line to improve the reli- in DLC’s territory.
ability and resiliency of its transmission system, which is critical
to providing safe and reliable electricity to the company’s cus- Modernizing the Line
tomers. DLC is committed to investing in critical infrastructure After securing approval from the appropriate regulatory agen-
and new technologies to meet the increasing and evolving need cies, DLC and its construction contractor kicked off the five-
for energy throughout its two-county service territory, which phase BI-Crescent Transmission Project on Dec. 13, 2021. As of
encompasses more than 600,000 customers. With the growing June 2022, the first phase of the project was complete, and the
focus on electrification and renewable generation, this project crews were moving into the next four phases of construction.
40D T&D World | August 2022
 Electric Utility Operations

The overall inspection and maintenance needs over the new

infrastructure’s lifetime is significantly reduced.
Another significant benefit of the weathering steel mono-
poles is that they do not need to be painted, unlike the lattice
steel towers, which must be constantly painted to prevent cor-
rosion. DLC has been replacing the towers with monopoles,
not only on the BI-Crescent line, but also in other parts of its
service territory. For example, in areas with hills, valleys and
narrow spaces, the monopoles are the right solution for that
kind of location and terrain.
The stacked circuits are also farther away from trees and
other potentially harmful vegetation. The existing circuit has
a side-by-side design, but with the monopoles, the circuits are
stacked on top. Because all six wires and the shield wire are in
a column, the wires are mostly above the treeline. That way, if a
tree does fall near the structure, it will most likely miss the wires.

Project in Progress
To modernize the line, the crews first had to build temporary
roads into the old towers and then demolish the lattice towers
and foundations. Below ground, the foundations are covered
up or fully removed. Next, a drill rig drills a large hole to install
By using a helicopter, DLC can fly in lines on the transmission project.
a concrete caisson foundation with anchor bolts. After pouring
Because the line crosses through congested urban areas, the the new foundation, the lineworkers set the new monopoles.
line crews are working during off-peak load sections of the year As the project progresses, the crew and resource sizes fluc-
like the fall and winter months. tuate. On average, however, 20 contract personnel and three
With the line scheduled to be energized in 2027, work is supervisors are on site during the project. When the project
now underway to replace the towers. A significant portion of hits a milestone and moves into larger phases of construction,
the early phase of the project was to create and build access DLC may increase the field workforce. Currently, DLC is work-
roads and work pads to the site. To make the construction site ing with J.W. Didado Electric and may pull in other support
safer and work methods more efficient, the engineering team contractors in the near future.
designed and planned access roads so that
large equipment, trucks and materials could
be transported and unloaded.
Lineworkers are replacing the galvanized
lattice steel structures with weathered steel
monopoles from Meyer Utility Structures on
double 138-kV vertically stacked circuits. The
average height of the current towers is 93 ft,
but the new monopoles average about 155 ft
high. When increasing the height of the struc-
tures, DLC’s engineers consulted the National
Electric Safety Code to ensure the monopoles
met or exceeded all of the minimum clear-
ance requirements. In addition, they reviewed
severe weather cases to ensure the structures
would be resilient and reliable, even in heavy
snow or high winds.
In addition, transitioning from the tow-
ers to the new structures minimizes the
footprint of the foundations and reduces in-
spection and maintenance costs due to fewer
bolted connections and steel parts. The
towers are wider and have four foundations
each, but the new monopoles only have one The lineworkers are erecting new weathered steel monopoles to replace century-old lattice steel
foundation and a much smaller footprint. towers.
August 2022 | T&D World 40E
Electric Utility Operations

The company and its engineering contractor performed test-

ing and site preparation to ensure it understands the exist-
ing site conditions. That way, engineers can identify any risks
before they pose challenges on the project. To keep the
job on track, DLC has many team meetings and convenes
frequently virtually or in-person.

Focus on Safety and Efficiency

To increase productivity on the project, DLC is also using spe-
cial tools and equipment. In addition to cranes and lifts, the
lineworkers are using larger drill rigs and helicopters. DLC is
also using drones to record video for inspections during the
project. The utility is using light helicopters to pull in lines,
and in the future, the utility may consider using a heavy-lift
helicopter to fly pole sections into hard-to-reach areas.
Unlike the lineworkers from yesteryear who originally built
the lines, today’s construction team has access to heavy tools
and equipment, which can improve safety. For example, some
of the equipment has remote operations, which makes the
work safer for lineworkers, and other equipment helps them do
the job more efficiently and quickly.
To further improve the safety of its field workforce, DLC’s
safety team establishes expectations for its contractors. Every
day, they are required to have pre-job briefs so they can identify
all the hazards in the field. As a result, on the large transmis-
sion projects, the contractors have performed well and been
able to get the first phase of the job done safely.
The monopoles are constructed across a long linear
distance, and many of them are in difficult-to-access areas,
This transition structure is shown with a conductor and temporary arms. compounding the challenges on the project. Even so, safety is a
key priority on the job. A project of this size and scope has a lot
To make sure the job is staying on schedule and within bud- of moving parts, but in the end, it is a long-term and critical in-
get, the project management team is using best practices such frastructure investment. When DLC completes the project and
as cost-loaded schedules. Through upfront planning, DLC energizes the line, it is ensuring that it can continue to deliver
can involve all of the necessary stakeholders to ensure it has a safe and reliable power for another 100 years.
sound approach to the project. Editor’s Note: To learn more about the BI-Crescent proj-
Due to the complexity of the project, DLC is carefully plan- ect, visit DuquesneLight.com/BI-Crescent or email bi-crescent@
ning every section of work in detail, and as each part is laid duqlight.com. You can also listen to an upcoming Line Life
down in the schedule, the team makes sure it can do it safely. As podcast episode about the project by visiting www.tdworld.com/
the field workforce encounters any challenges, the team identi- podcasts.
fies and mitigates these risks. For example, during phase one of
the project, DLC’s work crews encountered poor soil conditions,
which slowed down construction. Moving forward, the company JASON HARTLE is a senior project manager for DLC. He has five years of
plans to mitigate this problem and adequately plan for working experience in the defense industry and more than 17 years in the electric
through the winter months further out in the project. utility industry. He is currently overseeing DLC’s BI-Crescent project as well
Because the project is challenging and complex, DLC as other large transmission and distribution construction endeavors for the
worked closely with various internal and external stakehold- company. He graduated from the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown with
ers, including real estate and right-of-way groups, to ensure the a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and is a certified professional
project’s success. For example, in environmentally sensitive ar- project manager.
eas of the project, DLC worked with consultants to map out the
wetland and natural resources in the project area and worked MEENAH SHYU is a general manager of engineering at DLC and has more
very closely with several agencies, including the Department than 13 years of experience in the electric utility industry. She currently
of Environmental Protection. DLC also worked directly with leads DLC’s Substation, Civil and Transmission Line engineering teams.
landowners on right-of-way issues before construction started. She graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with bachelor’s and master’s
Beyond monitoring and tracking the progress on the proj- degrees in civil engineering. She is a licensed professional engineer in the
ect, DLC is also making sure it is in alignment with its budget. state of Pennsylvania.
40F T&D World | August 2022
 THE POWER
TO PROTECT
THE FUTURE
TRANSMISSION - DISTRIBUTION - SUBSTATION

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Electric Utility Operations

Parting Shot
Photo by BRIAN KINGSLEY of Manitoba Hydro

Manitoba Hydro crews repair a subtransmission

line damaged by a fire in South Indian Lake in
Manitoba, Canada. About 260 customers lost
power from June 12 to June 20. It was only safe
for crews to begin repairs on June 16, and material
and terrain challenges made progress difficult.

40H T&D World | August 2022

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222ǻ/2*-'ǻ*( 20
 WILDFIRE MITIGATION

Leverage Existing Grid

Architecture to Attack Wildfires
Overhead distribution transformer fleets can be used as wildfire sensor networks to improve
public safety protection.
By W. ALAN SNOOK III, GRID20/20

T
he idea that wildfires are seasonal is fading, with fires oc- Wildfire Sensor Network
curring during summer, fall and now even winter months. While no single solution is going to solve all wildfire woes, it is
Urban damage and destruction from fires are no longer important to note that multiple solutions operating synergistically
an occasional matter, but rather are recurring events that can deliver tremendous value. Increased vegetation management
demand more attention from utilities. efforts, more frequent electric grid inspections and occasional
It all starts with a basic understanding of electric grids. public safety power shutoff (PSPS) actions have been implement-
Specifically, that existing distribution grid architecture is ubiq- ed. However, it is painfully evident every year that more robust
uitously deployed throughout local communities. Typically, the solutions are necessary when it comes to increasing public safety
density of transformers within a localized distribution grid is protection and reducing wildfire destruction. One emerging
commensurate with the density of people, businesses and insti- solution allows utilities to use their existing grid architecture.
tutions in the community. Populous areas are precisely where By leveraging the height, location and density of existing
increased wildfire protection is needed. overhead transformers, field sensors can be used to create an
Each overhead transformer presents a unique opportunity for overarching community-wide canopy that monitors certain at-
improved public safety, by capitalizing on the location, height mospheric and environmental conditions (i.e., outdoor smoke/
and density of existing transformer fleets. Specifically, existing gas, ground-level fire, ambient temperature and humidity). One
overhead distribution transformer fleets present an opportunity to such example, Gridwide Fire-Spy, provides always-on, outdoor
establish a community-wide wildfire sensor network — an emerg- wildfire sensors that can be deployed quickly on overhead
ing solution to help utilities improve public safety protection. transformers to mitigate wildfires.
Using cellular communications, the
Gridwide Fire-Spy sensors simultane-
ously deliver early detection of wildfires,
automated alerts, ongoing situational
awareness and certain wildfire preven-
tion capability. By leveraging existing grid
infrastructure, this emerging solution not
only adds a protection level that bene-
fits the community and local economy,
stakeholders and the environment but
also reduces future wildfire cost impacts.
Ask any first responder what the key
is to fighting wildfires: Beyond the ob-
vious response of prevention comes
the response of timely notification. In
other words, time is key, time is money,
time is life. Time is everything when
it comes to fighting wildfires. A timely
notification typically is the difference
maker between thwarting a disaster
and battling one (and then paying
for it). Early detection and automated
While no single solution is going to solve all wildfire woes, multiple solutions operating synergistically can alerts are instrumental to getting timely
deliver tremendous value. Photo by Adobe Licensed Images. notification of a potential event.
42 T&D World | August 2022
 WILDFIRE MITIGATION

With an emerging solution like the community-wide outdoor from somewhere to pay for wildfire aftermaths. A single fire, the
wildfire monitoring canopy, utilities can capitalize on what they 2018 Camp Fire in Paradise, California, resulted in an estimated
already have at their disposal — a wildfire mitigation frame- $25.5 billion in losses.
work that leverages their existing transformer fleet for proactive Wildfire suppression costs alone require hundreds of millions
community-wide protection. and sometimes even billions of dollars each year. Oregon’s sup-
pression costs topped $354 million in 2020. The Camp Fire
Wildfire Season incident exceeded $150 million in suppression costs.
The seasonality of wildfires is diminishing, as fires have become a In addition, tens of thousands of firefighters and first respond-
perennial occurrence. Recent history has proven ongoing vigilance ers are put at risk each year to address ongoing wildfires. For
is necessary and more robust wildfire mitigation solutions are example, approximately 5600 firefighters were dispatched to
needed. Following are some notable wildfire impacts that have the 2018 Camp Fire event.
occurred during different times of the year over the last five years:
Estimated wildfire damages in the billions over five-year period.
2017 Year Estimated Wildfire Damages, in Billions
California’s Northern Fires resulted in 44 2018
fatalities and 8900 structures destroyed. 2017 $111.4
California’s Camp Fire resulted in 85
British Columbia’s worst wildfire season fatalities, 18,804 structures destroyed 2018 $97.5
at the time, with 65,000 evacuated and $25.5+ billion in losses. 2019 $51.8
due to fires. British Columbia has its largest wildfire 2020 $114.2
season, with 3.3+ million acres burned.
2020 2021 $79.2
California had nearly 100 fatalities and
This was California’s largest wildfire Sources: Insurance Information Institute, Choose Energy Inc., Eisenbach Consulting LLC,
over 22,000 structures destroyed.
season on record, with 4.4+ million U.S. Department of Transportation.
acres burned. 2021 Yet, while post-event insurance monies, legal settlement monies,
Oregon saw at least 11 fatalities, Colorado wildfire incident destroyed
4000+ structures destroyed, and 1000 structures and required 35,000+ and local, state and federal funding support are helpful, nothing
US$609 million in losses. people to be evacuated. truly replaces what is lost because of wildfires — whether it be
California’s Dixie Fire was the second human loss, material and property loss, or environmental loss.
2022 largest event in state history, with However, money is always an important element in the wildfire
California Big Sur’s Colorado Fire burned 700+ homes destroyed and 963,309
687 acres (278 hectares). acres burned.
equation because annual wildfire costs are staggering.
Local, state, and federal governments have been burdened
Texas Wildfires burned over Across all wildfires in California,
210,000 acres YTD 3629 structures were destroyed and substantially by the combination of ongoing wildfire suppression
Arizona Wildfires burned over
2.6 million acres burned, resulting in costs and post-event rehabilitation costs. In some cases, wildfire
three fatalities.
66,000 acres YTD costs and collateral impacts on local economies have demon-
New Mexico Wildfires burned over strated the potential to severely impact local, state and even
835,000 acres YTD federal budgets. Notably, the economic impact loss and related
Florida Wildfires burned over tax revenue loss that ensues from wildfires.
33,000 acres YTD
All these recurring wildfire-induced cost impacts result in
Colorado Wildfires burned over tax increases, insurance premium increases, cost of material
37,000 acres YTD
increases and more. These increases must be factored into the
Alaska Wildires burned over
784,000 acres YTD
overall costs associated with wildfires. Although, regardless of
how helpful it is to receive post-event funds from any source, no
This abbreviated list of wildfire-inflicted disasters is merely the amount of money truly restores people’s lives, their homes and
tip of the data iceberg when it comes to wildfire incidents, acres the environment following a disastrous event.
burned, structures destroyed, fatalities and injuries incurred, and It is clear additional steps need to be taken to decrease
related costs. It is now apparent the so-called wildfire season is wildfire impacts and try to prevent more wildfires from oc-
expanding. In California, the wildfire season increased by up- curring. Utilities must reduce the size, scope and frequency
wards of 75 days in 2021, according to the California Department of these events.
of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE). Then came the
Colorado Fire on Dec. 30, 2021. GHG Emissions
Given the ongoing increases in annual ambient tempera- Ongoing messaging from federal and state authorities, academia,
ture, expanded and extended drought conditions, and more environmentalists and climate activists indicates greenhouse
frequent windstorms, it seems there is no longer a conveniently gas (GHG) emissions can be curtailed. From coal plant closures
definable wildfire season. to coal-generated electricity plant decommissioning, to electric
vehicles adoption, etc., steps are being taken to reduce GHG
Related Costs emissions, typically in the form of carbon dioxide. Increasing
Estimated wildfire costs in the U.S. in 2020 were $114.2 billion. average ambient temperatures, prolonged droughts, increased
Annually, wildfire destruction represents billions of dollars in windstorms and wildfires are now commonly attributed to climate
losses. Think about that: Billions of dollars every year are required change conditions.
August 2022 | T&D World 43
 WILDFIRE MITIGATION

travel hundreds of miles and even enter the

jet stream to travel greater distances. Think
about it: Almost every year, wildfires cause
as much GHG emissions as nearly one-fifth
to one-fourth of the U.S. auto fleet’s annual
GHG emissions.
Therefore, it is evident wildfires are part of
the challenge in the fight against harmful GHG
emissions, given they are substantial annual
contributors of these emissions. This reality
is yet another critical reason why the electric
utility must introduce more robust wildfire
mitigation solutions. Emerging technologies,
such as GRIDWIDE FIRE-SPY, can help to
reduce GHG.

Thinking Bigger
Now, utilities can start thinking bigger when
it comes to their role in wildfire mitigation
Early detection and automated alerts are instrumental to getting timely notification of a potential event.
Photo by Adobe Licensed Images. and public safety gains. Whether it be due to
massive annual cost burdens, environmental damage,
GHG emissions impacts, and loss of life and injuries
associated with these events, all stakeholders including
utility operators must now apply perpetual focus. Year
after year, wildfire events have proven to us that “worst-
case scenarios” just keep coming; they are becoming
commonplace. And,we now see that our wildfire season
has become a full-time threat (i.e., nearly every month
is now registering wildfire occurrences). In turn, utility
operators need our ongoing support to adopt emerging
technologies to broaden our public safety protection ef-
forts. The grid provides a unique solution opportunity.
Once upon a time, people did not wear seat belts.
Now, virtually everyone does. Once upon a time, few
people had smoke detectors in their homes. Now, virtu-
ally everyone does. At present, community-wide outdoor
wildfire monitoring canopies are merely an emerging
solution. However, in due time, outdoor wildfire miti-
gation sensor solutions will become commonplace for
By leveraging the height, location and density of existing overhead transformers, field utilities. Perhaps the real question is this: How much
sensors can be used to create an overarching community-wide canopy that monitors cost burden, environmental damage and loss of life will
certain atmospheric and environmental conditions. Photo by Adobe Licensed Images.
justify this proactive approach?
As utilities contemplate where and when to deploy commu-
Recent wildfire-induced GHG emission estimates for the U.S.
nity-wide wildfire monitoring solutions, they also must con-
Year Wildfire GHG Emissions, Wildfire GHG, as % of sider the mental anguish and anxieties that ongoing wildfire
Million Tons U.S. Auto Emissions
risks present. Given the frequency and magnitude of wildfire
2017 295.1 21.4
events recorded to date, surely utilities have seen enough. Now
2018 258.2 18.7 is the time to begin the proactive process of further enhanc-
2019 137.3 9.8 ing wildfire mitigation and public safety efforts by leveraging
2020 302.4 21.4 existing distribution grid assets to get there.
2021 209.8 14.6
Sources: Insurance Information Institute, Choose Energy Inc., Eisenbach Consulting LLC, ALAN SNOOK ([email protected]) is co-founder and president of
U.S. Department of Transportation. GRID20/20, Inc. founded in 2011. Under Alan’s leadership, the company is now
Using this environmental understanding as a foundation, it is transitioning toward Public Safety Protection Solutions. The company’s leading
clear wildfire mitigation must be actively addressed at more seri- initiative is GRIDWIDE FIRE-SPY; a wildfire mitigation solution that leverages existing
ous levels. Annually, wildfires churn out massive levels of carbon grid architecture and capitalizes on the company’s lengthy intra-grid sensor history.
dioxide into the atmosphere. Plumes of smoke and ash sometimes GRIDWIDE FIRE-SPY represents an emerging subsidiary movement of the company.

44 T&D World | August 2022

SOLUTIONS CENTER BY PIERRE-ALAN GRAF, HITACHI ENERGY

For decades, utilities didn’t have to worry about cyber risk. Now,
several roadblocks in the industry’s thinking are holding back
cybersecurity progress. Photos courtesy of Hitachi Energy.

Five Cybersecurity Roadblocks

Utilities Need to Address
Ten years ago, cyber risk was not on the radar for utilities, but that has changed.

F
rom the ransomware shutdown of the Colonial Pipeline If we turn the clock back less than ten years, we see much
to SolarWinds impacting 25% of energy utilities, cyber of the world’s energy infrastructure was not digitalized.
crimes are stacking up against energy companies. But it’s Cyber risk was not even on the radar of most utilities. Times
taking utilities and the energy sector longer to catch up have changed. The energy sector is now experiencing a great
with cybersecurity than in other industries. transformation, shaped by digitalization. The adoption of
sensors and intelligent technologies is help-
ing utilities develop new business models and
more effective ways to manage their assets,
from substations to RTUs, as well as more easily
integrate renewable energy. In addition, the
convergence of information technology (IT)
and operational technology (OT) is knock-
ing down silos to reveal new synergies across
organizations and opportunities for increased
efficiencies.
It’s easy to see the benefits of the energy
sector’s digitalization. Yet the rapid pace of
this digitalization combined with relatively low
investment in digital risk management, can
leave this sector more vulnerable to costly cyber
Cyber risks are a growing concern for utilities, but fortunately there are new asset management attacks than other industries. Those industries
tools that can help. like financial services, for example, have been
46 T&D World | August 2022
 SOLUTIONS CENTER
3. “Never change a running system”
Ensuring the safety of human beings
is of paramount importance in a dan-
gerous system such as electricity. With
this in mind, the belief of not adapting
a once successfully installed system has
slowed down, or in some cases, blocked
system migrations necessary for security
reasons.

4. Build for generations

Due to the costly nature of electrical
systems, the principle of building grids
The engineering workforce for utilities is highly specialized and focused on the operation of specialized for several decades made and still makes
systems
sense. With computer technology and
dealing with cyber threats for much longer. This reality has digitization taking over, this principle needs to be adapted for
elevated cybersecurity to a critical level of concern for utilities. secondary technology and shorter life cycles need to be planned
for to ensure state of the art security.
Unique cybersecurity roadblocks facing utilities
For decades utilities have successfully managed resilience of the 5. Physical security is second priority
electricity system. It’s led to some very distinct principles such as: The resilient grid design and the dangerous nature of electricity
have historically made infrastructure security and access control
1. Resilience by design a low priority. In today’s world, managing physical security tightly
This foundational principle entailed the design of electrical and rapidly correlating security events has become necessary to
systems in such a way that failures in the electric system could prevent cyberthreats from local intrusions.
overcome major problems while maintaining security of supply.
However, this principle did isolate the power system from the How utilities can overcome these challenges
outer world to minimize system external effects. During my time at Swissgrid, the company embarked on a
focused initiative to tighten up its cyber- and physical secu-
2. High degree of workforce specialization rity practices and risk management. We sought global input,
The engineering workforce for utilities is highly specialized and including experts from the U.S. Very quickly, we came to real-
focused on the operation of specialized systems. This segrega- ize that the security culture needed to go hand-in-hand with
tion, while very effective in the operation of a siloed system, operational measures.
led to a minimal amount of cross-disciplinary collaboration Defining a security strategy, allocating the responsibility for
and experts with a very high degree of experience used to both cyber- and physical security to a Chief Security Officer
running their part of the system independently and without helped to build the base. We also came to realize that building
interference. and operating our own Security Operations Center (SOC) was

The adoption of sensors and intelligent technologies is helping utilities develop new business models and more effective ways to manage their assets.

August 2022 | T&D World 47

 SOLUTIONS CENTER
not enough: despite having an excellent team, we
could not match the speed with which the threats
changed. We therefore collaborated with others to
foster practice and information exchange. Finally,
and equally important, we recognized the need to
remain nimble and humble, acknowledging that
complacency is the road to increased vulnerability
because there is no way to know what an attacker
might have prepared.
Cyber threats and attacks will never go away –
in fact, their scale and impact continue to grow
at an alarming rate. To navigate this with success,
utilities need to develop a diverse, collabora-
tive, security and safety-minded culture from the
ground up. They should embrace an attitude of
A user of Hitachi’s Industrial Security Center identifies an intruder in a secure facility. constant vigilance and flexibility, and leverage
powerful digital tools across the dimensions of
cybersecurity, operations technology security and physical
security. Simply put: defense in, disruption out.

PIERRE-ALAIN GRAF brings over 30 years of experience to his position as SVP

of Hitachi Energy’s Global Security Business. Currently Graf leads Hitachi Energy’s
Industrial Security Center, which provides full transparency of IT and OT infrastructures
and of physical locations to deliver secure and efficient operations to customers. Graf
is also the co-chair of the World Economic Forum’s cyber resilience group. Previously
Cyber threats and attacks will never go away – in fact, their scale and impact Graf served as CEO of Swissgrid, Switzerland’s transmission grid operator, where he
continue to grow at an alarming rate. built the security division from the ground up.

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PLP.COM

48 T&D World | August 2022

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 PRODUCTS & SERVICES
Enersponse matches
Cloud App for Customer Service clients’ flexible
Oracle has announced Utilities Agent Service, a new cloud loads with intelligent
application specifically for utility customer service teams. Agent automation to avoid
Service brings billing, usage, and interaction history together carbon intensive
in a single dashboard to provide agents a holistic view of each energy use based on
customer. Combined with new AI-powered tools that guide agents their pre-determined
to the ‘next best action,’ the application helps agents resolve and customized
customer issues faster, while being able to recommend relevant specifications.
new services. For example, while helping a customer resolve a Enersponse’s
billing issue, an agent can notify the customer of a higher trending platform connects
bill, identify ways to reduce the bill, and either enroll them in a new to each site, providing access to real-time data and effortlessly
rate plan based on their usage patterns or provide a rebate. turns Clean Response energy reduction events into an impact
With the new cloud application, agents can easily see how statement that showcases how much CO2 has been avoided or
customers are interacting with the utility across all available service reduced across their portfolio. Customers can compare the CO2
channels, including phone, web, email, chat, and SMS. This helps avoided during events by the equivalent number of passenger cars
agents aid customers wherever they left off in the process, like removed from the road for a year; pounds of burned coal; measure
getting stuck setting up an online account and needing to continue the carbon sequestered by the number of acres of new forests in
over the phone. The new agent desktop application simplifies the U.S. annually; and more. The impact statements provide an
navigation for agents and helps utilities reduce employee training easier way to digest the information and takes ESG reporting to
time, while increasing their productivity and satisfaction. the next level. Customers of all sizes can participate by logging
Oracle | oracle.com into Enersponse’s user-friendly online platform that provides
the ability to control and choose Clean Response event settings
that match the needs of each of their individual sites. When the
Carbon Reduction Tool real-time carbon intensity of the grid is higher than acceptable,
Enersponse has announced Clean Response, a first-to-market Enersponse’s algorithm automates power down preferences such
product that automates the reduction of energy consumption when as dimming lights and reducing HVAC temperatures at big-box
the grid is “dirty” and the majority of power is being generated retail stores, slowing down pumping at water and wastewater
from non-renewable forms of energy like gas or coal. To help curb treatment plants or pausing deep freeze cycles at supermarkets .
reliance on fossil fuels, Clean Response monitors the real-time Enersponse | www.enersponse.com
carbon make-up of the grid and when CO2 percentages are high,
Online Resource

Terex Utilities has launched a new online

resource for utility professionals, to connect
them with expert information on using
and maintaining aerial devices and digger
derricks. Utility Pros delivers valuable,
relevant and consistent content that covers
parts and service, field operations, safety,
applications, and industry regulations. With
a new post every week, Utility Pros will also
occasionally share a Terex Tech Tip that
provides service advice or a Safety Share
that covers ways to enhance safe work
practices. Example articles include:
• Setting Up Bucket Trucks and Digger
Derricks in Slick Conditions

50 T&D World | August 2022

 PRODUCTS & SERVICES
• Commonly Overlooked Annual Inspection Items on Bucket administration and development within Esri and other utility
Trucks and Digger Derricks GIS platforms. GSI’s UDS team quickly adapts to any clients’
• Three Important Tips on Conducting Your Own Annual needs. By utilizing GSI’s experience within the industry, UDS
Inspections is capable of overseeing design projects that include overhead
• Choosing the Right Auger Tooling for Your Digger Derrick and underground work, joint use attachments and special
Terex Utilities | www.terex.com/utilities projects, such as service to solar farms and Bitcoin mines. GSI’s
solutions are designed to support complex workflows, analyze
Cloud App comprehensive engineering data, and manage the environment
to keep energy flowing, while delivering the results their clients
Veritone, Inc. has launched its intelligent distributed energy need. Whether it’s manpower planning, overgrown vegetation or a
resource management solution (iDERMS) to enable utilities, new extension line, GSI’s engineering and mobile solutions keep
Independent Power Producers (IPP’s) and microgrid developers to client organizations completely aligned and running smoothly.
accelerate the transition to clean energy, while still meeting their
strategic, regulatory and environmental objectives. Leveraging GeoSpatial Innovations, Inc. | gsiworks.com
its aiWARE enterprise platform, Veritone’s
iDERMS solution harnesses the power of AI
to revolutionize today’s energy ecosystems
through proprietary, intelligent, real-time
energy forecasting, optimization, and
control, unlocking the full potential of DERs
while enhancing reliability. Inclusive of three
main modules-Forecaster, Optimizer and
Controller-the solution allows for tackling
industry challenges at a pace best suited

ARE YOU SECURE?

to meet each customer’s specific goals,
timelines, or budget, while simultaneously
addressing reliability and the commercial
Protect your substation with a
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Veritone | veritone.com

Utility Design Services

GeoSpatial Innovations, Inc. (GSI) has

launched GSI Utility Design Services
(UDS). GSI streamlines workflow for utility
designers with its proprietary Distribution
Design Studio (DDS) software and is now
enhancing its offerings with UDS. This new
service will serve as an extension of each
client organization in order to assist with the CONTACT US FOR A FREE
execution of design needs while integrating CONSULTATION WITH ONE
key data from their Geographic Information
Systems (GIS) and other in-situ systems.
OF OUR PROFESSIONAL
Since 1999, GSI has been providing electric ENGINEERS OR SPECIALISTS.
SCAN TO VISIT OUR SITE
companies with design and engineering
solutions through products such as DDS (800) 942-9255 CONCRETEFENCE.COM
and helping energy companies implement
and maintain GIS systems, including

August 2022 | T&D World 51

 PRODUCTS & SERVICES
Industrial Videoscope MV Switchgear
Titan Tool Supply Inc. has introduced its TVM Series, a family of Schneider Electric has launched its SureSeT MV switchgear
handheld industrial videoscopes. Offered in four standard models, offering for the North American market. This new and improved
TVM Series industrial videoscopes provide remote solution, backed by the EvoPacT circuit breaker, replaces the
visual inspection and diagnostic capabilities across Schneider Electric Masterclad solution for primary switchgear
a diverse array of applications. All TVM Series applications with a smaller, stronger and smarter solution for
models feature a 4.3-in. monitor and user-friendly managing digital day-to-day operations. SureSeT and EvoPacT
button technology. Individual models are further combine to offer a range of benefits over traditional equipment,
offered with a choice of either a 4.5 mm including:
or 6.2 mm diameter cable, and • Digitally “Active”: Newly integrated digital features offer insights
either a 1.5 m or 3 m working into day-to-day operations for remote access, monitoring and
cable length. All TVM Series control of equipment health, predictive maintenance and
cabling further includes a operational efficiency
tungsten braided sleeving • Compact design: Optimize space in commercial and
for added durability and industrial buildings with MV switchgear that’s 25% smaller
reliability within dirty or than standard designs
harsh industrial applications. • Longer lifetime: Built to last for up to 40 years and through
The mechanical joystick that is incorporated into each Model 30,000 operations – 3x the industry standard
TVM Series unit is designed for ease of operator control. It offers • Greater uptime: Embedded sensors detect problems earlier
full-360° four-way articulation, as well as operator-applied and and predict potential issues based on real-time asset insights
guided input capabilities, for direct control of both the camera – maintenance is based on condition rather than time without
and articulating camera tip during remote visual inspections. service interruption
The camera can also hold its designated position after joystick • Enhanced operational safety: Minimize potential equipment
pressure is released. issues with complete 360° insight into digital operations from
a safe working distance
Design of the articulating camera tip incorporates a series
The EvoPacT circuit breaker is key to SureSeT’s integrated
of high-intensity LEDs with five-step intensity control. The LEDs
condition monitoring capabilities, allowing operators to manage,
allow the joystick to guide the videoscope more accurately and
prioritize and triage impending equipment issues, increasing
easily through narrow bores, channels, curves, and other complex
facility uptimes. This also enables technicians to remain at a safe
geometries, and including in areas where diminished lighting
working distance by using native wireless communications to
conditions may otherwise be of concern.
operate equipment and gather data. In addition to accessing data
Titan Tool Supply | www.titantoolsupply.com from remote devices, it can also be shared via cloud connection

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52 T&D World | August 2022

 PRODUCTS & SERVICES
to digital services, like EcoStruxure enclosed high speed hydraulic pump, brushless motor, REDLINK
Asset Advisor, to fully optimize system electronics and REDLITHIUM batteries delivering reliability in
interoperability. EvoPacT breakers are the toughest conditions and up to 4 times longer life. Featuring
equipped with digital technology that Milwaukee ONE KEY technology, the utility crimper enables the
unlocks state-of-the-art capabilities, user to store real time crimp data, generate professional reports,
providing insight into electrical view historical tool performance data and sync it all wirelessly to
distribution systems. Combining sensors, the cloud for easy access. For ultimate versatility Milwaukee M18
apps, services, and a digital logbook. 750 MCM Cable Cutting Jaw (49-16-2772) and M18 477 ACSR Jaw
Digital insights from the SureSeT and (49-16-2773) are easily interchangeable on all 2678-20 models. The
EvoPacT Active ranges empower facility kit includes two M18 2.0 REDLITHIUM batteries, bucket bag and
managers to proactively manage any carabineer.
potential issues that arise in real-time, Milwaukee Tool | www.milwaukeetool.com
reducing risks, lifetime costs and
downtime to operations – a pivotal step for businesses that rely on
large amounts of power for critical work, including manufacturers, Mobile Workstation
hospitals and data centers.
Getac has launched its X600 and X600 Pro, two 15.6-inch
Schneider Electric | se.com/us/sureset fully rugged mobile workstation variants designed to deliver
comprehensive mobile C3 planning for professionals requiring
Utility Crimper optimal performance, security and data transmission capabilities
and reliability across a wide range of operationally challenging
The M18 FORCE LOGIC 6T Utility Crimper delivers an easy way
environments. The X600 is designed to enable users to achieve
to crimp in tight spaces. Moving the grip to
mission-critical tasks quickly and efficiently. Offering 16GB DDR4
the center of tool delivers control in class 3
RAM memory as standard (with up to 128GB optional) ensures
gloves, improving alignment and accuracy. The
lightning-fast processing speeds, while an optional NVIDIA Quadro
crimpers feature the industry’s first adaptive
RTX3000 discrete graphics controller can elevate the graphical
pressure control system, PFM. PFM actively
performance to even higher standards if required. The X600
measures pressure and automatically modifies
features expandability to match modern data demands, supporting
all performance levels of the system allowing
three PCIe SSDs for up to 6TB internal storage. The X600 Pro
the high speed hydraulic pump to
features PCMCIA and Express card slots as standard, alongside
power through the beginning of a
additional expanded battery capacity and DVD super drive/optional
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Puget Sound Energy

Dominion Energy Georgia Power @
This week, 15 PSE employees
POV: your office is 27 miles GeorgiaPower
served the Bainbridge Island
from shore in the Last week, we hosted guests from
community by volunteering for the
Atlantic Ocean across the state for our 2022 Hurricane
Bainbridge Island Rotary’s Auction &
and up to 800ft Preparedness event. Visitors and
Rummage Sale! PSE is proud to be
in the air. customers from municipalities,
a long-time sponsor of the Auction.
Smart. Skilled. emergency management agencies,
PSE is also partnering with numerous
Fearless. Our media outlets and more got a first-
community organizations this weekend
Coastal Virginia hand look at our Storm, Social Media
to sponsor the July 3rd Street Dance,
Offshore Wind and Mobile Command Centers.
the July 4th Bainbridge Youth Services
(CVOW) team is Fun Run and the Grand Old 4th of July
on the front lines events!
of renewable
energy.

San Diego Gas & Electric

The San Diego Padres teamed
up with SDG&E for a fourth season in
a row to honor organizations in San
Diego who are dedicated to keeping
our communities safe. This year, the
Southern California Edison
Padres and SDG&E presented three
(SCE)
$10,000 checks to the San Diego Fire AEP Ohio @AEPOhio When dangerous wind conditions
Rescue Foundation, San Diego Fire Storm Update: Lightning strikes prompt Public Safety Power Shutoffs,
Fighters Relief Association, and Fire have resulted in scattered power our Community Crew Vehicles are
Safe Council of San Diego County to outages. More crews are arriving deployed to impacted communities.
help further their work in keeping our to assist with repairs. Get updated Mobile resources are a safe place
communities safe and prepared. restoration times as they become for customers to gather, charge
available. electronics, and receive a resiliency kit
& updates.

54 T&D World | August 2022

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August 2022 | T&D World 55

STRAIGHT TALK BY DOUG HOUSEMAN, 1898 & CO.

FERC’s New Draft Interconnection Process: Hindrance or Help?

O
n the June 16, the Federal Energy If the ability to change the applications continues unabat-
Regulatory Commission (FERC) ed, it is likely that the deadlines proposed by FERC will never
put forward a new draft inter- be met. ISOs currently using cluster studies all end up with
connection process (RM22-100) to try re-study after re-study as applicants vie with each other to
to help speed up the study queue, which maximize returns and minimize investment.
is up to six years long in some ISO/
RTO locations. While the idea is won- What Works
derful and would move approximately A major win for FERC in RM22-100 is allowing two or more
1,400 GW of renewables through the applications to use a single point of interconnection. This will
queue, some of the changes FERC made make it easier to install storage or additional generation at an
will help, while others will probably hurt the process. FERC’s existing or proposed new interconnection. Permitting multi-
goals were to eliminate speculative applications and applicants ple applications to use one interconnection might move more
submitting multiple applications. The results may be mixed. new projects closer to firm power (with storage) than most
In many sections of the document, FERC asked for addi- variable renewables interconnections are now.
tional input and information. Since this is a draft, there is time Cost sharing on grid upgrades is now encouraged, which
to read and submit information before the proposed new pro- will work well unless an applicant pulls out of the process late,
cess is finalized. Readers are encouraged to speak up to FERC, leaving the rest of the applicants with higher costs. Requiring
should they see issues or have information that they think applicants to post bonds for shared upgrade costs is a must. On
FERC should review. the upside, if a group of applicants pays for an upgrade, when
Speculative applications raise costs and add time for the future interconnections are installed in that area, new appli-
applicants, the transmission owners, and the Independent Sys- cants will be expected to contribute to completed upgrades.
tem Operators (ISOs). Removing as much of this excess time When this happens, proportional rebates could be given to the
and costs as reasonable is important to minimize costs in the early movers who initially paid for the upgrades.
energy transition. FERC’s decision to require proof of exclusive site control,
and specific acreage for each type of generation, should reduce
What May Not Work speculation. This factor is likely to have the largestpractical
The first issue is requiring transmission providers, who typical- effect in the reform.
ly have fewer planners and analysts than ISOs, to provide a pre-
queue study that shares significant data about the transmission Watch Out
system’s ability to support the proposed interconnection. This One area that both applicants and transmission owners need
additional step will probably increase, rather than shorten, the to pay special attention to is the alternate technology section,
time for approval; but it may reduce the number of speculative which allows use of dynamic line rating and other newer tech-
applications that enter the queue. nologies. Expect that this section will generate more arguments
The second move by FERC was to require some level of over the next 20 years than all the rest of the changes. FERC
financial commitment from the applicant. Unfortunately, has not done a wonderful job of defining when alternative tech
the requirements are trivial compared to the investment for should be used, nor has it provided a list of generally approved
large projects. FERC should increase the commitment for alternative technologies. Yes, this leaves the rules open to utiliz-
entering the study queue to at least 25% of the estimated proj- ing any future technology, but almost every applicant is going
ect costs. Allowing any large interconnection to proceed into to try to lower their costs by having multiple alternatives con-
the queue without an off-taker agreement or plan, if the ap- sidered, even when the technology is ill-defined. Expect this to
plicant is a load-serving or wholesale market participant, increase the total time from application to operation for many
means speculators will continue to play the same games in new applications.
the interconnection queue. Modeling requirements for transmission owners and ISOs
Next FERC suggests using cluster studies, but FERC did not will increase significantly based on this draft, while timelines
prohibit applicants from changing their plans mid-study. This will be fixed, including daily penalties for missing deadlines.
is the largest issue slowing cluster studies; whenever one appli- Some of FERC’s suggested changes increase the complexity
cant changes its plans, the others react, and the study is back to and therefore the time required to complete the studies. In
square one. FERC should have required applications to remain other sections, FERC is working hard to curb speculation. On
unchanged until the initial study was complete. At that point, balance, most organizations will struggle to meet the proposed
every applicant in a cluster gets one chance to make changes to tighter deadlines with their existing staff and modeling tools.
their proposal or withdraw, and a final re-study is done. Once
in the restudy queue, every applicant should be committed to DOUG HOUSEMAN is principal consultant at 1898 & Co., a Burns & McDonnell
pay the cost of interconnection, regardless. division.

56 T&D World | August 2022

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 LINES & STRUCTURES

Engineers Don’t Just Think, They Know

By OTTO J. LYNCH, Power Line Systems

W
hen I was a very young Engineer in Of course, we don’t exactly know any of this.
Training, I was reviewing one of my However, can we perceive or grasp in our minds
projects with the Engineer of Record with clarity what we think they will be? Can we
(EOR) before he would put his Professional regard as true beyond doubt these values based
Engineer stamp on it. The EOR was one of my on years of research and validations? Can we
first bosses and, I am glad to say, is still a mentor gain a practical understanding of what these
of mine 33 years later. As he was reviewing my principals are through experience and skill?
calculations (all by hand back then) and draw- Absolutely!
ings (very early days of CAD), he was rightfully ASCE has an entire series of Manuals of
asking me many tough questions. Practices and Standards that are specifically
He must have finally gotten tired of my re- written for the overhead grid infrastructure,
peated responses that had the word ‘think’ in and many of them are being updated as I write
them. He finally stopped me and said “Otto, this column. What better way to know that your
engineers don’t just think, they know! Now come methods and calculations are correct than to
back to me when you know the answers.” This is a statement that follow centuries of combined industry expertise that are continu-
I live by to this day. ously being revised and updated? If you are not familiar with them
However, is it really possible to ‘know’ everything? I’ve been already, I would encourage you to discover them and use them!
in this industry for 33 years and I still do not ‘know’ everything. One of the best ways to become aware of them and their knowl-
And I never will. That is why I enjoy my career so much as I am edge is to attend the upcoming ASCE/SEI Electrical Transmission
learning new things every day. & Substation Structures (ETS) Conference in Orlando next Oct.
But just because I might learn something new when I read an 2-6, 2022; https://www.etsconference.org/. See Mr. Cashman’s closing
article in T&D World, hear an outstanding presentation and read column on the back of this supplement for more information on
an excellent paper at the upcoming ASCE/SEI ETS Conference the ETS Conference. The full technical papers of all of the articles
(more on this later), listen to new ideas and concepts shared by in this supplement will be presented at the ETS Conference.
the experts at ASCE Standards and Manuals of Practices com- As I conclude my thoughts on this topic, I do have a great
mittee meetings, or hear a presentation at any number of other concern about the state of our industry today. There are a lot
venues, does that mean that I suddenly ‘know’ this new topic? of companies outside of our industry that see the opportunities
To help me understand this better, I looked up the definition and are offering solutions when they don’t know a thing about
of ‘know’ on that expert of all things known, the Internet. The the subject matter. As a lineman friend once told me, ‘They don’t
top three definitions are: 1) “To perceive directly; grasp in the even know which end of the pole goes up!’
mind with clarity or certainty.” 2) “To regard as true beyond There are a many that are practicing engineering well outside
doubt.” 3) “To have a practical understanding of, as through of their areas of expertise. In fact, many times an engineer is
experience; be skilled in.” not even involved in these efforts. How do they ‘know’ what they
My wife gets quite upset with me whenever she asks me a ques- are doing when they do not even understand that wires move up
tion and I reply “I don’t know. I’m sorry, but I do not know why and down with temperature and ice, and blow out with wind?
Becky’s car isn’t starting; she lives three states away from us!” How can a proper vegetation analysis even be done when the
Next time I get one of those impossible questions to answer, I’m wire movement envelope is not known, or worse, not known
going to pull out an index card I now have in my back pocket about to begin with? How can a proper storm hardening effort
with these definitions and show it to her. be undertaken if the fundamentals of structural engineering
On the other side of this, is it actually possible to ‘know’ every- aren’t known?
thing about an engineering design that we obtained degrees in If you are involved with any such project and do not have an
and have extensive experience in? Do we actually know exactly engineer who knows these behaviors of wires and structures, I
what the maximum wind speed and/or the maximum ice load would highly encourage you to get an engineer involved who
on an overhead line will be? Do we actually know exactly what does know.
the yield strength of the steel on a tubular pole or a lattice tower
is? Do we actually know exactly the strength of every single one OTTO J. LYNCH is vice president of Bentley and head of Power Line Systems. He is a
of those wood poles? Do we actually know exactly how much a member of American Society of Civil Engineers, IEEE, and National Electrical Safety
wire will sag under an increased temperature? Code. He is a registered professional engineer.

August 2022 | T&D World 1

 Long Span
Transmission
Structures
Go 3D
Special transmission structures are
needed by today’s interconnected
power grid.
By ANTHONY J. HANSEN, DONGHUI YUAN,
WILLIAM REISDORFF, and DIAAELDIN MOHAMED,
Valmont Utility

N
ever before has the power delivery system needed such a wide variety of structures and
towers to meet the needs of transmission grid. Some transmission lines require very long
span crossings over rivers and other obstacles. The increased height and heavy loading
may make lattice towers and tubular H-frames inefficient designs for these structures.
Innovative tubular 3D (3 dimensional) frame design are an effective solution for developing
those tall, long span transmission structures. The 3D configuration significantly increases the
structural capability in resisting heavy longitudinal loads due to broken wire or unbalanced
wire tensions. While the overall configuration may appear similar to lattice towers, all main
members in this type of frame are tubular sections that provide much higher loading capacities.
As the utility industry continues to build a more reliable and more interconnected power
grid, we have seen an increased need for more special transmission structures crossing longer
spans and carrying heavier loads. This presents a new challenge for structural engineers because
neither single tubular poles nor H-frames, even in large sizes, yield efficient or cost-effective
designs in these applications. The 3D tubular frame is a new solution integrating advantages
of tubular strengths and multiple legs with sub-bracing.

Entergy Louisiana’s largest transmission project

in its history at Lake Charles. Courtesy of Entergy.

August 2022 | T&D World 3

 LINES & STRUCTURES

are not tall. In China, pipe leg lattice

Shield wire arm towers are used in 1000-kV ultra-high
voltage transmission lines replacing
angle legs with round tubular members
Column
to increase loading capacity. In the US
and Japan, pipe leg lattice towers are
also used for some telecommunication
Conductor arm structures.
The tubular 3D transmission
frames developed by Valmont Utility
are different structures. The modu-
Leg lar configuration is customized for
optimum design of structures with
various heights, number of circuits,
Cross brace loading conditions and foundation
footprints. Frames more than 400 ft.
(122m) tall with 80 ft. x 80 ft. (24m x
24m) footprint have been designed
and fabricated.
Most frames have long spans cross-
ing rivers or lakes, including angle and
Tubular 3D frame configuration.
dead-end frames with heavy loads in
both transverse and longitudinal directions. New types of con-
nections and brace members are designed and validated by both
Finite Element Analysis and full-scale load test.

Configuration
The typical configuration of a double-circuit 3D tubular frame
includes upper body and lower body connected at a transition
height. The upper body has four vertical tubular columns, tubular
conductor arms and shield wire arms. The conductor arms are
horizontal, and they are in the middle vertical plane between
two front columns and two back columns.
The conductor arms are connected to the four vertical columns
with flange joints. Arm(s) for shield wires can be one horizontal
Mesh elements in vertical legs, static wire and top conductor arms.
arm connected to the top of vertical columns or can be two slanted
arms connected to the top of front columns. The lower body has
In the United States, tubular 3D transmission frames have four tubular legs inclined to the vertical axis extending from
been used in limited applications in the past. In many high the transition height down to foundations at the ground line.
voltage substations, deadend A-frames are installed but they The base plate at the bottom of each leg is connected to the
anchor bolts in reinforced concrete
A: Case 1 (1st day)
Type: Equivalent foundation or to steel caisson founda-
(von-Mises) Stress
Time: 1 tion. Tubular cross braces are used at
Deformation scale factor: various heights to connect two legs in
1.0 (True scale)
68207 Max each of the four face planes in lower
63337 body.
58467
53597
A 3D tubular frame may look like
48727 a lattice tower or pipe leg tower, but
43856 the quantity of members is much
38986
34116
less which reduces installation labor
29246 and erection time. Additionally, the
24375 four legs connected with cross braces
19505
14635
convert external loading to large
9764.9 axial force and avoid large bending
4894.6 0.00 50.00 100.00 (in) moment at the base.
24.431 Min 25.00 75.00
The customized tubular legs are
Von Mises stress in upper conductor arm, static wire arms, and top vertical legs. sized to support the required axial and
4 T&D World | August 2022
 LINES & STRUCTURES

bending loads. The leg members can be tapered or non-tapered. checkup, the more sophisticated FEA in ANSYS is like an MRI,
They not only offer higher capacity resisting axial tension and which scans and produces more detail and depth into the target
compression forces, but also have sufficient capacity resisting areas to make sure nothing is overlooked. ANSYS provides a rich
buckling and bending. Some structures require helicopter instal- graphics capability that can be used to display analysis results
lation because access to the site is not available or because the on a very high-resolution graphics workstation.
structure height makes crane installation infeasible. ANSYS computational model solves linear and nonlin-
The weight of members in a 3D tubular frame can be controlled ear 3D PDEs (i.e. strain displacement, nodal displacement,
in design to accommodate helicopter installation options. The and stress equations), to determine the deformation, stress,
reduced bending moment at the base also reduces foundation strain, and forces across each node in the solid domain.
size and cost. Accuracy of FEA is in proportion to the degree of mesh
refinement in the model. A highly refined mesh is used in
Design and Analysis this analysis.
The design of tubular 3D frames follows
the ASCE 48 Standard ‘Design of Steel
Transmission Pole Structures’. This stan-
dard has established a full set of criteria for
tubular members and connection designs,
and requires a nonlinear analysis with sec-
ond order effects. The legs, columns and
cross arms are modeled as beam members.
The cross braces are modeled as axial force
only truss members. The grades and types
of steel used for 3D frames are the same as
for transmission poles.
Because of the importance and height
of a long span structure, usually a higher
reliability level is considered by the line
designer. The extreme wind load cases
should include wind in several directions –
transverse, longitudinal and diagonal.
A robust and visual design software is
paramount to model and analyze this new
type structure. An in-house program for
tubular structures has been enhanced to
process the increased complexity of tall
3D frames.
The goals of design optimization are to
minimize bending moments at base of the
legs and to minimize total structure cost.
Although the common footprint pattern is
a square, a rectangle pattern can be more
efficient for some frames. There are times
when the right of way is smaller than the
optimal footprint. It is essential to know up-
front if there is a limit to the available space.
The tubular 3D frames are much more
rigid than single poles in both transverse
and longitudinal directions. Deflections in
tubular 3D frames as a percentage of struc-
ture height are much smaller. Even under
the maximum design load, deflection at top
of these frames is typically between 2% and
3% of the structure height.

ANSYS Validation
If the design and optimization by in-house
software is like ultrasound in a medical
August 2022 | T&D World 5
 LINES & STRUCTURES

A: Case 1 (1st day) The best way to prove it is via full-

Total deformation
Type: Total deformation scale loading test. Except hot spot
Unit: inches
Time: peak stress, ANSYS results of the static
Max:59.819
Min: 0 analysis are very close to the results
Deformation scale
factor: 1.0 (True scale) from the in-house design program.
59.819 Another motivation for the ANSYS
55.546
analysis comes from inspection of the
51.273
static design output. A tubular 3D frame
47.001
results in long and slender members
42.728 that are susceptible to Wind Induced
38.455 Vibration (WIV) due to vortex shed-
34.182 ding. It is important early in the design
29.910 and validation processes of this new
25.637 product to perform a Computational
21.364 Fluid Dynamics (CFD) type analysis ei-
17.091 ther to verify that vibration is not an is-
12.818 sue or to take steps to mitigate vibration
8.5456 before design is finalized and structure
0.00 500.00 1000.00 (in) is fabricated. Details of the CFD vibra-
4.2728

0
250.00 750.00 tion mode and mitigation analysis are
beyond the scope of this paper.
Deflections.

The solid mesh contains approximately 15 million hexahedron Full Scale Loading Test
and tetrahedron elements, with mid-size nodes activated and an To further validate the design, quality and performance of tubular
inflation of five to 10 layers around the outer walls. The average 3D transmission frame, a full-scale loading test was performed.
size of the mesh is 0.1 in. (2.54 mm). All computational studies Six load cases were selected by the customer and Valmont engi-
are performed on a high-end desktop workstation that utilizes neers for the test: one extreme wind, one deflection limit and
40 cores to handle such huge number of mesh elements. four broken wire cases.
Engineer’s knowledge and experience are important in per- The broken wire condition is at one shield wire plus one con-
forming FEA and interpreting the results. Maximum stress in ductor point or at two conductor points. The transverse and
controlling load cases at isolated ‘hot spots’ are higher than vertical loads were applied at two shield wire points and six con-
the 65 ksi (448 Mpa) minimum yield strength of steel used for ductor points. Longitudinal loads were applied at the shield wire
pole and arm shafts. Peak stress at isolated ‘hot spots’ some- and conductor points where broken wire conditions occur. The
what higher than yield strength in highly refined FEA model wind load on the frame itself was converted into concentrated
is not an issue in reality. transverse forces at the top and bottom of the right columns.

Mississippi River crossing in progress. Courtesy of Entergy.

6 T&D World | August 2022

 LINES & STRUCTURES

115-kV DC River Crossing. Courtesy of Dominion Power.

ANSYS FEA validation and full scale loading test.
• Tubular 3D frames have been successfully installed and
Indonesia 500-kV DC. Courtesy of PLN. put in operation for US and international customers.
The 3D test frame passed 100% loading in all six load cases
without failure or permanent deformation in any member or WILLIAM REISDORFF JR is the vice president of Engineering for Valmont Industries
connection. After loading was removed, the structure came back Utility division. He has 36 years of experience in the utility industry and has worked
to about 1 in. from the original position. Deflections met cus- with many utilities and many interesting structures over those years. Reisdorff is a
tomer specified limit and were close to calculated values. After graduate of the University of Nebraska with a bachelor of science degree in Civil
the structure was disassembled, post-test inspection confirmed Engineering. In addition, he is a registered Professional Engineer in the state of
everything was in good condition. Nebraska. Reisdorff is a member of the ASCE 48 committee, the ASCE 74
committee, and the NESC sub-committee 5.
Examples of 3D Frame
Most tubular 3D frames have been designed and supplied ANTHONY J. HANSEN, PE EMERITUS, has been married for 46 years to wife May.
for U.S. customers. Entergy Louisiana’s largest transmission They have three children and five grandchildren. He graduated from the University
project in its history was the ‘Lake Charles’ project. The struc- of Nebraska with a BSCE. Hansen joined Valmont Industries in 1981 and worked in
tures are 305 ft. (93 m) to the top with 10 ft. (3 m) tall light- various capacities in the utility division, the communication engineering department,
ening rod above. The span between the two frames is almost and the wind energy department. Hansen holdsfour patents and has co-authored two
1500 ft. (457 m). The spread of steel caisson foundations is papers. He retired in 2019.
48 ft. (14.6 m) in transverse direction and 96 ft. (29.2 m) in
longitudinal direction. DONGHUI YUAN is the senior engineering director of North America Transmission in
The structures are in a swamp area. Due to variable water level, Valmont Utility. He has 28 years of experience designing steel tubular transmission,
top of the caissons are at 10 ft. (3 m) above ground. The line was telecommunication and lighting structures in U.S. and International projects. Donghui
energized in late 2018 and went through extreme weather events has a bachelor’s degree in naval architecture from Shanghai JiaoTong University and a
including historically severe hurricane season in 2020. The 3D master’s degree in civil engineering from Iowa State University. He is a registered P.E.
tubular frames have performed in various challenging conditions and certified PMP.
including category 4 hurricane supporting power delivery 24/7.
DIAAELDIN MOHAMED is the senior R&D engineering manager at Valmont Utility. Dr.
Conclusions Mohamed is Valmont’s subject matter expert in finite element analysis, computational
• The innovative tubular 3D transmission frame is an effec- fluid dynamics, fluid-structure interaction, and fatigue studies. Dr. Mohamed leads the
tive solution for very tall structures crossing long spans. wind-induced vibration analysis to mitigate the vortex shedding phenomenon in solar
• The R&D process and design process of tubular 3D trackers, transmission, and substations structures. Dr. Mohamed holds two patents
frames have undergone comprehensive static analysis, and has co-authored 28 publications. Dr. Mohamed is married and has two children.

8 T&D World | August 2022

 LINES & STRUCTURES

Structural Materials That

Increase Resistance
to Wildfires
Testing and evaluation is the best way to assure that
structures and towers will survive a wildfire.
By CLINTON Y. CHAR, BRIAN FLYNN, and SERGIO ARAMBULA,
Southern California Edison

D
ue to global climate change, the frequency and intensity
of wildfires is increasing. This poses severe problems for
utility companies as both distribution and transmission
lines are frequently routed through grasslands and for-
ested areas to minimize aesthetic impacts to urbanized areas.
Having been affected by wildfires in the past, Southern California
Edison (SCE) has taken a proactive approach to fire harden the
structures on its system.
SCE has adopted a fire test protocol that simulates the heat
and intensity of wildfire. It has tested a variety of products to
that protocol to determine the effectiveness of that product to
either protects its structures from wildfires or to increase the fire
resistance of its structures when exposed to wildfires.

Fire Testing Protocol

The fire testing protocol was developed by Mark Ackerman of the
University of Alberta and will be used as the protocol of choice
for all fire testing discussed. In the Ackerman test, a full-sized
pole is embedded in the ground. A 12 ft (3.66 m) high shroud
is then placed around the pole. An annular space is maintained
between the shroud and the test pole so that the pole is exposed
to flames from all sides.
At the start of the test, propane is injected into the shroud
and ignited. The flow rate of the propane and the time duration
of the test can be adjusted to create test conditions to simulate
different wildfire fuel types. Measurements of conditions inside
the shroud include heat flux to the shroud boundary and com-
bustion product temperature. These measurements are used to
gauge test conditions and test to test variability. For the SCE tests,
test temperatures of approximately 1,800ºF (982ºC) to 2,100ºF
(1,149ºC) were achieved for 3 minutes.
After a pole is exposed to the test, it is full-scale break
tested. A comparison of the break test results between the
fire tested pole and a control set of poles not exposed to the
fire testing will determine the relative fire resistance across
Ackerman Fire test setup. Courtesy of SCE. the materials.
10 T&D World | August 2022
 LINES & STRUCTURES

Testing Poles and Their Materials

SCE has performed fire tests on a va-
riety of different structural materials
and pole types. The results varied and
provided a great deal of insight on how
fire impacts the material used by SCE
for poles and structures. These materi-
als included ductile iron, concrete, and
tubular steel. In addition, SCE tested
two fire shield technologies using fiber
reinforced polymer (FRP) materials to
protect FRP poles and a fire mesh to
protect wood poles. Let’s look into the
process in a little more detail.
The fire testing took place at the
Southwest Research Institute (SWRI)
facilities. SCE subjected ductile iron
poles manufactured by McWane to
the fire testing procedures. After the
test, the two fire exposed poles and
one control pole, were placed under
full-scale destructive testing at the
Full-scale test performed at EDM of ductile iron pole. Courtesy of McWane.
EDM International lab in Ft. Collins,
Colorado, to observe possible impacts
on strength and deflection from the 1400
Ackerman test. The Ackerman and T1 - Outer surface
EDM tests concluded that there was 1200
T2 - Between shield and pole
no negative impact on the strength or
1000 T3 - Inside pole
Temperature (celsious)

deflection capacity of the ductile iron

Tgas
poles due to the testing. The full-scale
800
testing revealed that the fire tested
poles on the average had a slight in-
600
crease in strength and less deflection
than the unburned control pole. This 400
suggests that annealing of the fire test-
ed poles could have occurred which 200
increased the pole strengths.
The next fire test was performed at 0
0 100 200 300 400 500 600
the SWRI facilities on spun cast con-
Time (seconds)
crete poles manufactured by Valmont.
Subsequent to the fire tests, full scale
Time vs temperature graph for RS pole fire test. Courtesy of RS Technologies.
break tests were performed to deter-
mine the relative effects which wildfires may have on spun con- performed to develop a statistical sample which would provide
crete poles. The purpose of these tests was to determine the a better indication of the performance of these poles under
reduction in strength after each pole was exposed to a simulated wildfire conditions.
wildfire. Three poles were used in this test. One pole was set aside Tubular steel poles manufactured by Valmont were the next
as a control pole, one pole was subjected to a 2-minute burn and poles to be fire tested at the SWRI facilities. Subsequent to the
one a 3-minute burn. The control pole was not fire tested and fire tests, full scale break tests were performed to determine the
used as the baseline for strength and deflection comparisons relative effects which wildfires may have on tubular steel poles.
with the fire tested poles. The 2-minute fire test sample did not The purpose of these tests was to determine the reduction in
exhibit a significant decrease in reduction of strength and deflec- strength after each pole was exposed to fire. Similar to the tests
tion when compared to the control pole. However, the 3-minute for the spun cast concrete poles, three poles were used for this
fire test sample did experience a reduction in strength and de- test. One being a control pole which was unburned, with one
flection capacity of approximately 23% and 17% respectively; pole being subjected to a 2-minute test and one pole being sub-
nevertheless the 3-minute test values well exceeded the ANSI jected to a 3-minute burn. Again the control pole would be the
design load of 2,925 lbs. (13.01 kN). Considering that these tests pole to which the strength and deflection results of the 2-minute
were performed on single poles, additional testing should be and 3-minute burn tests would be compared. Subsequent to
August 2022 | T&D World 11
 LINES & STRUCTURES

Removing the RS Fire Shield after fire test. Courtesy of SCE.

the various modules. The RS fire shield is an FRP shell that is
installed over the RS FRP pole. The shield is intended to serve
as a protective barrier between the wildfire and the pole. In its
design, when exposed to a wildfire, the shield would absorb the
heat energy of the fire while protecting the pole from the fire
and strength loss. For SCE, the shield is approximately 3/16 in
(4.76 mm) thick and is installed from ground line to a height of
20 ft (6.1 m) above ground.
In a test of the RS fire shield performed using the testing pro-
tocol in Tilbury, Ontario Canada, RS installed thermocouples
at four locations to obtain temperature data on the 45’, class 1
RS Fire Shield after fire test. Courtesy of SCE.. pole. The locations of the thermocouples were on the inside
the fire tests and the full-scale break tests, it was found that for of the shroud (to obtain the temperature of the gas within the
both the 2-minute and 3-minute fire tests, the tubular steel poles shroud), on the outer surface of the fire shield, between the fire
performed very well as there were no strength reductions and shield and the surface of the pole and on the inside of the pole.
the deflections were statistically similar. A 3-minute test was performed and a time versus temperature
plot was created for all four thermocouples.
Add-On Fire Protection In reviewing the data and the time versus temperature plot,
The FRP fire sleeve developed by Creative Pultrusions (CP) has while the maximum gas temperature ranged between 1,832°F
proven to be a valuable addition for pole fire protection. This (1,000°C) to 2,102°F (1,150°C), the temperature between the
FRP fire sleeve is installed over their pultruded FRP pole. The fire shield and the surface of the pole rose slowly but stayed
pultruded fire sleeve adds a significant level of fire protection well below the maximum gas temperatures at the end of the
to the pole as the sleeve is slid over the pultruded pole during 3-minute test. The results of the test show that the fire shield is
production and acts as a barrier to protect the pole from wildfires. effective in protecting the surface of the pole from the severe
CP has tested their fire sleeve to the fire test at the SWRI. In heat of a wildfire.
this test a 45’, class 1, fire sleeve protected pole was exposed to After the completion of the fire testing, the fire shield was
a temperature of 2,050°F(1,121°C) for two minutes. During the removed to visually examine the condition of the surface of
test the surface temperature of the pole under the fire sleeve the pole. While the shield was extensively damaged, the pole
was monitored with a thermocouple. At the conclusion of the behind the shield was discolored, however, it was undamaged.
test, it was noted that the surface temperature of the pole stayed Subsequent to the fire test, RS performed a full-scale break test
below the temperature where FRP material degradation would on the pole. The pole failed at a load that was 106% higher than
occur. After the fire testing, the pole was load tested to failure. the rated class load of the pole of 4,500 lbs. (20.02 kN). Thus,
The pole failed at a load that was 63% higher than the rated the fire shield protected the pole such that the pole continued
class load of the pole of 4,500 lbs. (20.02 kN). Based on these to retain its full strength after the simulated fire test.
results, it appears that the CP fire sleeve is an effective barrier in While SCE looked at materials for new poles, it also examined
protecting the CP pole from wildfires as the surface temperature a multitude of systems to protect its existing wood poles in high
of the pole stayed below the material degradation temperature. fire prone areas. After a lengthy testing and evaluation program,
RS Technologies has developed a FRP fire shield that goes with a fire mesh manufactured by Genics was selected for further
its manufactured modular composite pole system. In this system, testing to see how it would perform under wildfire conditions.
RS manufactures nine basic modules, from these nine modules The fire mesh is proprietary metal screen material which is
various pole sizes and classes can be assembled by combining coated with an intumescent material. The fire mesh is installed
12 T&D World | August 2022
 LINES & STRUCTURES

Installation of the Genics Fire Mesh. Courtesy of SCE. The Fire Mesh after the ASTM test. Courtesy of SCE.
fire mesh manufactured by Genics.
While the performance of these prod-
ucts was only evaluated by simulated
fire testing, the Lake Fire in 2020 pro-
vided SCE with an opportunity to see
how these products performed in an
actual wildfire.

Real World Experience

Left: Wood pole section after Lake Fire with activated Fire Mesh. Right: Wood pole section with Fire Mesh On Aug.12, 2020, the Lake Fire started
removed. Note the Fire Mesh protected the wood pole above it. Courtesy of SCE.
in a remote area north of Castaic Lake in
by wrapping the mesh around the wood pole to be protected Los Angeles county. It quickly spread from a few hundred acres
and stapling the mesh in place. The mesh allows the wood pole to several thousand acres as it pushed north. As the fire grew it
to acclimate to the environment around while protecting the created very dangerous conditions due to steep topography filled
pole from wildfires. When the mesh is exposed to the high heat with thick vegetation exacerbated by high ambient temperatures
of a wildfire the intumescent material expands and forms an and low relative humidity. The fire consumed over 31,000 acres
insulating barrier around the pole to protect it from the heat (12,545 hectare). Thirteen RS composite poles with the RS fire
and flames. shields and three wood poles with the fire mesh were affected
Initial testing was performed at the Western Fire Center in by the fire.
accordance with the ASTM draft wood pole fire test standard All 13 RS fire shield composite poles were standing after the
on several wood pole samples. After the test, a qualitative fire. SCE retired six of the poles for detailed post fire evaluations.
analysis was performed to determine the effectiveness of the The evaluations consisted of two parts – a visual inspection and
fire mesh in protecting the wood pole samples. The analy- structural evaluation.
sis showed that the fire mesh provided excellent protection Visually, the extent and types of damage witnessed on the fire
of the wood pole samples as the average calculated loss of shield of the poles after the Lake Fire were comparable to the
strength was 1.46%. damages seen in the simulated fire testing in the Akerman test.
The fire mesh was subsequently tested at the SWRI to the test This gave SCE a high confidence level that the testing protocol
product on full length wood poles. A three-pole test program accurately simulated real-world wildfire conditions.
was used where one pole would be unburned and used as a The visual damages found on the fire shield included:
control, one pole would be subjected to a 2-minute burn with • Discoloration within the shielded area
one pole being subjected to a 3-minute burn. Subsequent to the • Loose glass fibers in shield
fire testing, the poles were full-scale break tested. When compar- • Textured glass fibers
ing the break test results of the poles subjected to the 2-minute • Ash colors embedded into the pole
and 3-minute burns with the control pole, it was found that no • Charred shield
strength degradation was seen in the poles subjected to the fire • Discoloration above the shielded area
tests. Thus, the fire mesh was determined to be an effective • Broken glass fibers
product in protecting wood poles in wildfires. • Hanging glass fibers
Based on the research and testing that was performed, The damage observed on the fire shield from RS did not pen-
SCE decided to initially implement two products into its sys- etrate through the thickness of the shield, so it was evident that
tem. These were the RS fire shield composite poles and the the shield protected the pole from the flames.
14 T&D World | August 2022
 LINES & STRUCTURES

Left: Photomicrograph showing galvanizing removed on a lattice tower member by wildfire. Right: Photomicro- Discoloration on the RS pole above the shielded
graph showing a proper galvanized coating on a lattice tower member. Courtesy of Matergenics area. Courtesy of SCE.

to the wildfire were sent to Matergenics for lab analyses.

Table 1: Impacts on structural steel of critical temperatures.
The analysis found that with increasing temperatures of a
Temperature Structural Impact wildfire, the physical and mechanical properties of lattice steel
>200ºC or 392ºF Decrease in modulus of elasticity. could change. A summary of these changes is provided on the left.
>400ºC or 752ºF Decrease in yield strength and zinc will begin to melt. Thus, while a structure may appear to have survived a wildfire
>600ºCor 1,112ºF 50% loss in strength and oxidation will occur. unscathed, the testing revealed the potential loss of mechanical
>727ºC or 1,340ºF Steel becomes brittle if quenched strength and ductility could reduce the strength of the structure
to levels below its required factor of safety. This could lead to
Subsequent to the visual evaluation a structural evaluation catastrophic failure in the future. To mitigate this possibility,
was performed to see if the poles experienced any strength a detailed investigation on the structural steel should be per-
degradation due to the wildfire. For the structural evaluation, formed to determine if the steel has been negatively affected
four of the six retired poles were full scale tested to failure to by exposure to a wildfire.
determine the effects which exposure to wildfire would have on Lattice steel members are typically protected by galvaniz-
the strength and stiffness of the poles. All the poles failed at or ing. When exposed to high heat, the galvanizing layer could
above the RS design fiber stress values (FSV). The testing shows be melted and destroyed. This could lead to long term corro-
that the fire shield fully protected the poles during the wildfire. sion issues. Thus, after a fire, galvanized structures should be
It also revealed that while the shield was extensively damaged, inspected and tested for remaining galvanized layer thickness.
no strength degradation occurred on the poles. A close-up visual examination, preferably under moderate mag-
Three wood poles which were wrapped with the fire mesh nification, and coating thickness measurements should be made
by Genics were affected by the Lake Fire. All three poles were after fire exposure.
standing after the fire. One of the three poles was retired due to
excessive charring above the wrapped section on the pole. The CLINTON Y. CHAR ([email protected]) is the manager of the Transmission
extent and types of damage witnessed after the Lake Fire were Engineering, Poles Engineering group at the Southern California Edison, Co.
comparable with the damages seen in the simulated fire tests He has B.S. and M.S. degrees in civil engineering and is a registered professional
conducted on similarly configured wood poles. engineer with more than 30 years of transmission and distribution experience.
Upon close inspection of the retired pole, it was noted that He is a member of ASCE and is currently involved with two ASCE standards
the fire mesh had activated and that an intumescent barrier of committees. He has made numerous conference presentations and has published
approximately 0.5 in (1.27 cm) had formed. Upon removal of the 20 technical papers.
fire mesh, it was found that the pole under the mesh was undam-
aged and continued to retain the color and look of a pole which BRIAN FLYNN (brian.fl[email protected]) has worked as a technical specialist/scientist of
had not gone through a wildfire. Based on our observations, it wood products for Southern California Edison since 2008 and expanded from wood
could be concluded that the pole would continue to retain its full products to pole specialist in 2019 when he took over as composite pole expert. He
strength even after the wildfire. This shows that the fire mesh currently represents Edison on two national standard committees (AWPA and ANSI)
can effectively protect a pole in a wildfire. which set standards for the utility wood industry. Flynn has a bachelor of sciences
degree in forestry and natural resources from California Polytechnic State University,
Lattice Steel Under Wildfire Conditions San Luis Obispo. He also has a master’s degree in business administration and is Lean
In 2020 the Bobcat fire impacted several of SCE’s 500kV Six Sigma trained.
lattice towers. While steel does not burn, exposure to high
heat could change the material properties of the steel pos- SERGIO ARAMBULA ([email protected]) is currently a transmission engineer
sibly reducing the steel strength or making the steel brittle. under the Transmission and Distribution Engineering Organization at Southern Califor-
SCE has worked with Matergenics to investigate this nia Edison. He has a B.S. in civil engineering from Washington State University and an
phenomenon. When fire damaged members of the lattice M.S. in civil engineering from Purdue University. He has published and presented at
towers were replaced, samples of steel members exposed numerous conferences such as TSDOS, EDM International, and EPRI IUWG.

August 2022 | T&D World 15

 LINES & STRUCTURES

Three-mast guyed deadend structure installation.

Are Guyed Towers

Cost Effective?
Cost and performance do not respect traditional
schemes when it comes to advantages.
By JARED H. SMITH and DAREL TRACY, POWER Engineers, Inc.

F
or decades, self-supporting towers have been predominant system uses the most optimal application of the structural
in extra-high voltage (EHV) overhead transmission line elements — cable in tension, mast in compression. This in
design. Four recent projects have augmented their tower turn makes guyed structures easier to erect and less costly but
families with guyed alternatives, and these projects provide requires a larger physical footprint.
an opportunity for direct comparisons between self-supported The selected projects used for comparisons were 500 kV
and guyed designs. AC projects located throughout the United States. Two of the
Self-supporting towers support themselves via four legs at- projects had ice loading, and two of them were in areas where
tached to foundations. The applied forces are transmitted no ice loading was required. All four projects incorporated
by truss action from the point of application throughout the failure containment for tangent structure designs and all four
structure to the foundations. Guyed structures use steel cables used a triple bundle conductor arrangement. Two of the projects
attached to anchors to keep the central lattice mast(s) in com- used identical loading between the guyed and self-supported
pression while the guys and anchors remain in tension. This structures, while the other two projects had similar loading.
16 T&D World | August 2022
 LINES & STRUCTURES

A given height of a self-supporting tower

family has four equal leg extensions, and for
towers that had multiple heights available
via a different combination of body and leg
extensions, the lightest configuration was
selected. In the chart below, the lines with
circles represent the self-supporting struc-
tures, and the lines with squares represent
the guyed structures.
As expected, the guyed structures are
much lighter than their self-supporting
counterparts. They ranged in weight from
47% to 75% of the weight of self-supporting
structures, depending on project and height.
Furthermore, the guyed structures use incre-
mentally less steel than the self-supporting
towers to increase in height, as represented
by slopes of each line.
Across all projects, the guyed structures ex-
hibit a linear weight to height relationship, but
the slope for the guyed structures is less than
that of the self-supporting structures. Three
of the projects have self-supporting structures
increasing in a generally linear fashion, but
with steps. These steps represent an alternative
configuration with an additional body exten-
sion. The self-supporting structures of Project
4 do not exhibit this behavior.
As previously mentioned, this project did not
Guyed V tower with self supporting counterparts in the background. have differential leg extensions. The additional
The self-supporting structures of
the fourth project did not incorporate
differential leg extensions as the other 50000
projects did. Rather, its body exten- P1 G
sions were designed to be installed
P1 SS
on foundations using the same con- 45000
crete elevations. This is pertinent in P2 G

structure weight comparisons because P2 SS

towers that do not have to support 40000
P3 G
leg extension differentials are less ro-
P3 SS
bust than those that do. The Project 4
Tower weight (lbs)

35000 P4 G
self-supporting structure weights are
comparatively less than those of the P4 SS
other projects selected for compari-
30000
son due to this difference in design
philosophy.
25000
Structure Weight Comparisons
For a guyed tower, there is an optimum
mast size for any given range of heights 20000
and set of loading parameters. Any
mast length above this range would be
in danger of buckling, and any mast 15000
length below this range would be overly 60 80 100 120 140 160 180
Tower crossarm height (ft)
robust. Hence, guyed structure families
are available in a narrower height range Weights of guyed vs. self-supporting tangents. Reported weights include bolts, plates, climbing considerations
than self-supporting structures. and galvanization.

August 2022 | T&D World 17

 LINES & STRUCTURES

a larger height range than shown in the

data presented.
The relationships shown are only
valid for this limited range of heights.
Increasing the height of the guyed struc-
ture family would require larger masts,
due to mast stability considerations,
moving the weight/height line verti-
cally and to the right on the graph, but
would increase the amount of steel to
height (slope of line) in a fashion similar
to that for the other guyed structures
represented in the data, albeit with a
slightly greater slope.
Only Project 4 used a guyed deadend
structure as well as self-supporting dead-
ends. This project tower family did not
include unequal leg extensions. If it had,
one would expect the weights of the self-
supporting towers to increase. This proj-
ect had a light deadend for line angles of
less than 40° and a heavy deadend for line
angles between 40° and 90°. While the
self-supporting and guyed structures only
overlap for two height values, it is note-
worthy how much less steel is required
for the guyed versions.
The difference is perhaps even more
striking than that of the tangent case,
as guyed structures in the tangent case
were on average approximately 65% of
the weights of the self-supporting struc-
tures, whereas in the deadend case this
ratio is approximately 55% for the light
and 40% for the heavy deadend.

Structure Cost Comparisons

Foundations for guyed structures con-
A self supported tangent structure rigged for testing. sist of a central pedestal that supports
the vertical load and is always in com-
Table 1. Individual Tangent Structure Cost Comparison (Height of 135’)* pression and four guy anchors that are
Project 1 Project 2 Project 3 Project 4 always in tension due to the guy load-
SS G SS G SS G SS G ing. Foundations for self-supporting
Steel $44,095 $25,817 $36,932 $23,792 $42,386 $20,111 $38,703 $20,062 structures need to account for uplift and
Guys $4,000 $4,000 $4,000 $4,000 compression loads. Thus, the foundations
Foundation/ for guyed structures are generally smaller
$28,000 $22,000 $28,000 $22,000 $28,000 $22,000 $28,000 $22,000
Anchorage and easier to install.
Erection/Handling
$132,285 $77,451 $110,796 $71,376 $127,158 $60,333 $116,109 $60,186
Differences in construction tolerances
/Site Preparation
are also noteworthy between the two. Stub
Total $204,380 $129,268 $175,728 $121,168 $197,544 $106,444 $182,812 $106,248 setting tolerances for self-supporting tow-
*Assumed costs include labor and material and neglects cost of assemblies that would apply to either configuration (e.g., insulators). Estimate
ers are on the order of fractions of an
assumptions include foundations at $1,800 per cubic yard of concrete, self-supporting structures supported by drilled piers 3 ft diameter by 15 ft
length, guyed structures supported by precast pedestals, and guy anchorages of 35 ft grouted hollow bars. inch, as is necessary for the myriad series
of connections that make up self-support-
trends linearly, similar to the guyed structures, but at an increased ing towers. By contrast, guyed structures often utilize precast
ratio of steel necessary to add height. It is important to note that pedestals, and guy anchor tolerances are on the order of a foot.
the guyed structures are only available for an optimum height In the case of non-precast pedestals, the foundation is still
range and that the self-supporting alternatives are available for simplified in that the control dimensions are the height, angle,
18 T&D World | August 2022
 LINES & STRUCTURES

and spacing of supporting pins on the

125000 same foundation, rather than the coor-
SS-HVY dination with three other foundations.
115000
A single pin supports a single mast delta
SS-LITE
105000
structure, and two pins support a guyed
G V-style structure.
95000 Erection of the two types of struc-
Tower Weight (lbs)

tures can also differ. Because the guyed

85000 structures are significantly lighter
than self-supporting towers, they can
75000
be picked and placed as a complete
65000 assembly. These constructability con-
siderations, in addition to the structure
55000 weight, influence the installation costs
of the towers.
45000
An additional consideration is as-
35000 sembly and construction of the tow-
90 100 110 120 130 140 ers. Many of the guyed towers are de-
Tower Heigth (ft)
signed to take advantage of a single
tower lift with a heavy haul helicopter.
Weight comparison of guyed vs. self-supporting deadends.
In the case studies, this would apply
to Projects 3 and 4 because the prac-
tical upper limit for these helicopters
is 20,000 lb. While the self-supporting
towers can be designed to be installed
with a helicopter, they require expen-
sive and complex splices, impacting
construction cost.
The first table on Page 18 presents
a simplified structure cost compari-
son. The cost information is semi-
empirical — i.e., cost information
is derived from actual project infor-
mation and applied across the four
projects. On average across the case
studies, the installed cost of guyed tan-
gent structures is approximately 61%
of the cost of self-supporting struc-
tures. The values given are in year
2020 USD and should only be used for
comparative purposes.
The installed cost of the guyed dead-
end is approximately 80% of that of the
light self-supporting deadend and 58%
of the heavy self-supporting deadend.
An important consideration, however,
is the additional right of way and/or
guying easements required by guyed
deadend structures.
The footprint of the presented 115
ft guyed deadend is a rectangle of 206
ft by 124 ft and taller structures would
require additional guy lead length,
enlarging this rectangular footprint.
Despite their larger footprint, guyed
deadends provide construction flex-
Self-supporting deadend structure. ibility. The same structure is used for
20 T&D World | August 2022
 LINES & STRUCTURES

enlarging this rectangular footprint. Despite their Table 2. Individual Deadend Structure Cost Comparison (Height of 115’)*
larger footprint, guyed deadends provide construction
Project 4
flexibility. The same structure is used for all line angles
SS-HVY SS-LITE G
and the construction tolerances are less stringent.
Using the costs from the first two tables, a cost esti- Steel $113,061 $82,926 $42,578

mate comparison can be prepared for a hypothetical Guys $22,000

transmission line as presented in the third table. For Foundations/Anchorage $153,000 $107,000 $126,000
a 100-mile line and a 1,200-foot average span length, Erection/Handling/Site Preparation $282,652 $207,315 $127,733
we would expect about 450 structures to be installed. Total $548,713 $397,241 $318,311
A deadend will be placed every 5 miles, and 80% of *Same assumptions as the tangent case excepting foundations, heavy deadend supported by piers of 4.5 ft diameter by 36
site locations allow for guyed structures. ft in length, light deadend supported by piers of 4 ft diameter by 32 ft in length, and guyed structure masts supported by
drilled piers of 3 ft by 15 ft in length.
We use the average cost of the presented light
and heavy self-supporting deadends, indicating a 50/50 All of the structure families have tangent tower longitudinal
split utilization of each structure, and the average guyed loading capabilities. This is recommended by ASCE MoP 74.
and self-supporting structure costs across the case studies. A guyed structure has significant advantages in the event of a
This scenario is presented against the case of completely longitudinal loading event given its inherent flexibility.
self-supporting structures. Taking one of the projects as an example, the difference in
Using guyed structures in the hypothetical project results deflection under the project longitudinal event was 6 ft vs. 15 in.
in a 30% reduction in structure costs. It is important to note for its self-supporting counterpart. This characteristic highlights
that 80% of sites were suitable for use of guyed structures, that a longitudinal failure event will have its energy dissipated
and guyed structures cannot usually be applied throughout more rapidly with the increased structural movement of guyed
a given line. Another important consideration is the guyed structures. The more of these “energy dissipators,” the fewer of
structure development cost. Costs for design, detailing, and them will be damaged in triggering events such as storms. Many
testing a tower can range in the hundreds of thousands of designers will reduce the use of a deadend tower for failure con-
dollars, and the length of line to spread those costs should tainment in long tangent runs for this reason on guyed tower lines.
be considered in the development of a tower family. It has been suggested that the guyed tower, particularly
the guyed V tower, is the most utilized transmission tower in
Guyed Structure Performance and Limitations the world. Its origin dates from the late 1950s when Canadian

Guyed delta tower aerial installation. Guyed delta tower ready for conductor clip-in.

August 2022 | T&D World 21

 LINES & STRUCTURES

Table 3. Extrapolated Structure Costs for Hypothetical Project some notable instances of vandalism.
• Guyed structures require additional
Use of Guyed Structures
maintenance over time related to guy
SS DE G DE SS Tan G Tan
inspection and adjustment
No. of Structures 4 17 86 343 This study suggests a resurgence in the use
Average Cost $472,977 $318,311 $190,116 $115,782 of guyed towers in EHV line design in the
Total Cost Per United States. The significant cost and perfor-
$1,891,908 $5,411,287 $16,349,976 $39,713,226
Structure Type
mance advantages of guyed towers cannot be
Total structure cost $63,366,397
overlooked by designers and managers of line
Use of Only Self-Supporting Structures projects, though use of guyed towers may be
SS DE G DE SS Tan G Tan precluded in some cases by property owner or
No. of Structures 21 0 429 0 government limitations. Their continued use
Average Cost $472,977 $318,311 $190,116 $115,782 will only increase industry experience, resulting
Total Cost Per in further design and construction capabilities
$9,932,517 $0 $81,559,764 $0
Structure Type of guyed lattice structures.
Total structure cost $91,492,281

V first appeared in the early 1960s and have been interna- JARED H. SMITH ([email protected]) is a project engineer for overhead
tionally popular ever since in voltages up to 1100 kV. Guyed transmission lines. His design experience includes all common structure types in
towers are not appropriate for every project, however, and have voltages up to 500 kV. He has designed new transmission lines and rebuilds of existing
limitations, which include: lines and conducted as-built analyses of existing lines. He holds a bachelor’s degree
• Their use requires a footprint that may not be available or in civil engineering from Boise State University and a master’s degree in physics from
approved. Colorado State University.
• Many jurisdictional authorities don’t allow guys on lines
because of mixed use safety concerns — snowmobiles, DAREL TRACY ([email protected]) is a project manager with expertise in
ATV’s, motorcycles, etc. EHV transmission line design projects. He has extensive experience in both utility
• Agricultural areas are incompatible with guyed structures. and consulting engineering environments, and he received both his bachelor’s and
• Guyed structures have been subject to master’s degrees in civil engineering from the University of Idaho.
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 LINES & STRUCTURES

Four bolt base plate that will support a 765kV

running corner tower.

If the Shoe Fits: Design of

765-kV Tower Base Plates
Traditional assumptions used for base plate and anchor
bolt design must be reconsidered for lattice towers.
By ADAM G. BOWLAND, DiGioia, Gray, and Associates,
JOSH WRIGHT, AARON P. DARBY, American Electric Power Service Corp.

A
merican Electric Power (AEP) recently developed were identified from industry publications that were con-
base shoe and standoff anchor bolt designs for its tradictory and yielded significantly different results. This
765-kV lattice tower family. Developing a design pro- required AEP to develop their own approach for this unique
cess proved challenging, as a ready-to-use methodol- type of base plate.
ogy could not be identified. Instead, a variety of approaches Achieving economic construction of lattice towers requires
the ability to connect the superstruc-
ture to a variety of foundation types.
That led AEP to undertake the design
of base shoes for its 765kV tower family
that could be utilized for transferring
loads to both concrete pier and mi-
cropile capped foundations. A design
using standoff or double nut anchor
bolts was selected. This provided the
Comparison of methods for calculating anchor bolt bending capacity. flexibility to adjust the stub setting
24 T&D World | August 2022
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Calculation Methodology
Tower Type Anchor Bolt Cook et al. ASCE 48-19 ASCE
Size 113-08
Anchor Bolt Bending Excluded
Tangent 14J 2* 2* 2*
Running Corner 14J 3 3 3
Dead End 18J 4 4 5
Anchor Bolt Bending Included
Tangent 14J 3 5 10
Running Corner 14J 4 7 12
Dead End 18J 7 11 20

Minimum number of anchor bolts required when the effects of flexure are both
excluded and included.
*Minimum of three bolts required for actual design.
combined loads it was deemed prudent to include anchor bolt
bending in the design approach.
Only three references were identified that provided a complete
documented method for including anchor bolt bending: ASCE
113-08, ASCE 48-19 and a paper by Cook, Pravett, and McBride
for the Florida Department of Transportation. All three methods
assume the anchor bolt deforms in double curvature. However,
Anchor bolts cages for a 765kV running corner tower. the assumptions for the flexural length of the anchor bolt and
and avoids water infiltration, corrosion, and inspection issues the amount of fixity at either end were all different. The meth-
that can occur when base plates are grouted after construction. ods used different values for allowable bending stress of the bolt
The design of anchor-bolted base plates for self-supporting and whether the elastic or plastic section modulus was used when
transmission towers is unique. When compared to other struc- calculating bending capacity.
tures such as moment frames, tubular steel transmission poles, or These three methods were used to calculate the required
highway signs, lattice towers produce large axial loads as opposed number of anchor bolts for a tangent, running corner and dead
to large bending moments. The result is similar design loads end structure from the 765kV lattice family and compared to
for all anchor bolts in the group and provides less redundancy the requirements if bending was ignored. Including bending
when compared to anchor bolt groups with large overturning resulted in an increase of anchor bolt quantity by as little as 25%,
moments where only a few bolts are subjected to the maximum or as much as 250%. The method proposed by Cook et al. was
design loads. A review of available literature from the American selected as it required only a moderate increase in the required
Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), American Institute of Steel
Construction (AISC), and American Association of State Highway
and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) resulted in a variety of
approaches for base plate and anchor bolt design that offered
little consistency.

Anchor Bolt Bending

A significant design decision was whether the effects of flexure
on the anchor bolts should be considered when determining
the required quantity and layout. Most design standards and
guidelines from AASHTO, ASCE and AISC allow flexure in
the anchor bolt to be ignored if the distance between the top of
concrete and the bottom of the base plate is less than or equal
to two anchor bolt diameters.
The recommendation is based on full scale base plate and
anchor bolt tests where the applied normal stress in the anchor
bolt due to bending is less than ten percent of the total axial
stress. This is a common stress condition for anchor bolt groups
subjected to large overturning moments and small shear loads
but not a typical stress distribution for lattice towers. For the
lattice towers in this study, the stress due to bending accounted
for approximately fifty percent of the total normal stress. Given
the uncertainty of anchor bolt behavior for this condition of Anchor bolt cage suspended in formwork awaiting concrete.

August 2022 | T&D World 25

 LINES & STRUCTURES

maximum of 3.25 for this tower family

to mitigate additional stresses caused
by plate deformation.
The FE models were also used to
calculate the anchor bolt forces for
the maximum compression load case,
which was controlling for anchor bolt
and base plate design. For the three-
bolt and four-bolt designs, these forces
were found to be within five percent
of the forces calculated using a sim-
plified a rigid base plate assumption.
The resulting centroid of the anchor
bolt forces act within approximately five
percent of the centroid of the weldment
Comparison of the required number of anchor bolts, including the effects of anchor bolt bending for a deadend
tower. assembly.
For designs that require more than
four anchor bolts, however, the FE study
did not always agree with the simplified
rigid base plate approach. The rigid
baseplate model is only appropriate
when anchor bolts are placed equally
into four quadrants around the welded
stub assembly, and concentrically to
the centroid of the load. The original
base shoe design for the deadend tower
placed eight anchor bolts in a square
bolt pattern, one in each corner, and
one at the midpoint of each face. In this
arrangement, the anchor bolts located
on the corners of the base plate were
not engaged. Ninety five percent of the
FE Deflection contours for the original deadend base shoe design (a) and the re-designed base shoe (b).
vertical reaction was collected by the
number of anchor bolts and has been shown to provide good four side bolts. The four corner bolts were essentially unloaded
comparisons with experimental results indicating that flexibility of the base plate matters.
The bolts on the sides of the base plate are closer to the stiff-
Finite Element Analysis ened center core. The relative cantilever stiffness of the base
A nonlinear Finite Element (FE) model was created for each plate between the bolts and the stiffened core is greater for the
base plate to verify the design approach. The impact that plate side bolts compared to those at the corners. Even a marginal
flexibility has on stress distribution throughout the stub and the difference in cantilever distance results in a large difference in
distribution of anchor bolt forces was of particular interest. The stiffness. As a simple analogy, the stiffness of a simple cantilever
base plates were modeled as elasto-plastic solids in Autodesk beam subjected to a tip load is inversely proportional to the
Inventor Nastran. Each model included the base plate, stub angle, length of the cantilever cubed. A 10% increase in cantilever
stiffeners, anchor bolts and leg diagonals. length results in a 25% decrease in stiffness.
FE results for the more heavily loaded running corner and Per these findings, the eight-bolt base shoe was redesigned
deadend towers showed additional stresses in the assembly than to locate the eight anchor bolts equally in each quadrant and
were originally anticipated, specifically around the toe of the concentrically around the centroid of the welded assembly. A
stub and stiffeners. Under load, the base plate begins to deform FE analysis of the adjusted design found that the rigid base
into a bowl. The stub and stiffeners resist the deformation by plate assumption would predict anchor bolt axial forces within
concentrating forces at the tips where the change in deflected about 10%. Additionally, the location of resultant leg forces
shape is most pronounced. The stress concentrations in these lands within approximately ten percent from the centroid of
“hotspot” locations are impacted by the thickness of the base the welded base shoe assembly. These results indicate that
plate. Stresses decrease in magnitude with the increase in plate all anchor bolts should be equally distanced from the stiff-
thickness and rigidity. ened center of the plate to use rigid plate assumptions when
A review of several variations of FE models (above) led to the calculating axial design forces.
conclusion that the ratio of the distance from the anchor bolt For the specific eight-bolt geometry included in this study,
to the bend line, c, divided by the plate thickness, t, should be a it was also found that applying a load factor of approximately
26 T&D World | August 2022
 LINES & STRUCTURES

10% to the calculated anchor bolt forces is prudent to account on transmission projects ranging from 69kV to 765kV. Bowland is a member of the
for the remaining uncertainty. American Society of Civil Engineers.

Constructability Considerations JOSHUA D. WRIGHT is a principal engineer with American Electric Power’s
Past experience has shown that the best technical solution is transmission station engineering group in Roanoke, VA. Wright received a B.S. in
worthless if the design proves to be a challenge to construct. civil engineering from Virginia Tech and has structural engineering experience on
For these designs, anchor bolts were limited to circular patterns substation and transmission line projects ranging from 69kV to 765kV.
to decrease the chances of misalignment in the field. Also, an-
chor bolts were located such that the centroid of the anchor AARON P. DARBY is a principal engineer with American Electric Power’s
bolt circle coincided with the centroid of the built-up stub and transmission line standards group in Roanoke, VA. Darby received a B.S. in civil
stiffener weldment, the center of the base plate and the center engineering from Virginia Tech and has structural engineering experience on
of the drilled shaft. transmission projects ranging from 69kV to 765kV.
Leg diagonal geometry needs to be con-
sidered when laying out the bolt patterns
to avoid interference with the anchor bolt.
Details such as whether the leg diagonal
mounts to the inside or outside of the stub
can be important. A simple plan view draw-
ing may suffice, but 3-D modeling is recom-
mended if bolts are located below the leg
diagonals.
ARE YOU SECURE?
Conclusion of Study Protect your substation with a
This study allowed AEP to develop a gen- concrete fence. We design, engineer,
eralized base shoe and anchor bolt design manufacture, and install a variety
methodology that is consistent with current of cost-effective styles up to 30’ high.
approaches and incorporates the findings of
finite element analysis. Anchor bolt flexure
was included in the final design approach,
even though the standoff distance between
the concrete and base plate was kept below
the two-diameter limit.
Finite element analysis was used to re-
fine the design approach and revealed
that assuming a rigid base plate for cal-
culating anchor bolt forces is effective for
designs with four or fewer anchor bolts.
For more heavily loaded towers, the rigid
base plate assumption can still be utilized
with some simple to follow rules for anchor
bolt placement and minimum base plate
thicknesses.
There is a gap in full-scale testing of base
plates and anchor bolts for lattice towers.
Existing test data is limited and does not
consider cases where the magnitude of ax-
ial stress due to bending approaches fifty
percent of the total axial stress in the bolt.
Additional testing is required for determin-
ing the most appropriate model for includ- CONTACT US FOR A FREE
ing the effects of anchor bolt bending in CONSULTATION WITH ONE
base plates of this type. OF OUR PROFESSIONAL
ENGINEERS OR SPECIALISTS.
ADAM C. BOWLAND is a senior structural engineer at SCAN TO VISIT OUR SITE
DiGioia Gray and Associates in Monroeville, PA. He has
(800) 942-9255 CONCRETEFENCE.COM
a bachelor’s degree from Carnegie Mellon and master’s
and doctorate degrees from Virginia Tech. He has worked

August 2022 | T&D World 27

 LINES & STRUCTURES

Getting Back to Normal

By TIM CASHMAN, ASCE/SEI

W
hen will it be “normal” again? I’m sure this also known as the Stand-Up Mathematician. He is
phrase has been repeated over and over in a best-selling author, award winning YouTuber and
our minds and in our words throughout stand-up comedian who brings a unique and enter-
the past few years. Our world and our lives have taining perspective to mathematics in everyday life.
been significantly affected by the COVID pandemic Of course, the cornerstone of the ETS Conference
and in ways that we never thought possible. Then is the exceptional technical program, and the 2022
some time last year we began to see signs that “nor- conference will definitely continue that tradition.
mal” might be a possibility down the road and with This year, 36 presentations are grouped into 11
each passing day it seems we’re on the path back to sessions scheduled over three days. The sessions
some kind of “normalcy.” cover a wide range of relevant and important issues
As we all experienced, the initial onset of the pandemic resulted in our industry, including topics such as wildfires, managing
in mandatory lockdowns, which required businesses to learn to aging infrastructure, foundations, case studies, substations
operate under a completely new set of unforeseen conditions. and more. You’ll hear from utilities, consultants, suppliers, and
Entirely remote workforces and limitations of individual move- academic researchers as they present papers on design, analysis,
ment were just two of the many challenges faced by companies construction and maintenance of electrical transmission line and
in our industry. Zoom, Teams, Webex and other virtual meeting substation structures and foundations. In addition to the live
platforms suddenly became indispensable tools for conducting presentations, numerous poster presentations will be available
business then and continue to be valuable collaboration tools for viewing throughout the conference.
today. Would you like guidance and knowledge on applying the re-
But after two-plus years of virtual meetings, webinars, and quirements and provisions ASCE/SEI Standards and Manuals
virtual conferences, I’ve always felt something was missing. It is of Practice (MoP)? Then you’ll definitely want to attend the pre-
that personal connection I get from shaking someone’s hand conference seminar on Sunday, Oct. 2, where industry experts
(well sanitized, of course) and having a face-to-face conversa- will teach you how to implement ASCE/SEI standards and MoPs
tion. It’s the ability to share a cup of coffee with a colleague and for structure loadings, tubular steel poles, lattice steel towers and
discuss business without the worries of an intermittent internet wood poles. This workshop will contain tutorials and real-life
connection, echoes or audio delays, or the dreaded barking dog design examples to help attendees better understand the design
in the background. For me, these personal interactions are a big provisions and implement them on their projects.
component of getting back to “normal.” Want to make shake those hands and reestablish those personal
connections? There will be no shortage of social and networking
Let’s Meet in Orlando opportunities. The event has three evening receptions, begin-
This fall, the ASCE/Structural Engineering Institute will host ning with the Grand Opening Reception on Sunday, Oct. 2,
the Electrical Transmission & Substation Structures (ETS) an outdoor Terrace Reception on Monday and a Networking
Conference in Orlando, Florida. The theme of this year’s con- Reception on Tuesday. Daily breakfast, lunch, and coffee breaks
ference is ‘Innovating for Critical Global Infrastructure.’ This provide additional time for socializing with colleagues, clients,
conference is the largest and most valuable conference in the and exhibitors throughout the conference. We’re excited to have
United States focused solely on the design and construction of a large exhibit space for the event and are expecting more than
transmission and substation structures and their components. 130 exhibitors to showcase their state-of-the-art products, services,
The ETS Conference brings together utilities, consultants, sup- and solutions during the conference.
pliers, contractors, engineers, and industry professionals to learn, Looking for something a little different than previous ETS
engage, and network. Conferences? The ETS Conference is pleased to offer a unique
Originally scheduled to be held in September 2021, the ETS social activity to conclude the conference, a golf scramble event
Conference Steering Committee decided to postpone the event on Thursday, Oct. 6. What a great way to wind down the week,
to 2022, given the uncertainties of holding an in-person in the relax and enjoy the beautiful fall weather in Orlando with friends,
fall of 2021. The 2022 ETS Conference will provide an excellent and maybe even win a prize!
opportunity to reconnect with old friends, establish new relation- So, what better way to break away from the cycle of bland
ships with industry professionals, meet those people you’ve only virtual meetings and conferences and restore some sense of
known on the other side of the computer screen, and engage “normalcy” in our industry by attending the 2022 ASCE/SEI
with colleagues without the need to unmute your microphone Electrical Transmission & Substation Structures Conference in
or raise your virtual hand. Orlando, Florida?
The 2022 ETS Conference promises to have something for And when you see me there, come on over, shake my hand and
everyone, beginning with our Keynote speaker, Matt Parker, let’s have a chat. I’ll even supply the sanitizer.
28 T&D World | August 2022