The Future of the Grid & Emerging Trends Thomas Gwinn, Jr. National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) Principal Engineer T&D, Business and Technology Strategies

Topics: Future of the Grid Emerging Trends Conclusion

How did we get to where we are now? Edison’s invention of the light bulb: patent filed in 1879

What was the first battle for the future of the grid? Thomas Edison George Westinghouse

What was the first battle for the future of the grid? DC Distribution System AC Distribution System

AC System Became the Grid of the Future Able to build fewer power plants and take advantage of economy of scale Predominately designed for one-way power flow From Power Plant to Load Been a very reliable system Until the last several decades there has been little change to the way the distribution system has operated

What’s driving the future of the grid? Reduction in carbon emission Balanced Scorecard Safety Reliability Cost Member Satisfaction

How can carbon emission be reduced? Efficient Power Plants Reduction of load from power plants that produce carbon emissions such as coal plants Use of methods such as conservation voltage reduction Load Management Systems Monitoring and Controlling Distributive Energy Resources Photovoltaic Systems Wind Systems

What’s the best way for this be achieved? Distribution System Operator (DSO) Functionality Monitor and Control both loads and generation on the distribution system Monitor and Control system automation such as Automatic Load Transfer Conservation Voltage Reduction

What will DSO Functionality be able to do for Distribution Systems? Control Cost Reduce Peak Demand Take Advantage of Energy Storage Devices Large Scale Battery Systems Rechargeable Cars Control Reliability Remotely Reconfigure Circuits Take Advantage of Microgrids

What’s the foundation of DSO Functionality? Interoperability Different Systems must be able to communicate, share data, and make decisions (Automatically or Supervised) based on the data Communications Data Analytics System Integration

IEEE 1547 Standard for Interconnecting DR with Electric Power Systems Standard is Currently Under Revision New Standard will go to ballot late 2016 or early 2017 New Standard will be more flexible Adding Interoperability to the standard Provides capability to change settings remotely Provides capability to monitor device remotely Provides capability to operate the device remotely Fault Ride Through Support

Communications All devices being monitored and/or controlled must have communications Communications must be reliable

What systems need to be integrated? Will you use your SCADA system? Will you use your OMS system? It will most likely be an integration of multiple systems?

What devices need to be integrated? Voltage Regulators Reclosers DERs AMR Etc.

What software needs to be integrated? OMS SCADA GIS Model Etc.

How will decisions be made? Automated Automatic Transfer Schemes Operator Well trained operators will make decisions

What are some of the challenges associated with the grid of the future? Two way power flow Equipment Sizes Protective devices Nuisance tripping

What are some of the challenges associated with the grid of the future? Cyber Security Risk

Could you be held hostage? Ransomware Seems to be a trend of going after smaller targets State Sponsored Cyber War on Major Infrastructure like Electric Utilities

What’s the potential damage? Lost time and productivity Financial loss and cost to recover data and business capabilities Negative publicity/damage to reputation/brand Leads to increasingly restrictive information policies

Emerging Trends Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Community Solar Water heaters as a battery

What are the current challenges of UAS? Legislation Technology

UAS: Legislation FAA supports the use of UAS by utilities FAA Challenges Need to have a way to safely control air space Currently cannot fly beyond line of sight

UAS: Legislation The FAA Reauthorization legislation in both the House and Senate contain provisions affecting drone use.  This includes an amendment adopted in the Senate bill to promote drone use in the utility industry. The Senate reauthorization bill was passed on the Senate floor by a vote of 95-3 in April. 

UAS: Legislation The House reauthorization bill was approved in the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, but has not been brought to the House floor for consideration.  The bill is hung up over other issues, especially House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster’s proposal to privatize the Air Traffic Controllers (ATC).  For these reasons, it is widely believed that there are not enough votes to pass the bill in the full House of Representatives. The existing FAA authorization expires on July 15.  It is now expected that a short-term extension will be brought up prior to July 15.  This extension may go into 2017, at which point Chairman Shuster would hope to continue his push for privatizing the ATC, and pass a longer-term extension.

UAS: Legislation The existing FAA authorization expires on July 15. It is now expected that a short-term extension will be brought up prior to July 15.  This extension may go into 2017, at which point Chairman Shuster would hope to continue his push for privatizing the ATC, and pass a longer-term extension.

UAS: Technology Limited flight time due to battery capacity Capability to filter through thousands of pictures is limited

UAS: Success Some utilities have found it beneficial for pole inspections

Community Solar Utility Installs Large Scale Photovoltaic Systems Sells Shares to Members

Community Solar: Benefits Utility has control over location Utility controls maintenance Utility receives recognition for installation of DER

Water Heater As A Battery

Conclusion The future of the grid is to lower carbon emissions Efficient power production from carbon emitting power plants Renewable energy sources Mixture of methods will be implemented DSO Functionality

Conclusion Monitor Reliability Indices SAIDI SAIFI CAIDI

Conclusion When the technology fails, the Electric Utility will be expected to maintain quality power to the members!

Conclusion: Planning will be a critical objective System Planning Technology Planning IT OT Cyber Security Planning Physical Software

Six Steps to Improve Performance 1. Measure Performance 2. Understand and compare performance 3. Analyze Performance 4. Identify Improvement Strategies 5. Set Improvement Targets and Goals 6. Implement and Monitor Improvements

NRECA T&D, Business and Technology Strategies Questions Thomas Gwinn, Jr. Principal Engineer NRECA T&D, Business and Technology Strategies thomas.gwinn@nreca.coop 703.304.4796