STANDARDS-BASED INFRASTRUCTURE

For the last several years, LIPA has taken an aggressive, but still cautious, approach in implementing new technology in data and process integration. In close cooperation with EPRI and vendors, LIPA hosted several pilot application projects and is continuously going through the process of lessons learned and fatal-flaw analysis, both internally and with the vendors. Technology is in continuous development and there is significant work to do in the area of standardization. LIPA is already seeing benefits and is increasing its commitment to the concept and technology:

• Significant distribution automation on the electrical system is supported with the parallel effort of bringing data back to company-wide decision makers through CIM-based IB

• Established outsourced vendor software policy is insisting on using elements of standards-based data modeling and integration through standards-based interfaces for near-plug-and-play infrastructure

• Commitment to IntelliGrid architecture with standards-based CIM, GID and message-based IB

  • CIM provides a standard naming convention and a logical model of relationship between data in various systems; GID is a base for open-system architecture

  • IB provides a standard means of transport of data between systems and automated updates

• Capital investments to support

  • Geographic information system (GIS) migration to ESRI (Redlands, California, U.S.) and its wrapping to CIM and integration with the message bus

  • Deployment of GIS capabilities to the energy-delivery organization, and integration with system modeling and analysis applications (CYMDist)

  • Control-room CIM architecture implementation and integration of emergency management system with asset management data and systems

  • SCADA CIM wrapper and integration with tools for system analysis (PSSE/O), asset and work management (Maximo), and outage management data and systems

• Commitment to provide additional capital funding to support implementation of dynamic risk and performance assessment combining real time and historical financial, system and asset, and customer data and applications.

BENEFITS CIM AND IB APPROACH

All of LIPA's transmission and distribution SCADA data, real time and historical, is accessible through LIPA's IB. The reference operations and planning distribution models have all been aggregated into a single standardized CIM data model that is served to all of LIPA's planning applications by Siemens PTI's PSS ODMS.

The PTI PSS ODMS product, already installed at LIPA, can aggregate the two sets of data and models — transmission and distribution — into a single model. The distribution model will continue to be maintained in the GIS. But, the data will be shared throughout the enterprise with other applications.

The GIS model is available for queries and integration with any other applications through the CIM IB and GID interface.

THE NEXT STEPS

We will continue to identify the opportunities to increase the number of applications that are part of our CIM/IB environment so that all the utility applications share the same view of the power system model and asset data. We will gradually eliminate expensive point-to-point interfaces by expanding our use of the IB approach for information exchange across the company

We will continue to automate data updates and data entries so they only have to be entered once in the master system. All the dependent applications and databases are automatically synchronized.

We will continue to provide direction to KeySpan on priorities for extending CIM/IB to the remaining distribution and customer care applications. Finally, we will integrate GIS and outage management functions and implement the integrated asset and risk management approaches.

Michael D. Hervey, vice president of operations, was appointed to this position in May 2006, after more than five years of service to the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) as the executive director of transmission and distribution operations. Prior to joining LIPA in 2000, Hervey held several positions of increasing responsibility with Commonwealth Edison Company in Chicago, Illinois, U.S. Responsibilities at Commonwealth Edison included workforce management, construction, maintenance, quality assurance, disaster recovery, process computing, organizational design and asset management. He holds a BSEE degree from Iowa State University and a master's degree in business administration from Hofstra University. mhervey@lipower.org

POLICY FOR CONTRACTOR-PROVIDED SOFTWARE

LIPA's specific position of being an asset owner and managing the T&D operation through subcontracting asset management and service providers is reinforcing the need for some specific policy elements for contractor-provided software. In reality, with all the mergers, integrations and changes in ownership that are happening more frequently than ever before, some of the aspects are applicable to most utilities regardless of current organization and ownership structure:

• Ownership clearly delineated
• LIPA may exercise the option of direct ownership (or licensing) of any new system or system enhancements
• Information systems must be based on commercially available software from financially secure software vendors with a substantial electric utility customer base
• All information systems will conform to a standard architecture and integration strategy
• Systems must provide the maximum amount of flexibility and compatibility to address growth and integration opportunities
• Opportunity to own all the enhancements necessary to allow the basic software to function for LIPA-specific needs
• Easily operable and accessible by LIPA
• Information systems must have a clear, defined upgrade and integration path
• Information systems' applications should be at least compatible with the last supported version of a vendor's product.

VISION OF LIPA IN THE “20 TEENS”

LIPA's vision for the future is based on its assessment that all critical technologies are already available for a quantum leap in managing system and performance. An internally developed concept of company-wide and integrated asset management emphasizes the importance of dynamic and near-real-time risk assessment and management in achieving performance goals. The broader vision combines:

• Seamless, transparent wholesale to retail transaction:

  • Right supply with best price
  • Participation in multiple energy markets (NYISO, PJM, etc.)
  • T&D system capability to accept and to deliver energy seamlessly

• Self-healing grid:

  • Significant distribution automation
  • Real-time control of the electrical system

• Combined 360-degree view of the customer:

  • Consumption
  • Programs
  • Billing
  • Complaints
  • Outages
  • Scheduled work
  • Customer profiles

• Ability to manage resources (supply, human capital and T&D assets):

  • Anticipate resources needed (forecasting)
  • Measure how effectively resources were used

• Timely and accurate financial and management reporting for effective decision making in meeting goals:

  • Financial
  • Technical
  • Customer satisfaction
  • Regulatory compliance

• IT investment risk mitigated:

  • IT path clear
  • Standards-based architecture.