Open Systems International, Inc. (OSI) has been chosen by a joint group of Rural Electric Cooperatives (REC) to replace an aging SCADA system.

Eastern Iowa REC, East-Central Iowa REC and Linn County REC are members of the Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives. The three cooperatives routinely work together on matters of joint interest for the purpose of reducing costs and sharing staff resources and expertise. Together they bring power to portions of more than 20 counties in eastern Iowa.

The main motivation for the selection of OSI’s Monarch system was the implementation of a modern, flexible, reliable, and secure system. OSI expects to aid the three RECs with their commitment to deliver power that is safe, reliable, environmentally responsible and affordable by providing its state of the art Monarch platform as the base platform for automation initiatives including future Smart Grid and Green Energy initiatives.

These next-generation SCADA systems are based on the OSI Monarch platform and include Data Acquisition and Control, DNP serial and IP communications, Historical Information System, Calculation and Trending Subsystems, Open Database Connectivity Support, and Disturbance Data Collection and Review.

Linn County Rural Electric Cooperative  is a not-for-profit, member owned electric distribution cooperative serving more than 23,000 members in portions of six counties in eastern Iowa. Its membership includes residential and commercial accounts in rural and suburban areas of Linn and Johnson counties with line extensions into Jones, Cedar, Iowa and Benton counties.

Eastern Iowa REC is Iowa’s largest distribution electric cooperative with 25,000 meters. It serves a diverse membership that includes traditional farm operations, rural housing areas, industrial and commercial developments and recreational facilities. The Eastern Iowa rural service area covers all or portions of 12 counties, stretching along the Mississippi River.

East-Central Iowa REC serves approximately 7,350 member-consumers and over 2,200 miles of electric lines, in 11 Iowa counties. It is a non-profit REC with operation centers located in Vinton and Independence, Iowa each supporting a full line crew and member service department.