Reliant Energy HL&P, Houston, Texas, U.S., and CYME International Inc., Burlington, Massachusetts, U.S., co-developed innovative software to provide faster and more organized storm restorations. Named MARS (Management, Assessment and Restoration of Service), the automation software plans optimal circuit rearrangements and repair, based on damage locations and customer priorities.

Reliant Energy HL&P has more than 350 teams of inspectors trained and pre-positioned to patrol locked-out circuits. In MARS, the inspectors determine the exact damage location and count, and enter them into a central database that contains estimated repair time for each type damage. Working on a real-time electrical model of the distribution system, MARS produces an optimized restoration plan. First, it opens switches in the model to isolate the reported damage. Secondly, it restores priority customers by connecting them to remaining circuits. It then adds customers as load allows and creates a list of field switching required to reconfigure the system. The prioritized MARS repair list allows restoration dates to be determined for each customer in most cases.