Siemens Energy (Alpharetta, Georgia, U.S.) has been awarded a contract to install its IEC 61850-compliant substation automation system and associated protection and control intelligent electronic devices for the modernization of the New York Power Authority's (NYPA) St. Lawrence-Franklin D. Roosevelt transmission substation in New York state.

This NYPA contract reflects the growing U.S. interest in the application of smart grid methodology in substation protection and control systems design using the latest IEC 61850 worldwide standard.

The scope of supply includes the IEC 61850-compliant substation automation system based on Siemens' SICAM Power Automation System (PAS) products and third-party computer gear; 42 protection and control panels using Siemens' SIPROTEC and other vendor's transmission protection relays with IEC 61850 interfaces; substation IEC 61850 communications gear and fiber cables; system engineering, design and programming of all components; and a lab development system for NYPA to perform simulation and maintenance work.

Additionally, Siemens will provide installation services, site-acceptance testing and support during the substation commissioning, which is is scheduled for late 2009.

Siemens' SICAM PAS, a software-based substation automation package, will provide the substation-level portion of the SCADA system. It communicates with all the relays and other control devices using IEC 61850, extracts data from and controls these devices and provides the human machine interface for NYPA operations personnel to monitor and control the substation.