A continued focus on resiliency

Great River Energy has long had a focus on resiliency. That means the cooperative is strengthening electric infrastructure and making it less susceptible to damage. At the same time, Great River Energy is enhancing the way it recovers from damage that does occur in order to minimize disruptions.

Many resilience initiatives have been accomplished with more in the works.

“Focusing on resiliency and reliability is a continuous initiative at Great River Energy,” said Mark Peterson, director of system operations at Great River Energy.

Transformers and circuit breakers at substation sites are key focuses.

“In the past, single circuit breakers may have been installed to protect multiple transmission devices or lines. Employees have identified and prioritized substation sites to be upgraded with additional breakers for improved reliability,” Peterson said.

Peterson said six substations were upgraded, three are on track to be completed this year and 10 other sites have planned projects.

Great River Energy also has a pilot project in place to test advanced camera systems with detection and monitoring capabilities. Peterson said the benefits include identifying equipment issues prior to failure, remote view of switching devices to ensure correct operations and possible remote maintenance inspection capability.

Other important resiliency-focused efforts completed in recent years include:

Transmission emergency response plan
Great River Energy created a documented transmission emergency response plan that establishes a comprehensive framework for responding to incidents that lead to a disruption or loss of portions of the electric transmission system. The plan outlines Great River Energy’s standard guidelines and procedures for responding to emergencies, including wildfires, regardless of size, cause or complexity.

Spare equipment
Great River Energy performed a high-level review of standard equipment and developed a methodology for spare components and recommended quantities based on type of equipment.

“Having the proper amount of spare equipment helps mitigate risk, while also balancing excessive stock that could go unused. Designing projects around standard equipment helps distill spare equipment needs and minimizes outage time in the event of failure,” Peterson said.

Temperature change for gas circuit breakers
Great River Energy changed the operating temperature specification for gas circuit breakers from minus 40 degrees Celsius to minus 50 degrees Celsius throughout its service area to ensure reliable operation in the dead of winter. Circuit breakers have heating elements in them so they can be warmed in winter. Warming the circuit breakers is necessary as they contain components that lose effectiveness at extreme cold temperatures.