Southern Company Transmission

Georgia Control Center

 North American Electric Reliability
Corporation (NERC)
Eastern Interconnect
• ~700,000 MWs interconnected and
operated synchronously.
• Operations and transactions must
be closely coordinated.
• Ability to “lean” on others aids the
reliability of all participants.
• However, distant events can have
widespread impacts.
 Georgia Power Company Transmission

• Transmission Lines
o 46 kV & 69 kV – 3,520 miles
o 115 kV – 5,553 miles
o 230 kV – 2,158 miles
o 500 kV – 1,100 miles
• Substations
o 227 Trans. and Gen.
o 1955 Distribution
• Load Data
o So. Control Area: 48,000 MW
o GPC: 29,800 MW
 Tie Lines and Control Centers

∆ ∆
∆
∆ ∆
∆
∆ ∆ ∆ ∆
∆ • Tie Lines are the
∆ ∆

∆
transmission lines
∆ connecting electric
∆
utilities
∆

∆∆
• There are 53 Tie
∆
∆
∆
∆ ∆ ∆
Lines that connect
Southern Company to
neighboring utilities in
the Southeast
 Southern Company Operations
• Power Coordination Center
o System Balancing Authority
o Reliability Coordinator
o Monitor Interface Flows
o Facilitate Transmission Transactions
• Local Transmission Control Centers
o Monitor and Control the Transmission System
o Facilitate Work Requests
o Local Security
o Restoration
• Distribution Control Centers
o Monitor and Control Distribution Breakers and Feeders
o Communicate with distribution customers
 How Does the GCC Function?
Security
study transmission
work requests to
ensure the work is
done in a way to
keep grid reliable Support
Pre-Arrange Engineers
process requests, provide technical
write safe guidance as
switching orders, needed
communicate with
personnel
Floor Operators
System Area
Operators (SO) Operators
ensure reliability monitor and
and security of the control the
transmission grid transmission grid
in GA in GA in real-time
 Desk Responsibilities

• Area Desks
o Monitor system conditions
o Monitor and respond to alarms
o Issue switching orders
1 More than 27,000 in 2010
o Respond to emergency conditions
o Dispatch field personnel as needed
 Desk Responsibilities Continued

• System Operator Desk

o Perform contingency analysis and security studies
o Develop operating solutions for identified
contingencies
o Monitor system voltage schedule
o Analyze outages and assist Area desk with
restoration plans
o Communicate with PCC and external entities
 Other Functions
• Pre-Arrange
o Coordinate all work requests for facility outages
1 More than 12,000 in 2010
o Verify feasibility of work requests through System
Security
o Write accurate and safe switching orders
o Notify all impacted parties of work requests
o Compile and distribute the daily work summary
 Other Functions Continued

• System Security
o Conduct security studies/perform contingency
analysis for outage requests
o Develop necessary operating solutions to facilitate
major construction projects
o Coordinate with Transmission Planning group to help
plan to build reliable system
o Conduct annual Summer Operating Study and report
results
 Other Functions Continued

• Support Engineers
o Provide technical support to other GCC groups
o Collect and distribute data from the field
o Verify equipment data with field personnel and other
operating companies
o Produce and maintain operating procedures (e.g.
Blackstart)
o Fault Data Analysis
 Operator Tools
• Energy Management System (EMS)
o PNA (Power Network Analysis) –view real-time data
from EMS and also perform and build case studies
o OPNA (Offline PNA) – perform studies and N-1
contingency analysis
o EMo (Electronic Monitor) – view real-time status to
get the “big picture” quickly
o Dynamic Line Rating
o Fault Location
 Operator Tools
• Other Simulation and Viewing Tools
o PowerWorld – view real-time flows, also “big picture”
o PSS/E – perform studies and in-depth contingency
analysis using modified planning model
o TransMap
o GenVarr
o Situational Awareness
 Operator Tools
EMS Real-time Screenshot Example
 Software Tools
PowerWorld Real-time Screenshot Example
 Operator Tools
TransMap - Electronic Mimic Board
BRYANT TVA
9 TVA Switches 903
161KV NGEMC 883 893
5 MORGANVILLE 151001 9 5 9 5 9 5 4 3 3 3 3 WHITFIELD 887
958 161/46/12 KV 938 5 897
151006 814 824 858 934 914 AIM PRE. 027 AIM 5 AIM
7 PRE. 151 924
3 3 3 9 7 9 743 741
NO NO 5 5 919 5 SWITCHES IN BLD BLD
3 929
1088 KIKER SUB.
7 NO NO
7 A 898 #3 #2 #1 153609
OGLETHORPE NGEMC CATOOSA 153519
NGEMC EDWARDS 157 147

Replaces paper & pins

3 5 1 5 9 161/12 KV RLB 5 5
161/12 KV 161/25/12 KV RINGGOLD AIM AIM
1084 501 509
TVA PRE. 009 PRE. 009 PRE. 027 153511
7 BLD RLB RLB 181 5 173
WIDOWS CREEK 5
506 RLB RLB
230/161 KV CHICKAMAUGA 115/25/12 KV 019213

5
3
RLB
NGEMC
KENSINGTON
230/25 KV
with electronic board
B
LTC
PRE. 002
A
LTC
(NGEMC)
#2
(GPC/TVA)
1B
LTC 763 LTC
1A
LTC
LINE GRD. 716
5 719
726
80 AMP
717
80 AMP

VARNELL
DALTON
CITY #8
PRE. 112
RLB
019211
CRAWFISH
5 2657 2647 2767 002637 5 381 5 393 PRE. 153
CREEK 5 5 5
717 1
NC AIM 5 AIM AIM AIM BLD RLB
PRE. 181 AIM
RLB TVA 002771 027781
TVA Line 725 TVA GPC BLD BLD
TVA Sw.
Line TUNNEL
#2 #1 HILL
9 LTC LTC 9 PRE. 192
NGEMC YOUNG
9
(N. LAFAYETTE) NGEMC HASSLER 5 148 318 5
3 3 5
115/25 KV 7 214 7
PRE. 002
9 13.0 Reactor 826 5 816 5
PRE. 140
AIM AIM 117 9 7
B A 161 Meter M 9 1 1 7 AOM
5 058 5 308 5
258 448 5 138 9
LTC LTC 7 5 5 5 NGEMC 809
5 7 9
783 793 A 7 A GPC
5 787 5 797 017 217 227 417 7 851 853
7 AOM AOM
458 5 243 RLB BLD
5 068 ROCK SPRINGS BLD
230/161/115 KV 9
791 799 9 PRE. 129 241 251 5 263 5 DALTON DALTON
RLB BLD DALTON
PLAIN /
217 CITY #7 CITY #1 CITY #4
WHIPS 5 DALTON
AIM PRE. 126 PRE. 029 PRE. 028
CITY #10
5 PRE. 112 B A BK B BK A
45 MVAR
3 LAFAYETTE DUG GAP (NGEMC) 027
9
PRE. 002 FUTURE 115/12 KV 5 017 5 5 227 967 957
941 DALTON CITY #2 AIM AIM AIM 5 5
5 730 TVA PRE. 028 RLB SHUGART ROAD AIM AIM
738
747 5 061 5 051
NO
5 203 201
7 1 AOM 703 LTC 5 5 PRE. 067 RLB RLB 983 991
5 5 5
5 BLD
627
7 AOM 5 717 5 3
7 713 714 917 953
AOM 388 358
5 758 728 5 217 AIM BLD
723 RLB 9 7 7 9 RED E. DALTON
9 9 5 5
203 201
BLD BLD 378 348 WHITE E. DALTON
061441 9 7 7 9
BLD 5 5
061453 (4)981709 459 338 368 BLACK E. DALTON
061469 717 BLD NGEMC
RLB BLD 5 TVA SW.
AIM 443 ROPER 9 7 7 9
431 673 671
BLD BLD 115/12 BLD BLD
LAFAYETTE 3 310 5
851
5 CITY #3 427 9 PRE. 163 45 LTC 5 017
AIM 331 311 679
BLD 876 115/12 PRE. 141 MVAR 7 583 3 BLD
327 #2 581
006 707
859 1 3 3 321 5 5 BLD RLB 704 NGEMC
5 LTC NGEMC BRISON LTC CS/AIM AIM 100 A
853 DALTON WHITFIELD 767
RLB PRE. 028 RIEGEL TEXTILE
LTC 709 713 IND. PARK 5 757 5 717 5 727
866 (MT. VERNON MILLS) PRIMARY 317 #1 AOM AOM AIM AIM
5 PRE. 028 AOM ANTIOCH NGEMC 3 3 3 3
1 3 916 PRE. 138 5
BK 1 551 ROAD 1 1 TILTON
5 5 5 B A A LTC B
809 917 BLD B PRE. 211 716 726 NGEMC
BK 2 PRE. 027
LTC AIM 926 577 AIM DALTON CITY #9 3 3 CENTER POINT CALHOUN #1
803 827 823 TRION 115/12 KV 5 115/25 KV PRE. 027 PRE. 027
805 PRE. 033
BLD 5 PRE. 028 PRE. 033 #1 #2
801 553 A
LTC RLB 567 AIM LTC LTC
 Reliability Tools

• Weather Forecasts
• Lightning Tracker
• Fault Data Analysis
• Geographic Information System
• Summer Operating Study
• Sub-Transmission Automation
Weather Reports
 Determine Location of Lightning Event

• FALLS…
Fault
Analysis
and
Lightning
Location
System
 Operator Tools
EMS Real-time Screenshot Example
Summer Operating Database - Overload
 Current Issues

• Reliability Standards
• Cyber Security
• Employee Skills and Training
• Staffing
Questions?