August 18, 2004—A year after the massive blackout that affected North America, Philadelphia-based PECO Energy said the event prompted a self-assessment on how utilities can improve transmission reliability, adding that the industry is united on the need for mandatory reliability standards. PECO said the historic event offered valuable lessons for operating the utility’s transmission system and vegetation management practices.
The 2003 blackout, which affected 50 million people in eight states and parts of Canada, was the most severe transmission disturbance since the New York City blackout in 1965. PECO customers were not affected by the blackout.
Using the blackout as a “wake-up call” for the industry, PECO said it took the opportunity to improve aspects of its operations and minimize potential risks. Forty employees participated in the wide-ranging self-assessment over a period of four months. The team looked at system operation processes and procedures, communication systems and real-time tools, emergency response procedures, training, and vegetation management. The employees visited with utilities that experienced the blackout, conducted interviews, and studied best work practices in the industry.
The self-assessment produced an action list of 115 improvements, of which 53 were completed by June 2004 prior to the summer peak season. Other projects are being planned for expected completion in 2005. The improvements involved development of more formalized procedures for tree trimming and adopting industry best practices, making critical computer systems more user friendly and informative, enhancing processes to improve operator response to alarms and emergent issues, expanding emergency procedures, and strengthening training programs.
PECO explained that its effort was consistent with the recommendations that came from the national task force formed after the blackout to address the “3 Ts”—trees, tools, and training. The improvements made in these areas enhanced the transmission system reliability.
PECO and its sister company, Commonwealth Edison, based in Chicago, participated in numerous industry efforts to identify causes to the blackout and recommendations to strengthen the nation’s reliability. The industry also has become unified in its endorsement for national reliability standards that are both mandatory and enforceable. Such standards are still under discussion among federal agencies and the industry.
In June, PECO submitted an expansive report on its vegetation management practices to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and the North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC), in compliance with a request from the US-Canadian task force. The report addresses PECO’s clearance around transmission power lines, maintenance cycle, frequency and type of right-of-way inspections and related matters. PECO maintains about 930 miles of transmission right-of-ways.
PECO also participated this year in a Transmission Reliability Benchmarking Study, an in-depth review of transmission reliability involving 28 utilities. It was the 10th annual study conducted by SGS Statistical Services and the seventh in which PECO has participated. The study found that PECO’s transmission system operates at a high level of performance and reliability with first-or second-quartile measures in all categories with either stable or improving results for the company’s 69-kv (kilovolt), 138-kv, 230-kv, and 500-kv facilities. PECO Energy is an electric and natural gas utility subsidiary of Exelon Corporation serving 1.5 million electric and 456,000 natural gas customers in southeastern Pennsylvania.
