About the Repository
EPRI Urban Underground Practices Repository
Introduction Acknowledgements EPRI Contact Information
Introduction
Overview
A key objective of EPRI’s research into distribution system practices is to identify, document and provide practice summary descriptions to research participants in a format that facilitates comparison and aids decision-makers in identifying those practices in place at other utilities that can be applied to their utility to improve performance. In order to facilitate comparisons, EPRI has issued practice results in an online repository, which places like practices employed by multiple companies one against the other. By organizing practices in this fashion, a funding company representative can use the EPRI Practice Repositories to compare and contrast practices used by peer companies to address like challenges.
Background
Underground systems are a crucial part of the electric utility industry infrastructure, delivering high levels of reliability to customers. Underground systems also present challenges to industry leaders, such as aging infrastructure and high construction and maintenance costs. Moreover, the loss of experienced staff to mergers and attrition has left many utilities with a gap in experience needed for optimal planning, design and engineering, construction, operations, and maintenance of underground systems. In 2007, EPRI embarked upon a multiyear effort to identify and illustrate noteworthy practices in managing urban underground systems. Originally focused on secondary network systems, EPRI expanded the scope of its practices research (at the request of participant utilities) to include practices employed in non-network designs such as radial ducted manhole systems, and non-network dual feeds to major urban customers. While some of the challenges faced by utilities with network systems are unique to network systems (e.g., network protector maintenance), many of the challenges operators of network systems face are similar to those faced by operators of non-network designs. For this reason, EPRI has expanded its research to identify noteworthy practices it believes valuable to utilities of both network and non-network systems. Beginning in 2012, EPRI expanded its research scope to include urban underground system practices employed by international (non-U.S.) utilities; specifically, ESB Networks in Dublin Ireland, and Energex in Brisbane, Australia. Research into international company practices presents an opportunity to identify unique practices and alternate ways of conducting business. A significant finding from EPRI’s review of these companies is that the fundamental design of the urban underground infrastructure serving their central business districts is significantly different than the urban design approach used by most U.S. utilities. Most U.S. utilities utilize a low-voltage meshed secondary underground network to serve urban customers. In this design, the meshed secondary system is supplied from multiple primary feeders. Because the secondary system is meshed, if one (or more) of the primary feeders go out of service, the secondary network continues to be supplied from the remaining primary feeders, ensuring uninterrupted customer service. The international approach is similar in that it utilizes an expansive secondary system to serve customers. However, the secondary system is not meshed, but radially designed, with multiple normally open tie points that can be used to facilitate restoration in an outage. Beginning in 2020, EPRI expanded the repository to include survey and practice information associated with underground residential and commercial distribution (URD and UCD). The ultimate research goals are deliverables that can aid utilities in managing underground distribution systems by identifying noteworthy industry practices information that can reduce time, cost, and uncertainty of dealing with these systems, and improve safety and reliability.
Approach
Successful management of underground distribution systems requires a confluence of people, processes, and technology practices. For example, performing a distribution feeder load flow analysis requires people with the appropriate educational background and training, and standards that define when and why such an analysis should be performed. Performing a feeder load flow analysis also requires a defined process, or set of activities that describe how such an analysis should be performed, and positions that set of activities within a larger process (e.g., overall capacity planning). Performing load flow analysis also entails the application of technology, such as load flow software and automated mapping systems. For this reason the EPRI research team focused on identifying People practices, Process practices, and Technology practices:
• People practices include things such as organizational designs, educational requirements, training, management controls such as policies, standards and audits, and performance management practices. These practices are descriptions of “who does things” and “how people are prepared.” • Process practices focus on the structure and performance of the activities involved in executing business processes in each key functional area. These practices summaries are descriptions of “how things are done.” • Technology practices focus on the application of tools, equipment, and information technology to support the execution of the processes. These practices summaries are descriptions of the “tools used to get things done.”
Summaries of practices in this repository are presented in a “People”, “Process”, and “Technology” format. In addition, the EPRI project team has also gathered practices information using surveys. Results from surveys are used to help members better understand common and contrasting practices among utility peers for managing underground systems. Survey results have been summarized and are included in the data repository.
Acknowledgements
EPRI wishes to acknowledge the high levels of cooperation, openness, and information sharing by all of the study participants from the companies who have participated in the practices immersions thus far and whose practices are represented in this repository, including: Seattle City Light (SCL), Con Edison, FirstEnergy (The Illuminating Company - CEI), Hawaiian Electric Company (HECO), CenterPoint Energy, Duke Energy, Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), National Grid, Ameren, ESB Networks, Energex, Georgia Power, and AEP.
In particular, EPRI wishes to acknowledge the following individuals for their leadership in helping to create and shape this practices repository:
| Mr. Hamed Zadehgol | SCL |
| Mr. Frank Doherty | Con Edison |
| Mr. Matt Slagle | FirstEnergy |
| Mr. Roger Savako | FirstEnergy |
| Ms. Charlyne Nakamura | HECO |
| Mr. Lance Miyahara | HECO |
| Mr. Larry Neal | CenterPoint |
| Mr. Mark Mitchell | CenterPoint |
| Mr. Jeff Hesse | Duke Energy |
| Mr. Jerry Ivey | Duke Energy |
| Ms. Tuyet La | Duke Energy |
| Mr. Bob Malahowski | PG&E |
| Mr. Robert Sheridan | National Grid |
| Mr. Robert Schwarting | National Grid |
| Mr. Greg Ringkamp | Ameren |
| Mr. Ken Worland | Ameren |
| Ms. Theresa Fallon | ESB Networks |
| Mr. Michael Moran | ESB Networks |
| Mr. Paul Rainbird | Energex |
| Mr. Lee Welch | Georgia Power |
| Mr. Perry Pettigrew | Georgia Power |
| Mr. Roy Middleton | AEP |
| Mr. Tom Weaver | AEP |
Find more information on participating utilities here.
EPRI Contact Information
John Tripolitis JTripolitis@EPRI.com (610) 385-0884
Josh Perkel JPerkel@EPRI.com (704) 595-2568