T&D World - October 2024

Powering Transformation... Sustainably

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Welcome to Application Nation

Calling all applicators! Your partners at Envu are excited to invite you to join Application Nation: an exclusive community of industrial vegetation management (IVM) professionals from across the country.

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From road and rail to utility corridor, bareground and beyond, Application Nation will keep you connected.

New on tdworld.com

Grid Policy:

FERC Order 2023 and the Role of ATTs in Grid Modernization

A key piece of Order 2023 is the requirement to include eight alternative transmission technologies (ATTs) in interconnection studies. https://tdworld.com/55089228

Substations:

Why Gas-Insulated Switchgear (GIS) Substations Are Key to Meeting Accelerating U.S. Power Demand

As utilities formulate strategies to move quickly to meet that demand, the speed-to-market advantages of gas-insulated switchgear (GIS) substations are worth considering. https://tdworld.com/55138424

Distributed

Energy

Resources:

How Microgrids Help Utility Companies Balance Electricity Supply and Demand

Severe weather, electric vehicles, scorching heat, aging infrastructure, and an influx of new data centers and factories are all making power delivery a complex balancing act. https://tdworld.com/55135898

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EV Reality

When we took my oldest son to the used car lot to help him buy his first car three years ago, we were looking for a basic, safe sedan that he could drive to his community college each weekday and work on the weekends. We had no idea we would be driving away in a used plug-in hybrid EV. I have covered the energy industry for many years and had read and written about electrification and its impact on the utility industry but hadn’t really considered buying an EV.

I loved how quiet and smooth the car drove, and how after just plugging into our garage outlet each evening, he would rarely use gas in his daily 50mile round trip commute to the school he had chosen. We felt good about contributing to saving the Earth and even better about saving money on gas.

NIKKI CHANDLER

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

But after about a year and a half, the battery stopped charging and the actual range in EV mode was less than 10 miles. Sure, he still got better gas mileage than an internal combustion vehicle because of the hybrid functionality, but it seemed the beneficial effect on the environment and his budget lessened quite a bit.

We researched possibly replacing the battery, but for a poor college student, it’s cost-prohibitive at this point. Granted, any engine could need major work at any time in its life, especially at nine years, but $3,000 to $5,000 to replace this car’s battery is a bit much to spend on something that doesn’t require it to run.

Regardless of my personal story, EV sales are continuing to rise, albeit not as rapidly as some once predicted. In 2023, EVs and plug-in hybrids surpassed 16% of the total lightduty vehicle sales in the U.S., according to the Energy Information Administration. Just a couple of years ago, analysts were predicting monumental growth in EVs in the U.S., but the recent interest rates and inflation have cooled consumer interest somewhat.

In January, PBS Newshour did a segment on why major car manufacturers are slowing production of electric vehicles. PBS interviewed automotive journalist Jessica Caldwell from Edmunds.com, who explained that EVs are still more expensive, with interest rates being high. She also said that people are getting skeptical about infrastructure, as the charging networks aren’t quite built out yet so it’s not as easy to own an EV as maybe you had once thought.

Hertz announced earlier this year that it was going to sell about a third of its global EV fleet and use some of the

proceeds to buy gas-powered cars. Anti-EV social media personalities rejoiced. Hertz indicated that high repair costs were one reason for the move. I can relate. And the lack of chargers or uncertainty of the charging network just doesn’t work quite yet for rental EV model.

Despite all these bumps in the road, EV sales are still on an upward trajectory. They are still growing, just not as fast as we thought, according to Caldwell. Government incentives are trying to help spur U.S. EV growth; even as consumers will decide. Electric utilities are watching the market trends and prediction for EVs, even as they react to the demand from EVs as it comes up in their territories, whether now or later. EV proliferation will just be part of the exploding demand, as we have come to observe in the past year. I have just been discussing consumer EV sales. Fleet electrification is something utilities have been actively working to address, as this has been more of a factor in satisfying demand. And I can’t regret to mention data center growth creating a surge in power demand rather quickly. According to one research company, Rystad Energy, the build-out of data centers and more widespread adoption of EVs is expected to ramp up electricity demand in the U.S., add 290 TWh of new demand by 2030.

So, we know the answers to all of this: investment, infrastructure, and technology. Many utilities already have initiatives focused on managing or learning from today’s EV charging. In this month’s issue, we feature Cleco Power, which plans to install 30 Level 2 EV charging stations in Louisiana. The utility’s research shows that expanding public Level 2 and DC Fast charging access will be a driving force for the growth of EVs in Louisiana.

Tdworld.com features many stories of utilities educating consumers regarding when and where to charge and offering incentives to install charging infrastructure. Utilities are collaborating with charging companies, vehicle manufacturers and fleets, not only in research but in sharing data for capacity maps and projected charging demand. Engineers are offering their help in planning and mitigation. One of my favorite stories we have published is one titled “Right-Sizing Residential Transformers for EVs,” by Jodie Lupton from POWER Engineers (January 2024).

As usual the electric utility industry is coming together to anticipate and come up with solutions to a problem, and even drive us into a future of cleaner air and better weather.

SHOW INSIGHTS

FBY CHRISTINA MARSH, SENIOR EDITOR

Navigating Storm Response: Improvements and Lessons Learned

rom December 31, 2022, to January 16, 2023, SMUD (Sacramento Municipal Utility District) experienced an unprecedented series of storms, prompting the utility to launch a “Storm Response Team.” In February 24, its service territory was once again battered by a strong winter storm. Michael Champ, manager at SMUD, will share the improved processes SMUD’s response team created in 2023 at a T&D World Live session in October. The session will cover how those processes and lessons learned were put to the test in its 2024 storm response efforts. This presentation will include:

• Damage Assessment - increasing from 15 to 100 damage assessors utilizing new damage assessment mobile applications.

• Estimated Restoration Time (ERT), which set a new metric to provide ERTs within 8 hours of each outage start time and measuring the accuracy of each ERT.

• Customer Communications, upgrading the external website for customers to receive latest information on their respective outage and ERTs.

• Line Crew Capacity, which increased capacity through several strategies to run more crews safely and expedite the repair work.

Champ is responsible for a variety of analytic projects and process improvements, including optimizing storm response, evaluating gross margin risks, and long range financial modeling. He started his utility career with SMUD over 10 years ago, managing enterprise performance metrics and capital investment prioritization. Champ earned a Bachelors degree and an MBA from UC Davis.

T&D World spoke with Champ about his background, industry issues and solutions:

TDW: How did you get into the utility industry? Is this something that you always knew you had wanted to do?

CHAMP: I was working in strategic planning and risk management in the financial sector, but found the work quite abstract and hard to relate to what tangible problems we were solving in the real world. When an opportunity came up to move to SMUD, it seemed like a great opportunity to work on problems directly affecting my community. I did not realize at the time how true that was, and have since had the opportunity to look at where and how we invest our capital, how we support electrification and solar adoption, and how we respond to storms.

TDW: From your corner of the industry, what are the major problems do you see that need to be addressed?

CHAMP: There are two main areas I believe will be critical over the next decade. The first is decarbonizing our generation. This

includes working through land acquisition, permitting, supply chain, and contracting challenges to build renewable resources, and building a resource portfolio that integrates and manages variable resources. The second is managing shifting load patterns and their impacts on our assets. As customers electrify buildings and fleets, we will see load growth in ways that were not anticipated when we put in infrastructure. Understanding when and where load growth will occur, and its impacts on our assets will be critical to ensure we can meet our customers needs and maintain the reliability they expect.

TDW: Any ideas on what can help those problems?

CHAMP: To achieve our renewable targets, we need to set ambitious but achievable goals, use project management fundamentals to speed up decision-making, and use an “all of the above” strategy including both grid and distributed resources for composing a portfolio. Managing electrification and asset management will require investments in capturing more data on our assets to monitor their health, and building data pipelines and data science support to augment our engineers in making predictive models that can help us plan and optimize our work.

TDW: What are highlights of your session, or what will you talk about?

CHAMP: We will be discussing SMUD’s experience in recent large storms, and how we have revamped our processes related to damage assessment, restoration, and customer communication. We have build an in-house system that combines outage data, damage assessment data, and our crew schedules to model various scenarios for restoration so that we can provide better communication to customers, and make informed strategic decisions in managing restoration.

TDW: Why is this topic important to the electric utility industry?

CHAMP: In the wake of Hurricane Beryl, we have plenty of evidence of the impacts of storm response. We can’t restore everyone immediately, but as restoration times grow, so do personal hardships, economic losses, and political backlash to utilities. We need to get the lights on as quickly as is safely possible, and communicate with our customers so they can manage the disruption to their lives.

TDW: What will attendees walk away with?

CHAMP: Attendees will get a window into the strategies SMUD has used to speed up damage assessment, improve situational awareness in a storm, and enhance the customer experience of power restoration on both blue sky and storm days.

ATTEND THE SESSION:

SMUDs Storm Restoration Improvements and Lessons Learned

• Wednesday, October 2, 2024, 10:00 AM - 10:45 AM

Solar Flares, What’s Next?

What is Solar Cycle 25? It’s an 11-year cycle of the Sun’s activity that started in December 2019. Its maximum solar activity is expected in 2025. Experts predicted that solar activity would be less during this cycle than the previous one, but it’s been pretty active so far. It started ramping up last May and it’s expected to max out in next summer. That’s good news for aurora borealis watchers, but possibly not so good for the power grid and communications sector to name a few.

According to NASA, the solar cycle’s progress is tracked by the numbers of sunspots recorded. Sunspots are associated with solar activity like solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) that emit solar energy into space. Low levels produce the peaceful aurora borealis everyone loves, but when the levels are up it’s a different story. That brings solar incidents with high levels of energy pushing things like aurora borealis displays far beyond their normal limits.

This summer the aurora borealis have even been seen in the skies over New Mexico and further south. I have missed the New Mexico lights so far, but I have seen photos of the lights over famous state landmarks, and they were beautiful. As photogenic as these light displays are, it’s the geomagnetic storms that really captured my attention. When the aurora borealis are this far from the North pole, it’s an indication of how powerful these geomagnetic disturbances (GMDs) are.

Solar Storms

Without getting too technical, solar flares are flashes of light that reach Earth and typically don’t have much of an impact on the Earth. CMEs, however, are GMDs of large, superheated bubbles of solar plasma and radiation ejected into space. The slow moving CMEs can take from eight to fifteen hours to make the trip to Earth, so there is time to prepare. Damage from solar flares and CMEs vary. Strong solar flares can affect satellites. Powerful CMEs, however, inter-

act with the Earth’s magnetic fields producing geomagnetic inducing currents (GICs). They can form in the long conductors found in transmission and distribution lines, which is a problem for the power grid. Also, they can generate EMPs (electromagnetic pulses), which are not good for digital electronics or the power grid either.

The first recorded CME event happened in 1859. It knocked the world’s telegraph systems out of service due to GICs in the wires. There were also fires in telegraph stations caused by sparking wires, and operators were injured by electrical shocks. Since that 1859 event, there have been several other occurrences reported, but the most famous gridwise happened in March 1989.

Observers reported a massive explosion on the Sun on March 10th, and on March 13th a powerful CME hit the Earth’s magnetosphere. That resulted in Hydro-Quebec’s power grid failing. The entire province of Quebec suffered a blackout that lasted about nine hours and affected roughly 6 million people. One newspaper reported, “Transformers overheated, circuit breakers tripped, and strange frequencies (harmonics) started to flow through the lines.” In the U.S. there were over 200 power grid issues reported including the destruction of a power transformer in New Jersey by GICs.

GIC Protection

The 1989 CME event generated numerous studies and papers from our national laboratories concerning the GMDs’ GICs. The work focused on what could be done to lessen their impact like the neutral blocking device WAPA installed a few years ago in the neutral of a large power transformer.

The device takes advantage of the fact that GICs act like direct currents, which are blocked by capacitors. The device has “a solidly grounded metallic path, a GIC-blocking path using a capacitor bank, and an overvoltage protective path through a spark gap.”

This points out the power grid has options. One comes from PJM. They said they issued a geomagnetic disturbance alert to their generation and transmission companies on May 10th and extended it to May 12th. PJM followed up reporting there were no major impacts to their grid operations. They went on to say their members have installed special equipment to detect and measure GICs, with procedures to follow if there was an issue.

There are a growing number of countermeasures that can be applied to our power gird. That’s fortunate since solar storms with CME and EMP events are a growing threat, and the grid is exposed. We can’t afford to be reactive on GMD. Proactivity is needed for grid resilience, and inactivity is too expensive!

Solar activity. Courtesy of NASA

Is It Innovation or Common Sense or Both?

Streamlining the process is the only way to overcome legacy thinking.

The demand for power is growing, but is the bulk transmission’s infrastructure ready for it? This past summer saw peak demands setting records followed by nextday power prices setting their own records, but there weren’t any records set for adding to the transmission infrastructure. Interestingly a slew of experts said we needed more technology. Granted technology has helped us keep our heads above water, but as the old-timers have always said, “there’s no substitute for wire in the air.”

That’s not to say grid-enhancing technologies aren’t really needed, they are. But how can technology bring clean energy from remote generation where there’s not a transmission line in sight? How can technology move nearly 12,000 renewable generation and storage projects out of the interconnection queue logjam? If it gets out of the queue it meets a power grid that’s not ready for it. There’s lots of competition for the limited capacity available from all of the other grid clients.

Another issue is the variability of load growth forecasts. There’re all over the scale when it comes to yearly growth rates utilities can expect. Projections range anywhere from two to three percent, up to five or six percent per year. One thing is certain, the era of flat power demand is over. One other talking point affecting this picture is that our aging power grid is being challenged to meet everyone’s needs. Basically, it’s still a case that we need more wire in the air.

A new approach is needed

Unfortunately the traditional processes used for adding that wire to the bulk transmission infrastructure are handicapped. The average transmission line project takes about ten years to go from start to finish, and that’s with no issues. If the transmission line crosses state lines or are interregional, all bets are off. That’s a can of worms that increases the order of difficulty exponentially, since states have been known not to play well with each other. Several novel approaches have been suggested for speeding up the system, but the “priority” transmission corridor seems to be the most promising.

It’s an approach that’s a combination of common sense and innovation. It’s a proactive method to identify specific problem rights-of-way (ROW) and get them preapproved as priority corridors. It’s a positive approach to sensitive issues that interregional and/or multiple state transmission projects represent. This tactic is a proven method for streamlining and expediting these critical processes. It’s being used by developers with experience transporting large blocks of power over extreme distances in Europe, China, and Great Britian to name a few.

With the push for energy independence, there’s growing interest in priority corridors that has attracted federal attention. Interestingly, FERC (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission) has jurisdiction over permitting of interstate oil and gas pipelines, but that doesn’t extend to electric transmission lines. Several experts point out permitting for new gas/ oil pipelines is more efficient and happens much faster than electric transmission lines do. Some see that FERC not having authority for electric transmission lines is a deterrent for interregional renewable energy transmission projects.

Growing regulatory support

This is illustrated in several topical publications from the DOE (Department of Energy) like the DOE’s October 2023 “National Transmission Needs Study.” It reported there’s a pressing need for more transmission infrastructure in nearly all of the regions of North America. DOE indicated some regions were enduring consistently higher prices for electricity. It went on to say, this transmission shortfall is “harming consumers and affecting grid resilience.”

In early May of this year, the DOE followed up with a proposal for a “national interest” electric transmission corridor (NIETC) designation process. The DOE’s strategy started with ten NIETCs. They represented the most critical transmission pathways prone to congestion. Those ten NIETCs total roughly 4,000 miles of designated transmission pathways. They provide a framework for rapidly expanding the bulk transmission system and could qualify for direct loans under DOE’s Transmission Facility Financing program.

A few days later, FERC published its Order 1920 (Final). It addresses improvement of North America’s regional and interregional planning transmission policy. It’s the longest order FERC has written to date with over 1,300 pages. It’s easy to get lost in it, but it does have some far reaching changes that make it worth the effort. It’s focused on making the long-term transmission planning process more efficient. Modernizing regional and interregional planning approaches are seen as one of the most critical processes for the fast and efficient means of increasing the transmission infrastructure.

In the months following the Order 1920, there was both support and questioning from the states about implementing the Order. One example of support was a letter written in June by the governors of Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersy, and Illinois to PJM. It recognized FERC’s Order 1920 and asked PJM to support FERC’s directive and coordinate with states and stakeholders. Shortly after that, PJM announced

“they were beginning the development of scenarios for long-term transmission planning as a first priority in complying with Order 1920.”

On a related note, FERC issued its Order 2023 streamlining the interconnection process. It also addresses the backlog of renewable generation and energy storage projects in the interconnection queue. NIETCs will help those clean energy projects clearing the queue and being readied for construction and operation. The projects and the NIETCs are needed by utilities and grid operators to meet their growing requirements for clean energy and transmission assets. This would be a good opportunity for “Charging Ahead” to talk with an expert on renewable energy transmission projects in defined power corridors.

Purposeful expansion

We contacted David Getts, the general manager of SouthWestern Power Group (SWPG) to talk about the RioSol Transmission and SunZia Transmission lines, which are currently the largest parallel energy delivery projects in the U.S. Mr. Getts started the discussion saying, “RioSol Transmis -

sion and SunZia Transmission were conceived and developed by SWPG. The two lines were co-developed in the planning, permitting, and their parallel routes. They share a history, and will be built in the same transmission corridor, but each transmission line serves a unique purpose. The SunZia project is VSC-HVDC (volt source converter - high-voltage direct current), and the Rio Sol project is HVAC (high-voltage alternating current).”

Since 1980, there have been 186 severe storms causing at least $1 billion in damage – and a third of those have occurred in the last 5 years.

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RioSol Transmission Corridor. Courtesy of SWPG

Getts continued, “SunZia is rated ±525 kV, 3,000 megawatts (MWs) transmission line and is owned by Pattern Energy. Being an HVDC line, it will transport wind generated electricity directly from New Mexico to the Pinal Central substation in Arizona. From this point, Pattern Energy has firm transmission rights on the existing transmission system to deliver the energy to the Palo Verde hub for sale to California. The RioSol project is rated 500 kV, 1,500 MWs transmission line and is owned by SWPG. It too will be operating as a regional transmission project also likely transporting wind generated electricity from New Mexico

to Arizonia, but with an important difference.”

Mr. Getts explained, “Being an HVAC transmission line, RioSol offers some unique opportunities for the utilities along its right-of-way that HVDC does not. It can be easily tapped to deliver this clean energy to utilities along the way. Interconnection requests have been made with El Paso Electric, Tucson Electric Power, and Arizona Public Service. In addition, RioSol is considering to interconnect with some other power companies in New Mexico and Arizona. Also a project review group has been formed. Preliminary studies have begun, and FERC has given the project approval for negotiated rate authority and an open solicitation to select anchor tenants. There is a great deal of interest from utilities and from the wind/solar communities in the project.”

Rapid expansion

Ultra-high capacity transmission lines are ideal for NIETC pathways. One such is Invenergy Transmission’s Grain Belt Express project. It’s a VSC-HVDC transmission line that will transport 5,000 megawatts of clean energy from Kansas to Indiana when completed. DOE’s Midwest-Plains NIETC gives a rough approximation of the total project’s ROW for interested readers.

Phase 1 is approximately 542 miles (872 km) long running from windfarms in Kansas to Missouri. The transmission line is ±600 kV 2,500 megawatt HVDC bipole, bi-directional VSC-HVDC with technology supplied by Siemens Energy. Construction is expected to begin in 2025. Phase 2 runs approximately 278 miles (447 km) continuing on from Missouri to Indiana. It will be rated 2,500 megawatts giving the project’s total capacity of 5,000 megawatts of clean energy.

FERC has recognized the advantages of integrating regulatory reform with grid enhancing technologies and their latest Orders offer a lot of potential when it comes to modernization of the power grid. Order 1920 and 2023 along with the NIETC proposal have a lot going for them. There’s a variety of reforms, changes and the encouragement to implement available advanced transmission technologies in new projects for expanding the bulk transmission infrastructure. The biggest hurdles are legacy thinking and political obstacles, but we need to use common sense and innovation to improve the power grid!

9/10/24 4:44 PM

QUICK CLIPS

SOUTHINGTON TO BLACK POND JUNCTION STRUCTURE REPLACEMENT PROJECT BEGINS IN CENTRAL CONNECTICUT

Eversource has started its Southington to Black Pond Junction Structure Replacement Project to strengthen the electric system and support the interconnection of new clean energy resources and increased electrification.

The series of upgrades will replace aging transmission infrastructure within the utility right of way with stronger steel structures to make electric grid more resilient to increasing extreme weather caused by climate change and improve reliability for customers throughout the region. Crews will upgrade nearly 30 existing transmission structures in Berlin, Meriden, Middlefield, Middletown, and Southington under the project.

“These structures support high-voltage lines that deliver power to millions of customers throughout the region, and by replacing these structures with ones made of more durable material, we’re able to modernize and strengthen the electric grid to ensure that customers have the power they need as electric demand increases in the coming years and as climate change continues to pose a threat to reliability,” said Eversource President of

The project is scheduled to be completed by early 2025. Eversource has partnered with state agencies, community leaders and property owners for the project. The work will not interrupt electric service for customers, and the company is providing regular updates to the local stakeholders.

NEW YORK COMMISSION ANNOUNCES GRID PLANNING FOR ELECTRIFICATION

The New York State Public Service Commission has begun a proceeding to evaluate new energy loads from transportation and building electrification to proactively identify and develop future grid infrastructure requirements.

Under the proceeding, the Commission will direct New York’s investor-owned utilities to develop a framework to proactively plan for infrastructure needs driven by transportation and building electrification, and to determine reporting of existing urgent infrastructure needs.

The new planning framework directed by the Commission

is designed to proactively identify grid infrastructure needs to ensure the utilities expand the system in the most cost effective and timely manner. It will also ensure that the utilities leverage shared, best-in-class information and techniques to help each utility in coordinating across geographies and service territories.

The development of an innovative electrification planning process will not only lower utility bills but also enable the significant levels of electrification expected through consumer choice and in pursuit of the Climate Act goals.

Transmission and Offshore Wind Projects, Bill Quinlan.

After an in-depth review of pole materials, the utility installed 30 composite poles in Virginia Beach and looks ahead to more installations.

Dominion Energy Installs Its First Composite Poles

By DEAN COMBS, Dominion Energy, and DUSTIN TROUTMAN, Creative Composites Group

For engineers at electric utilities, the pressure is on to design a super-resilient power grid that can handle numerous competing demands without tanking the bottom line. It is a tough task. Broadening the material choice of their poles has helped Dominion Energy to be more sustainable and deliver on its promise of reliable, on-time electric service. The utility has begun integrating composite utility poles into its power grid. Initial installations have already yielded a smoother supply chain, an even safer, more straightforward installation, and the resilience to keep the lights on, no matter what nature has thrown at them.

Pultruded poles are chosen over wood, steel or concrete poles for applications where lightweight, limited access and corrosion resistance are important. Photos by Creative Composites Group.

The Challenge

The top priority for overhead application engineers and other similar roles is ensuring structures will be resilient, reliable and up to code. But the job also involves many other considerations, like total cost, worker safety, supply chain, transportation costs and more. And unlike other industries, the impact of failure is extreme. Utilities must keep the lights on, as they have a responsibility to every person on their system.

Weather and soil conditions in Dominion’s Virginia to North Carolina territory in particular make this challenging. Many areas along the Atlantic Coast are highly salt-contaminated and

experience high temperatures and sun exposure. This can desiccate wood poles, weakening them and increasing the likelihood they will wriggle out of the sandy soil during extreme weather, causing lines to fall.

Because of this, and with intense weather events increasing in frequency and load demands rising, Dominion has spent a lot of time in the last few years on grid resiliency. This focus included voluntarily increasing its minimum ANSI Class standards in 2020. For example, a 40-ft (12-m) pole used to require a standard of Class 4. Now, a minimum standard of Class 3 is required for a 40-ft pole. Factoring in the National Electrical

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As professionals from the North American power industry value chain, PDi2 members work to determine the most viable, reliable, resilient and cost-effective solutions for the installation of transmission and distribution systems. PDi2 educates stakeholders on investment decisions based on data-driven life-cycle cost analysis.

Join the Discussion Today!

For more information, go to pdi2.org, email info@pdi2.org, or call (703) 212-7745.

Pultruded composite utility poles, custom fabricated to meet needed strength and stiffness requirements.

Safety Code (NESC) calculations for extreme ice and wind, Dominion found it was installing far more Class 1 poles than in the previous decade.

Supply Chain Issues

However, supply was becoming a problem. The Class 1 wood pole of choice traditionally has been made of southern yellow pine. Because of the limits of Mother Nature and demands for

wood from many industries, the number of pole-quality southern yellow pine trees is not where it used to be. Dominion engineers observed they were losing a lot of logging land to other uses, like solar farms. They were finding that most of the trees ready to be cut could not produce a 60-ft (18-m) Class 1 pole — and the ones that could might end up as chips if that were the better seller for the logging company.

The availability problem has required Dominion to broaden

Padmounts are vulnerable to debris, harmful pests, corrosion, and other environmental conditions that could be putting your reliability at risk. Have confidence in a trained and certified Osmose expert to safely assess, identify, and correct detrimental conditions to extend the life of your infrastructure.

FRP poles have a very high strength-to-weight ratio, much lighter than conventional materials but with similar strength and stiffness properties.

its manufacturing plant standards list. The approval process adds substantial work to the plates of employees and includes things like plant visits, environmental standards checks, supply chain and availability checks, and more. Broadened standards also added a new problem: logistics.

This meant considering other materials. The utility found concrete was not the answer, as the strength of these poles comes at the cost of increased weight. With 70% of the world’s internet being powered by Dominion’s systems, the pressure was on to find a pole material that would add reliability and resiliency, especially for high-priority lines, without hiking up costs.

The Solution

Dominion soon realized composite poles met its needs. Assessing available options, Dominion chose poles from Creative Composites Group (CCG). Dominion established its relationship with CCG in 2017 to design crossarms with a special bracket and consistent built-in emergency failure point — to increase the likelihood a pole would survive an extreme weather event.

Composite infrastructural materials range from bridge decking to mooring dolphins to fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) utility poles. Composites are inherently corrosion resistant, a big draw for wet, salty areas like Dominion’s Virginia to North Carolina territory. An important draw for Dominion was that the CCG poles are made in the U.S., so supply would be available nearly on demand, helping to alleviate wood supply chain woes.

Composite Strengths

FRP also has a very high strength-to-weight ratio, much lighter than conventional materials but with similar strength and stiffness properties. Dominion was used to setting poles with cranes and needing mag or hammer drills. On its first site installing composite poles, engineers and line workers were able to push them upright with one hand because they were light with a predictable balance point. These uniform characteristics have yielded more precise, faster and simpler installation.

The pole break strengths also exhibit a very low coefficient of variation — under 5% — because of the uniformity of the pultrusion process. Compare this to wood’s 20% coefficient of variation, and attendant NESC has strength reduction factors. They also have no taper, like wood, eliminating the need for bolt-length guesswork. In addition, the poles’ dielectric strength increases worker safety, on top of the required personal protective equipment.

Dominion installed its first composite poles in Virginia Beach in spring 2024. Thirty StormStrong poles were installed in a staggered chain, with one composite pole between a certain

FRP utility poles are a mature product based on advanced technology, backed by decades of data on its success and reliability as well as storm and grid hardening.

Unlike wood poles, the StormStrong FRP distribution poles are an engineered product with a low coefficient of variation. The utility poles feature high reliability when compared to traditionally treated wood poles.

number of wood poles. Other installations across the U.S. have shown composite poles remain standing through weather events, so the staggered configuration can minimize the impact of an outage from a downed wood pole. These resilient poles also support advancements like self-isolating faults and automated edge computing. In fact, Dominion is now advising composite poles be the priority structure to support devices used in smart grid automation, such as reclosers.

Key Benefits

Although the initial installation has been in place for less than a year, Dominion is already pleased with the results and looks forward to continued performance. Lab testing for ultraviolet resistance and moisture uptake by standards organizations like ASTM indicates composite poles have a 60-year to 100-year service life, depending on their location.

Feedback from Dominion’s line workers has been positive. After getting right to work on installation, the line crews came back and said the composite poles worked great and were a lot simpler to install than concrete or steel. After learning the benefits of composite poles — especially their availability and resiliency — local Dominion project managers quickly backed the project and have since called for its expansion. The poles have also provided another unanticipated benefit: StormStrong poles meet UL 94 with a V0 rating, meaning they will self-extinguish on a vertical burn test. Virginia has seen an increase in wildfires, so mitigation is top of mind for Dominion.

What has perhaps most impressed the team at Dominion is

working with the CCG staff. When Dominion employees visited the company’s facility, they met a group that was willing to share information and detailed engineering data. Dominion employees have been able to work directly with the people making the composite poles. In fact, when the Dominion team visited the manufacturer, CCG took a pole off the line and showed Dominion how to drill it. When Dominion asked about flexural strength, CCG took that pole and did a break test.

Looking ahead, Dominion anticipates increasing its composite pole installations to be in the hundreds, as field use proves what lab tests already show about composite poles’ reliability and grid-strengthening properties.

NORMAN D. COMBS is a professional overhead applications engineer on Dominion Energy’s Distribution Standards team, serving the Virginia to North Carolina territory. He has held different roles at Dominion, including seven years on a line crew and five years on the project design team. His progression through these roles showcases his skill in managing complex projects and his commitment to Dominion’s quality product. He holds two patents, including a wire gauge device.

DUSTIN TROUTMAN is corporate director of marketing and product development and sales for the Creative Composites Group (CCG). He earned his BSCE degree in 1993 and spent the early part of his career in utility line construction. Troutman has been with CCG for 27 years and continues to be instrumental in the market investigation and development of major pultrusion products and product lines associated with civil/structural applications, holding four patents related to pultruded systems. He is a key player in the development of codes and standards in support of the FRP industry.

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How Cleco Power Is Making Louisiana an EV-Friendly State

In partnership with Adopt a Charger, Cleco Power plans to install up to 30 Level 2 EV charging stations in the state.

By RICHIE BIEDENHARN, KEMP HARTZOG and FRAN PHOENIX, Cleco Power

Cleco Power, an energy company headquartered in Louisiana, is investing in a non-profit program called Adopt a Charger to install up to 30 Level 2 electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in its service area, a move that will help improve Louisiana’s current ranking as one of the 10 least EV-friendly states.

State of Charging in Louisiana

According to a February 2024 study by iSeeCars, a car search and research company, Louisiana has 6,515 residents per charger compared to the national average of 1,848 residents per charger. The ranking distributed in the study was based on information from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuels Data Center through 2023. iSeeCars ranked states by the ratio of residents to EV chargers. States with the most publicly accessible chargers per number of residents were categorized as the 10 most EV-friendly, while those with the fewest chargers per number of residents were categorized as the 10 least EV-friendly. These numbers show there’s a lot of room for EV growth in

Louisiana, which is why Cleco Power is participating in the Adopt a Charger program. This is one of several Cleco Power electrification initiatives that support the company’s overarching vision. “Our vision is to become the leading clean energy company in the state, and this vision is being driven by decarbonization,” said Bill Fontenot, president and CEO of Cleco Corporate Holdings. “The global effort to reduce carbon emissions is creating cleaner, energy-saving solutions for customers, while also opening up opportunities for Cleco Power to expand and contribute to the state’s economic growth, benefiting all our communities.”

What is Adopt a Charger?

Adopt a Charger was established in 2011 to accelerate the use of plug-in EVs by installing free public charging stations at popular locations such as libraries, parks, museums and colleges. The program has facilitated the successful installation of over 600 EV charging stations in 15 states. Program representatives handle both sponsorship and site selection. They secure sponsors, like Cleco Power, to cover the installation costs, identify sites and then

The new EV charging stations at the Maritime Museum.

recruit site owners to host charging stations at their facility and let EV owners charge for free. “The goal is to facilitate free community charging because it encourages EV adoption and attracts visitors, boosting tourism,” said Kitty Adams Hoksbergen, executive director of Adopt a Charger. “When people spot an EV on the road, they don’t automatically know how it’s powered. The ‘aha’ moment happens when they see the car plugged into a charging station at places they frequent. From there, they can talk to EV owners, learn about their experiences and discover the benefits of driving electric.” Cleco Power’s research shows that expanding public Level 2 and DC Fast charging access will be a driving force for the growth of EVs in Louisiana. The strategy is to deploy Level 2 destination chargers, as they provide the most impact per dollar for both current and future EV owners. This approach will work because these chargers operate on 208 volts or 240 volts of electricity, which is a common voltage at commercial facilities.

commonly used for overnight charging.

• Level 1 chargers can be plugged into a standard 120-volt electrical outlet and provide approximately two to five miles of range per hour of charging. They are

• Level 2 chargers can be plugged into a 208-volt or 240-volt electrical outlet similar to those used for large household appliances like electric dryers and ovens. They provide approximately 30 miles of range per hour of charging and are commonly found at public charging stations and workplaces.

In Madisonville, Louisiana, guests can charge their vehicles for free at the new electric vehicle charging stations installed at the Maritime Museum. Photos courtesy of Cleco Power.

• DC Fast chargers provide the fastest charging speeds for EVs. They have a wide range of charging speeds and can add as many as 200 miles in 15 minutes, making them ideal for long-distance travel or a fast charge. DC Fast chargers are typically found along major highways.

Is the Adopt a Charger strategy working?

Cleco Power and Adopt a Charger started working together in 2023. Under the partnership, up to 30 new Level 2 chargers will be installed across St. Tammany Parish, which is in the southeastern part of the state near the New Orleans metropolitan area.

• In December 2023, Adopt a Charger facilitated the installation of six charging stations at Pelican Park in Mandeville, Louisiana.

• In July 2024, two more charging stations were installed at the Maritime Museum in Madisonville, Louisiana, which specializes in the display of objects related to ships and travel on large

museum and Madisonville,” said Jim MacPherson, executive director of the Maritime Museum.

“Guests can charge their vehicles for free while visiting. With more EVs on the road, there’s a clear need for more infrastructure. By supporting this initiative, the museum is improving our environment and helping grow our local economy.”

• In October 2023 and separate from Adopt a Charger, Cleco Power helped the town of Washington install its first Level 2 EV charging station.

• Washington, located in St. Landry Parish in the central part of the state, is one of the first small towns off Interstate 49 in Louisiana to offer free public charging.

“Our strategy is to tap into this new market and use it to attract visitors and grow our local economy,” said Town of Washington Mayor Dwight Landreneau. “We’re right off a major interstate, so our new charging station is easily accessible to travelers. Visitors can eat and shop while charging their EV at no cost.”

How expensive is it to install a charging station?

“To install the charging stations at the Maritime Museum, Adopt a Charger hired GSE Integrated, an electrical contractor

With conduit installed, GSE Integrated employees, Erik Mollerberg (left), lead operations manager, and Kenneth Stephenson, service technician, set up the EV charging station framing equipment.

GSE Integrated, the company hired to install the EV charging equipment, dug the trench for the electrical conduits needed to supply power to the charging stations.

focusing primarily on residential home services and new construction,” said Hoksbergen. “The total cost was approximately $10,000, and it covered the behind-the-meter infrastructure, three years of maintenance, parking lot striping, EV signage and insurance.”

According to Hoksbergen, this same install would have cost approximately $30,000 in a state like California.

“Installing charging stations in Louisiana is more economical which is why I love Louisiana and working with Cleco Power on this project,” said Hoksbergen.

• Cleco Power is sponsoring the installation costs in partnership with a non-profit organization located in St. Tammany Parish called the Northshore Community Foundation which unites human and financial resources to enhance the quality of life.

What utility infrastructure is required?

The budget for the Adopter a Charger project in St. Tammany Parish is $250,000. “Our role is to work side-by-side with people, companies and partners who share our mission to create healthy, safe and thriving communities,” said Leslie Landry, president and CEO of the Northshore Community Foundation. “This project is about making our communities thrive, so we are proud to partner with Cleco Power and Adopt a Charger.”

A typical new service requires poles, primary and secondary lines and transformers. However, if there’s existing electrical infrastructure near the Level 2 charger locations, only minor upgrades are needed to accommodate the additional load. Once the behind-the-meter infrastructure is complete, Cleco Power’s line technicians connect the service to the grid. From there, EV owners can plug in.

Cleco Power employees, Thailyr Spears (left), power line technician II, and Robert Dewitt, power line technician IV, install new underground service triplex cables to power the new EV meter center.

Cleco Power employee James Bergeron, power line technician III, connects underground service to energize the new EV meter center with a six-ton battery-powered press.

Kevin Bono, Cleco Power’s supervisor of distribution construction, marks the underground service at the EV meter center with colored tape. This tape matches the underground riser, allowing for quick identification and troubleshooting in the future if needed.

From left to right: Cleco Power employees Kale Scheuermann, engineer II, Darwin Ebare, intern, and Richard Biedenharn, EV program Manager, celebrate the completion of the EV charging stations with Leslie Landry, president and CEO of the Northshore Community Foundation, Jim MacPherson, executive director of the Maritime Museum, Alexis Hocevar, president of the museum’s board of directors, and Erik Mollerberg, lead operations manager for GSE Integrated.

What about the additional electricity usage?

The additional electricity costs will depend on the customer’s electric service rate, the amount of electricity used monthly and load. Last year, Cleco Power introduced a new EV charging rider specifically for larger public charging stations. This rider aims to reduce demand charges, which helps offset the typically low load factor associated with DC fast charging. It offers significant benefits to new locations with low charger

utilization but high demand. For smaller installations, customers may find Cleco Power’s General Service Non-Demand rate more advantageous. This rate eliminates demand charges if monthly energy usage remains below 5,000 kilowatt hours, offering cost-effective electricity for small commercial electric services.

How will Louisiana drivers benefit from EVs?

EVs charged on Cleco Power’s grid emit 50 percent fewer lifetime greenhouse gas emissions compared to internal combustion vehicles. Additionally, EV drivers in Louisiana can expect to spend 30 to 60 percent less on fuel, which is a great benefit, particularly for rural customers who drive more miles than the typical driver. Many EV drivers in Louisiana also praise their quiet operation, fast acceleration and the convenience of at-home charging.

To further support its electrification strategy and the transition to all electric technologies, Cleco Power offers incentives to residential and commercial customers who install EV charging equipment. Residential customers can receive a $250 incentive for installing a Level 2 charger at their home, and commercial customers can receive up to $3,500 per plug, depending on the type of charger. Organizations and companies interested in hosting public charging stations in Cleco Power’s service territory should contact Richard.biedenharn@cleco.com .

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RICHARD BIEDENHARN (richard.biedenharn@cleco. com) is an Electric Vehicle Program Manager at Cleco Power. He has extensive experience in leading commercial electrification programs and marine decarbonization projects. Richie has a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Louisiana State University and an MBA from Tulane University. In addition to his position at Cleco Power, Richie serves as President of the Board of Directors of Louisiana Clean Fuels, a 501c3 nonprofit dedicated to advancing clean transportation in Louisiana.

KEMP HARTZOG (kemp.hartzog@cleco.com) is a Distribution Engineer at Cleco Power, where he has worked nearly seven years. In his position, Kemp works with new and existing customers to design the infrastructure necessary to deliver power to residential and commercial properties. Kemp has a degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of New Orleans.

FRAN PHOENIX (franchesca.phoenix@cleco.com) is a Communication Strategist III for Cleco Support Group, a subsidiary of Cleco Corporate Holdings. Fran has over 20 years of experience in communications, public relations and media relations within the electric utility industry. She has a degree in Political Science from Louisiana Tech University and a master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Louisiana at Monroe.

Utilities Putting Young Men on a Path to Success is a Must

Exelon Foundation’s new Boys to STEM Academy program connects teen boys to career resources in the clean energy economy.

By MIKE INNOCENZO, Exelon Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

When some leaders talk about efforts to diversify their workforce, they cite a “pipeline problem,” which is the idea that there isn’t enough diversity or proper representation between an organization’s workforce and the communities they serve with the required background and training to fill their jobs.

At Exelon, we’re tackling this head-on. We know there are many talented people within our communities who are unfortunately unaware of the career opportunities at our company or in the energy industry. Through Exelon’s six local energy companies, spanning throughout some of the most diverse markets in the Midwest and mid-Atlantic (Baltimore, Chicago, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.), we’re proud of the 90 different workforce development programs we execute annually, designed to prepare adults and young people for careers that can support

their families and their futures. In 2023 alone, we invested $18 million in these projects because we know they can make a real difference in Americans’ lives. They also set our company up for success, ensuring we have the talent needed to usher in the new era of clean energy.

We’re now focused on reaching one of the earliest parts of the pipeline: high school students. Expanding on our successful STEM Academy program for teen girls that has connected young people from across our jurisdictions, in order to offer new opportunities and help them envision a future career in STEM, we recently hosted 60 teen boys from across Exelon’s service territory — Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, my home state of Pennsylvania, and Washington D.C. — for a free, week-long STEM program, better known as the Boys to STEM Academy.

Boys to STEM Academy students tour an Exelon facility. Photos courtesy of Exelon.

Modeling Possibilities

Thinking back through the trajectory of my career, it’s simple for me to see where it all began. It started with an internship at a young age at what is now Exelon’s Philadelphia electric and gas utility, PECO. It was this opportunity that allowed me to put everything into perspective—from what I was learning in school to how it worked in practice in an actual career. It was that one opportunity that reminds me constantly of the importance of access to STEM education for all at a young age, in order to attract our future workforce.

“The Boys to STEM Academy has changed the way I view the world around me. The experience of acting as a project designer for Exelon made my team feel like we were truly contributing to something bigger than ourselves”, said Tyler Washington, 2024 Boys to STEM Academy participant. “That sense of connection to the community and the impact of our work made everything we learned feel relevant and powerful. It gave me a deeper understanding of how engineers can drive positive change in our society.”

In these conversations, it’s shared with students that the energy industry is evolving at a rapid pace and as we look to meet the growing demands of a changing climate, we need their talents, abilities and their drive.

economic health of the regions that we serve every single day. Part of our company values is to deliver on a promise for economic equity. This means empowering individuals from an early start, so that they might go on to have sustained careers.

Exelon’s STEM programs help to contribute to the overall

The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) found that students that attend STEM summer programs are more

likely to enroll in, persist through and graduate from college. The NBER research also found that these programs increase the likelihood that students graduate with a degree in a STEM field.

The statistics show a specific need for boys, who are reportedly facing some academic setbacks. As the American Psychological Association (APA) reports “by the time boys finish high school, many lack the knowledge and skills required to succeed in higher education.”

These trends certainly make for a leaky talent pipeline. More importantly though, at a time when having a college degree or coveted technical skills are often key elements leading to family-supporting careers, this data shows we are failing to put our young men on a path for success. Solving this crisis is a business necessity for us.

Research from the National Center for Science and Engineering shows workers in STEM fields experience lower unemployment rates and earn higher salaries than the nonSTEM labor force. That means getting more young men into science, technology, engineering and math is an effort that will pay societal and economic dividends – which is why Exelon’s STEM programs are so important. Weare offering students the chance to empower themselves and lay early foundations toward STEM and related technical careers.

Ongoing Mentorship and Support

Throughout these programs, participating students receive more than just hands-on training. They are given dedicated

opportunities to connect and engage with a number of Exelon’s senior leadership team members, where they get to ask questions and gain a strong understanding of the importance of participating in the STEM program. In these conversations, it’s shared with students that the energy industry is evolving at a rapid pace and as we look to meet the growing demands of a changing climate, we need their talents, their abilities and their drive. It is not just their exceptional skills and viewpoints

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During the Academy, students interacted and built relationships with Exelon executives, including CEO Calvin Butler.

that are valued but as seen at the Academy, their ability to work creatively with others that make them crucial for the workforce of tomorrow.

“The Boys to STEM Academy didn’t just teach me about science and engineering; it taught me about myself. Through every project and challenge, I discovered new strengths and interests that I never knew I had,” said Silas Griffin, 2024 Boys to STEM Academy participant. “Speaking with all the different mentors

In these classes, it’s shared with students that the energy industry is evolving at a rapid pace and as we look to meet the growing demands of a changing climate, we need their talents, their abilities and their drive. Getting more young men and women into science, technology, engineering, and math is an effort that will pay societal and economic dividends.

made me realize that if they can achieve success in this field, so can I. This experience is just the start of my career, and I can’t wait to see where this journey takes me next.”

That’s why Exelon is committed to facilitating programs like

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the Boys to STEM Academy that allow students to participate in engaging challenges while also offering the chance to spend time with energy industry leaders who look like them. The program will extend well beyond the one-week that students in the inaugural program were on-site at the University of Maryland, College Park. Program alumni are now eligible to participate in our mentorship program, work at future STEM Academies and as STEM ambassadors in their communities, join regular educational and developmental opportunities, such as skills workshops.

This momentum began with our program for young girls. Since its inception in 2018, the Exelon Foundation STEM Academy has hosted 1,240 girls from across the regions that Exelon serves Exelon has provided full-ride scholarships to 28 students and 20 students have interned with the company just this summer.

We’ve seen firsthand how transformative workforce development programs can be. Exelon’s CEO, Calvin Butler is now leading the effort to ensure that we are home to a diverse group of talent because of the investments we’ve made over the last decade. We’re now mentoring those employees—in hopes of moving them to the c-suite—and developing more junior employees so they can move up the ladder as well. These leaders are not only the future of our company, but of the energy industry – and we believe these leaders can serve as a catalyst for the future of energy by investing in both our current workforce and the next generation.

At Exelon, our purpose remains focused on powering a cleaner and brighter future for our customers and communities. Our STEM Academies are helping us power that future, one student at a time.

MIKE INNOCENZO is responsible for governance and operations of Exelon’s six utilities, Atlantic City Electric, BGE, ComEd, Delmarva Power, PECO and Pepco. He serves as chairman of the board of directors for each operating company. He is also responsible for cyber & information security services, corporate physical security, it, safety, supply, training and transmission strategy & compliance organizations at Exelon.

The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) found that students that attend STEM summer programs are more likely to enroll in, persist through and graduate from college, and increase the likelihood that students will graudate with a degree in a STEM field.

Developing Your Safety Culture and Measuring Its Success

Employees are the key to developing a lasting safety culture.

By JONATHAN OLSEN, Health, Safety and Environment Program Leader, POWER Engineers

Whether at home or in the office, the workplace as we know it has changed dramatically over the past three years; however, one thing that has remained constant is the need for a successful safety culture.

What does that mean? Safety culture is the collection of beliefs, perceptions and values that employers and employees share in relation to safety throughout their organization. This set of shared beliefs offers an impartial and universally applied stability and clarity that supports the mental and physical health and safety of employees.

Creating a Successful Safety Culture

Studies have shown that employees play a vital role in the development and maintenance of a successful safety culture. In one study about organizational culture and employee safety, Gallup analyzed 1.8 million employees in over 82,000 business units across 49 different industries.

The results found that the business units with employee engagement scores in the top quartile of Gallup’s database had 70% fewer safety incidents compared with those units in the bottom quartile.

Workplace stress is one of the primary factors attributed to low employee engagement. The stress may result from a number of

factors, including a company’s culture, job insecurity, fatigue or pressure from management. Incidentally, these may all be contributing causes and underlying factors related to safety incidents. There are some guiding principles for developing a successful safety culture that fosters employee engagement and promotes health and safety in a way that is accepted and mirrored in the actions of all employees.

Make Safety a Core Value

For an organization to have a successful safety culture, safety must be considered a core value as opposed to a priority. What’s the difference? Priorities often change; core values don’t. With safety as a core value, a company reaffirms its commitment to ensuring a safe and healthy workplace for their employees and the communities in which they live.

Promoting Engagement

Encouraging employees to be involved in various safety-related activities not only creates a sense of responsibility, but also engages employees in the process of strengthening safety programs and policies. If employees help establish and enforce safety standards, they are more likely to identify and mitigate hazards on a day-to-day basis.

Organizations with successful safety programs consistently communicate the data gathered by these tools.

CHUYN | iStock | Getty Images Plus.

Company leaders also play a crucial role in employee engagement. By listening to, implementing and reinforcing employee safety recommendations in workplace practices, it demonstrates that employee perspectives and experiences are valued. It’s also important that leadership is modeling desired safety behaviors by “walking the walk.”

Practice Continuous Improvement

It’s essential to look for opportunities to continuously improve a company’s safety culture. Incorporating Human Performance Improvement methodology and analysis into safety practices can help identify root causes of accidents and how to mitigate and avoid them in the future.

As the foundation of most safety management systems, company leaders must support continuous improvement by investing in industry best practices and encouraging employee participation and teamwork.

Measuring Success with Leading Indicators

Companies have traditionally used incident metrics to measure the success of their safety programs and determine if changes need to be made. These metrics, collectively called lagging indicators, track incidents that have already happened (e.g., total recordable incident rate, days away, restricted or transferred rate). In recent years, many organizations have concluded that while lagging indicators do offer some credible data on safety program efficacy, their reactive nature limits their ability to lead to consistent improvements.

To cultivate a successful safety culture, it is important to develop and use leading indicators. As defined by the National Safety Council’s Campbell Institute, leading indicators are “proactive, preventive, and predictive measures that provide current information about the effective performance, activities, and processes of an EHS management system that drive the identification and elimination or control of risks in the workplace.”

Leading indicators are often tailored to an organization, based on its needs. Some common categories include personnel training, hazard identification and reporting, and employee feedback.

Invest in Personnel Training

Employee training is obviously an important part of any successful safety program; however, to be an effective leading indicator, organizations must assess the value it provides.

Is the training curriculum designed to simply meet minimum regulatory standards? Or does it incorporate industry best practices and/or new tools and techniques recommended by credible, safety-focused research? Examples of training-centric leading indicators include tracking attendance and participation in training sessions, monthly hours spent training and leadership participation.

Hazard Identification and Reporting

Recent studies reveal that experienced workers only anticipate 45% of the actual hazards encountered during their workday.

An employee who doesn’t recognize a hazard won’t be able to mitigate it. Along with training, other leading indicator tools can

improve an employee’s ability to recognize and mitigate hazards, such as behavior-based safety observations, good-catch reporting and safety audits. These tools can also help gather useful data for creating and/or improving safety programs moving forward. Organizations with successful safety programs consistently communicate the data gathered by these tools. Safety information shared in project team meetings, through dashboards or even through social media promotes awareness and can help staff identify hazards more proficiently.

A lock out-tag out system in use to alert workers of a potential electrical problem. ID 207898870 © Khomsan Rakphong | Dreamstime.com.

Seek Employee Feedback

Requesting workforce feedback can identify areas where your safety program is succeeding, or where it could use some help. With more eyes looking for gaps in your program, more hazards will be identified.

Employee feedback can come in many forms, such as conversations with safety staff or supervisors during observations, or through formal feedback requests and safety surveys. Promptly employing safety solutions implemented from feedback is not only important for its own sake: it also shows your workers that their concerns have been heard and are a priority, making them more likely to continue sharing feedback.

Assess and Adjust

There are many leading indicators that provide valuable, predictive insights into your safety program — and the combination that proves optimal for your organization is the right one. However, they don’t have to be set in stone. If the leading indicators you use today aren’t generating the results you want, reexamine them to determine if other indicators would better meet your needs.

Assessing and adjusting your leading indicators will keep your safety program on the path of continuous improvement—and that, in turn, can improve your employee’s ability to identify and mitigate hazards.

The Bottom Line

A poor safety culture affects a company in more ways than the obvious direct costs associated with injuries and accidents, such as medical payments, increased insurance premiums or worker rehabilitation costs.

Indirect costs can include loss of productivity, disengaged employees, reduced service quality, property damage, time and resources for accident investigations and, ultimately, low morale and culture degradation.

Although it’s a great start, a successful safety culture must expand beyond simply promoting safety to employees. It must be supported throughout the organization — from upper management to part-time employees. A successful safety culture promotes physical and mental health, develops leading indicators, fosters employee engagement and holds safety as a core value.

JONATHAN OLSEN ( jonathan.olsen@powereng.com) is a Health, Safety, Fire and Environmental Manager with more than 20 years of experience across the energy, manufacturing and biotech industries. His experience includes development and implementation of health, safety and environment management systems; compliance, permitting and coordination of emergency response activities; hazardous waste reduction and management; implementing strategies for investigation and closure of impacted sites; and coordination with state and federal regulators, including negotiation to establish alternative closure criteria. Jonathan manages projects from the proposal stage to final report preparation and submission including all aspects of field operations, subcontractor management and executive or regulatory interface.

Two line workers with their backs to the camera work on a electrical power transformer in a suburban neighborhood. ID 213235626 © Jacqueline Nix | Dreamstime.com.

UTILITY ANALYTICS

FACES OF THE FUTURE

BY AMY FISCHBACH, FIELD EDITOR

Kendra Secerin

Hydro One

Apprentice Power Line Technician Kendra Secerin was the first woman to graduate from St. Clair College in the electrical and power line programs and is now on a committee to spread awareness about opportunities for women in the skilled trades.

Early Years

I went to St. Clair College for electrical and couldn’t get a job, so I then went into the power line program and loved it. I was the first woman to graduate from both programs. During school, I learned mainly about distribution and a little about transmission, but in my job now, I am on a transmission crew, so I’m learning a lot.

Day in the Life

I am a Level 4 apprentice power line technician at Hydro One. I’m lucky that the crew I’m working on gets to do a lot of different things. Usually, you get on a crew, and you get stuck with one job, like glass change, replacing steel or modifying a tower for years on end.

On the Job

I’m lucky to work on an awesome crew. They help you out, and if you are struggling, they give you tips. I’ve worked on crews where they didn’t want to help you because you’re a girl. There’s still the old mentality of the old-school workers, and they seem to be a bit hard on you if you’re an apprentice. If you don’t have a thick skin, you might not make it. Today’s lineworkers seem to be more open to having a female on the crew and helping them. You still have your head on a swivel, and you may be centered out if you can’t keep up with the guys.

Finding the Proper PPE

There are finally smaller gloves to fit women in the trades. When I started, I was wearing a men’s medium, which was ridiculous because my hands barely fit in them. Now they have smalls and extra-smalls in gloves, except for the rubber gloves, which don’t fit me at all. I know a lot of girls struggle with finding boots, but I don’t have small feet, so I got lucky there. It’s still challenging to find workwear that fits me, however. It’s also hard for females in this trade to find fall protection like harnesses and belts that fit. I’ve heard that there are female harnesses out there, but I’ve never seen one. As far as climbing belts, I’ve actually heard of other females kicking out, and their belt comes right up to their armpits. That is scary. Your belt should not be going up there.

• Level 4 apprentice power line technician.

• First in her family to work in the line trade. Her great grandfather was an electrician.

• Enjoys hunting, fishing, riding snowmobiles, dirt bikes and four-wheelers, kayaking and working on race cars.

• Serves on a committee for women in the trades and likes talking about her job.

Promoting the Trades

When I first started out, I didn’t know anything about the skilled trades. After I began working in the field, I realized that a lot of people don’t even know what a power line technician is. When I go out and talk about my job, I can give them my belt and let them hold it. When they grab it, they say, “this is heavy,” but that’s without any of my tools in it. I tell them that I climb with my tools with a hand line attached to me. I like going and talking about my job and seeing the females’ reactions. I love it when someone is like, “I can do that job.”

Succeeding in the Apprenticeship

To make it in the apprenticeship program, you need to have an open mind, be part of the crew, pull your own weight and don’t take things to heart. Also, if you’re a woman, don’t let being a girl turn you down. There are a lot more females coming into the trade. For transmission, you also need to be fit, so make sure you are going to the gym. When I was trying to get in the trade, I was tiny, but I ended up beefing myself up a bit more. Luckily, I did because everything on the transmission side is heavier than on the distribution side.

Editor’s Note: If you would like to nominate an apprentice for Faces of the Future, please email Field Editor Amy Fischbach at amyfischbach@gmail.com. All profiled apprentice lineworkers will receive a tool package from Milwaukee Tool. Also, to learn more about Kendra Secerin and her career in the line trade, be sure to check out our new Faces of the Future series for T&D World’s Line Life Podcast on Podbean at linelife.podbean.com.

sion that reinforces why strengthening diversity, equity and inclusion enriches every company, community and life.

Driving Innovation Through Diverse Perspectives

Part 2 of our DE&I series takes us to Missouri and Illinois, where Ameren shares its strategies for building a successful program.

By AMY FISCHBACH, Field Editor

Ameren’s workforce is dedicated to keeping the lights on and the gas flowing 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The utility’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) department focuses that same kind of commitment and dedication on building an accepting culture where opinions are shared, and the best solutions are put into action for the benefit of its customers.

“We have learned, through research, that having diverse perspectives, bringing them together, and including them in how we do business gets us to more innovative ideas and solutions,” says Crystal Smith, director of DE&I for Ameren. “This pathway gets us to diverse thoughts, resulting in the best decisions. That’s why it’s important for the utility industry.”

She says it’s not only important for all employees to come to work and go home safely every day, but it’s also equally important for all employees to come to work every day and go home feeling they are valued, respected and empowered.

“Ameren’s DE&I business case delivers significant long-term benefits to our coworkers, customers and shareholders, and we are confident our continued strong execution of this strategy will deliver similar results in the future,” Smith says.

Ameren’s DE&I efforts have evolved with changing times and circumstances. Here are 10 ways the utility is leading the way in the utility industry with its DE&I programs.

1. Integrate DE&I into Sustainability, Diversity and Philanthropy.

Two years ago, Ameren brought Sustainability, Diversity and Philanthropy together under a single leader — Gwen Mizell, the senior vice president and chief sustainability, diversity and philanthropy officer.

“This shift is indicative of the vital role that DE&I plays in our environmental, sustainability and governance, and that by combining the efforts, we are in alignment with the coordinated execution of our ESG efforts,” Smith says.

Ameren thinks about sustainability in the context of four areas: Environmental Stewardship, Social Impact, Governance and Sustainable Growth.

“Integrating DE&I as part of the larger Sustainability, Diversity and Philanthropy function makes us better,” Smith says. “Environmentally, Ameren is committed to a clean energy future: reducing emissions and waste, and preserving natural resources,

Ameren and community leaders came together in October for the 2023 DE&I Leadership Summit in St. Louis. Brad Kloeppel, senior director, Gas Operations, Ameren Illinois; Jake Bodi, director, Customer Operations, Ameren, and Dennis Isom, senior safety supervisor, Corporate Safety, Ameren; and Damon Williams, Sr., certified repairman, Sioux Energy Center, Ameren Missouri have a discus-

How to Build a Successful and Strong DE&I Program at an Electric Utility

Even with Ameren’s DEI initiatives, a possibility exists that not all Ameren coworkers understand the purpose and benefits of DE&I programs, training, and conversations. In some cases, there is also the possibility that not all Ameren coworkers will feel comfortable speaking about DE&I. DE&I teams should continue to share the business case for diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as the value of DE&I for all coworkers. Crystal Smith, director of DE&I at Ameren, shares three strategies for other electric utilities looking to launch a DE&I program.

1. Start with a partnership. “It’s essential to include your CEO in the development of the business case for diversity, equity, and inclusion at your company,” she says. “Listening to your CEO and what she/he defines as important in DE&I is essential.” This includes using language that is used in other parts of the business to make it readily applicable. Being genuine, sincere and credible will help create an environment that will allow coworkers to participate in difficult conversations courageously, she added. It is also important to be open to receiving feedback and willing to change course when necessary. This includes making sure your CEO has the information and tools she/he needs to be successful in diversity. It’s important to speak candidly with your CEO about diversity topics. “Your organization needs a company that allows your DE&I leadership (CDO/Director) to be a subject matter expert in DE&I and to whom your leadership is open to listening,” she says.

while providing safe, reliable and affordable electric and natural gas services. Our social impact includes remaining focused on our strict safety standards as we continue to deliver value for our customers. That includes placing people at the center of everything we do by supporting customers, empowering employees, and enabling more sustainable communities.”

For Ameren’s governance efforts, the utility is executing policies and principles that integrate ESG matters into its risk management and strategic planning frameworks, as well as providing strong oversight.

“This enables us to deliver superior and sustainable longterm value to our customers, the communities we serve, our shareholders and the environment,” she says.

2 . Foster a Culture of Inclusion. Ameren’s purpose of advancing diversity, equity and inclusion is embodied in its DE&I mission: “We drive a culture of inclusion and power the quality of life by creating opportunities for people achieving excellence.”

“It takes courage to drive change and, since 2014, our DE&I theme and efforts have focused on courage,” Smith says. “This year’s theme, “Be Courageous: Many Individuals. One Ameren,” recognizes that courage, equity and inclusion remain key factors in creating opportunities and achieving our vision.”

As one of its core values, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is also a priority in everything done by Ameren. The utility

2. Develop a DE&I program together. It’s important to know your organization and to be able to discuss the fundamentals of your company’s business with your CEO. This includes using the same or similar language, reporting and formatting with diversity, equity and inclusion as used in other areas of the company. You will need to develop reporting and benchmarking. Start where your CEO and organization are most comfortable in diversity, equity and inclusion, yet still helping them understand there may be times of stretch as the initiatives are developed. This includes pacing your introduction of new initiatives. It’s important to first do things that will develop trust and remember to celebrate successes even when they are small. “Defining the role for your CEO and leadership team will help them better understand their roles with the diversity, equity and inclusion space,” she says.

3. Be committed to the evolving program. Launching an effective DE&I initiative includes a commitment and knowl edge that good intentions alone are not enough. It requires leadership accountability, strategic planning, actionable steps and a willingness to confront challenges head on, she says. “DE&I is complex, ever evolving, and requires understanding, empathy, and courage,” she says. “This knowledge will help develop internal policies that cultivate a culture of inclusivity in every aspect of work distributed throughout the organization.”

is putting measures in place to effectively understand and address the diverse needs of its workforce and its communities, which both matter and both impact its business, Smith says.

To this end, Ameren intentionally allocates resources to DE&I efforts by promoting a culture of inclusivity where everyone feels valued and respected.

From left, Crystal Smith, director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Ameren; Marty Lyons, chairman, president and CEO, Ameren; and Gwen Mizell, senior vice president and chief sustainability, diversity and philanthropy officer, Ameren attend the 2023 DE&I Leadership Summit.

Earlier this spring, Gwen Mizell, senior vice president of chief sustainability, diversity and philanthropy for Ameren, joined NFL Hall of Famer Isaac Bruce to surprised two Cardinal Ritter students who were selected as the 2024 recipients of the Isaac Bruce Foundation Scholarship. Bruce started the scholarship program in St. Louis in 2008 after playing for the St. Louis Rams for 14 seasons. The scholarships are presented by Ameren Corporation who has been a valued partner of the Isaac Bruce Foundation for more than 10 years.

“This investment is meaningful to our coworkers who champion diversity, equity and inclusion,” Smith says.

The utility is also investing in its team and in its communities to help weave equity and inclusion into the fabric of who it is and how it gets things done.

“This is why we do this work — because it is the right thing to do, and it makes our company and our communities stronger,” Smith says.

3. Establish Governing Bodies.

DE&I at Ameren is governed through two bodies: the Executive Diversity Council and the Corporate DE&I Council. The Executive Diversity Council is comprised of Ameren’s Executive Leadership Team (ELT). This council is charged with leading efforts to increase awareness and adoption of DE&I initiatives and leaders’ ability to discuss and be held accountable for DE&I outcomes that align with and support Ameren’s corporate strategy.

The Corporate DE&I Council, comprised of Ameren coworkers across the company, works closely with senior management to ensure that diversity, equity and inclusion is fostered at Ameren within the framework of the corporate mission, vision and values. Council objectives include promoting and advocating for diversity, equity and inclusion in its workforce on an ongoing basis and developing thought leaders who will do the same; making recommendations regarding policies, programs and practices; managing, developing, and evaluating training and other initiatives; and advising and updating corporate officers on DE&I matters.

To maintain a strong leadership team with diverse experiences and perspectives, Ameren is identifying individual potential leadership talent and developing these leaders through job rotations, work experiences and leadership development programs.

4. Develop Leaders.

Ameren is also developing a diverse talent across the organization that includes a variety of formal and informal mechanisms for learning and development built around Ameren’s core competencies, culture and strategy.

For example, the Leaders in Action program is just one of Ameren’s many programs that exist to help develop leadership at Ameren. In 2023, participants in the Leaders in Action program worked in cross-functional teams to address three business problems (Environmental Justice Toolkit, Equity Through NatureBased Solutions, and Terminology that Speaks to Customers) and offered recommended solutions. Eleven individuals worked together over a six-week period, culminating in an opportunity to present to Ameren’s Executive Leadership Team. The expectation is that Phase 2 of the program will continue in 2024, moving each project further toward conclusion.

As part of its ongoing efforts to build DE&I into the fabric of its culture and enhance the skills of its leaders, 84% of Ameren’s Leadership Team members (in addition to 72% of the Senior Leadership Team) have engaged in a new, exclusive DE&I learning opportunity titled “The Neuroscience of Accurate & Fair Decision Making” since 2021. The purpose of this three-hour workshop was to help leaders focus on decision making and execution from a DE&I perspective, further demonstrating Ameren’s commitment not only to its core values but also to its DE&I mission: “We drive a culture of inclusion and power the quality of life by eliminating barriers to people achieving excellence.”

In November 2017, Ameren launched the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Leaders Academy training program to bring together internal experiences and external learnings from Gartner to develop corporate DE&I leaders. Participants practice concepts and tools that support Ameren’s competencies and reinforce Ameren’s values to become effective leaders.

The program equips Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion advocates (Diversity Council members, Diversity Ambassadors and ERG members) with the skills and knowledge needed to deliver key messages and learnings, to build employee engagement and to

collaborate with others to build an inclusive culture at Ameren. Participants practice concepts and tools that support Ameren’s competencies and reinforce Ameren’s values to become effective leaders. In 2022, training was added for all Ameren people leaders, which includes six learning sessions facilitated by Ameren’s Employee Resource Groups (ERGs).

5. Create an Interactive Training Program.

Ameren offers an interactive training series called StoryCast to its employees to help increase comfort levels with initiating and participating in meaningful discussions related to DE&I. The training materials are designed to help individuals embrace empathy and promote equity and inclusion in the workplace.

In 2023, 88% of employees felt comfortable participating in StoryCast conversations with their work group and 84% agreed that the StoryCasts provided a valuable opportunity to connect with employees. 87% of employees also felt the content was appropriate for building inclusion within their work groups.

In 2017, Ameren also launched Discussions Across Differences, a free interactive training series, to the community and other external participants to help increase comfort levels with initiating and participating in meaningful discussions related to DE&I. The training materials are designed to help individuals embrace empathy and promote equity and inclusion in the communities. The series addresses advances diversity, equity and inclusion at Ameren and in its communities through topics such as race, courage and empathy.

6. Host a DE&I Leadership Summit. In addition, Ameren designs and hosts another internal training program — a bi-annual DE&I leadership summit. It included more than 1,000 community leaders and employees to deliver best-in-class learning and engagement experiences.

Ameren and community leaders came together in October for the 2023 DE&I Leadership Summit to foster discussion that reinforces why strengthening diversity, equity and

inclusion enriches every company, community and life. Subject matter experts from the St. Louis area and across the country participated in a panel discussion where they shared best practices in diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace. Lex Gillette, an icon of the U.S. Paralympic movement, also shared his personal story in his keynote address about the importance of courage.

• Block Attachments

• Grounded Stringing Blocks

• Helicopter Stringing Blocks

• Fiberglass Hot Arms

• Chain Hoists

• Compression Tools & Dies

• Cutting Tools

• Impact Wrenches

• Magnetic Drill Presses

• Battery Tools

• Hydraulic Pole Pullers

• Traveling Grounds

• Groundsets & Jumpersets

• And much more!

•

•

•

• Cuttin ools

• Impact renches

• Ma netic Drill Presses

• Batter ools

• H draulic Pole Pullers

• ra elin Grounds

• Groundsets & Jumpersets

• d much more!

ELECTRIC UTILITY OPERATIONS

7. Engage with the Community.

Within its communities, Ameren strives to achieve a sustainable, equitable energy future for all, including its neighbors in historically underprivileged and underserved communities. To accomplish this, Ameren has developed methodologies to actively and consistently listen to the voices of its customers through programs such as Ameren’s Community Convening, Community Voices Ad-visory Board (CVAB) and Community Voices workshops.

The Metro St. Louis CVAB was formally established in 2022 to create dialogue and engagement with community leaders around Ameren’s strategic priorities, relevant utility topics and

community issues. Focusing on workforce readiness and accessibility, the 23-member board celebrated its one-year anniversary in June 2023. Subsequently, leveraging many of the learnings from its predecessor, the Jefferson City, Missouri, CVAB was launched in November 2023 at Lincoln University. The Jefferson City CVAB expects to identify its strategic priorities throughout 2024.

G O L I G H T I N C

In 2023, the CVAB hosted a Community Convening to connect community partners with Ameren coworkers, products and other opportunities; educate partners on Ameren’s philanthropic purpose, priorities, programs and processes; broadly educate participants about corporate priorities; and provide opportunities for community partners to collaborate with each other. More than 65 organizations from 30 nonprofits from the St. Louis Metropolitan Area, Columbia, Missouri, and Southeast Missouri attended, and more than 20 Ameren employees actively participated and volunteered at the event.

STRYKER ST SERIES

- Allows for independent control of 2 units with 1 remote

- Multiple users can operate lights in close proximity

- Quick and simple pairing without dipswitches

- On-Command return to 0° home

- Simultaneous Pan + Tilt

- Fluorescent Remote Buttons

8. Encourage Volunteering.

Ameren’s DE&I Department launched the ConvERGing: Learning and Action in 2020. The enhanced training program, led by the ERGs, offers employees the opportunity to devote time to service and learning.

Through the ConvERGing: Learning and Action Program, Ameren’s ERGs partnered with Corporate Philanthropy to select and fund organizations throughout Ameren’s service territory, in Missouri and Illinois, with grants that aligned with the seven ERGs’ missions.

The ERGs partnered with the selected organizations for learning and/or volunteerism opportunities that engaged more than 1,600 employees in 2023. Along with community engagement through ConvERGing: Learning and Action, Ameren’s ERGs engaged with more than 40 other local organizations and businessesthrough fundraisers, volunteerism, learning opportunities, speakers, etc.

9. Launch Employee Resource Groups.

Ameren’s ERGs provide a forum for discussion and exploration of cultural differences, an avenue to help welcome new employees; opportunities to develop professional skills, expand networks, participate in community outreach and assist Ameren in reaching business goals. ERGs also provide growth and development opportunities for leaders. Each ERG is supported by leaders at all levels, serving as executive sponsors and

business advisors. The business advisors (members of the Executive Leadership Team) play a crucial role in providing coaching, support and advocacy at the leadership level and help align ERG goals with company objectives, fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. The executive sponsors (directors and senior directors) offer day-to-day strategic advice, guidance and insights to help the ERG navigate challenges and contribute effectively to the ERG’s success.

The percentage of employee membership in ERGs for 2023 was 15.5%. ERGs held strategic planning meetings to identify strategies for driving ERG membership toward best-in-class participation which is 25% of the workforce.

In 2023, ERGs focused more intentionally on increasing overall engagement within their membership. Ameren saw a 42% increase in employees participating in learning activities and 100% increase of the total number of employee hours spent in learning activities. This included 14% increase in the number of volunteer hours incurred by employees. The ERGs host hybrid (combined in-person and virtual) meetings to allow coworkers from across Missouri and Illinois the opportunity to attend learning and engagement sessions. Adding the hybrid format increased overall participation.

The utility also launched a formal ERG leader development program for more than 25 ERG leaders currently serving on leadership teams in 2023. These leaders engaged in year-long programming that included four learning sessions focused on personal/professional development and eight in-person

opportunities that offered networking with internal and external leaders.

10. Work with Diverse Suppliers.

Ameren’s sourcing process is designed to ensure that minority certified businesses have equal access to and are among those considered for partnership with Ameren. In 2023, Ameren invested $1.2 billion with women-owned, minority-owned, veteran-owned, disabled veteran-owned and LGBTQ-owned enterprises. The Supplier Diversity partnership underscores the vital role diverse suppliers play in our region’s economic success and contributes to the Community Enhancement pillar of Ameren’s strategy.

“When we nurture these partnerships, we improve the quality of work, create more opportunities for innovation and reduce costs all while ensuring the resiliency our business needs to serve our customers,” Smith says.

Editor’s Note: To learn more about Ameren’s DE&I strategy across its organization, employees, and communities, check out the utility’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Impact Report. The report is a sampling of the successes experienced over a period of consistent and sustainable DE&I best practices and is meant to be shared with organizations for use in strengthening or building DE&I programs. Also, look for Part 3 of this series in the January 2025 Electric Utility Operations section, about ComEd’s drive to equip its female lineworkers with properfitting fall protection, and other DE&I initiatives.

PARTING SHOT

A four-person Ameren Illinois line crew from Centralia, Illinois, assists with restoration efforts in New Baden, Illinois. Winds toppled a tree that fell onto a nearby utility pole and snapped the pole. Two different storms blew through portions of Ameren Illinois service territory July 15-16, 2024. The company safely restored 92,000 customers in 36 hours.

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Utilities Confront Headwinds Amid Appetite for More Electrons

Since the advent of U.S. power generation and its grid, customers have demanded power that’s reliable, safe and affordable. Utilities have delivered by evolving, though these times are proving increasingly challenging as megatrends amplify calls for a modernized grid.

The continued march of climate-friendlier renewable energy (U.S. wind generation capacity jumped by 42 percent between 2019 and 2023) is requiring electric utilities to find a place for it onto an aging grid. Cyberattacks are on the rise, exploiting vulnerabilities that come with broader digital networks. Regulations continue to evolve, stoking uncertainty. Construction of data centers is proliferating, forcing power providers to meet additional load demands. As companies and communities increasingly adopt clean energy and transportation solutions in pursuit of their near-term decarbonization goals, practical and tactical plans with intensifying scope and ambitions turn imperative.

Resilience and Reliability: The Need for Grid Modernization

Calls for upgrading and hardening the grid in the name of greater resilience are growing louder, knowing that reliable service is at the heart of every utility’s mandate. So, what’s crimping future grid development in the short term of the next three to five years? Nearly half of respondents – 46% – cite the generation mix, with more utility-scale renewables and fewer traditional base load units. That’s followed by supply chain bottlenecks (36%) in trying to procure what’s needed to build out a modernized grid, regulatory lag in addressing the needs for system changes (32%), and the shortage of qualified workers to design and run more complex systems.

Black & Veatch’s 2024 Electric Report – expert analysis of a survey of nearly 700 U.S. energy industry stakeholders – illustrates a U.S. electric industry landscape filled with challenges and opportunities – and frequent questions about budgets and funding.

Renewables and the Grid

With solar power the fastest-growing source of new generation nationwide, renewable energy is driving capacity in new U.S. energy markets for many reasons: customer decarbonization goals, continued declines in costs of photovoltaic cells, tax credits and other policies.

The 19 GW of new utility-scale solar PV generating capacity that the electric sector began operating last year is up 27% from 2022, despite the downside that solar and wind power are prone to intermittency and must be paired with batteries or other energy storage types. By U.S. Energy Information Administration forecasts, solar and wind power by 2050 will account for 40 to 69% of U.S. electricity generation. It appears the industry has leveled off at roughly 20 GWs per year.

When asked how they expect new generation capacity investments to change over the next five years in their service territories, half of respondents anticipate that energy storage is in need of “much more investment than today,’’ followed by ground-mounted or rooftop solar (34%), microgrids and other DERs (29%).

One in four respondents again characterized accommodating all that renewable energy onto the grid as the power sector’s foremost headwind, tying it with aging infrastructure. Environmental regulations, planning and forecasting uncertainty, and the lack of a skilled workforce were the only other issues that drew at least 20%. Of note: workforce issues –the lack of a skilled workforce, along with its aging employees – accounted for a combined 36% of responses.

With the push and pull of competing interests, many things on the industry’s “to-do” list aren’t close to cheap. Under today’s regulatory models, utilities typically don’t have a way to recapture the fixed costs required for critical upgrades, and ratepayers are likely to object to paying more, making it even more paramount for utilities to present a thoughtful case to regulators – or seek outside guidance.

Cybersecurity

As cyber criminals grow more sophisticated in attacking electric utility infrastructure as ever-widening use of Internet-connected components expand the potential attack surfaces, the onus is on power providers to detect and remedy vulnerabilities in grid security. One solution is to build in such protections when the infrastructure is first built, rather than adding on.

Topping the list of efforts utilities see most essential in mitigating cybersecurity risks are threat intelligence (36%), monitoring and response (34%), a vulnerability assessment and management (31%) and an incident response plan (25%).

In terms of IT threats, survey respondents deem phishing attacks (69%) and ransomware and malware (both at 45%) as the most concerning. Seven in 10 respondents report at least some level of confidence in their utility’s ability to recover from a cybersecurity attack, but that’s merely reactive after the intrusion already has happened and, unfortunately, the damage is done.

In cybersecurity, nothing is easy. The regulatory landscape constantly shifts and matures, hoping to keep step with emerging risks through new and evolving minimum compliance standards. Grid-modernizing efforts will spur more connectivity, broadening potential vulnerabilities.

As with so many other things on the plate of U.S. power utilities, it all begins with a plan that makes headway in incremental, manageable bites. Reshaping tomorrow’s more resilient grid means being proactive now.

JIM DOULL is executive vice president, leading Power Providers at Black & Veatch.

Learn more about how the Endeavor Energy Market is providing utility professionals with insights for architecting a more sustainable and resilient future. www.endeavorbusinessmedia.com/markets-we-serve/energy/

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