How Your Co-op is Strengthening the Electric Grid Through Infrastructure, Technology, and Collaboration

Grid resiliency is the work we do to better prepare the electric distribution system to adapt to changing conditions. That includes the ability to both withstand events that can cause power outages and to recover rapidly when disruptions do occur, such as trees falling on power lines. At your Co-op, we’re working every day to improve your grid’s resiliency in three major ways: infrastructure upgrades, technology adoption, and collaboration.
Upgrading infrastructure

Some infrastructure work is easy to see, like the padmount transformer supporting the new neighborhood’s underground power lines, or the substation you may have noticed under construction just southeast of Whitefish. Upgrading transformers, circuit breakers, and substations with more durable and weather-resistant materials can improve the grid’s overall strength. These infrastructure enhancements can significantly reduce the frequency and duration of outages during adverse conditions.
It’s not as easy to see the hours that staff and your Trustees devote to capital planning in support of improved infrastructure. Each fall, we create a construction workplan and a budget for needed resources. It probably comes as no surprise that bucket trucks, transformers, and substations aren’t cheap, and that prices for this critical infrastructure have risen dramatically in recent years. What might come as a surprise is just how long it takes to receive ordered infrastructure – about three years for a bucket truck! Upgrading infrastructure for improved resiliency requires extensive, unseen planning.
Incorporating modern technologies
Another important resiliency strategy is incorporating advanced technologies onto the grid. Smart grid technology, which involves the integration of sensors, real-time data analytics, and automated controls, provides engineering and operations staff with greater understanding of system performance. In addition, modern technologies can help to isolate faults and reroute electricity to other areas, ensuring that unaffected areas continue to receive power during grid disturbances.


Collaboration

Your Cooperative is collaborating with members and multiple external agencies via several grant opportunities that will allow greater investment in resiliency measures such as infrastructure upgrades and improved technologies. Recent grant awards will allow staff to explore ever-more cutting-edge technologies, such as the GRIP grant, which will allow your Co-op to install a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) to provide backup power to Essex during outages.
To keep your grid knowledge resilient, visit Grid 101.