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

Resiliency is a word we use frequently. We praise our young children for their resilience when they fall and pop right back up again, and our friends as they weather life’s storms. At your Co-op, we also talk about the resiliency of the electric grid – but what does that mean? Power lines obviously don’t get back up on their own when they fall down.

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

Contract crews work on constructing a new substation south of Whitefish on October 15, 2024. Named the North Valley Substation, this access point increases grid reliability by enabling Co-op engineers to re-route large amounts of power during extreme demand events or outages.

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.

Journeyman Linemen Kyle Upwall and Chad Rauthe install updated “Tripsaver” cutout mounted reclosers to power poles on July 18, 2024.
A view of the old style recloser next to the new Tripsaver. Tripsavers increase grid resiliency by mitigating against wildfire starts.
One example of modern technology is your Co-op’s incorporation of Protective Equipment Device Settings (PEDS) throughout the electric distribution system in support of our Wildfire Mitigation Plan. Recently, line crews and their support staff installed over 100 smart PEDS devices called “Tripsavers.” These are cutout-mounted reclosers designed to increase resiliency by mitigating against utility caused wildfire starts.  A Tripsaver replaces a standard power line fuse by using a vacuum interrupter that prevents sparks or heated materials from being discharged. This helps to reduce the chance of a wildfire caused by Co-op infrastructure and equipment.

Collaboration

An aerial view of the Essex area, highlighting the narrow corridor through which the Middle Fork of the Flathead River, railroad infrastructure, natural gas pipes, and your Co-op’s power lines all pass — along with an almost endless amount of trees.

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.

Courtney Stone

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