Prospects for distribution automation at Pacific Gas & Electric Company

Author

Brown, David L. ; Skeen, James W. ; Daryani, Parkash ; Rahimi, Farrokh A.

Author_Institution

Pacific Gas & Electr. Co., San Francisco, CA, USA

Volume

6

Issue

4

fYear

1991

fDate

10/1/1991 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

1946

Lastpage

1954

Abstract

The authors describe the results of a distribution automation study conducted by Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E). Three areas of distribution automation were investigated: substation automation, feeder automation, and customer interface automation. Distribution automation functions that are applicable to PG&E´s distribution system were identified. Potential benefits and costs associated with those functions were quantified. A cost benefit analysis was performed to determine the economic feasibility of each function. Based upon this analysis, it was determined that substation automation is cost effective in most PG&E service areas. Feeder automation may be cost effective in selected service areas. In general, customer interface automation could not be justified based upon existing technology and present costs associated with it. However, specific service areas within PG&E were identified where automatic meter reading could be justified

Keywords

distribution networks; economics; electricity supply industry; power system computer control; power system measurement; substations; telemetering; USA; automatic meter reading; automation; cost benefit analysis; customer interface; distribution networks; economic feasibility; electric utilities; feeder; power system computer control; substation; Algorithm design and analysis; Automatic meter reading; Cost benefit analysis; Cost function; Equations; Guidelines; IEEE members; Power & Energy Society; Power generation economics; Substation automation;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Power Delivery, IEEE Transactions on

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0885-8977

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/61.97743

Filename

97743