Volt/VAR control at Progress Energy Carolinas past, present and future

This paper summarizes the history of volt/VAR control at Progress Energy Carolinas (PES) for the transmission to distribution and distribution systems. PEC has transitioned from a volt/VAR control system that incorporated local control of capacitors and regulators to an automated system that provides remote control of feeder capacitor banks. Currently PEC is implementing a Distribution System Demand Response (DSDR) Program as part of their Smart Grid Strategy to gain control of distribution feeder devices such that operational efficiency gains can be realized along with the ability to achieve significant demand reduction during peak load periods by controlling distribution voltage.