Concentric collaborated with distribution system planning, grid operations, capital investment, and regulatory Subject Matter Experts from a national energy services and delivery company to develop resilience plans for its New York and Maine service areas. These plans were informed by data analytics and consisted of proposals to reconfigure several circuits, adding sensors and automatic distribution capabilities, coordinated with tree-trimming plans. Concentric prepared a robust report and accompanying testimony for rate case panels in the two jurisdictions. Concentric’s lead consultant was a member of each panel.
A major objective of these plans was to convey the need for enhanced resilience based on historical storm experience, the work performed by the company’s distribution system planners to develop and prioritize proposed projects, and the expected value of focusing on resilience as a distinct goal of regulation. This begins with understanding the difference between “reliability” and “resilience.”
- Reliability refers to the ability of an electric distribution utility to deliver the desired quantity of quality power to all customers when needed.
- Resilience refers to a utility’s ability to withstand storms and restore power quickly after a major outage.
The industry has widely accepted metrics for reliability and is continuing to establish metrics for resilience, presenting a challenge to both utilities and regulators when evaluating incremental investments to enhance resilience.
