System Improvements Resulting from NERC Evaluations

System Improvements Resulting from NERC

Evaluations

Wayne AhlSantee Cooper

EMS Users Conference

September 24, 2007

Dependable Power | Dependable People

The mission of Santee Cooper is to be the state’s leading resource for improving the quality of life

for the people of South Carolina.

Santee Cooper History

Enabling Act signed in 1934Employed more than 12,000 peopleCleared more than 225 square miles of swamplandConstructed 42 miles of dams and dikes and a 75-foot

lockWatershed covers 15,000 square-milesPower flowed to first customer, Pittsburgh

Metallurgical Company, on February 17, 1942

Santee Cooper Today

South Carolina’s state owned electric and water utility.Service provider to more than 150,000 retail customers

in Berkeley, Georgetown, and Horry counties, 32 large

industrial facilities, 2 municipalities, and the Charleston

Air Force Base.Primary source of power distributed by the state’s

20 electric cooperatives to more than 668,000

customers located in all of the state’s 46 counties.Wholesale water provider to 4 agencies via the

Lake Moultrie Water Agency.The all-time system peak is 5,563 MW (2007 summer).

Santee Cooper Today

Is the nation’s 4th largest publicly owned utility of its

type based on generation, and 3rd largest based on

MWh sales to ultimate customers.Is the largest provider of power to South Carolinians

based on ultimate customers served (788,302) and

energy sales (25,064 GWh).The system today includes over 4,500 MW of summer

generating capability and 4,560 miles of transmission

lines.Is the first utility to offer Green Power - electricity

generated by renewable resources like solar and

decomposing garbage in selected landfills

Santee Cooper Today

The single biggest challenge is meeting the load

growth.The growth rate in Santee Cooper’s direct serve area

has averaged 3.5 percent over the past 5 years.Santee Cooper serves one of the state’s fastest

growing areas, Myrtle Beach, directly.The demand is expected to rise more than 30 percent

during the next 15 years in the Southeast.Santee Cooper experienced the addition of a record

number of retail customers in 2006, 7474.Santee Cooper is working on long term generation plan

to meet the load growth.

Santee Cooper... brought hope into an era of depression.

1928

1929

1930

1931

1932

1933

1934

1935

1936

1937

1938

Before Santee Cooper, less than 7% of South Carolina farms had electricity.

Within a decade of initial construction, 91% were electrified.

Before Santee Cooper, less than 7% of South Carolina farms had electricity.

15,000-square mile watershed

Santee Cooper Watershed

Santee Cooper Transmission System

covers more than ¾ of South Carolina

...a look at the Santee Cooper Grid

Transmission lines - 4,560 miles

Distribution lines - 2,541 miles

Transmission substations - 83

Electric co-op delivery points – 346

Distribution and industrial delivery points – 75

Interconnections with other utilities - 18

Santee Cooper has largest transmission system in

South Carolina. 02/14/07

Santee Cooper

is

...the largest collector

of used motor oil

in South Carolina.

...recovering more than 2 million gallons of used motor

oil annually at 500 + collection sites.

...lakes produce both

revenue and recreation

benefits

for South Carolina.

Annual economic impact: $218 million.

Santee Cooper

Employment in tourism: 3,400 jobs.

Preparatory Work for the Audit

Review and write/rewrite procedures.

Added new LCD screens to operator consoles to provide more

finger tip information.

General building clean up – First impressions are important !!

Indicates if you have your act together.

Began construction on Standby Control Center.

Implemented an EMS dash board display.

Began implementation of BlackBoard for a Viewable display of SC

electric grid in both geographic and rectangular format.

Enhanced and solidified DTS.

Standby Control Center

Assessment Recommendations

Further develop functional backup control center and

evacuation plans. Have all system controllers participate in evacuation

plans.Expand the EMS state estimator model.Upgrade voice and data communications for

evacuation plans.Incorporate a full system restoration drill into simulator

training.Develop a procedures management system.

Assessment Recommendations

Additional frequency points on geographic

display to aid in system restoration and evaluation of

island boundaries if the system separates.Formalize the initial training curriculum for controllers,

including development of learning objectives and

measures for progress.Formalize the evaluation process of promotion.Develop lesson plans for simulator training to facilitate

operator feedback and validate that effective learning

takes place.

Post-Audit Review

Caused us to take a hard look at our overall operation.

Revealed our weaknesses, but also our strengths.

Allowed us to get funding that would otherwise be

unavailable.

Our entire staff now communicates better and works

more effectively because of the “journey”.

The controllers also now have more system visibility.

The End