New York State Electric & Gas and Rochester Gas and Electric have expanded the distribution control room at their Binghamton Energy Control Center. The utilities say the project will strengthen outage response across New York.
The center coordinates planned and emergency work for NYSEG and RG&E’s transmission and distribution systems. Its operators control energy flow across thousands of miles of power lines serving more than 1.9 million customers statewide.
When an unexpected outage occurs, operators review conditions on the grid. They can remotely isolate affected sections and reroute electricity when the system allows. They also give field crews information about incident locations, devices that can isolate damaged sections and available tie points that may help restore service.
The expanded room provides space for additional operators as the companies add more automation to their electric systems. NYSEG and RG&E say they have installed nearly 2,800 automated monitoring and control devices and reclosers during the past three years. That work brings the total across their service areas to more than 6,100 devices.
The devices give control-center employees more visibility into changing grid conditions. They also allow some restoration work to be completed remotely. The utilities say the system has restored service to more than 160,000 customers in less than five minutes this year.
The renovation realigned existing office space and included work on mechanical, electrical, data-cabling, fire-protection and plumbing systems. The Energy Control Center currently employs 124 people. The companies say the new distribution room will give the facility room to meet changing operational needs.
