Energy news from Omaha Public Power District
Energy news from Omaha Public Power District
Years in the making, OPPD’s first smart grid and distribution automation technology is ready for testing.
The project team is eager to start realizing the benefits from the technology, both for today’s grid and the future.
A four-square mile section of north Omaha now has some smart meters, distribution automation devices including smart reclosers and other smart infrastructure ready to deliver instant information and manage, real-time, any disruptions to the system. The infrastructure can communicate back and forth and control field devices without direct intervention.
Customers in the test area will see minimized outage times among other benefits, including better power quality, said Videgla Sekpe, Transmission & Distribution project manager. The project is permanent in that area. It will allow for long-term benefits, said Aaron Smith, Director of Operations at OPPD.
The test area is in an older area of Omaha. Its many mature trees and overhead power lines make it ideal for testing.
OPPD officials are excited about the future of the system and the potential benefits to the power grid.
Jason Kuiper joined OPPD as a communications specialist in 2015. He is a former staff writer and reporter at the Omaha World-Herald, where he covered a wide range of topics but spent the majority of his career covering crime. He is a graduate of the University of Nebraska at Omaha and has also appeared in several true crime documentary shows. In his free time he enjoys cooking, spending time with his wife and three children, and reading crime novels.
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