The New York Power Authority (NYPA) has developed a monitoring and analytics application that uses phasor measurements unit (PMU) data to assess the state’s electric grid in real time and predict impending problems.

A PMU is a device to estimate the magnitude and phase angle of an electrical phasor quantity such as voltage or current in the electricity grid using a common time source for synchronisation.

The US Department of Energy (DoE) funded the $1.2mn collaborative project developed on EPG’s (Electric Power Group) platform. Demonstration sites included facilities operated by NYPA and Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) based in the Pacific north-west. The study was coordinated and managed by Atena Darvishi, a senior engineer in NYPA’s research, technology development and innovation group.

Electric utilities and independent system operators (ISOs) face many critical challenges including multiple energy resources with integration of renewables and distributed technologies, and lack of real-time assessment of grid stress such as voltage and phase angle margins and actions needed to withstand multiple additional contingencies.

The PMU analytics application developed during this project, focusing on using PMU data combined with analytics, provides real-time assessment of the grid in steady state and stress conditions. The application provides operators with intelligence on fast detection of line outages, and grid stress levels and limits including voltage stability margins and phase angle limits.

This research initiative is one of many technical innovations being undertaken as part of NYPA’s digital upgrades and overall asset management programme. End-to-end digitisation is a key pillar in NYPA’s Vision 2030 strategic plan.

NYPA is the largest state public power organisation in the USA, operating 16 generating facilities and more than 2250 circuit-kilometres of transmission lines. More than 80 per cent of the electricity NYPA produces is clean renewable hydropower. NYPA uses no tax money or state credit, but finances its operations through the sale of bonds and revenues earned in large part through sales of electricity.