Alstoms Outage Management System delivered in the US

Alstom has delivered a new Outage Management System (OMS) to Alabama Power, a subsidiary of Southern Company, the leading US energy producer owning electrical utilities in four US states. The new system will help the company to minimise outage durations and better inform their customers and internal management about outage status and restoration efforts. 

The addition of the OMS ensures more efficient and faster decision making for Alabama Powers distribution grid operators, especially during large scale outage restoration efforts, ultimately improving service to their 1.4 million customers. In preparation for system acceptance, Alabama Powers new OMS performance testing was simulated using Alstoms integrated Distribution Operations Training Simulator (DOTS) and was based on some of the largest storms that may impact the Alabama Power Companys service territory - with more than one million customers out, utilizing DOTS generated inputs of Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition* (SCADA), Advanced Metering Infrastructure* (AMI), and customer calls with over 160 concurrent users of the Integrated Distribution Management System* (IDMS). 

DOTS has been one of the most valuable aspects of cutting over to the new system because it allows us not only to test the system but also provides an initial and on-going training environment for our personnel that replicates real world scenarios.  We do not need to experience the next major hurricane to find out if our systems will perform and the DOTS will ensure the system will perform in any magnitude storm that may impact our service territory and customers. said Bill Mintz, Manager of Distribution Management Systems at Alabama Power who has been leading the project from its inception. 

Based on Alstom Grids e-terradistribution platform, the OMS is built for high availability and performance during major storm events, as well as routine maintenance outages. Designed to handle over 200,000 trouble calls per hour, the OMS provides distribution grid operators more accurate information and enhanced overall visibility to better manage electricity network outages. The OMS also captures and integrates all available data to automatically calculate performance indices, ensuring accuracy and confidence in overall outage reporting metrics.   

Alabama Power chose Alstoms OMS, as part of its advanced Integrated Distribution Management System upgrade to replace its legacy, disparate systems and they provided inspiration for our latest technology. said Karim El Naggar, Vice President of Alstom Grids Network Management Solutions business. 

About Alstom

Alstom is a global leader in the world of power generation, power transmission and rail infrastructure and sets the benchmark for innovative and environmentally friendly technologies. Alstom builds the fastest train and the highest capacity automated metro in the world, provides turnkey integrated power plant solutions and associated services for a wide variety of energy sources, including hydro, nuclear, gas, coal and wind, and it offers a wide range of solutions for power transmission, with a focus on smart grids. The Group employs 93,000 people in around 100 countries. It had sales of over 20 billion and booked 21.5 billion in orders in 2013/14.

Alstom Grid has one clear vision: to develop innovative solutions for a flexible, reliable, affordable and sustainable electrical grid, everywhere. We design, manufacture, install and service the power transmission and distribution products and systems that empower the planets low carbon economy... for now and for the future.

Alstom Grid has over 130 years experience and ranks among the top three in the electrical transmission sector with an annual sales turnover of 3.8 billion. Alstom Grids 17,000 employees are spread across 87 manufacturing and engineering sites worldwide and have one common mission: be our customers trusted partner, from the source to the city.

We are energising a smarter world with Alstom.

Fallon McLoughlin (Alstom USA)
Tel: +1 347 821 8455
fallon.mcloughlin@alstom.com

Caroline Kozik (Alstom Grid)
Tel: +33 1 49 01 63 06
caroline.kozik@alstom.com

Websites: www.alstom.com; www.alstom.com/grid