Skip to main content

Southwest Transmission Cooperative Arizona Cooperative Grid Modernization Project Final Project Description

July 15, 2015

U.S. Department of Energy

jvezina

PDF


Three electric cooperatives in Arizona joined forces together to upgrade their electric grid infrastructure: Southwest Transmission Cooperative (SWTC), Mohave Electric Cooperative (MEC), and Sulphur Springs Valley Electric Cooperative (SSVEC). SWTC provides transmission service to distribution cooperatives MEC and SSVEC.

All three projects installed or upgraded communications networks and deployed or enhanced supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems or energy management systems (EMSs). SWTC upgraded the communications infrastructure of their transmission network by installing optical ground wire (OPGW) cables between several substations. SSVEC expanded their existing fiber optic communications infrastructure. MEC expanded the power line carrier (PLC)-based meter communications network as well as fiber optic and microwave radio communications between the substations and their call center.

SWTC further enhanced the transmission network with microprocessor-based protective relays and equipment monitors. SSVEC and MEC jointly provided 59,745 smart meters to 59,358 customers and deployed a meter data management system (MDMS) to process and package the data to be leveraged

The Department of Energy's Office of Electricity (OE) recognizes that our nation's sustained economic prosperity, quality of life, and global competitiveness depends on an abundance of secure, reliable, and affordable energy resources. OE leads the Department of Energy's efforts to ensure a resilient, and flexible electricity system in the United States. Learn more about OE >>

None:prod None build None