Secondary networks are vital to systems that support power needs in urban areas. These interconnected pathways improve reliability, but are also complex to inspect and maintain. This annual forum addresses the reliability, safety and protection challenges of spot networks and grid systems that comprise the secondary network. Designed as an open forum, attendees are encouraged to bring their challenges and opportunities for discussion and to share best practices.
General Details
- Program Chair(s)
- Ryan Bradeen, Spokane Operations Manager, Avista; Co-Chair Samuel Helms, Downtown Network Manager, Avista
- Program Location
- The Historic Davenport, Autograph Collection
- 10 South Post Street, Spokane, WA 99201
- Who Should Attend
Utility professionals involved with power distribution reliability planning, engineering, operation, standardization, protection & control, and power quality analysis of secondary spot network and grid systems will gain valuable insights and networking from attending this annual program. In addition, service company professionals who offer support to any aspect of the secondary network system are welcome to attend.
- Registration Options
Member: $699 USD
Non-Member: $999 USDRegistration prices increase $100 after February 13, 2023. Registration includes conference materials and food events.
For vendor registration information, please see the Vendor Display tab.
- General Cancellation Policy
- Due to contractual obligations, cancellations received 15 business days prior to the program will receive a full refund. Cancellations received 6 to 14 business days prior to the event will receive a refund, less a $100 administrative fee. No shows and last minute cancellations, 5 business days prior to the event or less, will be responsible for the full registration fee. Substitutions from your organization for the same event are always welcome.
- Participation Policy
- Western Energy Institute programs and events are open to energy companies (including gas production and electric generation, gas and electric transmission and gas and electric distribution utilities). Select programs and events are open to energy industry product and service suppliers. Programs and events are closed to all media representatives and to the general public. Recording is not permitted for any portion of the event.
- For more information contact Traci Pepper, Program Manager at (971) 303-1004.
Agenda
Wednesday, March 8, 2023
7:00 AM - 8:00 AM
Registration + Breakfast
8:00 AM - 8:15 AM
Keynote
Speaker(s): Heather Rosentrater, Senior Vice President, Chief Operating Officer, Avista Utilities
8:15 AM - 9:00 AM
Welcome and Introductions
Facilitator(s): Ryan Bradeen, Spokane Operations Manager, Avista Utilities, Samuel Helms, Operations Manager, Downtown Electric Network, Avista Corp.
9:00 AM - 10:45 AM
Customers and Transformer Vault Agreements
Speaker(s): Christopher Steusloff, Cable /Supervisor, Xcel Energy Inc., Landen Grant, Network Civil Engineer, Avista Corp.
Join us as representatives from Avista and Xcel talk about the challenges of establishing and renewing vaults and the issues that can arise during a project.
10:45 AM - 11:00 AM
Break
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Integrating Distributed Energy Resources into ENMAX’s Secondary Network System
Speaker(s): Pallavi Sehgal-Sidhu, Senior Engineer - Protection & Controls, ENMAX Corporation, Juval Bothe, Senior Engineer, Grid Innovation, ENMAX Corporation
In this 2-part presentation, you will hear Pallavi Sehgal-Sidhu give an overview of EPC’s Engineering solutions. She will share the technical and operational challenges encountered during the project execution and the design solutions developed. The functionality of the new protection scheme will be discussed. Then Juval Bothe will present an overview of the Pilot Site and share the finding of the analysis done on data collected from this installation thus far. The impact of different invertor operation modes on the EPC’s secondary network system will also be discussed.
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Lunch
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Disruption in the Underground:Volteck's Solution to Underground Vault Replacemen
Speaker(s): Brian Read, Line Crew Leader ll, Eugene Water & Electric Board, Sean Gesell, Manufacturers' Representative, Hubbell Utility Solutions
What options do utilities have when dealing with the need to expand or replace their underground vaults? This session will examine the various applications of Voltek’s innovative patented panelized modular approach to underground utility vault replacement and expansion. We will also hear from EWEB on how they were able to use this system and what they have learned.
2:00 PM - 2:45 PM
Attendee Questions Roundtable
Facilitator(s): Samuel Helms, Operations Manager, Downtown Electric Network, Avista Corp.
We will take questions from attendees on what they are dealing with and open the floor to their peers for collaborative answers.
2:45 PM - 3:00 PM
Break
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM
GIS and its use in Operations and Planning of a Downtown Network
Speaker(s): Brian Chain, Network Operations Engineer, Avista Utilities
Overlays on orthographic (satellite) images have become the go-to for keeping track of structural facilities in Avista’s Downtown Network. As a record-keeping device ArcGIS Online has proven valuable, but how can that value be incorporated into adjacent power engineering and construction tasks in a networked environment? First and foremost a secondary electrical topology must be mapped over top of the structural topology. Avista lacks some of the more polished software solutions available in the marketplace, so we have instead relied on tried-and-true methods from the past. In addition, Avista has used GIS to document relations between service points and secondary busses, in order to aggregate AMI-sourced coincident peak load data (by manhole) in a format that can be uploaded into our power flow analysis software. This enables more accurate construction planning as well as real-time decision making (resulting in significant capital dollars saved). With all of these recent improvements in mind, there are two final questions to address: what data does NOT belong in GIS, and how can we successfully operate the system in an emergency without GIS?
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Building a Workgroup that Goes Home Safe
Speaker(s): Heather Anderson, Cable Splicer/Electrician, Sacramento Municipal Utility District, Ryan Malmberg, Cable Splicer/Electrician, Sacramento Municipal Utility District
Learn how our Network family brings new hires into the workgroup and creates a sense of belonging. In turn, creating ownership in the work to help ensure everyone goes home safe at the end of the day while working in a dangerous environment.
6:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Hosted dinner
Join your peers for a networking dinner Sponsored by DIGITALGRID, Inc.
Thursday, March 9, 2023
7:00 AM - 8:00 AM
Breakfast
8:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Vault Overview + Tour
Avista staff will lead a guided vault tour and be available to answer questions. Appropriate PPE is required to go into the vaults so each person needs to bring their own gear as detailed on the PPE Information tab on the WEI website.
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM
Lunch with Vendor Displays
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM
Enclosed Spaces & Hidden Hazards
Speaker(s): Clint Sharp, Sr. Safety Specialist, Avista Corp.
This presentation is a general overview of confined spaces and will briefly cover fundamentals of confined and enclosed spaces, followed by myths and misconceptions about safe entry.
2:30 PM - 3:00 PM
Break with Vendor Displays
3:00 PM - 3:30 PM
Vendor's Platform
Learn about new products, issues, and major product changes during the vendor platform. Each vendor will give a brief presentation.
3:30 PM - 4:00 PM
Attendee Questions Roundtable
4:30 PM - 6:00 PM
Reception with Vendors
Friday, March 10, 2023
7:00 AM - 8:00 AM
Breakfast
8:00 AM - 9:30 AM
Arc Flash: How to Keep Your Employees Safe
Moderator(s): Samuel Helms, Operations Manager, Downtown Electric Network, Avista Corp.
Speaker(s): Dionne Murray Ulrich, Regional Sales Manager, National Safety Apparel
9:30 AM - 10:00 AM
Break / check out of hotel
10:00 AM - 10:45 AM
Substation Break-Ins; What are Utilities Doing?
Facilitator(s): Samuel Helms, Operations Manager, Downtown Electric Network, Avista Corp.
Join us in this discussion as we open the floor for attendees to discuss how their utilities are handling the increase in break ins and what are some of the ways utilities are safeguarding their grids.
10:45 AM - 11:30 AM
Attendee Roundtable
11:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Wrap Up
Discussion on future agenda, topics, and locations.
Hotel + Travel
- The Historic Davenport, Autograph Collection
- 10 South Post Street
- Spokane, WA 99201
- Phone: (800) 899-1482
Click here to make your reservation now.
- Reservation Instructions
Please contact the hotel directly at (800) 899-1482 to reserve your room. Identify yourself as being with Western Energy Institute (WEI) to receive a special rate of $175 USD/night. A City of Spokane Tourism Promotion and Assessment fee of $4 and a Destination Fee of $10 per room, per night also applies. This rate is guaranteed until February 13, 2023 or until the WEI room block is full.
Vendor Displays
Registration Options
Member Attendee + Vendor Display Table: $999 USD
Non-Member Attendee + Vendor Display Table: $1,899 USD
Registration prices increase $100 after February 13, 2023. Registration includes materials and food events for the full conference in addition to one skirted display table for Thursday only and an invitation to participate in the Vendor’s Platform presentation.
Vendor Display Assistant tickets are available for $275. This registration can be added after an Attendee + Vendor Display registration and includes attendance and meals on Thursday only.
Vendor Display Schedule
Thursday, March 9, 2023
12:30 PM – 1:30 PM: Lunch with Vendor Displays
2:30 PM – 3:00 PM: Break with Vendor Displays
3:00 PM – 4:00 PM: Vendor’s Platform
4:30 PM – 6:00 PM: Reception with Vendors
PPE Information
For the Vault tour, Avista requires attendees to have the following PPE:
– 8cal shirt and pants
– Boots
– Safety glasses
– Hard hat
Avista can provide limited number of hard hats and safety glasses.
Program Sponsors
Thank you to our program sponsors!
