NASPI News Flash

New! Dates to remember for the Arlington, VA, NASPI Work Group meeting are September 13 and September 27. Learn more!

July 6, 2010 - openPDC new release Version 1.1. Learn more!
June 15, 2010 - Real-time Application of PMUs to Improve Reliability Task Force, presentations made on the report to the NERC Operating Committee (PDF 1,871KB) and Planning Committee (PDF 719KB) meetings.
June 3, 2010 - DRAFT REPORT ON PHASOR TECHNOLOGY FOR GRID RELIABILITY -- a team of representatives from North American phasor users, vendors and NASPI has prepared a draft report requested by the NERC Operating Committee. NASPI leaders will present the report to the NERC Operating Committee on June 15 for their consideration, and to the NERC Planning Committee as an advisory matter. Report comments should be sent to Mahendra Patel by July 16. The report will be finalized after review and comment.
Synchrophasors in the News! Article on synchrophasors and MISO phasor project in the New York Times' Green, Inc., blog (on April Fools Day -- you can't have everything...). Also, two articles (first and second) on synchrophasors in the daily "Intelligent Utility."

North American SynchroPhasor Initiative

The mission of the North American SynchroPhasor Initiative is to improve power system reliability and visibility through wide area measurement and control.

Synchrophasors are precise grid measurements now available from monitors called phasor measurement units (PMUs). PMU measurements are taken at high speed (typically 30 observations per second – compared to one every 4 seconds using conventional technology). Each measurement is time-stamped according to a common time reference. Time stamping allows synchrophasors from different utilities to be time-aligned (or “synchronized”) and combined together providing a precise and comprehensive view of the entire interconnection. Synchrophasors enable a better indication of grid stress, and can be used to trigger corrective actions to maintain reliability.

The NASPI community is working to advance the deployment and use of networked phasor measurement devices, phasor data-sharing, applications development and use, and research and analysis. Important applications today include wide-area monitoring, real-time operations, power system planning, and forensic analysis of grid disturbances. Phasor technology is expected to offer great benefit for integrating renewable and intermittent resources, automated controls for transmission and demand response, increasing transmission system throughput, and improving system modeling and planning.

  

NASPI is a collaborative effort between the U.S. Department of Energy, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation, and North American electric utilities, vendors, consultants, federal and private researchers and academics. NASPI activities are funded by DOE and NERC, and by the voluntary efforts of many industry members and experts.

For more information, please contact:

Learn more about NASPI's vision and mission.