A Survey of Current Operational Problems

This paper is one of a series prepared for use in the Working Group on Current Operational Problems (COPS) forums with the goal of focusing attention of the industry on problems faced by those who are involved in actual power system operation. The questionnaire was sent to System Operation Subcommittee members and to North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC) key operating members. One hundred thirty responses were received. The high priority topics identified as problems by the survey can be divided up into three categories of people, analysis and control, and computer system. Some of the items, for example, Dispatcher Training Simulator could be assigned to any of these new categories. We arranged them as follows: People Problems-Dispatcher Training Simulators Management Problems due to Shift Work Evaluation of Training Programs Simulators to Practice System Restoration Job Desirability Dispatcher Selection Relations with Dispatchers Analysis and Control Problems - Key Monitoring Indicators Load Shedding System Condition Assessment Contingency Voltage Levels Transmission Access and Compensation Generation Cycling Resource Scheduling Computer System Problems - Alarms (present techniques need improvement) Alarming (Artificial Intelligence systems are needed) Performance Considerations (Computer systems handling inadequately during emergencies)