User interface for network operations in energy control centers

Since the early 1970s, electric utilities have included transmission network evaluation tools in their energy control center application. Originally, these tools were very limited, but in recent years have expanded to include optimal power flow, advanced security analysis and remedial action software. Although these codes have been successfully installed and demonstrated, very little actual use has occurred because of the limitations in the user interface and facilities to easily update the operational status of the devices in the model. System operator´s acceptance of advanced network functions and integration into their daily work functions has been accomplished at Houston Lighting and Power Company (HL&P) by redesigning the user interface and many of the associated systems needed to provide the correct operating state to the network models. This paper provides insights into the applications and how they were modified to simplify the user interface. The paper describes a standard by which the success of the user interface and the completeness of the automatic update to models can be measured. The paper includes a list of power system dispatcher task assignments and concludes with a survey of the benefits HL&P has obtained from power system operator use of network applications functions