Storm & flood hardening of electrical substations

Electrical substations must operate safely and reliably independent of the environment in which they operate. Severe weather is the number one cause of unplanned power outages in the United States, and in the wake of recent superstorms, substation owners are under pressure to limit the number of customer outages after major storm events and to minimize outage times for those who lose power. Many utilities are reevaluating the capability of their substations to endure future storms, and possibly hardening their infrastructure to minimize outages and reduce restoration times. This grid strengthening effort aims to improve substation reliability and will inherently enhance emergency response and disaster relief efforts. Historically, substation designs for the most part have been based on standardized engineering practices and traditional technology. Given the challenges associated with superstorms, especially in dealing with environments prone to flood inundation, defaulting to traditional designs may not be the best approach. This paper discusses alternative approaches to consider in the design and construction of electrical substations in locations vulnerable to storm surge and/or prone to flooding, by focusing on a few key criteria: Flood Mitigation, Extreme Weather, and Corrosion Resistance.