Intergraph advances smart grid at Westar Energy through DoE investment grant

HUNTSVILLE, USA: Intergraph, a global leader of integrated operational support and infrastructure management solutions for the utility and communications industries, is providing its InService Outage Management Systems (OMS) and Mobile Workforce Management (MWFM) solutions to Westar Energy Inc., the largest electric energy provider in Kansas, USA.

This implementation was partially funded by the US Department of Energy's smart grid investment grant in recognition of Westar Energy's SmartStar Program, which provides Westar's customers the power to better manage personal energy use while helping the company improve reliability using smart grid technology.

Westar Energy sought a solution that would help promote its new SmartStar Program green initiatives to increase operational efficiency, improve asset utilization and performance, promote efficient data maintenance, and create new functionality using advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) and metering data management system (MDMS) integration.

Intergraph's InService system will provide Westar Energy a unique geospatial map to be shared by both dispatchers and field personnel using mobile devices, and which will allow coordination between dispatcher and crews. With InService MWFM, Westar will be able to effectively manage routine equipment inspections and short-cycle crew order work management. This complete InService package offers Westar integrated restoration circuit map displays and routes, dispatches and tracks field crews during storm restoration processes.

Westar Energy Inc., an investor-owned utility, is equipped with energy centers that include wind, coal, nuclear energy, natural gas and landfill gas generation. Headquartered in Topeka, Kansas, USA, Westar employs approximately 2,400 people and serves more than 687,000 customers in east and east-central Kansas. Operating and coordinating 35,000 miles of transmission and distribution lines, Westar Energy's centers generate more than 7,100 megawatts of electricity.

"Intergraph's Smart Grid Command Center has been proven to improve situational awareness in the control center," says Bill Campbell, senior VP, Intergraph Security, Government & Infrastructure. "As a solution provider, Intergraph's software technology, experience and innovative vision to implement and deploy an industry-leading outage management and mobile system creates a platform for future smart grid implementations in large utilities across the United States."