CenterPoint Energy Super Bowl LI Coordination and Hurricane Harvey - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

SEPTEMBER 5 - 7, 2018

CenterPoint Energy Super Bowl LI Coordination and Hurricane Harvey Operational Efforts

David Mercado, P.E Real Time Operations Engineering Manager CenterPoint Energy

SEPTEMBER 5 - 7, 2018

CenterPoint Energy Overview and Background

• T&D business serves 5,000 square mile Greater Houston area
• Fourth largest city in US
• Over 2.4 million meter customers
• Two challenges will be addressed
• Preparation efforts prior to Super Bowl LI
• Hurricane Harvey Operational Efforts

SEPTEMBER 5 - 7, 2018

Super Bowl XLVII 2013 Power Outage

SEPTEMBER 5 - 7, 2018

Super Bowl LI Coordination

• Initial Power System Evaluation
• Evaluated opportunities to improve the design of key distribution substation

serving NRG stadium

• Phase 1 - Converted key substation from a single breaker design to a dual

breaker design

• Phase 2 – Converted substation from a dual breaker design to a four breaker

ring

• Increased reliability mitigating possibility of complete substation outage due

to breaker failure or transmission line fault

SEPTEMBER 5 - 7, 2018

Super Bowl LI Coordination

• Outline Departmental Roles and Responsibilities
• Developed a Super Bowl coordination committee
• Representatives from various departments across the company
• Communications, Corporate Security, Customer Service, Electric Operations,

Gas Operations, Human Resources, Logistics, Technology Operations, and Safety

• Held regular discussions starting 12 months prior to the Super Bowl event
• Coordination was also conducted with external entities
• Federal Department of Homeland Security
• Local law enforcement
• City of Houston emergency management
• NFL and NRG stadium security

SEPTEMBER 5 - 7, 2018

Examples of Electric Operations Coordination Efforts

• Distribution Operations
• Identified and inspected 36 overhead circuits associated with Super

Bowl LI venues

• Released and completed 25 work orders related to improvements
• Identified and inspected 34 circuits associated with Super Bowl LI

venues for vegetation management issues

• Transmission Operations
• Inspected 138 kV transmission circuits that serve substation feeding

NRG stadium

• Inspections resulted in the installation of avian protection on seven

transmission structures and one insulator string replacement

SEPTEMBER 5 - 7, 2018

Examples of Electric Operations Coordination Efforts

• Major Underground
• Met with NRG stadium site electricians and contractors to develop

testing procedures for NRG stadium equipment and response to faults

• Performed VLF (Very Low Frequency) testing on the conductors

feeding NRG stadium

• Replacement of one pad mount transformer at NRG stadium due to

leaking bushings

• Installed 30 locking manhole covers in key major underground

locations for increased safety and security

SEPTEMBER 5 - 7, 2018

Examples of Electric Operations Coordination Efforts

• Substation Operations
• Performed infrared testing at substation feeding NRG stadium
• Performed dissolved gas analysis on both transformers at substation
• Installed new ballistic fencing around distribution substation feeding

NRG stadium

SEPTEMBER 5 - 7, 2018

Hurricane Harvey – A Record-breaking Storm

• 52 inches of rainfall in southeast Texas
• Harvey made landfall multiple times
• Category 4 near Port Aransas, Texas
• Tropical storm in Cameron, Louisiana
• More than 42,000 lightning strikes
• Record number of tornado warnings in southeast Texas
• 17 substation out of service or inaccessible due to high

water

• 7 transmission lines locked out
• 293 distribution circuits locked out

SEPTEMBER 5 - 7, 2018

Operational Action due to Substation Flooding

• Developed switching plans to bypass substations threatened

by flood water

• Developed plans in advance for substations prone to flooding
• Developed plans in real time for substations as risk during Harvey
• Coordination with System Protection engineers
• Coordination with Substation personnel

Imminent Flooded Substation Configuration Temporary Bypass Substation Configuration

SEPTEMBER 5 - 7, 2018

SEPTEMBER 5 - 7, 2018

Mobile Substation Use

• Key distribution substation serving densely populated community flooded
• Mobile Substation installed and power restored to customers with 2

weeks of flooding

• Various technologies were utilized including drones, amphibious vehicles,

and airboats

SEPTEMBER 5 - 7, 2018

SEPTEMBER 5 - 7, 2018

Flooding Impacts on Transmission Towers

• Various transmission tower foundations along the banks of river crossings

washed out

• Transmission lines locked out due to contact with rising water
• Temporary poles were set and power restored

SEPTEMBER 5 - 7, 2018

SEPTEMBER 5 - 7, 2018

Hurricane Harvey Video

SEPTEMBER 5 - 7, 2018

Key Takeaways from Super Bowl and Hurricane Efforts

• The 5 P’s – Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance
• Planning and preparing for Super Bowl readiness resulted in a successful

hosting of the event

• Advanced preparation and storm hardening minimized impacts from

Hurricane Harvey

• Learn from past experiences
• Previous power outages during events like the Super Bowl brought

awareness of the need to prepare and assess system readiness

• Past storms and flood events helped indicate where vulnerable

substations prone to flooding exists