Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories signed a $71.5 million multi-year substation automation contract with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power on Thursday. SEL will provide project management, engineering services, software and hardware, to improve the performance of LADWP's electric power grid.
The proposed project involves SEL updating more than 100 substations that have already been automated, and retrofitting more than 75 substations for LADWP that still need automation.
"The Substation Automation Project is essential for increasing the efficiency and reliability of LADWP's power system as well as meeting critical infrastructure protection standards. We are very pleased to work with Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories to complete this important project," said Aram Benyamin, LADWP senior assistant general manager, Power System.
SEL's Project Manager Herbert Cheung said the project will take up to seven years because of performance goals SEL is trying to achieve.
"This automation project is about gathering system data, converting them into actionable information, and making the information available to enterprise systems and operators in the most secure and efficient ways possible," Cheung said. "We have enjoyed getting to know the LADWP team through the negotiation phase of this project, and we look forward to the work ahead."
