XML for CIM model exchange

Organizations responsible for secure power system operations need to model their systems and portions of neighboring systems in support of control and security functions. In the USA, the restructuring of the electric utility industry emphasizes the need to exchange operational system models for independent system operators (ISO) and regional transmission organizations (RTO). These models need to be node/breaker oriented in order to meet the needs of control center applications. Unfortunately, the existing model exchange formats derive from planning models that are bus/branch oriented and lack detail required for control center operations. To support these data modeling exchange needs, NERC has adopted an approach that uses the semantic data definitions from the EPRI CIM (common information model) with the syntax of XML to create XML files containing operational power system models. This paper presents the key aspects of XML and the CIM that make them excellent choices for addressing the operational model exchange needs of the industry.