A system to distribute real-time operational data utilizing existing public communications infrastructure

With competition among electric utilities looming on the horizon, information and the flow thereof becomes more and more important to the operation (and survival) of electric cooperatives, In particular, the flow of real-time operational data from SCADA systems has, and will continue to have, a great impact on the reliable and economical operation of electric power systems. Yet, cooperative's ability to implement leading-edge information systems is often limited by staffing and budgetary constraints. By leveraging existing, readily available communications technologies (such as alphanumeric paging and the Internet), a cooperative can develop systems to deliver near-real-time operational data to field personnel at low cost. This paper describes the system that an Arkansas generation and transmission cooperative has developed to share real-time information with its member rural electric distribution cooperatives.