TVPPA report: Part 1 of assessment
The Tennessee Valley Public Power Association has completed an assessment of the Holly Springs Electric Department. The 74-page report was made available to the Holly Springs Mayor, Board of Aldermen and Mississippi Legislature in advance of a formal presentation.
The Mississippi Legislature authorized an expenditure of $500,000 for work to improve the performance, reliability and safety of the HSUD system. Of that appropriation, $75,000 was designated to pay for an assessment of the utility and the remainder is to be spent on vegetation removal in the power line rights-of-ways, substations and supply yards.
The report includes an executive summary that includes the overarching assessment findings and recommendations.
Following the summary, five sections are devoted to the following elements:
• Utility demographics and human resource management
• Reliability
• Safety
• Workforce development
• System improvement
The first 40 pages detail the findings. Pages 41 through 71 provide assessment artifacts, i.e., photographs depicting the findings in the assessment.
The on-site comprehensive assessment was initiated Sept. 20 and ended Oct. 9 this year using TVPPA’s Local Power Company Comprehensive Assessment Instrument to gather data, to evaluate the system’s reliability, safety protocols, workforce development policy and system improvements/ betterment procedures. That instrument was used to compile, denote and finalize the assessment findings.
TVPPA assessment teams observed job sites and work at each site, observed general upkeep/maintenance procedures for equipment/facilities, performed documentation reviews and interviewed employees at HSUD.
The data and other observations were used to prepare an overarching report of recommendations within the Executive Summary.
Steve Powell, a 39-year veteran of the industry and safety consultant for TVPPA and Dennis Roberts, a 32-year veteran of the industry and safety consultant/trainer with TVPPA, served as team members.
Also, Tom Suggs, 41-year veteran of the electric industry and electric engineer registered in Mississippi and Tennessee, served as a TVPPA team member.
The report of overarching assessment findings and recommendations covered:
• Management and leadership at HSUD and recommended first to employ a capable and competent and qualified general manager.
• Vegetation managementwithin the HSUD service area was a high priority of concern.
The existing HSUD workforce will be inadequate to address vegetation management due to the inadequate workforce.
• 46KV subtransmission line. Maintenance of the 46KV system is a high priority of concern. This transmission line is used to carry voltage to provide transmission service to smaller substations.
• Substation maintenance is not being performed, routine inspections have been lacking and substation maintenance is a high priority concern. They are the most expensive and important assets owned by the utility.
• New service requests were found to be backlogged significantly, many requiring months for personnel to visit the sites and install what is required for hook-up completion. Some prospective customers have waited for as long as two years for service and many new customers wait for weeks or months for service.
• Mapping. The only existing map was created in 2009 and does not appear to be a system map. Tracking of outages requires real-time mapping to locate outages and re-establish power.
• Metering. The advanced metering system increases system’s reliability. Current issues with metering have not been addressed and there is only one employee who understands how the system works and measures required to solve problems. There is a concern that if the one employee were to leave the entire metering system would be at risk.
• Long-range technology and operational plan. This plan should be developed by HSUD to assure that current systems and technologies communicate and work together. The long-range technology operational plan requires a competent general manager and experienced consulting firm.
In subsequent issues of The South Reporter, in-depth reporting on the assessment will be published so the reader has a detailed understanding of the TVPPA assessment report.