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A large electric utility needed to strengthen and standardize its approach to emergency switching. During system emergencies, dispatchers must quickly assess conditions, isolate hazards, coordinate with field personnel, and support safe restoration, all while maintaining system reliability.
The utility sought to document a consistent approach that could guide dispatchers through these activities while supporting the operational judgment required as conditions change.
Develop a clear, standardized procedure for creating, communicating, executing, and closing out emergency switching plans to support safer, more consistent decision-making during emergency events.
Emergency switching involves complex decisions made under rapidly changing conditions. Dispatchers must understand the immediate hazard, evaluate system configuration, identify potential sources of backfeed, coordinate with field personnel, and consider how switching actions could affect customers, equipment, and restoration.
Existing operational knowledge and practices needed to be translated into a procedure that provided clear direction without becoming overly rigid. The utility needed a framework that reinforced consistent planning and execution while allowing dispatchers to stop, reassess, and adjust when actual system conditions differed from the plan.
Mosaic collaborated with utility stakeholders to develop an operational procedure that reflected how emergency switching is planned and performed in practice.
Working closely with the utility, Mosaic helped organize existing operational knowledge into a consistent framework that guides dispatchers from the initial assessment of an emergency through switching plan development, execution, restoration, and closeout. The procedure clarified expectations for developing switching instructions, coordinating with field personnel, verifying completed actions, and responding when unexpected system conditions arise.
Throughout the process, Mosaic worked with operational stakeholders to ensure the procedure balanced standardization with the flexibility required during an emergency. The resulting guidance established a common approach to critical switching activities while reinforcing the importance of operational judgment, clear communication, and safe execution.
The utility gained a standardized approach to emergency switching that provides dispatchers with clearer guidance during high-pressure situations. By translating established operational practices into a practical procedure, the engagement strengthened consistency, coordination, and decision-making while maintaining the flexibility necessary to respond safely to changing system conditions.
