Distribution automation (DA) has been a topic of interest in our industry for years, as many utilities have been increasing the intelligence of equipment on their distribution feeders. Recent grant funding is also reviving interest in automation projects that had to take a back seat to more pressing system investments. Additionally, anticipated increases in member renewable generation and storage have raised questions about what system automation will be needed to manage a more dynamic system.
This Surveillance article discusses this topic, and is a follow-on to our article on the related topic of Advanced Distribution Management Systems (ADMS).
