Oracle Provides Advanced Distribution Management System for FirstEnergy

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Nov 02, 2022, 08:00 ET

Platform helps company manage electric utilities' response to outages caused by extreme weather events

AUSTIN, Texas, Nov. 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- To assist Ohio-based FirstEnergy in managing response to power outages across its six-state electric system, Oracle has helped the company implement the Oracle Utilities Network Management System (NMS). With the browser-based NMS Flex Operations, FirstEnergy can actively manage control centers across its 10 electric utilities, activate users to quickly respond to storms and other power outages, and direct restoration efforts from anywhere.

Part of Oracle Energy and Water's Advanced Distribution Management System (ADMS), Oracle Utilities Network Management System (NMS) enables utilities to monitor, manage, and effectively optimize the grid from distribution to customer. The data-centric platform with integrated applications delivers unified user access to outage management (OMS), distribution management (DMS), and distributed energy resource management (DERMS). Oracle Utilities NMS Flex Operations (FlexOps) securely extends outage management and dispatch capabilities beyond the control room.

With the growing unpredictability of extreme weather events and the emergence of evolving distributed energy resources (DERs), FirstEnergy was interested in replacing its existing outage management system with a modern grid management platform that could scale and evolve with its business, customers, and regulatory demands. Oracle Utilities NMS offers extensive functionality and reliable support for outage management, switching, power flow analysis, and distribution automation processes. This includes integrated Volt Var control for more efficient energy savings across its network. In total, FirstEnergy now has more than 200 circuits running DMS advanced apps with unified DER awareness.

"Ensuring our communities and customers get the electricity they need is our top priority and leveraging technology to improve system reliability plays a crucial role in meeting this objective," said Ted Allan, director, ADMS/GIS Project, FirstEnergy. "We are very proud of our project team who completed the Oracle go-live across all 10 operating companies, making this a successful initiative in terms of cost, schedule, and functionality. With the new system in place, we expect our customers will benefit from improved outage response and enhanced system reliability."

Providing automated, self-healing support, Oracle's Fault Location, Isolation, Service Restoration (FLISR) Application in NMS enables utilities to sectionalize outage impact, reduce outage duration, and increase service reliability. The solution can scale across millions of customers and support integration of distributed energy resources, such as rooftop solar, electric vehicles, and battery storage. In addition, the Oracle NMS Operations Mobile Application enables faster response for field crews in emergency situations to quickly assess and mitigate network damages. Finally, Oracle Utilities Live Energy Connect (LEC), an OT-centric middleware platform that supports all major protocols (e.g., ICCP, OPC, and DNP3), provides essential, technology-agnostic integration with utilities' existing SCADA systems and can support future scaling options.

"Oracle NMS has evolved over decades of working in tandem with the world's largest utilities to enable them to quite literally weather whatever mother nature sends their way," said Brad Williams, vice president, Oracle Energy and Water. "With NMS, FirstEnergy utility operations teams will have access to accurate, timely, and reliable information critical to help meet modern grid operations challenges from anywhere. NMS will help effectively maximize grid operations, shorten outage impact, and optimize distribution, all while keeping customers engaged and informed."

To learn more about Oracle Energy and Water solutions visit: https://www.oracle.com/industries/utilities/network-management-system/

About FirstEnergy
FirstEnergy is dedicated to integrity, safety, reliability and operational excellence. Its 10 electric distribution companies form one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems, serving more than 6 million customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland and New York. The company's transmission subsidiaries operate approximately 24,000 miles of transmission lines that connect the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions. Follow FirstEnergy online at www.firstenergycorp.com. Follow FirstEnergy on Twitter: @FirstEnergyCorp.

About Oracle
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SOURCE Oracle