SYSTEM DESIGN

PLM has specified and designed many substation, transmission line and distribution projects. We have experience in both turnkey EPC projects and traditional Design - Bid - Build projects. We are recognized for providing a well thought out, cost effective design that meets all client requirements. Our detailed design package often results in limited or no contractor change orders during the construction process.

  • Substations (Design & Design/Build)
  • Institutional & Industrial Power Systems
  • Transmission Systems (O/H & U/G)
  • Emergency & Standby Power Services
  • Distribution Systems (O/H & U/G)
  • Mobile Transformers
  • Cutover Procedures/ Facility Commissioning
  • Power Factor & Voltage Control
  • Project Planning, Scheduling and Estimating
  • Design Reviews/Owner's Engineer Services
  • Spill Containment Facilities
  • Shop Drawing Review
  • Distribution System Mapping Services
  • Distribution & Voltage Conversion
  • Subcontractor Evaluations
  • As-Built Drawings & Documentation
  • Non-Utility Generator Interconnection
  • Construction Phase Services

POWER SUPPLY & RATES

PLM manages more than 900 MW of load for utility clients throughout the northeast (NYISO and ISO NE) energy markets.

We provide both long run power supply planning and daily bid-to-bill services on behalf of a wide array of municipal electric utilities that are market participants of the Independent System Operator of New England (ISO-NE) and direct customers of the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO). Bid-to-bill services include hourly load forecasting, resource optimization and scheduling of transactions to clients in the NYISO. PLM also provides invoice verification services to its clients that are ISO-NE participants as well as direct customers of the NYISO.

 
  • Cost of Service, Electric Rate Design/Unbundling
  • Power Cost Budgeting & Reconciliation
  • Power Contract Negotiation & Administration
  • Contract Negotiation Assistance
  • Power Pool/ISO Interfacing Evaluations
  • Power Pool Compliance Plans
  • Load Forecasting
  • Delivery Metering
  • Load Management Evaluations
  • Power Supply Management & Scheduling
  • Financial Modeling
 

DAILY SERVICES

  • Retrieval of previous days hourly loads for client system’s delivery points
  • Hourly load forecasting
    • Using actual loads & weather data
  • Resource Optimization
    • Maximize the efficient use of available resourcs
  • Hourly resource Scheduling
  • Over-the-counter market pricing matrix & technical analysis

     

SEMI-ANNUAL SERVICES

  • Regular client meetings
  • Individual bulk power supply budgeting
  • Market solicitation for forward energy when technical indicators/time and value triggers present buying opportunities
    • Avoids the costly expense of periodic RFP's for supply tied solely to time triggers.

MONTHLY SERVICES

  • Verification and settlements with suppliers
    • Hedge counter parties
  • Settlements with ISO
    • Weekly and month-end settlements, true-up & closeouts
  • Monthly billing data verification for clients
  • Tracking of ISO invoice variance
    • Tracking of ISO vs metered loads through true-up
  • Monthly mark-to-market calculations for financials
  • Weather normalization of client loads

ANNUAL SERVICES

  • Long run energy & peak demand forecasts for each client system

  • Annual budgets and projected cash flow requirements

    • Annual operating budget projections 3 years forward are updated frequently throughout the year as market conditions and client systems characteristics change

PROTECTION & CONTROL

The PLM staff has evaluated, designed and implemented relay and control protection schemes for generation, substation, distribution and transmission facilities for voltages ranging from 208V to 345,000V. This work has also included development of detailed protective relay settings. PLM also has extensive experience conducting short circuit and coordination studies for utilities, transportation agencies and industrial facilities.

 
  • Protective Relay Settings
  • Substation Relay Operating Descriptions
  • Control Systems
  • PLC Programming
  • Short Circuit & Coordination Studies
  • HMI Programming
  • SCADA Systems
  • Relay Coordination Studies
 

PLANNING

PLM has performed dozens of system planning studies. Each study begins with an agreed upon System Design Criteria, that sets forth the client requirements and expectations. In addition to cost, external factors, such as permitting requirements, interconnection requirements, aesthetic impacts, etc. are always considered when developing alternative plans and making final recommendations.

  • Long and Short Range System Planning
  • Economic Alternative Evaluations
  • Load Flow & Voltage Studies
  • Capacitor Placement Studies
  • Equipment Thermal Rating Analysis
  • Substation Grounding Analysis
  • Equipment/ Facilities Evaluations
  • Electrogeometric Lightning Shielding Analysis
  • Substation Siting Analysis
  • Transmission Routing Studies
  • Facility Permitting/Regulatory Support
  • System Operations & Loss Studies
  • On-site Generation Studies
  • System Design Criteria
  • Reliability Evaluations

NERC COMPLIANCE

PLM has developed comprehensive NERC compliance plans for utilities in the NPCC footprint from the ground up with the functional registration of Transmission Owner, Distribution Provider and Load Serving Entity. The program was recognized by NPCC in the 2011 Culture of Compliance Survey Initiative as 1 of 10 industry “Best Practices." PLM successfully guided clients through the challenges of the revised functional registration criteria and the revised Bulk Electric System definition. PLM has guided its clients through several off site NERC Audits, self-reports and guided self-certifications.

 
  • Program Development
  • Program Management
  • Procedure Development
  • Audit preparation
  • Self-Reporting and mitigation plan development.
  • Functional Registration Assistance

  • Bulk Electric System (BES) Determination

  • Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) analysis/program design

  • Internal Control Design

  • Under frequency load shed design.

  • ISO planning analysis support.

  • Standards drafting team representation

 

PLM HAS ALSO DEVELOPED THE FOLLOWING PROCEDURES AND PLANS FOR EXISTING CLIENTS:

  • Mis-operation analysis procedures 

  • Complete testing and maintenance plans
  • Under frequency load shedding designs
  • Low impact Critical Infrastructure Protection plan

We continue to monitor the fluid and ever changing NERC compliance standards in order to insure our clients are in compliance with all applicable standards and requirements. PLM has participated on standard drafting team meetings to ensure that changes to existing clients do not result in unnecessary cost and manpower burden. PLM participates in and represents its clients at all NPCC NERC compliance workshops and webinars.

 

TECHNICAL TRAINING

PLM provides detailed technical training to numerous clients. Technical training have included protection and control for operator and field personnel and system review for new employees. PLM engineers have lead classes on substation communications as well as detailed relay school for traction power system personnel. PLM engineers often present at conferences, industry groups and commission or light board meetings.

 

  • Annual Employee Technical Training

  • Substation Communications Course

  • NERC and NERC-CIP Update and Review Training

  • Cybersecurity Awareness

  • Individual Trainings on New Equipment

  • Creation or Review of Policies and Procedures

  • Creation of Detailed Training Manuals and Curriculum

ADDITIONAL SERVICES

PLM provides many services outside of the traditional substation, transmission & rates. We have provided operation/mis-operation investigations on transmission through distribution systems. Some of the other various services we provide include: owner's engineer, comprehensive substation documentation review and regulatory compliance.

 

  • Power System Disturbance Analysis

  • Electrical Accident Investigations

  • Regulatory Compliance

  • Electrical Environmental Effects

  • Utility Restructuring Analysis

  • Transformer Failure Analysis

  • Drawing Scanning & Conversion