Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board Arthur Progress... · Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board IN THE MATTER OF The Public Utilities Act, R.S.N.S. 1989, c.380, as amended Post-Tropical

Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board

IN THE MATTER OF The Public Utilities Act, R.S.N.S. 1989, c.380, as amended

Post-Tropical Storm Arthur

Progress Update

October 31, 2014

Post-Tropical Storm Arthur Progress Update

DATE FILED: October 31, 2014 Page 2 of 11

TABLE OF CONTENTS 1

2

1.0 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................... 3 3

2.0 STATUS OF ACTION PLANS .......................................................................................... 5 4

5

APPENDIX A: Action Plans6



1.0 INTRODUCTION 1

2

Nova Scotia Power is pleased to provide this report updating progress, planning and 3

timelines on the directives contained in the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board’s 4

(UARB, the Board) October 6, 2014, Review Decision on our preparedness and response 5

to Post-Tropical Storm Arthur. 6

7

We have made significant progress on items that could be addressed immediately or over 8

the short-term. Planning is well underway on items that will take longer to address. In 9

fact, planning and efforts on some of the matters – for example, augmenting the capacity 10

of our website – began in the days following the storm. 11

12

Nova Scotia Power is committed to implementing these improvements in an efficient, 13

expedient manner for our customers. Post-Tropical Storm Arthur was a difficult storm 14

for Nova Scotia Power and for our customers who lost power for an extended period of 15

time. We learn from every storm, but due to the severity of Arthur, it brought forward 16

new lessons on weather forecasting and our damage prediction model, vegetation 17

management, how we handle estimated times of restoration (ETRs), our customer 18

communications infrastructure, and procedural gaps in our Emergency Services 19

Restoration Plan (ESRP). We will be a better, stronger utility because of this. 20

21

Nova Scotia Power would again like to thank the participants in the Post-Tropical Storm 22

Arthur Review for their thoughtful and collaborative approach to the Review. 23

Continuing in that spirit, we look forward to the stakeholder process on vegetation 24

management issues. We believe that a process involving Halifax Regional Municipality, 25

the Union of Nova Scotia Municipalities, the departments of Energy, Natural Resources, 26

and Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal, as well as other interested parties, will 27

provide a much more coordinated and effective vegetation management program for our 28

customers. 29

30



Section 2.0 provides a status update/timeline on each of the Board’s 43 directives. 1

Appendix A provides more detailed updates on each individually. The next report will 2

present action plans for these items and be submitted on November 17, 2014. 3

4

Again, Nova Scotia Power would like to thank stakeholders for their on-going 5

participation and interest in this process. In the end, we all have the same goal: 6

improving electrical service to Nova Scotians and Nova Scotia businesses. Together, we 7

will succeed. 8



2.0 STATUS OF ACTION PLANS 1

2

Subject Recommendation Status – October 31, 2014 1 Restoration

Performance Seek out and contract with an additional weather service provider to be used along with the existing services.

This project has started. Expected completion Q1, 2015.

2 Restoration Performance

Include representatives of the different weather service providers who should be in pre- event NS Power conference calls.

The ESRP is being updated and the new process is in effect now. The revised version will be filed with UARB by the end of 2014.


Challenge weather providers on these calls, seeking to understand the differences in the forecasts, what factors are producing those differences, and what range of uncertainty about key forecast elements exists.



Review carefully all aspects of how the model was used and how it responded in preparation for Arthur, and develop an action plan to correct any improvements available.

Interim measures have been adopted to ensure model outputs are augmented with Arthur learnings,(i.e. potential for transmission damage, and labour hours). A new version of the model will be developed by the end of 2014.


Incorporate transmission damage and labour hours into the model projections.

A new version of the model will be developed by the end of 2014.


Establish a standard practice of re-running the model during the restoration effort after, as actual weather factors become known, and as damage assessment information matures.



Use the resulting information as a tool to verify that the correct amount of resources have been obtained and assigned to the correct areas, and to aid in setting realistic restoration targets.





Performance Under similar conditions, activate the EOC earlier, with all team members in place before the onset of the storm. The EOC should remain “activated” and in control of restoration efforts.



Be more aggressive in activating the EOC, placing all team members in place at least 12 (preferably 18) hours before the onset of the storm.



Clarify the EOC “deactivation” process as covered in the ESRP, specifically the roles and responsibilities of the EOC once it shifts to a matrix mode. The EOC should not be considered “deactivated” until all power is restored. Regular conference calls should be scheduled each day, and EOC team members should maintain direct involvement in decision-making and coordination until all service is restored.



Revise the ESRP to more accurately reflect the matrix process.

The ESRP is being updated. This revision will be completed by Q1, 2015.


Promptly conduct a thorough review of the damage assessment performance, identifying problem areas, and developing action plans.

Review has started. Action plan to be developed by November 17, 2014.


Develop expertise in using a projection tool such as statistical damage projection, in which a given feeder or geographic area is completely surveyed, and then damage figures from that survey are used to project what total damage for a larger area can be expected.

Action plan to be developed by November 17, 2014.


Correct the problems experienced in attempting to determine early on how much damage had occurred and the resources needed



Follow through promptly on the plan of developing and strengthening ties with mutual assistance allies.

An action plan has been developed and will be completed by Q1, 2015.




Performance Address the issue of damage assessment quality and timeliness



Review in detail safety performance during the response to Arthur, identifying and correcting any items found that can be improved, and building upon their successes in this effort

The review has been completed.


Follow specifically the PEC process for Arthur as set forth in section 17 of the ESRP, and address the action items identified through that process

The PEC sub-process has been started.

19 Outage Communications and Tech.

Redesign the automated Outage Line to provide individualized outage restoration status to all callers.

Nova Scotia Power will address these items within a single coordinated project in order to maximize efficiency and customer benefit. A project manager has been assigned and has begun initial planning for the work. A project time-line will be included in the November 17th update.


In concert, revise the global messaging presented to customers during a storm or large outage. Communications and Customer Coordinators should be responsible for developing and posting the appropriate global messaging for each day of a storm.

Global messaging has been revised. Further work will be completed as part of the project referred to in Item 19.


Suspend normal customer service business hours during major storm events to dedicate all Customer Care Center resources to the restoration effort until call volumes decline sufficiently.

NS Power has reviewed this change in operating guidelines and has implement this into the ESRP customer plan for future use as appropriate.


Fortify the website so that high demand does not render the site unusable.

The website has been fortified and additional work is underway to further improve capacity.


Enhance the website to let customers report outages, and get individualized outage restoration status.

Please refer to Item 19.



Subject Recommendation Status – October 31, 2014 24 Outage

Communications and Tech.

Enhance the website to provide the same individualized outage information to customers logging-in as the automated outage line.



Revise the ETR Strategy in light of the events of this storm, changing customer expectations, and future communications needs. Expand the strategy to provide ETRs for all customers affected by an outage or storm.

Some initial revisions to the ETR strategy have been adopted. Remaining issues will be addressed through the coordinated project referred to in Item 19.


Pursue other multi-channel communication options, such as two-way SMS Text messaging or Broadcasting options, to enable proactive communication of individualized outage status to customers during a large outage or storm.



Undertake a campaign to educate customers on the new and improved outage communications options. Properly communicate these options to all key constituents, especially government officials and other organizations that assist the public during large storms and outages.

The Company has gathered information on programs in other jurisdictions and is in the process of developing a campaign to educate customers. Further information will be provided in the coordinated project referred to in Item 19.

28 Asset Management Develop an effective plan to correct cutout failures. The cutout failure issue should be corrected through NS Power’s normal defective material repair programs, rather than serving as an added burden to be addressed during storm events.

NS Power continues to execute its proactive program to address cutout failures. It will seek to further explore this item with Liberty in terms of sufficiency.

29 Asset Management Develop a comprehensive plan for widening 69 kV line corridors. The highest priority for widening involves line sections where adjacent land clearing operations have left a thin strip of trees.

This item will be part of the Stakeholder Engagement Process on Vegetation Management and Storm Hardening,



Subject Recommendation Status – October 31, 2014 30 Asset Management Develop a comprehensive plan for

reclaiming and/or widening the overgrown ROW corridors. The IVM program has reduced tree events per length in normal weather, but it has not addressed overgrown ROWs sufficiently. NS Power should estimate costs, schedule options and funding options.


31 Asset Management Develop a cyclical program for three phase lines being aerially trimmed along the highways (Asset Protection and Urban Management). Normal industry practice for long term reduced unit costs and consistent reliability consists of cyclical trimming on a feeder basis. The three-phase line segments should represent a priority, because they are more susceptible to tree contact outages.


32 Asset Management For the worst performing feeder program, use a weighted multi-year performance evaluation approach rather than an annual performance method.

Implemented. NS Power will use this method in the 2015 Vegetation Management plan.

33 Asset Management Contractors working on Crown and industrial lands follow the Province's guidelines "Working near Power Lines". However, contractors working on private lands generally do not follow these guidelines and NSPI needs to address this issue.


34 Asset Management Why was there damage to transmission in non-urban areas when there should be no issue of the aesthetic, environmental and economic value of an urban forest canopy close to these transmission lines? NSPI should investigate and address whether structural and conductor damage was caused by anything other than tree fall (for example, lack of maintenance).

An investigation was conducted and it was determined that lack of maintenance was not a cause for any of the events. The Company will review the results of its investigation with Liberty.




Performance Generally, how are "critical facilities" such as nursing homes, hospitals, fire halls and community centers, etc., placed on a priority list with respect to power outages? What occurred specifically with respect to the Melville Heights facility?

NS Power has contacted the Melville Heights facility. The company is working with other critical care providing stakeholders to improve coordination of efforts.


In terms of safety, to address the issue which is alleged to have occurred in New Minas, where the RCMP and fire department were not successful in contacting NSPI about allegedly live wires lying on the street. Also, NSPI crews who were in the area would not undertake this work because they were not assigned to this site.

NS Power has initiated a review into the incident. Further information will be provided on November 17.

37 Customer Service What is the process for filing claims by customers for "NSPI caused damage"? Are filing deadlines realistic in such circumstances?

NS Power is flexible in deadlines during major events. In this case, customer claims were accepted up to 32 days after the event.


Why is restoration of NSPI infrastructure given priority over other utilities' infrastructure, such that other utilities have to wait to restore their infrastructure until the power is restored?

We will continue to work with all service providers to limit delays in the connection of service.

39 Asset Management Why, in some cases, property owners are being asked to do or pay for tree trimming on power lines.

Trees on private property are the responsibility of the homeowner. To the extent trees could impact NS Power feeder lines, NS Power trims trees. To the extent a homeowner’s trees impact service lines, this is the homeowner’s responsibility.

40 Customer Service Clarify the roles of Resolve Specialists and key account managers and document an improved communication plan to its industrial customers.

NS Power is in the process of developing an improved communication plan. Expected completion Q1, 2015.




Performance How NSPI is implementing a coordinated communication strategy with EMO, as well as public and private meteorological services, to communicate effectively amongst themselves, and with the public, during and after such storm events.

This is being addressed by the ESRP changes in Item 2 and through the NS EMO being opened every time NS Power EOC is opened.

42 Asset Management Further assessment of broader application of smart-grid technology would provide cost-effective benefits for outage monitoring should be considered.

NS Power continues to study smart-grid technology and its value to customers.


Provide details on NSPI’s issue with its telecommunications service provider that reduced the number of available phone lines to its Customer Care Centre and a strategy to remedy the issue.

NS Power has implemented a plan to avoid this in future.



APPENDIX A: ACTION PLANS



Item 1:

Seek out and contract with an additional weather service provider to be used along with

the existing services.

Response 1:

An RFP is currently being developed and will issued in November 2014. Typically we allow

about 3-4 months from start to finish on a RFP such as this that will involve executing a contract.



Item 2:

Include representatives of the different weather service providers who should be in pre-

event NS Power conference calls.

Response 2:

NS Power will modify the following sections of the ESRP:

Section 4.7 shall be modified as follows: (changes in red italics)

4.7 Pre-Activation Activities

Ongoing monitoring and evaluation of NSPI's power system conditions and assessment of

weather conditions, alerts and warnings is conducted at the Ragged Lake Control Centre. Based

on this, a conference call is initiated by the System Control Manager and conducted with the

Event Monitoring Team (EMT) and representative(s) from contracted weather service providers

to discuss and evaluate the potential impact of the impending event…

The role of the EMT is as follows:

Collectively evaluate the impending weather reports to determine the appropriate

response level. Evaluations are to include comparison or weather forecasts noting the

following:

Differences in forecasts

Factors causing the differences in forecasts

Range of uncertainty in key forecast elements

Contact and recommend the response level to the appropriate Storm Lead.



Section 5.3.3 shall be modified as follows:

3. Prior to the event making landfall, the EOC team will conduct on-going weather system

tracking and communication with weather service providers; use the predictive model,

the scenario planning model and other system information as inputs for decisions about

predicting storm impacts and implications for resources required, staging areas and early

deployment.

Appendix 4 – EMO Contact List shall be updated to include:

[Update contact list to include weather service providers – currently only use Scotia Weather,

although an RFP for a second provider is in progress.]

Appendix 5 - EOC Escalation Sub-Process 1 shall be modified as follows:

…Procedure:

1) Control Centre staff monitor the following conditions that would affect the reliability of

NSPI's transmission and distribution system:

Severe weather

External conditions - e.g. Fires in transmission ROW

2) When the Control Centre staff receive an alert regarding any of the above conditions and

if the conditions are likely to have a negative impact on NSPI’s delivery of electricity to

its customers, they will notify a pre-defined Event Monitoring Team to alert them to the

conditions and the severity of the threat.



3) Event Monitoring Team (EMT), in consultation with the contracted weather service

providers, will evaluate the potential impact on the system…

Update to show input from weather service provide.



Item 3:

Challenge weather providers on these calls, seeking to understand the differences in the

forecasts, what factors are producing those differences, and what range of uncertainty

about key forecast elements exists.

Response 3:




Item 4:

Review carefully all aspects of how the model was used and how it responded in

preparation for Arthur, and develop an action plan to correct any improvements available.

Response 4:

The damage prediction model was run after the storm using the actual weather experienced

during post-tropical storm Arthur. The model was found to quite accurately predict the

distribution damage, and person hours required to repair the damage. As mentioned in Item 5,

transmission damage and required person hours were not modelled and will be added.

Additionally, future model runs will use a more conservative restoration start time.

A new version of the model is being developed with the actual damage experienced in Arthur

and will also include transmission by the end of 2014. Interim measures have been adopted.



Item 5:

Incorporate transmission damage and labour hours into the model projections.

Response 5:

The damage prediction model and scenario planning modes will be revised to include

transmission damage and labour hours by the end of December 2014.



Item 6:

Establish a standard practice of re-running the model during the restoration effort after, as

actual weather factors become known, and as damage assessment information matures.

Response 6:

NS Power will modify the following sections of the ESRP: (changes in red italics)

Section 4.8.1 shall be modified as follows:

4.8.1 EOC Activation

…

9) Response plan implemented. Resources added as required.

10) Restoration progress monitored and plan adapted as necessary to achieve objectives,

including restoration commitments communicated to customers.

11) Re-run predictive model analysis using actual weather conditions to:

a) verify that the correct amount of resources have been obtained

b) verify that resources have been assigned to the correct areas

c) aid in setting restoration targets

12) When power is restored the clean-up plan is developed and resources identified to

implement it. Non-essential resources are debriefed and released and/or transitioned to

regular operations…



Section 5.1 shall be modified as follows:

5.1 Event Prediction

…

This tool correlates weather forecasts and predictions with historical damage experience to

provide an indication of the impact on the system. The event prediction approach will be utilized

to the fullest extent possible as a pre-event planning input to guide activities and decisions, and

as a mid-event planning input to confirm response and resource decisions based on actual

weather conditions.

Section 5.3 shall be modified as follows:

5.3 Resource Planning and Deployment

…

10. As more damage assessment is completed and information is gained from the first

response efforts, sub-regional restoration nodes, staffing and ETR’s will be adjusted to

reflect actual conditions.

11. As the event continues, the EOC team will update the predictive model based on actual

weather conditions and actual damage assessments to:

a) verify that the correct amount of resources have been obtained

b) verify that resources have been assigned to the correct areas

c) aid in setting restoration targets

12. Restoration progress will be tracked against provincial and sub-regional targets through

the use of Restoration Status Reports and conference calls. This will influence decisions

about additional quantities required, crew movement and target for restoration

completion…



Item 7:

Use the resulting information as a tool to verify that the correct amount of resources have

been obtained and assigned to the correct areas, and to aid in setting realistic restoration

targets.

Response 7:




Item 8:

Under similar conditions, activate the EOC earlier, with all team members in place before

the onset of the storm. The EOC should remain “activated” and in control of restoration

efforts.

Response 8:

ESRP Section 5.3 shall be modified as follows: (changes in red italics)

5.3 Resource Planning and Deployment

…Prior to Landfall:

1. Resource planning, acquisition and deployment is a function of the EOC Team and

begins immediately upon team arrival at the EOC, up to 36 hours in advance of a major

storm event. A full EOC shift complement will be in place at least 12-18 hours before the

onset of the storm.

Please refer also to Item 10.



Item 9:

Be more aggressive in activating the EOC, placing all team members in place at least 12

(preferably 18) hours before the onset of the storm.

Response 9:




Item 10:

Clarify the EOC “deactivation” process as covered in the ESRP, specifically the roles and

responsibilities of the EOC once it shifts to a matrix mode. The EOC should not be

considered “deactivated” until all power is restored. Regular conference calls should be

scheduled each day, and EOC team members should maintain direct involvement in

decision-making and coordination until all service is restored.

Response 10:

NS Power will modify the following sections of the ESRP: (changes in red italics)

Section 15.1 - EOC Level De-escalation shall be modified as follows:

…

3) The Storm Lead may de-escalate the Response Level based on assessment of conditions

and the status of the restoration effort and in accordance with the guidelines of Section

3.0. However, the EOC will not be de-activated until all power is restored, and regular

conference calls will continue to be scheduled each day with EOC team members

maintaining direct involvement, whether in person or remotely, in decision-making and

coordination until all service is restored.

Section 15.4 – EOC De-activation and Closure shall be modified as follows:

1) After the restoration effort is completed, the EOC team will establish a time for de-

activation and closure of the EOC. The EOC will not be de-activated until all power is

restored.



Appendix 5 – EOC Sub-Process Maps shall be modified as follows:

Emergency Operations Centre Operations Process…

8) Upon full restoration of power to all customers, or as determined by the Storm Lead that

the EOC can stand down, the EOC will be deactivated using the Close EOC Process.

9) When the restoration efforts are complete and the EOC has been closed and the

restoration efforts complete, the Storm Lead (SL) will conduct a post event critique,

following the Post Event Critique Process.

…

EOC Close Sub-Process 8 shall be modified as follows:

This procedure describes the steps and activities associated with de-activation and closure of the

EOC upon completion of the restoration effort or de-escalation to Level 2 or 1.



Item 11:

Revise the ESRP to more accurately reflect the matrix process.

Response 11:

This work is currently in progress and on schedule to be completed by March 31, 2015.



Item 12:

Promptly conduct a thorough review of the damage assessment performance, identifying

problem areas, and developing action plans.

Response 12:

To date, a review of Industry Best Practices in damage assessment has been initiated; interviews

with personnel who coordinate and conduct damage assessment and those who utilize damage

assessment data have been scheduled or completed. Information collected through these reviews

will be used to develop an action plan to improve damage assessment performance, with

particular attention to the format and usage of the damage assessment data. A plan for this

project will be developed by November 17, 2014.



Item 13:

Develop expertise in using a projection tool such as statistical damage projection, in which

a given feeder or geographic area is completely surveyed, and then damage figures from

that survey are used to project what total damage for a larger area can be expected.

Response 13:

Preliminary work has been conducted to ascertain the inputs and scope of a projection tool. NS

Power will work with The Liberty Consulting Group to assess industry best practices with

respect to statistical damage projection. This work will be done in conjunction with the review

of NS Power’s Damage Assessment process and data utilization, the plan for which will be

submitted on November 17, 2014.



Item 14:

Correct the problems experienced in attempting to determine early on how much damage

had occurred and the resources needed.

Response 14:

This will be addressed as part of the review of the damage assessment process; please refer to

Item 12. The action plan developed from the review will address the early identification of

damage extent and appropriate resourcing.



Item 15:

Follow through promptly on the plan of developing and strengthening ties with mutual

assistance allies.

Response 15:

The following action plan has been developed.

Task Details Delivery Target Strengthening Mutual Assistance group ties

Attend North Atlantic Mutual Assistance Group conference in October 2014.

Complete.

Strengthening Mutual Assistance group ties

Finalize and sign Atlantic Canadian Mutual Assistance Agreement with Atlantic Canadian utilities.

January 2015

Strengthening and developing Mutual Assistance group ties

Engage Mutual Assistance group member utilities in one-on-one discussions on mutual assistance.

Reinforce relationship Confirm/identify resource capability Determine lead time requirement for

being in province Identify any logistics challenges or

anomalies to be considered

October 2014 through January 2015

Developing Mutual Assistance group ties

Participate in the development of the National Mutual Assistance Agreement via the Canadian Electrical Association National Mutual Assistance Group.

In progress – through March 2015



Item 16:

Address the issue of damage assessment quality and timeliness.

Response 16:

This will be addressed as part of the review of the damage assessment process; please refer to

Item 12. The action plan developed from the review will address damage assessment quality and

timeliness.



Item 17:

Review in detail safety performance during the response to Arthur, identifying and

correcting any items found that can be improved, and building upon their successes in this

effort.

Response 17:

In addition to the information provided in our previously filed evidence, actions to improve

response include:

1. A library of safety messages has been developed for weather events. These messages

will be used in planning for future events.

2. Safety Department reviewed the content of the Orientation Program required for all

contractors assisting with the response. It will be reviewed on an annual basis or if a

change is warranted.

3. Prior to the arrival of Arthur, a plan was developed to position safety resources in

strategic areas of the province. This was reviewed after the event, and will be an

ongoing practice.



Item 18:

Follow specifically the PEC process for Arthur as set forth in section 17 of the ESRP, and

address the action items identified through that process.

Response 18:

The Post Event Critique (PEC) sub-process has been initiated. The PEC Lead role has been

assigned to the Duty Officer. An initial meeting with all EOC Coordinators was completed on

October 21st and included an ESRP PEC process review. EOC Functional Areas will complete

their area post-event critiques and submit their reports to the PEC Lead by October 31, 2014.

The EOC Coordinators will reconvene to review these reports and to develop an action plan; the

review has been scheduled for the first week of November. A Post Event Critique Report will be

generated after the review is complete.



Item 19:

Redesign the automated Outage Line to provide individualized outage restoration status to

all callers.

Response 19:

NS Power has reviewed this item along with several others within Communications and

Technology. (Items 19, 20, 23, 24, 25, 26, and 27.) NS Power will address all of these items

within a single coordinated project in order to maximize efficiency and customer benefit. A

project manager has been assigned and has begun initial planning for the work. A project time-

line will be included in the November 17th update.



Item 20:

In concert, revise the global messaging presented to customers during a storm or large

outage. Communications and Customer Coordinators should be responsible for developing

and posting the appropriate global messaging for each day of a storm.

Response 20:




Item 21:

Suspend normal customer service business hours during major storm events to dedicate all

Customer Care Center resources to the restoration effort until call volumes decline

sufficiently.

Response 21:

NS Power has reviewed this change in operating guidelines and has implemented this into the

ESRP customer plan for future use as appropriate.



Item 22:

Fortify the website so that high demand does not render the site unusable.

Response 22:

NS Power has moved the outage map page to new, more powerful hardware and modified the

application. Internal testing has verified that the site can successfully serve the equivalent of

300,000 pages per hour, an increase in capacity of over 400%. NS Power has issued a RFP for

an independent third party to verify these results, and expects to have this work completed by the

end of 2014.

Many customers seeking the outage map reach it by first going to the nspower.ca main page

which does not have sufficient network capacity to service large numbers of requests for the

outage map page. NS Power is currently reviewing options for remediating this lack of capacity

and a time-line will be included in the November 17th update.



Item 23:

Enhance the website to let customers report outages, and get individualized outage

restoration status.

Response 23:




Item 24:

Enhance the website to provide the same individualized outage information to customers

logging-in as the automated outage line.

Response 24:




Item 25:

Revise the ETR Strategy in light of the events of this storm, changing customer

expectations, and future communications needs. Expand the strategy to provide ETRs for

all customers affected by an outage or storm.

Response 25:

Some modifications have been adopted to the ETR strategy. Further work will be completed

under the project outlined in Item 19.



Item 26:

Pursue other multi-channel communication options, such as two-way SMS Text messaging

or Broadcasting options, to enable proactive communication of individualized outage status

to customers during a large outage or storm.

Response 26:




Item 27:

Undertake a campaign to educate customers on the new and improved outage

communications options. Properly communicate these options to all key constituents,

especially government officials and other organizations that assist the public during large

storms and outages.

Response 27:

The Company has gathered information on programs in other jurisdictions and is in the process

of developing a campaign to educate customers. Further information will be provided in the

coordinated project referred to in Item 19.



Item 28:

Develop an effective plan to correct cutout failures. The cutout failure issue should be

corrected through NS Power’s normal defective material repair programs, rather than

serving as an added burden to be addressed during storm events.

Response 28:

NS Power began a proactive program to address cutout failures in 2009. Cutout replacements

have already been completed, in a planned manner, targeted to minimize the reliability impact of

a cutout failure. Cutout replacements continue as a regular part of our deteriorated plant

investment plan. As there was not complete alignment on this item with Liberty, NS Power will

seek to further consult with Liberty in terms of the sufficiency of this program.



Item 29:

Develop a comprehensive plan for widening 69 kV line corridors. The highest priority for

widening involves line sections where adjacent land clearing operations have left a thin

strip of trees.

Response 29:

This item will be dealt with as part of the Vegetation Management and Storm Hardening review

process. As an outcome of the process, NS Power expects to develop a comprehensive plan for

widening rights of way for greater storm hardening, and address the issue of clearing or

harvesting trees adjacent to a power line.



Item 30:

Develop a comprehensive plan for reclaiming and/or widening the overgrown ROW

corridors. The IVM program has reduced tree events per length in normal weather, but it

has not addressed overgrown ROWs sufficiently. NS Power should estimate costs, schedule

options and funding options.

Response 30:


process.



Item 31:

Develop a cyclical program for three phase lines being aerially trimmed along the highways

(Asset Protection and Urban Management). Normal industry practice for long term

reduced unit costs and consistent reliability consists of cyclical trimming on a feeder basis.

The three-phase line segments should represent a priority, because they are more

susceptible to tree contact outages.

Response 31:


process, along with continued interaction with The Liberty Consulting Group.



Item 32:

For the worst performing feeder program, use a weighted multi-year performance

evaluation approach rather than an annual performance method.

Response 32:

NS Power Forestry will adopt this procedure in the development of the 2015 Vegetation

Management Plan by completing an analysis of the feeder performance data from the previous

three years and will continue doing so as normal practice for the development of subsequent

annual plans.



Item 33:

Contractors working on Crown and industrial lands follow the Province's guidelines

"Working near Power Lines". However, contractors working on private lands generally

do not follow these guidelines and NSPI needs to address this issue.

Response 33:


process.

NS Power is committed to working with the NS Department of Natural Resources to develop and

participate in the delivery of a program to educate woodlot owners, and forest harvesting

contractors working for small woodlot owners, on “The Forest Professional: Nova Scotia’s

Guidelines for the Stewards of Tomorrow’s Forests,” specifically in respect to the section

“Working near Power Lines.” NS Power will also seek opportunities to either develop a process,

or use existing program processes within the NS Department of Natural Resources, which will

allow NS Power to be notified of known harvesting activity taking place adjacent to power lines.



Item 34:

Why was there damage to transmission in non-urban areas when there should be no

issue of the aesthetic, environmental and economic value of an urban forest canopy close

to these transmission lines? NSPI should investigate and address whether structural

and conductor damage was caused by anything other than tree fall (for example, lack of

maintenance).

Response 34:

Damage to the transmission system in non-urban areas was caused by off right-of-way trees.

Item 29 – “Developing a comprehensive plan for widening the 69kV line corridors. The highest

priority for widening involves line sections where adjacent land clearing operations have left a

thin strip of trees.” was agreed to by NS Power and will address the damage in non-urban areas.

There were five transmission events that were caused by issues other than fallen trees during and

post tropical storm Arthur:

Line Date Time Outage

Duration Outage Cause

L5021 7/5/2014 08:32 4 hrs 29 mins Transformer at Klondike substation had two transformer fuses trip caused by a temporary fault.

L5024 7/5/2014 15:30 1 hr Breaker failure at Tremont substation due to a manufacture defect (breaker installed in 2010).

L6004 7/8/2014 06:11 4 hrs 34 mins Overhead ground wire detached due to mechanical failure of attachment caused by wind gusts.

L8001 Non Outage Event Overhead ground wire detached due to mechanical failure of attachment caused by wind gusts.

L6024 L6021

Non Outage Event

Cross arms identified in transmission inspection program as deteriorated and were scheduled for replacement. The wind gusts further deteriorated these cross arms, but did not lead to an outage. Repairs were completed post restoration activities during planned maintenance.



These events were not caused by lack of maintenance. One event was caused by a temporary

fault, one was caused by a manufacturing defect and three were caused by wind gusts. The

Company will review the results of its investigation with Liberty.



Item 35:

Generally, how are "critical facilities" such as nursing homes, hospitals, fire halls and

community centers, etc., placed on a priority list with respect to power outages? What

occurred specifically with respect to the Melville Heights facility?

Response 35:

Our 4 point restoration plan follows this protocol:

1. Restore power to substations and main transmission lines.

2. Focus on critical services identified by the EMO (emergency measures organization) for

example: hospitals, police and fire halls, water and communications.

3. Crews repair power lines that will restore power to the greatest number of customers in

the least amount of time.

4. Once major repairs have been made, crews restore power to small groups and individuals.

Hospitals and fire halls would fall into #2 above.

Community centres or nursing homes fall into #3 above but as facilities that require electricity

for life support/oxygen/dialysis etc., nursing homes have the option to register in the NS Power

“Critical Customer Communication Program.”

Many nursing homes do this and receive communications and decision-making updates during

outages beyond 4 hour duration. When a nursing home facility requests new service with NS

Power, as part of our documented procedures, the new customer is automatically offered

enrollment into the Critical Customer Communication Program.



Critical Customers without power are taken into consideration in the night-time planning

practices as restoration plans are prioritized during extended outages.

The company continues to work with other critical care providing stakeholders to improve coordination of

efforts in this area.

Melville Gardens, Melville Place and Melville Heights are registered in the NS Power Critical

Customer Program which ensures they receive communication notifications by telephone for

outages beyond 4 hours and advance communication for planned outages affecting them.

Our records indicate that all Melville facilities noted above received an automated call on July 5th

at approximately 8:30 PM (one hour after their power went out during the storm). The automated

message advised of an estimated restoration of power by July 6th at 11:30 PM. Our records show

that their power was restored on July 6th at 5:00 PM.

The Customer Care Manager has contacted the Melville Heights facility and verified their

contact information.



Item 36:

In terms of safety, to address the issue which is alleged to have occurred in New Minas,

where the RCMP and fire department were not successful in contacting NSPI about

allegedly live wires lying on the street. Also, NSPI crews who were in the area would not

undertake this work because they were not assigned to this site.

Response 36:

Safety is NS Power’s number one priority at all times. When RCMP or fire department

personnel see a safety hazard like the one described, they call 911 directly, or via their

dispatcher. Emergency Services (911) have a direct phone line into Nova Scotia Power’s

Distribution Control Centre which is manned 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. During the Arthur

event, additional staff was assigned to answer this phone line. NS Power submits that access to

the Emergency Services (911) direct phone line was not an issue during the Arthur event.

NS Power has initiated a review into the incident Mr. Bartie is referring to on Commercial Street,

New Minas. More information is required, and once obtained, a review of the incident will be

conducted.

The re-tasking of NS Power crews in a large event is coordinated based on priority, and while it

may be frustrating for individual customers to see NS Power crews in the area, but not working

on their individual services, they are proceeding in accordance with the restoration priorities as

outlined in the ESRP Section 5.4.



Item 37:

What is the process for filing claims by customers for "NSPI caused damage"? Are filing

deadlines realistic in such circumstances?

Response 37:

The most frequent way customers start the claims process is by calling NS Power’s Customer

Care Centre from Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM. Customers can also find information

on how to submit claims from our website at nspower.ca. We also accept letters or emails from

customers to open a claim file.

Under normal conditions, the customer must notify NS Power of a possible claim within 10

business days of the damage occurring, and subsequently have up to 90 days to submit any

receipts regarding the claim once we have reviewed the requirements directly with the customer.

Customers are provided instructions and details by a Customer Care Claims Specialist on what

these requirements are. At this time, we would provide the customer with information on our

policy, which is also available on our website. Note that for PTS Arthur, we allowed all claims

to be submitted beyond our standard 10 day period and accepted our last one for review on

August 8, 2014 (32 days from the storm arrival). We did not receive claim requests beyond that

date.

Customers are advised there are times when we experience outages due to adverse weather

conditions or failure beyond our control. If damages are caused by weather-related outages,

wildlife, a motor vehicle accident, or other causes beyond our control, NS Power is not liable.

All claims submitted by customers are reviewed by our claims specialists and managed through

to completion. Once a customer contacts us regarding a potential claim, our claims specialists

contact the customer directly to review their application with them. This is usually done by a

telephone call to the customer.



Item 38:

Why is restoration of NSPI infrastructure given priority over other utilities'

infrastructure, such that other utilities have to wait to restore their infrastructure until

the power is restored?

Response 38:

Nova Scotia Power’s number one priority is safety. The Emergency Services Restoration Plan is

limited to the restoration of electrical service, but EOC and operational staff can be tasked with

aiding other agencies, such as communication companies to assist with priority restoration of

their critical infrastructure, through coordination with the Provincial EMO.

With respect to individual service providers, it is possible that power is a requirement prior to

dispatching a service call. NS Power will continue to work with all service providers to limit

delays in the reconnection of services.



Item 39:

Why, in some cases, property owners are being asked to do or pay for tree trimming on

power lines.

Response 39:

While NS Power maintains the rights of way associated with primary and secondary power lines,

the company does not maintain the service wire from the street to the home which crosses

privately owned land. Trees in such cases are the property of the landowner and are such

considered the responsibility of the landowner to keep away from the service line. In some

cases, NS Power will accept management if it is determined to be an electrical safety issue. In

cases when there is a tree or large branch leaning over the service, posing an imminent threat of

damaging the line and the connection to the house (storm damage), NS Power will remove that

hazard. If the line is being damaged by a tree making constant contact, or chaffing the line, then

NS Power will also manage that issue. For all other cases, the person owning the tree is

responsible to hire a qualified contractor to manage the tree.

For more information, please refer to: https://www.nspower.ca/en/home/for-my-home/tree-

trimming-and-removal/default.aspx.



Item 40:

Clarify the roles of Resolve Specialists and key account managers and document an

improved communication plan to its industrial customers.

Response 40:

1) Clarify roles Resolve Specialists and Key Accounts Manager.

Pre Level 3 & 4 Storm:

Resolve: Pro-active calling to critical care customers, government officials and

community-based EMO. The objective is to inform customers of the pending weather

system and to provide insight into NS Power’s storm readiness.

Key Accounts: Pro-active email communication to all pre-determined key account

customers informing them of weather status and NS Power storm readiness. The Key

Account manager(s) contact information & 24/7 Key Account Line is provided.

During Weather Event:

Resolve role is staffed 24/7 and has primary responsibility to keep

government/community-based EMO/critical care customers informed on outage

restoration times. Resolve acts in supporting role of the Customer Contact Centre and

Key Accounts.

Key Account Managers are available 24/7 to support pre-determined key account

customers. They liaise with the EOC, RMC & Regional Operations to provide field

validated ETRs. Key Accounts act in a supporting role to the Resolve team.



Post Event:

Resolve participates in post-event review.

Key Accounts participates in post-event review. Accounts are reviewed on an annual

basis to ensure NS Power is serving Nova Scotia’s business community to a satisfactory

level.

2) Document improved communications plan to industrial customers. This will be

documented and finalized by the end of Q1, 2015.

Current State:

NS Power ranks weather systems on a scale of 1-4, based on the current ESRP

(Emergency Storm Response Plan). Based on the severity of the weather system, a value

is assigned. This value will determine NS Power’s level of response.

Key Accounts has proactively communicated to customers in advance of major weather

systems. The decision regarding the approach, whether phone or email, whether to all or

targeted customers is a function of the key account manager’s judgment of the severity of

the system and potential key accounts customer impacts.

Proposed State:

NS Power will endeavor to be more systematic in the establishment and communication

to its pre-determined key account customers.

1. Global communication to all key accounts via email in advance of the storm in

alignment with corporate communications protocol (Level 3 and Level 4 storms,

EOC).



For these weather events we are committed to providing advance communication

to key account customers who may be affected. The objective of this message is

to raise awareness of potential outages and to communicate the level of

preparedness by NS Power. The communication includes the current weather

update and Key Account Manager contact information. Additionally, the 24/7

key account outage line number is provided.

2. Proactive phone calls in advance of the storm to key accounts in areas that are

projected to be the most affected by the weather system. This phone call

communicates what we know about the weather system, to ensure contacts are up

to date and appropriate for the period of time anticipated as well as to confirm

communications protocol. This proactive call may prompt action by the customer

to prepare to the extent possible for an outage.

3. As the storm progresses keep customer and internal operational staff informed of

key account outages. This will allow the planning team to appropriately prioritize

the work plan and ensure the customer has updated information.

4. Post-event call to the impacted key accounts customers to understand their storm

experience. Discuss opportunities for improvement and/or close out any

outstanding items.



Item 41:

How NSPI is implementing a coordinated communication strategy with EMO, as well

as public and private meteorological services, to communicate effectively amongst

themselves, and with the public, during and after such storm events.

Response 41:

The Provincial EMO has committed to open its EOC every time that the NS Power EOC is

activated. (Note that NS Power would not open its EMO for storms that do not affect electrical

service, even if the Provincial EMO is open.)

NS Power storm preparation and scenario planning will include consultation from the Provincial

EMO as well as Scotia Weather. NS Power will continue to actively participate in Environment

Canada weather briefings in advance of all weather systems that may affect the province. NS

Power’s external communication strategy will continue to include expected storm effects, timing

and location.

Please refer also to Item 2.



Item 42:

Further assessment of broader application of smart-grid technology would provide cost-

effective benefits for outage monitoring should be considered.

Response 42:

Smart Grid technology continues to be considered by NS Power. The benefits of smart meters

include outage notification and restoration, revenue protection, and load research. In addition,

Smart Grid technology provides the infrastructure that could support a demand side management

system through remote control of end-use electric hot water heaters and air conditioners. NS

Power expects that a review of the value of Smart Grid technology to customers will be

undertaken in 2015. NS Power will, as part of this process, review the value that smart-grid

technology will have for outage management.



Item 43:

Provide details on NSPI’s issue with its telecommunications service provider that reduced

the number of available phone lines to its Customer Care Centre and a strategy to remedy

the issue.

Response 43:

During the power outages throughout the Province, NS Power continued to receive

unprecedented high call volumes. During extremely high call volume intervals, all customers

were able to reach the NS Power Outage line for information but if they had decided to hold or

transfer to a live customer care representative after their automated service experience, many

were not able to go on hold and experienced a “polite disconnect” advising them to call back at a

later time. This issue was intermittent and volume-dependent.

In an attempt to improve the experience to allow more customers into the Customer Care Centre

to speak with a live customer service agent, several changes were made on Sunday, July 6th and

Tuesday, July 8th. We determined that the changes did not increase the inbound capacity but

may have limited it further, resulting in an increased number of customers who were told to “call

back later”.

NS Power’s telecom service provider conducted maintenance on July 9th at 1:00 AM which

corrected the situation. Capacity was monitored and the situation was resolved.

Preventive Measures For Future:

Monthly verification of trunk usage through reporting will be sent to NS Power and reviewed

with the service provider’s Account Lead during monthly service review meetings. NS Power

will also monitor line capacity and health daily during large storm events.

Documents

Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board Arthur Progress... · Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board IN THE MATTER OF The Public Utilities Act, R.S.N.S. 1989, c.380, as amended Post-Tropical