FEATURES & BENEFITS OF AMIThe Big Picture…

Asset management

Outage Management

Member satisfaction

Operational improvements

Safety

Business opportunities

FEATURES & BENEFITS OF AMI Asset Management

Facilitates Improvements In Planning Process

Assists With Load Balancing And Phasing

Improved Maintenance Scheduling

Outage Management

Superior Information

Shorter Response Times

Heightened Safety

Employee & Public

Real-time Information

Improved Communications & Media

FEATURES & BENEFITS OF AMI Member Satisfaction

Choice Of Billing Date

Reduced Billing Errors

Timely Meter Readings

On-line Response To Member Questions

Consistent Billing Periods

Operational Improvement

Improve Line-loss Accuracy

Improve Budgeting Process

Faster Identification Of Outages (Tied Into OMS System)

Timely Meter Readings

Targeted Deployment Of Resources

Verification Of Service Restoration

Operational Improvement

Improve Line-loss Accuracy

Improve Budgeting Process

Faster Identification Of Outages

Timely Meter Readings

Targeted Deployment Of Resources

Verification Of Service Restoration

Improve Safety/Liability Concerns

Reduce Safety / Liability Issues For The Co-op:

“Bad Dogs”

Member Dissatisfaction Due To Disconnects

Member Privacy Concerns

Access Issues

FEATURES & BENEFITS OF AMI

Business Opportunities

Ability To Add Web-enabled Services

New Rate Structures:

Time Of Use

Curtailment

Load Control

Prepayment

FEATURES & BENEFITS OF AMI

OUTAGE MANAGEMENT……THEN & NOW

THE DAY’S OVER AND WE’RE JUST SETTLING IN…

You’re such an idiot!

Who should we call?

Uhh oh,power’s out!

THEN IT HAPPENS…

Hmmm, Ghostbuster

s?

IN THE BEGINNING…

Lane Electric had 4 incoming phone lines…

and 10,000 members!

IN THE BEGINNING…

4 members were okay cause they got through…

9,996 however, got busy signals, for hours and sometimes days! Frustrated? You bet they were!

LEC’S ORIGINAL PROCESS…

• Lights went out, members began calling…

• Dispatch called Serviceman and Manager on Call (MOC).

• Serviceman located and evaluated problem and called MOC to begin

getting crews assembled and dispatched.

• In the meantime, staff and crews reported to office to gather

information and head to field. The game was on…

• Eventually, each member got a phone call to verify that power had

been restored – no matter what time it was!

TRACKING CREW LOCATIONS…

• Hard keeping track of crews

• LEC did that with a map on the wall and yellow post-it notes. Each note had crew names and vehicle numbers. We moved them as crews reported in on the radios.

• If crews left area before all outages were restored, had to go back – Lots of time…

OUR LOW-TECH SYSTEM GAVE US…

• Slow data recon

• Extended outage times

• Worn out crews and staff

• Safety concerns from fatigue

• Lots of overtime

• Bad press & PR

• Unhappy members

• Lots of “How do we fix this” discussions

FRUSTRATION!!!

WE HAD TO DO SOMETHING…

BUT WHAT?

TO AMI OF COURSE…

A SHIFT FROMWHAT WE’D ALWAYS DONE…

IN 2005…• Lane Electric fully deployed an AMI system

• Cannon Power Line Carrier (PLC)

• Integrated with NISC iVUE software system

• Out of the box, got a 98% – 99% read-rate

• Tied OMS to CIS system seamlessly

• Developed a predictive, one-call outage

mapping application

• Live online outage updates posted on

LEC web site

• Began using the Cooperative Response

Center (CRC) for after-hours dispatch

• No more post-it notes

• Dual signal AVL system installed in trucks

(cell phone & satellite technology)

• 4 - 50” flat panels to monitor interactive

outage activity

• Real-time outage numbers by zip code

• Color coded for easy identification

TODAY, IT’S A DIFFERENT STORY…

TODAY, IT’S A DIFFERENT STORY…

• Better, quicker information

• Crews on site faster

• Repairs begin sooner

• Shorter outage times

• Less fatigue, safer employees

• No late night calls – can ping

meters before crews leave areas

• Know where crews are located

TODAY, IT’S A DIFFERENT STORY… • Members can access from laptop, smart phones,

work pc’s, friends and family out of state, etc…

• Real-time information

• Great media relations

(media progress updates without talking

with them – information from web site)

• Frequent updates

• Better overall member

communications (CRC updates

messages from web site to keep members

informed better, faster)

TODAY, IT’S A DIFFERENT STORY…

• Showin’em versus tellin’em – pictures are worth a thousand words…

Here’s what we’re dealing with…

SO…

SmartHub provides alerts, outage information, and updates for smart-devices for members who are on the move…

WHY ALL THE HUBBUB…?

• Happier members• Better stewardship of member’s money• Improved PR• Effective processes• Improved safety

During the day, the decision as to whether or not CRC is engaged to manage an outage situation will fall on a Manager.

After hours, CRC will dispatch remotely based on a specific protocol.

WHEN AN OUTAGE HITS:

Once CRC has been engaged, a number of things happen:

Matt and the board are notified of the outage(s)

The local media, local answering service and CRC are contacted to let them know that our website will be updated on a regular basis and that they are to refer to our website, www.laneelectric.com, for regular updates.

The website will be updated on a regular basis for the benefit of our members, the media and any others who are working the outage; CSR’s, Engineering, etc.

THE PROCESS:

Using www.laneelectric.com as an outage communications tool

Benefits:

• One common message “everyone on same page”

• Regularly updated with new information

• Reduces the need to be in Operations/Dispatch

• Allows members and interested parties to find out the status of an event via cell phone, laptop pc’s, neighbors/friends pc’s that have power, at office or work, etc.

• Provides updates for CRC to develop customer responses

BENEFITS & EFFICIENCIES:

Logging on to www.laneelectric.com

• Log on to Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox

• If you do not have LEC’s website set as your home page or if you do not have it as saved as a “favorite”, type in www.laneelectric.com and then hit ENTER. LEC’s website should appear.

• Once the site is opened, go the navigation bar and click on Outage Info.

GETTING READY:

OUTAGE NOTIFICATION:

OUTAGE UPDATES:

OUTAGE INFORMATION:

WHAT’S OUT?

RESTORAL PROCESS:

1) Transmission Lines & Substations

2) Major Distribution Lines to Essential Services

3) Large Taps For Greatest Number of Members

4) Individual Homes & Services

5) Will Pick Up Damaged Services Once Repaired

Currently Using Near Future Future

LOOKING AHEAD…

QUESTIONS?