20,000 Mile Survey

The 2007 20,000 Mile Electrical Distribution Reliability Survey

Participants:

Seven Investor-Owned Utilities – 11,353 miles
Five Rural Electric Cooperatives – 7,947 miles
Seven Municipal Utilities – 3,406 miles

Territory Surveyed:

15 States
41% Urban
24% Suburban
35% Rural
One overseas utility (50 Hz)

Next Steps:

Exacter, Inc. is preparing for a 2008 100,000-Mile U.S. Survey with 50 utilities throughout the U.S.
Exacter will continue working with utilities to develop specific device failure signatures for targeted preventive maintenance.

The EXACTER 20,000-Mile Survey is the Largest
Reliability Measurement of the U.S. Electrical
Distribution System Ever Conducted

From January of 2007 through December of 2007, Exacter, Inc. conducted reliability surveys of electrical distribution systems for 19 U.S. utilities in 15 states. The surveys identified and located failing equipment across more than 20,000 miles of distribution overhead.

This is the single, largest measurement of U.S. electrical distribution systems ever conducted, covering more miles, identifying more problem locations, and delivering more field data on failing equipment than any other survey of its kind.
Below is a brief summary of the findings. To receive the full report, or to arrange for a Web or onsite presentation and discussion of the findings, click on the link below.

Observations:

The amount of failing equipment exceeds the 2003 Dept. of Energy estimate by almost 2-to-1.
There are few, if any, reliability measurements being offered to utilities.
There are few, if any, reliability results-based solutions or technology being offered to utilities.
Efforts to improve reliability are largely reactive in nature.
There is a strong focus on Asset Management, not Asset Health Management.
The way to measure problems can be improved.
There is no clear problem ownership regarding reliability. Different departments take on aspects of the problem.

To Receive the Complete Report of the 20,000-Mile Reliability Survey, Click Here

What Has Happened Since the Survey Was Completed?

Over 150 communities in Ohio have banded together to use EXACTER as a means of continuous reliability improvment.

More than 40 utilities around the country are now using EXACTER to improve reliability.

One investor-owned utility has used EXACTER data as part of their rate case with the PUC to demonstrate improved SAIFI numbers.

IEEE is exploring a 2008 national 100,000-mile reliability survey using EXACTER.