Innovating for Reliability: Advanced Meter Infrastructure

CECONY’s and O&R’s Advanced Meter Infrastructure (AMI) project consists of approximately 5.2 million smart meters, composed of roughly 4 million electric smart meters and 1.2 million gas devices throughout our service territories. These smart meters have already resulted in significant environmental, operational, and customer benefits.

Smart meters put unprecedented control into the hands of our customers. With CECONY and O&R’s updated website and digital customer experience, consumers can see their energy usage in near real-time to make smarter, more informed decisions about managing their energy usage, controlling costs, and helping the environment.

Deployment of the communications network and smart meters began in 2017. O&R completed its installations in 2020, and CECONY substantially completed smart meter installations in 2023. CECONY expects to complete its installation plan in 2024. More than 20,000 communication network devices have been installed throughout our service area.

To date, 5.28 Million Smart Meters have been installed

CECONY, O&R, and their vendor developed a first-of-its-kind, battery-powered natural gas detector, integrated with the smart meter AMI communications network. Natural gas detectors are a safety device that monitor the atmosphere where utility gas pipes enter our customers’ homes and buildings. They are designed to transmit an alert when localized natural gas levels indicate a potentially dangerous leak. The alert notifies gas emergency response resources and the local fire department to respond quickly.

Data from smart meters identify electric outages and restorations allowing us to avoid sending a crew to a location where power has already been restored. These avoided “truck rolls” reduce both costs and CO2 emissions. Through the end of 2023, smart meters helped us to avoid over 69,000 unnecessary truck rolls. The AMI system can also quickly notify operators of outages while enhancing the restoration communications that customers receive. In 2023, new technology was introduced that allows operators to monitor customer power quality information in real time.

AMI also lets the Company operate the system at an optimized voltage. The Company implemented voltage optimization across the CECONY service territory in 2022. Analysis shows that information from the AMI system can reduce energy usage by approximately 1.5% on average decreasing associated fuel use for committed generation resources and reducing 1.9% of total CO2 emissions. The Company is working to increase these benefits with a goal of 1.75% energy savings average across the service territory by the end of 2025.

CECONY will invest $2.5 Billion in 2024

Investing for Reliability

In 2023, CECONY invested $2.2 billion in our electric transmission and distribution systems in New York City and Westchester County to improve their safety, reliability, and resiliency. We invested in new customer connections and increased system capacity, including projects that facilitate the clean energy transition, replaced defective or obsolete equipment, and reduce the risk of outages due to extreme weather events and high summer demand. Examples of resiliency investments include replacing overhead lines with insulated lines that can withstand impacts of extreme weather. To prepare for summer 2023, CECONY upgraded and reinforced distribution transformers, underground feeder sections, and spans of overhead cable.

CECONY will invest roughly $2.5 billion in 2024 on improvements in system safety, reliability, and resiliency, while continuing to invest in infrastructure upgrades needed to support clean energy goals. In preparation for summer 2024, CECONY will install cable and equipment to meet summer peak customer demand.

In 2023, O&R invested $300 million

In 2023, O&R invested approximately $300 million in clean, climate resilient, and system reliability and enhancement projects including the projects below.

• Started construction of Lovett substation that will consist of a 345 kV gas insulated substation containing a four-breaker ring bus along with a new 400-MVA 345/138 kV autotransformer.
• Commenced civil construction work for the new Blooming Grove substation to replace the existing 25 MVA single-bank station with a new two-bank station which will help increase system reliability.
• Strategically replaced 6 miles of storm-prone double circuit overhead lines with underground lines including establishing two new underground mainline facilities.
• Replacing close to 6 miles of higher-strength reinforced spacer cable to the existing overhead system to enhance the overhead system.
• Installed and commissioned 268 Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) operated overhead switch devices, bringing the total number of devices to approximately 1,700. These remotely controlled switches help quickly reduce the number of customers impacted by a typical outage on the overhead system.

Electric Transmission Reliability

The bulk of our underground transmission system consists of 660 miles of 69-, 138-, and 345- kilovolt feeders encased in steel pipe inundated with high-pressure dielectric fluid (a non-toxic synthetic compound similar to mineral oil). This state-of-the-art technology at the time of installation allows for very large deliveries of electricity in congested urban environments. The conductors inside our steel pipes are wrapped in paper insulation, filled, and pressurized with the dielectric fluid at a nominal pressure of 200 pounds per square inch. In some feeders the dielectric fluid is circulated and cooled to provide enhanced current-carrying capability. Approximately nine million gallons of dielectric fluid are contained within the feeder pipes and the associated pressurization and cooling plants.

In 2023, CECONY refurbished a total of 4,770 trench feet of our underground dielectric fluid-filled electric transmission cables, and in 2024 we are planning to invest $29 million to address over 3,500 trench feet of leak-prone cables.

In 2023, CECONY refurbished a total of 4,770 trench feet. In 2024, we plan to address over 3,500 trench feet.

Our leak-detection methods are some of the most sophisticated in the world.

• We use real-time monitoring of some of the largest volume feeders to constantly check their integrity.
• We infuse our dielectric fluid with a special tracer to help us rapidly locate and uncover leaks.
• If significant leaks occur, we selectively remove feeders from service, placing them on reduced pressure to slow the leak rate.

To repair leaks, we excavate to uncover the feeder pipes and apply a mechanical clamp to stop the flow. Permanent repairs are complete when a concentric steel barrel is welded over the clamp and the pipe. The pipe is then re-coated before the excavation is restored.

We expect to continue to make significant progress in research and development to reduce the potential for future dielectric fluid spills. We are also continuing to seek approval to replace existing dielectric fluid-filled feeders with solid dielectric cable.

Reliability Performance

CECONY is a recognized leader in electric reliability performance. While consistently earning industry awards, our overall reliability in 2023 was 99.997%, exceeding both national and New York standards. CECONY’s network is nine times more reliable than the national average.

*National and New York State numbers from 2022 

CECONY’s electric system boasts the largest underground network in the U.S., as well as an overhead network. Two common metrics used to measure reliability of distribution services are System Average Interruption Frequency Index (SAIFI) and Customer Average Interruption Duration Index (CAIDI).

• SAIFI, compiled annually, represents the number of service interruptions divided by the number of customers served.
• CAIDI, also compiled annually, represents the average time to restore service to interrupted customers. The CAIDI figure results from the total customer minutes of interruption divided by the total number of customers affected.

For both figures, a low number indicates a better performance.

2023 NUMBERS FOR CECONY (electric)
Per 1,000 Customers Served

SAIFI: 110
CAIDI: 135 minutes

2023 NUMBERS FOR O&R (electric)
Per 1,000 Customers Served

SAIFI: 1004
CAIDI: 103.8 minutes

Gas Infrastructure Reliability

In 2023, CECONY removed 80 miles of cast iron and unprotected steel gas mains from its inventory. In the last five years, CECONY has replaced 451 miles of such mains. In addition to upgrades to the distribution system, CECONY continues to replace and upgrade the transmission system to maintain system reliability and comply with 2019 federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration requirements.

In 2023, O&R replaced over 22 miles of leak-prone pipes. This replacement level met O&R’s commitment to the New York State Public Service Commission. O&R continues to target its goal of retiring at least 66 miles over the 2022 through 2024 period.

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