The transmission system has had SCADA for more than 50 years. In distribution it is almost impossible in most of the world to find an extensive SCADA implementation. The UK is the shining exception to this rule. New SCADA implementation in the distribution network do not have to follow the transmission model with dedicated communications and expensive single use instrumentation. The deployment of smart meters offers the chance to start a SCADA implementation for much less than doing it the conventional way.
Utilizing AMR and other grid agent data points enables improved awareness of the distribution grid health and operational management (O&M). Data from meters and agents provides a near-time view of the distribution grid, with the enablement of two-way communication. Distribution SCADA is a key building block of the distributed manage and control systems. Working together, the SEA partners can help utilities provide faster response to network outages, reduced O&M costs, increased network reliability and reduced regulatory penalties.
