Smart Technology Aids in Restorations at NYSEG and RG&E
NYSEG and RG&E highlight three examples of smart technology limiting outage lengths
SCADA technology reduces outage times, increases reliability
BINGHAMTON, N.Y. — April 21, 2025 — New York State Electric & Gas (NYSEG) and Rochester Gas and Electric (RG&E) are highlighting examples of smart technology aiding in the restoration of power for customers.
In March 2025, a tree outside of the RG&E right-of-way fell onto a transmission line and pole near Shoecraft Road in Penfield. This event interrupted power to multiple substations in RG&E’s service area, impacting approximately 5,000 RG&E customers. Using system automation, the substation was able to flip to an alternative feed, restoring power to more than 1,000 customers in under one minute. The remainder of the customers had their power restored within a half hour by remote operation performed in NYSEG and RG&E’s Energy Control Center (ECC). This all happened while crews were en route to the location to determine the outage cause and make any needed repairs.
“Without smart technology, restoration would have taken much longer,” said Christopher Lafey, senior manager of NYSEG and RG&E’s Energy Control Center. “NYSEG and RG&E are committed to utilizing modern technology to improve energy reliability for all of our customers.”
NYSEG and RG&E utilize Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) technology to monitor and control processes. The SCADA system collects data from various sources across the Companies’ grid and transmits it to the ECC. Operators at the ECC use the data to monitor performance, make adjustments, and respond to events by remotely controlling components like circuit breakers, transformers, and generators.
Smart technology has been used in other examples across NYSEG and RG&E. One example from NYSEG occurred in March in Ithaca, where equipment damaged during a storm failed and interrupted power to more than 5,000 customers. Using smart devices, operators identified the fault location and were able to restore power to more than 1,800 customers in 17 minutes. The remaining customers had their power restored within an hour after crews responded and repaired damaged equipment.
Another example in Rochester saw more than 2,600 customers lose power after an underground cable failed. Automatic relaying in the station sensed the loss of energy and automatically restored power to all affected customers in less than a minute. Again, customers did not have to remain without power while company crews found and made repairs to the system, which can be time intensive due to the underground location.
SCADA technology is also critical in analysis, planning, and troubleshooting, ensuring NYSEG and RG&E’s grid is reliable and operational. The systems can help prevent accidents in the workplace and for the public. It also monitors equipment health, identifies issues before they escalate, and allows operators to proactively schedule maintenance.
NYSEG and RG&E invest hundreds of thousands of dollars a year into remote switching capability and automated controls to increase reliability of their grid. In 2024, NYSEG installed 544 new devices to increase this automation, while 29 were added in RG&E territory.