ATLANTA, May 11, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- Hurricanes, ice storms and even communication failures among utilities can produce long-term outages that lead previously passive regulators to insist utilities install outage management systems. Utilities can use outage management systems, automated meter reading (AMR) systems or a combination of the two to improve outage detection/restoration, but which of those investment options will provide the best return for your utility?
Find out how four leading utilities have answered this question at Chartwell's Audio Conference on Outage Management on Wed., May 25, 2005 at 2 p.m. The audio conference will include speakers from leading utilities using different systems to track and restore outages:
-- Puget Sound Energy: John McClaine, Manager - Metering Network Services, Puget Sound Energy - Mr. McClaine will discuss how Puget Sound Energy uses its wireless AMR system in lieu of an outage management system. -- PPL Electric Utilities: Michael Godorov, Special Project Manager - Mr. Godorov will describe PPL's latest innovations in the combined use of AMR and legacy outage management systems. -- Georgia Power: Hamilton Hardin, Manager - Metro Trouble Services & Aaron Strickland, Storm Center Manager - Mr. Hamilton and Mr. Strickland will explain how Southern Co. subsidiary Georgia Power leveraged its outage management system to respond to Hurricane Ivan last summer in September 2004. -- Omaha Public Power District: Juli Comstock, Manager - Customer Operations Technology - Ms. Comstock will discuss how a new outage management system helps OPPD identify outages quicker and the impact such initiatives have on customer expectations.
Among the questions to be discussed:
-- How are utilities improving their ability to respond to and manage outages? -- Are both Outage Management and Automated Metering Reading systems required to detect outages before customers call or more quickly restore "nested" outages? If so, can these systems work together? -- Do utilities have to wait until a big storm hits to gain regulatory approval of expenditures for outage management or other systems that can help improve reliability and outage communication? -- How can these systems help improve CAIDI and SAIDI scores and customer satisfaction? -- How can outage management enhancements help improve relations with regulators?
Register today for Chartwell's Audio Conference on Outage Management. Call (404) 237-9099 or visit www.chartwellinc.com.
COST: $95 for Chartwell Premier Members $195 for non-members