Case Study: EPCOR Utilities achieves 15% improvement in system reliability with Bentley's AssetWise

EPCOR Establishes Risk-based Asset Management Program for Electric Distribution Network

Epcor Utilities, the Edmonton‑based utility serving over 400,000 customers, faced an aging electric distribution network with more assets nearing end‑of‑life, capital constraints under a new performance‑based rate structure, and reliability metrics that were close to regulatory limits. To move beyond an age‑based replacement strategy and prioritize interventions more cost‑effectively, Epcor engaged Bentley’s AssetWise solution to quantify asset health and support a risk‑based asset management program.

Using Bentley AssetWise, Epcor integrated 10+ years of data with SCADA, GIS, work‑order history and a digital twin to develop an asset health index, failure probability curves, and an annualized asset risk cost (CAD$95M). Bentley’s solution enabled prioritized lifecycle planning for over 74,000 assets (77% of the target population) and improved decision‑making; results included a 15% improvement in system reliability, a 43% reduction in defective‑equipment outages, and a SAIDI of 0.833 hours—well below the 1.15‑hour regulatory threshold.

Epcor Utilities

Stephen Seewald

Manager, Asset Performance and Risk Management