Case Study: Lightstone Generation achieves secure remote plant starts and reliable power operations with Cradlepoint NetCloud Service for IoT

Cradlepoint Solutions Enable Secure Remote Start with 4G LTE, Cloud Management & PerimeterSecured Overlay Networks

Lightstone, a private equity owner and operator of four Midwest power plants totaling about 5,200 MW, needed a secure, reliable way for on-call operators to remotely start and stop generation units from work-issued tablets and smartphones. To meet strict timing and NERC security requirements and to provide LTE failover/primary connectivity at dispersed sites, Lightstone turned to Cradlepoint and its NetCloud Service for IoT.

Cradlepoint deployed IoT gateways with embedded LTE (NCP Gateways), NetCloud Perimeter (SD-Perimeter) security, and NetCloud Manager for cloud monitoring and management. The solution lets operators securely access a JUMP PC and remote-start control screens in roughly two minutes, has never missed a remote start since deployment, provides LTE failover/primary links, reduced IT man-hours and truck rolls, and proved easy to set up and maintain. Cradlepoint’s implementation delivered secure, timely remote plant startups and measurable operational and reliability gains.