Case Study: Clearwater Power Company saves restoration time with SEL recloser controls and remote communications

Rural Idaho Electric Cooperative Saves Restoration Time With SEL Recloser Controls and Remote Communications

Clearwater Power Company, an electric cooperative serving more than 7,750 members across rural Idaho, Washington, and Oregon, needed a better way to manage aging equipment, difficult terrain, and a small field staff. Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL) provided recloser protection and communications solutions, including the SEL-351R Recloser Control and SEL-651R Advanced Recloser Control, to help the cooperative improve reliability and simplify operations.

With SEL recloser controls, remote communications, and ACSELERATOR QuickSet software, CPC gained accurate fault location, easier settings customization, and remote monitoring and switching from its control center. The results included major time savings in outage restoration, with one incident saving about six hours of outage time and typical repairs improving by an estimated 25 to 50 percent, while also helping CPC identify harmonic problems and better manage its system with a limited budget.

Clearwater Power Company

Doug Pfaff

CPC Manager of Engineering