Case Study: Empire District Electric Company achieves tornado-resilient substation recovery with Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL) relays

SEL Protective Relay Withstands EF5 Tornado

Empire District Electric Company, an investor-owned utility in Joplin, Missouri, faced a devastating challenge when the EF5 tornado that hit Joplin in 2011 completely destroyed one of its substations and damaged much of its power system. Among the wreckage, the company found that an SEL-501 Dual Overcurrent Relay from Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL) had survived and was still intact, highlighting the need for rugged, utility-grade protection equipment.

Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL) supported Empire’s restoration by expediting replacement relays, providing technical assistance, and offering equipment and services at a discount while the new substation was rebuilt. The original SEL relay was later tested and found to still be working, and Empire restored power to about 12,000 customers within ten days of the tornado, showing the durability of SEL’s products and the value of SEL’s partnership during recovery.

Empire District Electric Company

David Boren

Substation Operations Manager