Abstract

The Arizona Cooperative Grid Modernization Project upgrades electric infrastructure for three electric cooperatives in Arizona. Southwest Transmission Cooperative (SWTC) is the primary recipient of the project. The project also includes two distribution system cooperatives, Mohave Electric Cooperative (MEC) and Sulphur Springs Valley Electric Cooperative (SSVEC), which receive transmission service from SWTC. SWTC is upgrading the communications infrastructure of their transmission network by installing optical ground wire cables between several substations. The project also installs micro-processor-based protective relays and equipment monitors. MEC is replacing thousands of existing meters in its service territory with smart meters and is expanding the communications network and power line carrier-based meter communications system. SSVEC is implementing advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) and distribution automation. SSVEC is expanding its existing fiber optic communication infrastructure and upgrading its monitoring software as well.