McPherson BPU Awarded with “Certificate of Excellence in Reliability”

The American Public Power Association (APPA) has awarded the McPherson Board of Public Utilities (BPU) with a “Certificate of Excellence in Reliability” for reliable performance in 2022.  There were 219 public utilities honored, the McPherson BPU was one of four in Kansas.

Utilities that are subscribers to APPA’s eReliability Tracker service are eligible to earn these certificates.  To earn a certificate, a utility’s 2022 System Average Interruption Duration Index (SAIDI) must fall in the top quartile of all utilities’ SAIDI numbers averaged from the past five years based on Energy Information Administration 861 Survey Data.

The certificates celebrate utilities that have provided exceptionally reliable service and power to their communities.

Reliability has always been at the forefront of the McPherson BPU’s concerns, and justifiably so. Any interruption of power is disruptive and costly for the customer.

For bench-marking and accountability purposes, reliability metrics are tracked through the use of  American Public Power Association’s eReliability Tracker software.

Their report pulls data from outage information reported by utilities who choose to participate. The report focuses on distribution system reliability across the country and is customized to each utility.  While there are several metrics used to measure how reliable a utility’s system is; three are of particular interest when evaluating any utilities reliability success;

Those metrics are:

System Average Interruption Duration Index (SAIDI)- the average number of minutes a customer is interrupted in a year.

System Average Interruption Frequency Index (SAIFI)– the average number of interruptions that a customer would experience in a year.

Customer Average Interruption Duration Index (CAIDI)– CAIDI indicates the average outage duration that a customer would experience.

The three metrics are all connected. For example, reducing the frequency of outages improves SAIFI. To improve SAIFI, more preventative maintenance such as tree trimming and keeping maintenance equipment in pristine operating conditions should all be done. If SAIFI is improved, it also improves SAIDI. If frequency and duration (SAIFI and SAIDI) are improved, then CAIDI improves, as well. If CAIDI is improved, there are fewer outages, and when they do occur, they are for a shorter time.

In 2022, 285 public power utilities across the USA used eRebiability Tracker, and of those 116 were in BPU’s Midwest region.

Here is how McPherson BPU’s system performed in 2022.

 System Average Interruption Duration Index (SAIDI)- This is the average number of minutes a customer is interrupted in a year.

In 2022, the average number of minutes BPU customers were interrupted was 8.21 minutes, compared to 98.67 minutes within our region* and, the *U.S average SAIDI of 115.7 minutes.

System Average Interruption Frequency Index (SAIFI)– the average number of interruptions that a customer would experience in year.

In 2022, the average number of interruptions a BPU customer experienced was .09; compared to the .51  times for customers of utilities within our region* and .77 interruptions per customers of utilities in the U.S.

Customer Average Interruption Duration Index (CAIDI)– CAIDI indicates the average outage duration that a customer would experience.

In 2022, the average outage duration that a BPU customer would experience was 90.24 minutes; compared to the 97.24 minute average for customers of utilities within our region* and the 126.53 minute average for customers of all U.S. Utilities*.

Below you will find the specific breakdown of causes for 2022 outages.

Despite the fact that over 60% and likely more of those outages are outside of BPU’s control, we have measures in place to re-feed customers and get their power restored quickly.

The reliability numbers reports like this provide has helped BPU leadership justify investment decisions within our utility. Proper use of this information ensures that we are only performing our intended function, but also providing service consistently and effectively.

The BPU is proud of our electrical reliability numbers and the peace of mind they can provide our customers.  To read APPA’s full Annual Bench-marking Report for BPU, click HERE.