Technical Service Center, Infrastructure Services
Hydropower Technical Services Group
The Power Plant Automation Team
Team Leader : Steve Stitt
The team's primary responsibility is research and development in the area of SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) systems. These systems will provide computer-based control and monitoring of power plants, diversion facilities, river systems, and water quality. The Team focuses on both the hardware and software aspects of these control and monitoring systems as follows:
Research and development responsibilities of this team are currently focused on modular SCADA. The 
modular SCADA system will provide a set of common-use tools to replace existing supervisory control systems. The team has been working with the Lower Colorado Dams Facilities Office located at Hoover Powerplant and the Mid-Pacific Regional Office located in Sacramento, California to develop a set of modular SCADA products that will execute on a variety of hardware platforms. Wide utilization of the Reclamation Alternative Modular Supervisory Control System (RAMS) products makes it possible to take advantage of resource optimization research which has already been completed by the team.
The team has software expertise in distributed real-time databases, communications, optimal controls, and data acquisition methods. The team has the capability to provide RTU (remote terminal unit) software and hardware support. The modular SCADA development is supported by personnel from this team and several other project offices.
This team develops SCADA products that support effective, reliable, and efficient operation of Reclamation power plants. The group has expertise in optimization techniques and their application to power plant controls. Economic dispatch and unit commitment methods are developed to meet Reclamation's water and power resource management needs. Emphasis is placed on efficiency enhancement, plant optimization, river basin optimization, water scheduling, and ultimately water and power resource integration and coordination. Coordination with Reclamation's watershed models and maintenance management systems (REMMS) is also performed.
This team maintains an understanding of existing SCADA installations and provides assistance to field personnel on an as-needed basis. Assistance in the area of plant generation control, voltage control, unit generation controls, unit synchronizing, and software development are some of the services provided.
This team also maintains expertise in power system generation controls and coordinates Reclamation power plant controls with requirements from the power marketing agencies. Expertise in bus voltage control is also maintained in the team. The team teaches automatic generation control functions at the Western Area Power Administration's training center.
This team participates in the Reclamation SCADA User's Group and the Western Systems Coordinating Council Energy Management Systems Work Group. The team also participates in several hydropower-related technical conferences and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.