New System Operations Center Leverages Latest Video Technology

Todd Smith isn’t a huge TV watcher, but he does like to catch University of Tennessee Vols football games and the occasional crime drama on his 65-inch screen at home.

When he gets to work, however, screen time looms large.

At the Tennessee Valley Authority’s existing operations helm, Smith, a manager of transmission operations, sits in front of one of the biggest, brightest screens you’ll find outside a sports book in Las Vegas.

And over the next year, his team is moving into TVA’s new System Operations Center in Meigs County, Tennessee – where the screens will be even bigger.

TVA is putting the finishing touches on a state-of-the-art facility about 30 miles north of Chattanooga, where central grid operators like Smith will have the best possible tools to coordinate the flow of electricity for 10 million people across seven states.

The new complex far exceeds industry standards, with advanced features to protect the grid and help TVA avoid disruption – or rebound quickly – amid severe weather events or cybersecurity threats.

For Smith’s crew, the most visible aspect will be the enormous new video wall that offers a bird’s-eye view of the entire electrical grid.

“It’s going to be a game-changer,” Smith said.

The old map board displays TVA’s transmission system in red lines and colored lights.

The Old Map Board

The new video wall is replacing something that was equally gee-whiz when it was new more than 20 years ago: the map board.

Still in use in TVA’s current System Operations Center, the map board looks like a giant Lite Brite game, with a maze of red lines and colored lights twinkling across a tall, curving wall.

On closer inspection, the lines and lights map out TVA’s electrical grid – the transmission lines and substations and other equipment that delivers power from generating sites to 153 local power companies and more than 60 large industrial customers.

The entire board is made up of 1-by-1-inch gray plastic tiles, wired from the back side, that fit into a frame. Any time TVA updates its transmission system, the map board must be adjusted manually.

“There’s a special tool that pops the tiles out and you play Tetris to get it to fit,” general manager of transmission operations Josh Shultz said.

Maintaining the one-of-a-kind map board has gotten harder over the decades, as new parts have ceased to be manufactured.

“It was a custom Ford,” Shultz said.

Manager of transmission operations Todd Smith and his team are moving to TVA’s new System Operations Center.

The New Video Wall

Just like the map board it’s replacing, the giant video wall at the new Meigs County facility will display TVA’s whole transmission system.

The video wall's important new features will ensure Smith’s team can:

• Overlay weather information to determine precisely when and where a storm might affect transmission infrastructure. This allows crews to get a jump on restoring power in the event of disruptions.
• View all four quadrants of TVA’s transmission system – northeast, northwest, southeast and southwest – on an uninterrupted screen.
• Easily monitor the voltage on all transmission lines. This becomes more important as new technologies with less forgiving tolerances for voltage variations are deployed in industries and homes.
• Display large schematics that help operators open and close breakers when infrastructure maintenance or repairs are needed. Currently, operators unfurl an accordion of paper up to 30 feet long.

Jason Graham, right, a real-time process systems specialist, discusses the video wall rollout with Andrew Tudor, manager of operations infrastructure and tools.

A Gratifying Challenge

The wall for transmission operators – more than 123 feet long and 13 1/2 feet tall – is the largest display at the new facility. The center also features other large video walls and displays that support TVA operations, from dispatching power to ensuring grid reliability, even beyond TVA’s boundaries.

The video walls, which would run 455 feet if placed end to end, also support operator training and TVA Police functions.

Behind the scenes, real-time process systems specialist Jason Graham has been living and breathing the video wall rollout.

It’s been a lot of work, Graham said, but as a technology professional, it’s gratifying to create a secure system that meets operators’ needs.

“I'm interacting with the operators and helping make sure their tools are there when they need them to be able to control the grid,” Graham said.

Security is paramount.

External video feeds such as weather and news channels are wired completely separate from TVA’s internal information systems.

“We specifically designed the system to make sure that it is totally secure,” Graham said.

Darion Stocke, left, a real-time process systems specialist, and Robby Bloome, former manager of operations infrastructure and tools, view the new operations center from an overlooking gallery.

Restoring Power ASAP

The video wall gives Smith’s team greater flexibility and situational awareness.

As operators responsible for each of the four transmission quadrants arrive for their eight- or 12-hour shifts, they can make adjustments at their workstations – the same way you might customize how windows are displayed on your home or work computer.

Most importantly, the new system lets operators visualize the big picture.

“Whatever’s happening, they can see it in one instant,” Shultz said. “From an operator point of view, they'll be able to react quicker during an outage and restore power quicker to the customer.”

Smith agrees.

“If there's a tornado coming through, we can't do anything to stop the weather,” he said. “But our ultimate goal is getting everybody's power back on as quick as we can.”

Photo Gallery

The new command center for TVA Police is based in the Georgetown, Tennessee, facility.

Colby Ralston, right, desktop system specialist, with Graham and Tudor, readies operator stations.

Clockwise from upper left: a backup generator; lights that help operators signal one another; the server room; and the main operations center.

The data center isolates TVA’s internal software systems from external feeds.

An ergonomic control panel lets each operator adjust desk height, white noise and other features.

In the new center, operators can view long schematics without unfolding 30 feet of paper.

The new System Operations Center, with its own dedicated electrical substation just adjacent. 

PHOTO AT TOP OF PAGE: The new video wall for transmission operators is more than 123 feet long.