Lawler, J. S.Lai, J. S.Monteen, L. D.Patton, J. B.Rizy, D. T.2022-03-032022-03-031989-01-010885-8977http://hdl.handle.net/10919/109050In this paper we discuss the reliability effects of distribution automation on the Athens Utilities Board (AUB) in Athens, Tennessee. This investigation is part of the Athens Automation and Control Experiment sponsored by the U. S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Storage and Distribution, Electric Energy Systems Program. In this experiment, distribution feeder equipment on twelve feeders connected to three substations is being remotely controlled from a central dispatch center, A supervisory control and data acquisition system provides substation and feeder monitoring and remote control of feeder circuit breakers, power reclosers, and load break switches. An analytical study is presented to show the improvement in conventional distribution system reliability indices that are achieved at AUB as a function of the penetration of automation equipment. The value of automation predicted by the study is highly sensitive to the historical outage data used in the analysis and to the economic worth of reliability assigned by the utility. These sensitivities are well known and account, at least in part, for the reluctance of some upper utility managers to invest in automation systems. Operating experience with the AUB automation system has shown that there are significant intangible reliability benefits and tangible cost savings associated with automation that are outside the scope of conventional distribution reliability indices. Eight case studies are described, from actual AUB operations, where the automation system resulted in significant cost savings and reliability benefits that are not captured by conventional reliability indices, Other utilities should expect similar benefits, which will be difficult to quantify analytically but, which add to the value of and justification for distribution automation.Pages 770-7789 page(s)application/pdfenPublic DomainEngineering, Electrical & ElectronicEngineering0906 Electrical and Electronic EngineeringEnergyArticle - Refereed2022-03-03https://doi.org/10.1109/61.1926941Lai, Jih [0000-0003-2315-8460]1937-4208