Case Study: Improving Reliability of Critical Infrastructure at CenterPoint Energy

Bringing Network Connectivity to a Critical Infrastructure Back-Up Control Center

 

The Client

CenterPoint Energy, Houston, Texas. CenterPoint Energy provides electricity and natural gas service to more than 5 million metered customers across the eastern half of the United States.

 

The Project

CenterPoint Energy's communications network controls their power grid, including activating and deactivating power, controlling power flow on each line and monitoring the distribution of electricity through their network. It is also used for traditional data, voice and video network needs. Because CenterPoint Energy's network is considered critical infrastructure, federal standards require they have a back-up control center. CenterPoint Energy retained RCC Consultants to determine what network and equipment upgrades would be necessary to create the new center and extend the entire network to it.

 

RCC's Role

RCC provided many important services for CenterPoint Energy during this project, including:

 

• Evaluated CenterPoint Energy's existing network to determine its functionality.
• Reviewed the existing network sites to determine the changes required to enable several hundred power substation sites to connect to the second control center.
• Identified the network needs of the existing users as well as the needs of the back-up control center.
• Assessed issues related to current and future voice, data and video network requirements.
• Created a report detailing the different options available to support CenterPoint Energy's needs, including budgetary cost estimates and a list of the equipment changes necessary at every substation.
• Developed several alternative conceptual design optins for substantial network upgrades to support connectivity to the new control center.