Restoring Power: Essential Steps for Line Crews

How do line crews typically restore power when faced with cold load pick up?

What strategies can be applied by line crews in such situations?

Answer:

Line crews typically utilize load shedding or alternative power sources when switchgear will not pick up the load due to cold load pick up.

When faced with a situation where switchgear will not pick up the load due to cold load pick up, a power line crew would typically apply a strategy known as load shedding or apply alternative sources of power. Load shedding implies that you strategically eliminate or reduce the load on your power system to prevent overloads. For instance, by disconnecting certain supply lines, it can gradually introduce the demand load onto the power system.

Alternatively, the team can utilize backup generators or alternative sources of power to fulfill the demand, giving the switchgear ample time to deal with the cold load pick-up. Over time, engineers and researchers are working on materials such as superconducting transmission lines that can carry current for hundreds of miles with negligible power loss due to resistance, which may provide a futuristic solution for such problems.