BPA markets wholesale electrical power from 31 federal hydro projects in the Columbia River Basin, one non-federal nuclear plant and several other small non-federal power plants. BPA’s service territory includes Idaho, Oregon, Washington, western Montana and small parts of eastern Montana, California, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming and supplies about one third of the electric power used in the Northwest.
BPA’s staffs operate and maintain the extensive high voltage transmission system (about 15,000 miles) in some of the most rugged and difficult to access territory in continental United States.
In this environment, reliable voice communication is essential for the safe operation and maintenance of the system. In recent years cellular telephones and an extensive microwave/fiber backhaul supported VHF radio system have provided the BPA’s communication needs.
BPA’s service territory is also subject to a number of significant natural risks including earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, severe winter weather and flooding, which many cause long term power outages throughout the region.
In addition, other potential threats to the system have been identified, including sabotage, accidents and terrorism. BPA’s existing voice and data administrative communications systems are highly dependent on connective infrastructure and line-of-sight radio communications.
They are, therefore, subject to gaps in existing areas of coverage, and to potentially widespread degradation of the service during significant disruptive events.
Recognizing these gaps, BPA’s Transmission Services Emergency Manager, Nelson King, has been working on obtaining management approval to develop and implement an emergency High Frequency (HF) radio communication system.
Due to the fundamental physics of HF radio propagation, HF networks are independent of infrastructure and will incur no further network charges once the radio equipment is procured.
The system developed for BPA incorporates Barrett Automatic Link Establishment (ALE), a common HF option that provides a reliable and rapid method for calling and connecting during constantly changing environmental and radio conditions.
The system is user friendly and allows HF operation with minimal user training.
In the early years of BPA’s 75 years of operation, an extensive HF radio system was used, however in the early 1960’s it was replaced by telephone and VHF radio.
In 2011, Region X of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was working with Barrett Communications and system integrator, NVIS Communications, to evaluate the Barrett HF radio communications equipment for NTIA certification.
The subsequent NTIA approval and the very positive results of this evaluation facilitated BPA’s management to approve and implement an Emergency HF project for their transmission service.
Additional information about Barrett Communications is available at www.barrettcommunications.com.au
For further information contact: Lucy Quiroz Marketing Assistant, Barrett Communications Phone: +61 8 9434 1700