monitoring underground cable for the electric energy...
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AEIC’s Cable Engineering Committee
Monitoring Underground Cable for the Electric Energy Industry
The AEIC Cable Engineering Committee’s (CEC) goal is to improve service and reliability, reduce both material and operating costs, and improve the quality of medium and high voltage underground cable systems. Additionally, since
the CEC is considered the electric industry watchdog, it monitors issues regarding cable systems and takes action to address those issues whenever the need arises.
Working with Manufacturers to Improve Industry Standards
The CEC also works with high volt-age cable manufacturers to assure an open exchange of information
between the manufacturers and the ultimate users of cable systems. Meetings are regularly held throughout the year to review emerging issues and drafts of specifications. As a result of this open and continuous exchange, many of the CEC’s requirements have been incorporat-ed into the standards that are written by the cable manufacturers.
2 AEIC® Committee/Connection August 2017
The Thorough Process of Creating Specifications and Guides
The Cable Engineering Committee creates cable specifications and guides to address what the Commit-
tee believes to be inadequacies in existing industry standards, to improve business efficiencies, extend the in-service life of underground cables and cable systems, and provide information for those who are relatively new to underground cable systems.
When the CEC identifies an issue that needs to be addressed, the Committee Chair establishes a Task Group to work toward a solution. The Task Group Chair and Vice Chair are assigned to lead the group, which is populated by CEC mem-
bers having particular expertise or interest in the issue. Task Groups utilize outside resources when needed to augment the work of the CEC in developing specifications or guides.
Once the specification or guide is completed, the Task Group Chair submits the document to the entire Committee for balloting. Once approved, a document Editor conducts a final review before it is forwarded to the AEIC office for publication and distribution through AEIC’s website, www.aeic.org. Once published, news releases are sent by the AEIC office to industry media and interested stakeholders.
CEC Members Network with Other Industry Organizations
AEIC Cable Engineering Committee members are members of the IEEE
Insulated Conductors Commit-tee, where they serve on work-ing groups, discussion groups, and standards writing commit-tees. Many CEC members also serve on regional utility ex-changes or committees and serve on ANSI and IEEE stan-dards writing committees. Members also interface with the National Electric Safety Code, EPRI, and NEETRAC. This means that CEC members have extensive access to a wide range of expertise and resources.
3 AEIC® Committee/Connection August 2017
Addressing Special Interests and Reducing Costs
Increased interest in the use of high stress and reduced diameter high voltage cables prompted the CEC to
develop a specific guide in an effort to assist companies that are trying to find an acceptable replacement for their aging paper insulated cables. Realizing that underground transmission is grow-ing, the CEC has expanded its transmis-sion cable specifications to cover cables and accessories through 345 kV.
Also, the CEC formed a Task Group to develop cost reduction strategies and to identify processes that have the great-est impact on reducing costs. As a result, the CEC developed a guide for
minimizing the cost of extruded dielectric shielded power cables and investigated other areas of concern, including cables and accessories used in underground electrical vaults.
“Like having 30 expert cable consultants available for little or no cost”
One CEC member likened CEC Committee membership to having 30 expert cable consultants available to answer any questions about underground cable systems – at any time. The networking and information exchange that is shared by CEC members, both during and
between CEC meetings, has proven to be a valuable asset to AEIC member company operations.Membership in AEIC allows employees to join the CEC, as well as AEIC’s six other committees and
four subcommittees. With over 400 employees actively involved in AEIC’s Cable Engineering, Meter and Service, Load Research and Analytics, Customer Service, Power Apparatus, Power Delivery (and four subcommittees), and Power Generation Committees, the collective knowledge and influence of AEIC experts makes AEIC a powerful force to help improve the operations of not only AEIC member companies, but the industry as a whole.
View CEC members here: http://aeic.org/committees/cable-engineering/members/
CEC specifications and guides may be purchased at: www.aeic.org. Select Cable Specifications.
AEIC website: www.aeic.org
AEIC Office: (205) 257-3839
Email | [email protected] | [email protected] | [email protected] | [email protected]