BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:IEEE vTools.Events//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/Chicago BEGIN:DAYLIGHT DTSTART:20260308T030000 TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;BYDAY=2SU;BYMONTH=3 TZNAME:CDT END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD DTSTART:20251102T010000 TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;BYDAY=1SU;BYMONTH=11 TZNAME:CST END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20260114T204909Z UID:719448ED-3DB1-4595-AB56-D52454A5BD54 DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260127T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260127T210000 DESCRIPTION:IEEE (PI)² Austin\, January 27\, 2026\, Tech Meeting In-Person 6 PM Central / 7 PM Eastern at\n\nNEW LOCATION/ New Process!: Casa Chapal a 9041 Research Boulevard Unit 100\, Austin TX 78758 - Attendees select an d purhase their own meals and drinks (a meal order is required). IEEE Stud ent Members' meals are free!\n\nTwo (shorter) talks!\nAbstracts:\n\nReliab ility Focused Load Outage Assessment tool – SAIDI and SAIFI Improvements \n\nLCRA has been improving power grid reliability through equipment repla cement projects using equipment/asset-based health assessment tools. While the equipment/asset-based reliability assessments are respected and widel y accepted in the industry\, the assessment focuses have been limited to h igh dollar assets such as transformers and circuit breakers rather than hi gh impact areas. LCRA implemented a load outage assessment dashboard that analyzes LCRA outage data in a new and different way. It provides a holist ic assessment for all transmission lines and substations from the perspect ives of SAIFI and SAIDI reliability metrics. The new dashboard allows LCRA to identify reoccurring deficiencies that lead to high reliability impact s and high O&M costs. LCRA made a several improvement projects that were i dentified as great opportunities using the new dashboard. This effort led LCRA achieving the best performing year in 20 years for the LCRA SAIFI and SAIDI reliability performance metrics.\n\nSwitching It Up: A New Innovati ve 3-Way GOAB Switching Structure\n\nLower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) faced significant challenges with the traditional 3-WAY GOAB (Gang Operat ed Air-Break) transmission line switches\, which led to operational and sa fety issues due to their tendency to bind\, seize\, and break. In response to these challenges\, LCRA has pioneered a new innovative 3-WAY GOAB Alte rnative design that addresses these issues by enhancing flexibility in ope ration\, safety by design\, and overall reliability. Launched in 2024\, th e first installation of this innovative two monopole switching structure d esign not only meets all operational and maintenance requirements but also comes at a significantly lowers cost\, footprint\, and construction timel ine compared to another 3-WAY Box Structure Alternative. This advancement represents a significant step forward in LCRA's commitment to improving in frastructure and service reliability through design solutions.\n\nFor PDH hours\, please email the (PI)² Secretary\, pi2-secretary@ieee.org.\n\nSpe aker(s): Nick Choi\, \n\nRoom: Ask for room location at front desk\, Bldg: Unit 100\, Casa Chapala\, 9041 Research Boulevard \, Austin\, Texas\, Uni ted States\, 78758 LOCATION:Room: Ask for room location at front desk\, Bldg: Unit 100\, Casa Chapala\, 9041 Research Boulevard \, Austin\, Texas\, United States\, 7875 8 ORGANIZER:r.hebner@ieee.org SEQUENCE:119 SUMMARY:IEEE PI2 Austin 1/27/2026: 1) Reliability Focused Load Outage Asses sment tool – SAIDI and SAIFI Improvements & 2) Switching It Up: A New In novative 3-Way GOAB Switching Structure URL;VALUE=URI:https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/532728 X-ALT-DESC:Description: <br /><p>IEEE (PI)&sup2\; Austin\,<span style="colo r: rgb(0\, 98\, 155)\;"> <strong>January 27\, 2026</strong></span>\, Tech Meeting <span style="text-decoration: underline\;"><strong>In-Person</stro ng></span> 6 PM Central / 7 PM Eastern at &nbsp\;</p>\n<p><strong>NEW LOCA TION/ New Process!:</strong> &nbsp\;<span style="text-decoration: underlin e\;"><strong><span style="color: rgb(224\, 62\, 45)\; text-decoration: und erline\;">Casa Chapala 9041 Research Boulevard Unit 100\, Austin TX 78758< /span></strong> </span>- <strong>Attendees select and purhase their own me als and drinks (a meal order is required). &nbsp\; &nbsp\; &nbsp\;<em>IEEE Student Members' meals are free!</em></strong></p>\n<h2 class="mc-toc-tit le"><span style="font-size: 14pt\;"><strong>Two (shorter) talks!<br></stro ng></span><span style="font-size: 14pt\;"><strong>Abstracts:</strong></spa n></h2>\n<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Reliability Focused Load Outage Asse ssment tool &ndash\; SAIDI and SAIFI Improvements</strong></p>\n<p class=" MsoNormal">LCRA has been improving power grid reliability through equipmen t replacement projects using equipment/asset-based health assessment tools . While the equipment/asset-based reliability assessments are respected an d widely accepted in the industry\, the assessment focuses have been limit ed to high dollar assets such as transformers and circuit breakers rather than high impact areas. LCRA implemented a load outage assessment dashboar d that analyzes LCRA outage data in a new and different way. It provides a holistic assessment for all transmission lines and substations from the p erspectives of SAIFI and SAIDI reliability metrics. The new dashboard allo ws LCRA to identify reoccurring deficiencies that lead to high reliability impacts and high O&amp\;M costs. LCRA made a several improvement projects that were identified as great opportunities using the new dashboard. This effort led LCRA achieving the best performing year in 20 years for the LC RA SAIFI and SAIDI reliability performance metrics.&nbsp\;</p>\n<p class=" MsoNormal"><strong>Switching It Up: A New Innovative 3-Way GOAB Switching Structure</strong></p>\n<p class="MsoNormal">Lower Colorado River Authorit y (LCRA) faced significant challenges with the traditional 3-WAY GOAB (Gan g Operated Air-Break) transmission line switches\, which led to operationa l and safety issues due to their tendency to bind\, seize\, and break. In response to these challenges\, LCRA has pioneered a new innovative 3-WAY G OAB Alternative design that addresses these issues by enhancing flexibilit y in operation\, safety by design\, and overall reliability. Launched in 2 024\, the first installation of this innovative two monopole switching str ucture design not only meets all operational and maintenance requirements but also comes at a significantly lowers cost\, footprint\, and constructi on timeline compared to another 3-WAY Box Structure Alternative. This adva ncement represents a significant step forward in LCRA's commitment to impr oving infrastructure and service reliability through design solutions.</p> \n<p><strong>For PDH hours</strong>\, please email the (PI)&sup2\; Secreta ry\, pi2-secretary@ieee.org.</p> END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR