Implementing Oracle NMS at Colquitt EMC

State-of-the-art electric utility network management systems are no longer only possible in the realm of large utility organizations. The needed sophistication to manage the modern grid does not recognize any utility network as too small to pose operating challenges. But the cost of these systems can be too high for smaller utilities to absorb.

GridBright, in its implementation of Oracle Utilities Network Management System at Colquitt, has changed the game for smaller but not less essential utility operations. “In the past, many COOP utilities could not afford the cost of implementing a full feature NMS. We changed that by developing a template to implement NMS/OMS at smaller utilities cutting implementation costs significantly,” said Tom Servas, executive vice president at GridBright.

GridBright is a member of Oracle PartnerNetwork (OPN).

At Colquitt, GridBright implemented Oracle Network Management System over 12 months. The implementation spanned the project’s entire lifecycle from “March 2021” to “February 2022” and included the integration of outage map capabilities from DataCapable.

“From start to finish, the project was amazing and has dramatically increased our ability to manage not only outages, but the resources involved in restoring power to our members. Gridbright’s approach made an affordable deployment of Oracle Network Management System possible. Engaging GridBright was the right move and took the worry out of our migration. Everyone involved with our project brought a wealth of knowledge, quality, and commitment to meeting our goals.” said Jeffery Patterson, vice president, Information Technology at Colquitt EMC.

This advance in the viability of more cost-efficient NMS implementation is timely as the US Government begins the implementation of the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). In addition, there is a specific focus on technology enhancing grid flexibility and the cyber threats presented to rural and municipal utilities, specifically in that legislation.

“With Colquitt’s project as a blueprint, COOPs can now implement Oracle’s Network Management System at a price that works for them,” said Brad Williams, vice president of Industry Strategy at Oracle Energy and Water. “Now, COOPs can benefit from a full-featured solution that enables them to manage every piece for their operation – from distribution to customer-owned grid devices, to improve reliability and customer service even in the most extreme circumstances.”

With more than 30% of Americans being served by public power utilities or MUNIs, it is expected that utilities like Colquitt will require NMS offerings like Oracle’s Network Management System to support achieving the national energy goals of the IIJA. With GridBright’s approach, the cost is decreasing as a barrier to these utilities’ ability to implement network management systems that meet their challenges.