Data-driven and risk-based decision support for maintenance planning on electrical power grid systems

Planning maintenance over a large, distributed and ageing power infrastructure is a challenge. Interruptions in power supply cost large amounts of money in terms of undelivered energy and therefore maintaining the infrastructure to deliver at all times is imperative. This paper presents a novel method developed to model the risk of power line infrastructure. The user is presented with a visual risk picture and the associated expected costs based on the user's maintenance strategy of choice. Visual risk presentation overlaid on map data allows the decision-maker to understand the risk picture and make appropriate investment decisions based on the same. The developed model is currently being used in-house at various grid operators in Norway. Users can test out the effect different maintenance strategies and its effect on the risk picture.