SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT
Duquesne Light Company Invests in Newly Renovated Operations Center
Providing customers with more efficient and reliable service
February 13, 2024
Duquesne Light Company (DLC) is committed to creating a clean energy future that prioritizes customer satisfaction.
After undergoing an extensive renovation project, DLC’s newly refinished Operations Center is now back online and ready to provide excellent service for more than 600,000 customers in the Pittsburgh region.
Several significant renovations have been implemented in the facility, particularly in the main control room, that update technology, improve efficiency and increase employee comfort. Previously, grid conditions were depicted in the main control room on a massive magnetic board that required dispatchers to use long sticks to shift magnets around to indicate abnormal grid conditions, clearances or crews.
The magnetic map board has since been replaced with a state-of-the-art digital rendering of a transmission and sub-transmission circuit map of DLC’s service territory. These digital upgrades are a key step in the process to continuously modernize grid operations and provide safe and reliable service to customers.
Additional enhancements made to the building include a newly renovated breakroom and kitchen area; ergonomic workstations; a new training suite; and updated work rooms with “switchable glass” that can turn windows from translucent to opaque at the flip of a switch — a perk to help maintain focus on days when there is more activity in the control room. These upgrades will allow operators to work more comfortably while staying connected to their workstations so they can provide the best service possible to customers.
“Our operators are always in here. It’s a 24/7 facility, so it provides an opportunity for [operators] to be a bit more comfortable and still be able to step away for a moment, collect themselves and still be involved, in real time, with everything that’s happening at their desks,” said Kevin Eckert, senior manager of control room operations.”
Overall, the completion of the operations center renovations marks a significant milestone for DLC and its commitment to facilitating a faster, less intensive workflow and providing more reliable service to customers.
Recently, Pittsburgh TV station WPXI toured the Operations Center and got an exclusive look at the critical work that happens behind the scenes at DLC.
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