The Board of Public Utilities, with cooperation and assistance from their partners at Westar energy, are in the process of upgrading communication and relay protection between BPU’s 115 kV Plant 2 substation and Westar’s West McPherson substation. Fiber optic shield wire is currently being installed and will be used by both parties as a communication link between the facilities for supervisory control and relay protection.
Why modernize and improve the communication link between McPherson BPU and Westar? If you did not already know, McPherson BPU and Westar have enjoyed an interconnected partnership since the 1960’s, where BPU agrees to serve as an on-call peak provider for Westar and in return, receive the opportunity to purchase electricity from Westar’s “base” electric generators. This contract was recently extended to 2039. McPherson’s competitive and reliable rates are credited, in large part, to their relationship with Westar.
The project is part of a continuing effort by both utilities to update and modernize their systems and provide the customer a reliable electric power source.