Energy Control Center Plays Integral Role in Grid Reliability
Energy Control Center operators support restoration efforts; Get power back on for more than 100,000 customers who experienced outages within five minutes using remote-control devices
BINGHAMTON, N.Y. — July 28, 2026 — The Energy Control Center for New York State Electric & Gas (NYSEG) and Rochester Gas and Electric (RG&E) plays a major role in grid reliability and is an integral part of the Companies’ daily operations. So far this year, the facility’s operators have utilized remote control devices to support outage response efforts – restoring more than 100,000 customers who experienced outages in less than five minutes.
“The Energy Control Center plays a vital role in keeping the lights on for our customers across the state,” said Tom Donnelly, senior director of the Energy Control Center. “Thanks to the talented operators in our center and modern technology on our grid, we can restore power in mere minutes for outages that historically would have much longer to respond. The expansion of our facility will enable us to more effectively and safely respond to outages."
When an outage occurs, automated devices on the grid will work to immediately restore power to customers, when possible. Following a safety check, operators inside the Energy Control Center will then use remote control devices to re-route electricity and restore power to other customers who can safely receive power. This technology limits the outage duration for customers while lineworkers make the necessary repairs to the grid. Once repairs are completed, the flow of electricity is restored to its original state.
The ECC operates the transmission and distribution systems for NYSEG and RG&E. It manages all the planned and emergency work by controlling energy flow across thousands of miles of transmission and distribution lines. When unexpected power outages occur, ECC personnel examine the grid and, in some cases, can sectionalize and restore all or part of the outage remotely. It also provides vital information to line crews, such as where incidents are located, potential isolating devices, and available tie points. All these tools help streamline restorations.
Automated grid technology helps ensure that customers across the state have reliable energy throughout the day. Hundreds of devices have been installed across the service area over the last three years, enabling the Energy Control Center to remotely respond to grid conditions in real time, rather than rely on customer calls or manual inspections in the field. So far this year, the Company has installed an additional 250 Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) devices.
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