Systematic outage planning and coordination in a distribution grid

A server system for managing outage and maintenance planning in a distributed electrical power grid, the server system comprising:

• a computer memory capable of storing machine instructions;
• and
• a hardware processor in communication with the computer memory, the hardware processor configured to access the computer memory to execute the machine instructions to perform
• receiving, via a graphical user interface on a requestor device, an order having a request date and a type of service, the order being part of a request for at least one of:
• i) installation of at least one piece of electrical equipment in the distributed power grid and ii) personnel to perform the installation;
• accessing a database of requests communicatively coupled to the server, identifying conflicts between the order requesting de-energization of a given portion of the distributed power grid during a given time-frame and other orders requesting de-energization of the given portion or an adjacent portion during the given time-frame;
• identifying, based on the conflicts, customers receiving power from the distributed power grid that are impacted by the de-energization;
• coordinating the order and the other orders so that the identified customers experience only a single power interruption;
• removing from a planning workflow any order incompatible with another order requesting the same or an adjacent portion of the distributed power grid during the same time-frame, and sending a cancellation notice for the removed order to a corresponding requestor device;
• sending a first confirmation notification for the order to the requestor device, with the order remaining in the planning workflow;
• storing the order in the database with a status of “new,” and sending a request notification to the requestor device indicating that the order has been placed;
• reviewing, by a control center switching lead (CCSL), the order stored in the database to identify other types of conflicts;
• changing the status of the order to “modify” in the database, with the identification of another type of conflict by the CCSL, and sending a modify notice to the requestor device;
• building out sub-steps required to fulfill the order with no other conflict identified by the CCSL, sending a second confirmation notification to the requestor device, and storing the order with the status of “approved” in the database;
• if a second confirmation is not received by the server and a request end date is not equal to a date the second confirmation is received, adjusting the request date of the order to a future date;
• dispatching the order to a crew to perform the request in the order;
• and
• sending, from the server, a control signal to at least one of at least one switchgear and one or more reclosers to maintain a lockout state that prevents re-energizing the given portion of the distributed power grid during a scheduled maintenance period specified in the order that has been previously coordinated with the other orders.