Electric power system automation using time coordinated instructions

An IED configured to monitor and control a monitored equipment in an electric power delivery system, the IED comprising:

• an IED network communications interface to communicate with other networked devices;
• a monitored equipment interface to issue control instructions to monitored equipment in an electric power delivery system;
• a processor, and
• a computer-readable storage medium comprising:
• software instructions executable on the processor that enable the IED to:
• receive at least one execution action via the IED network communications interface, the at least one execution action comprising a control instruction to be issued to monitored equipment via the monitored equipment interface;
• receive an execution time;
• and
• execute the at least one execution action at the execution time.

A method for controlling an electric power delivery system by executing a time coordinated instruction set, comprising:

• connecting a plurality of intelligent electronic devices (IEDs) in an electrical power delivery system via a data network;
• determining a time coordinated instruction set comprising at least one execution action;
• establishing an execution time;
• transmitting the execution time to the at least one of the plurality of IEDs via the data network;
• and
• the at least one of the plurality of IEDs performing the time coordinated instruction set at the execution time.