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A Control Center for the 21st Century Modern Grid
- Transformational Grid Modernization Achievement: Tampa Electric Company (TEC), in partnership with Peoples Gas System (PGS), successfully delivered the Bearss Operations Center (BOC) and Energy Management System (EMS) Program—one of the most ambitious and technically complex grid modernization initiatives in company history. Completed over 5.5 years and involving more than 100 organizations, the program established a next-generation state-of-the-art operational hub that materially strengthens long-term grid reliability, resilience, and service continuity for decades.
- Category 5 Resilient Mission-Critical Operations Hub: At the core of the program is the new 152,000-square-foot BOC, a Category 5 hurricane-rated facility strategically located inland on elevated terrain. The center consolidates all mission-critical electric and gas control functions—including Transmission (ECC), Distribution (DCC), Renewable (RCC), and Gas Control—alongside cybersecurity, telecommunications, and corporate security operations. This design eliminates the need for storm evacuation and enables uninterrupted ride-through operations during the most extreme weather conditions.
- Industry-Leading Technology Deployment: TEC simultaneously implemented a GE 3.4 EMS upgrade and an advanced Keyboard-Video-Mouse (KVM) platform, positioning the utility among the first in the United States to deploy this level of integrated control-room technology at scale for real-time grid operations. The solution significantly improves operator situational awareness, accuracy, and efficiency by consolidating multiple systems into a streamlined, secure interface and reducing operational complexity at the workstation level.
- Innovative Operating Model for Utility Resilience: The BOC introduces a highly innovative dual-mode operating model that supports both “blue sky” normal operations and “black sky” storm operations within a single hardened facility. Combined with extensive redundancy across critical infrastructure systems and secure IT/OT integration, this design sets a new benchmark for utility operational resilience and business continuity planning.
- Substantial Operational and Human Performance Improvements: The program materially improves day-to-day and storm-event operations by reducing workstation complexity, minimizing operator fatigue, and lowering the potential for human error. Enhanced visualization capabilities—including ultra-high-resolution video walls delivering nearly half a billion pixels across the operation—provide unprecedented visibility into grid conditions and support faster, better-informed decision-making during critical events.
- Successful Execution of a High-Risk Cutover: The successful transfer of grid control to the BOC on October 21, 2025, marked a defining milestone for TEC and PGS and demonstrated exceptional planning, cross-functional coordination, and delivery discipline. Executing a seamless cutover of mission-critical operations after years of design, construction, testing, and integration underscores the strength of the program’s leadership and execution model.
- Clear Business Value and Lasting Industry Impact: The BOC/EMS Program is more than a facility and technology upgrade—it is a foundational investment in grid reliability, customer service, workforce resilience, and future readiness. By creating a storm-hardened, technology-enabled control environment capable of supporting increasing grid complexity, renewable integration, and future AI-enabled operations, TEC has established a compelling model of innovation and operational excellence worthy of D-Tech recognition.
Speakers
