Substation School

MMUA is pleased to partner with Minnesota Rural Electric Association (MREA) on the 2025 Substation School.

NOTE: Members of MREA need to register through MREA.

Having the best distribution system in the world won’t matter if your substation isn’t operating properly. Recognizing that, MMUA presents a Substation School annually. This school offers instruction on a variety of important topics that can benefit anyone working in/on your substation.

Who should attend?

What you will learn

Tuesday, March 11

Substation maintenance and inspections
Proper operation and maintenance of your substation is key to sustaining the heartbeat of your power distribution system and ensuring reliability to your customer base. This session will cover the industry’s best practices on a variety of operational concepts and maintenance issues.

Wednesday, March 12

Your substation: knowing what you have
There are many different components and systems integral to the workings of a substation. Knowing what they are and what they do is vitally important as it relates to safely operating substations. Increase your understanding of the major systems and their associated components typically found in your substations.

Case studies
Preventing failure is of upmost importance when it comes to substations. Learn about issues that were caught in time and issues that led to failure.      

Tours
Tour an Elk River Municipal Utilities' substation and a solar farm with battery storage. Tours will be led by the operators of the respective facilities.

NOTE: High-vis clothing, hard hat, safety glasses, and safety toe footwear are required for tours.

Thursday, March 13

Proper switching techniques
When writing and performing switching orders, either with transmission or distribution, it is critical you know what you’re dealing with in all aspects; especially if it involves your substations. Participants will gain a better understanding of the steps that need to be taken within your substation when dealing with switching procedures.

Understanding Schweitzer relays
Schweitzer relays, developed by Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL), are advanced digital protective relays used in power systems to monitor, protect, and control electrical equipment. These relays are highly sophisticated and provide a wide range of functions, including fault detection, circuit protection, and system monitoring. Understanding the workings of these relays will help you better grasp the concept of the inner workings and how to interpret readings.