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Title / Coordinate power system outages
Level / 5 / Credits / 10
Purpose / People credited with this unit standard are able to: respond to requests for an outage and/or constraint in power system; identify opportunities to action other work during power system outage(s); prepare power system outage plan; implement power system outage plan; and report outage coordination.
Classification / Electricity Supply > Electricity Supply - Power System Management
Available grade / Achieved
Explanatory notes
1This unit standard has been designed for, but is not restricted to, workplace assessment. Range statements within the unit standard may apply to asset owner specific equipment, procedures and processes.
2Safety of personnel and plant must be a priority throughout assessment. If the safety requirements are not met assessment must stop.
3Performance and work practices in relation to the outcomes and evidence requirements must comply with all current legislation, especially the Electricity Act 1992, and any regulations and codes of practice recognised under that statute; the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992; and the Resource Management Act 1991. Electricity supply industry codes of practice and documented industry procedures include the current version of the Safety Manual – Electricity Industry (SM-EI)Wellington: Electricity Engineers’ Association. A full list of current legislation and industry codes is available from the Electricity Supply Industry Training Organisation, PO Box 1245, Hamilton, 3240.
4The phrase in accordance with industry requirements is implicit in all outcomes and evidence requirements in this unit standard.
5Industry requirements include all asset owner requirements; manufacturers’ specifications; and enterprise requirements which cover the documented workplace policies, procedures, specifications, business, and quality management requirements relevant to the workplace in which assessment is carried out.
6The following term relates to this unit standard:
Asset ownerrefers to the owner of an electricity supply network that takes its point of supply from Transpower New Zealand Ltd network, and delivers electricity to industrial, commercial and residential customers.
SCADA– Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition system, a computer system that is used to operate equipment and monitor the performance of the electrical power system and/or network, gather data for analytical purposes, and generally assist the operation and delivery of electrical network functions concerning the supply of electricity to customers.
7Practical exercises should be used for training and assessment where possible.
8Other codes and references include: Electricity Industry Participation Code 2010.
Outcomes and evidence requirements
Outcome 1
Respond to requests for an outage and/or constraint in power system.
Evidence requirements
1.1Planned events that impact on equipment status are identified and their impact determined and recorded in the required format.
Rangemay include but is not limited to – prepared outage and switching plans, power flow analysis, hydrology or fuel analysis.
1.2Scheduled work to be carried out is identified from asset owner’s maintenance program.
1.3The scheduled work is coordinated in accordance with time windows defined in the asset owner’s maintenance program.
Outcome 2
Identify opportunities to action other work during power system outage(s).
Evidence requirements
2.1Searches of industry databases and records identify outstanding outage requests.
2.2Data for approval to be included in original outage requests is collated and reviewed.
2.3Originators of outstanding work requests are identified and communicated with to determine current status of request.
2.4Work requests confirmed to proceed are made available for inclusion in the outage plan.
Outcome 3
Prepare power system outage plan.
Evidence requirements
3.1Detailed outage requirements are prepared.
Rangemay include but is not limited to – supplier, Electricity Industry Participation Code 2010, customer and contractor notification.
3.2Outage requirements are checked against power flow, hydrological and fuel resources, and analysis program results.
Rangemay include but is not limited to – analytical tools, work requests.
3.3Prepared outages and response requirements are included in the plan.
Rangemay include but is not limited to – recall times, special isolations, contact person.
3.4Outage plan is developed.
Outcome 4
Implement power system outage plan.
Rangemay include but is not limited to – SCADA, network modelling tools, customer impact reliability, security of supply, system integrity; weather reports, station reports.
Evidence requirements
4.1Power system outage plan is implemented.
4.2Power system requirements are monitored.
4.3Changes in the plan are made and communicated to affected parties.
4.4SCADA and/or mimic board is updated to define status of system.
Outcome 5
Report outage coordination.
Rangemay include but is not limited to – outage report, log book, electronic log, outage plan requests, industry maintenance management system.
Evidence requirements
5.1Reported information is completed and actioned.
5.2Outage coordination information is recorded in the required format and filed within scheduled timeframe.
Planned review date / 31 December 2015Status information and last date for assessment for superseded versions
Process / Version / Date / Last Date for AssessmentRegistration / 1 / 20 December 1998 / 31 December 2013
Review / 2 / 20 September 2002 / 31 December 2013
Revision / 3 / 11 February 2004 / 31 December 2013
Review / 4 / 24 January 2006 / 31 December 2013
Review / 5 / 15 March 2012 / N/A
Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR) reference / 0120
This CMR can be accessed at
Please note
Providers must be granted consent to assess against standards (accredited) by NZQA, before they can report credits from assessment against unit standards or deliver courses of study leading to that assessment.
Industry Training Organisations must be granted consent to assess against standards by NZQA before they can register credits from assessment against unit standards.
Providers and Industry Training Organisations, which have been granted consent and which are assessing against unit standards must engage with the moderation system that applies to those standards.
Requirements for consent to assess and an outline of the moderation system that applies to this standard are outlined in the Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR). The CMR also includes useful information about special requirements for organisations wishing to develop education and training programmes, such as minimum qualifications for tutors and assessors, and special resource requirements.
Comments on this unit standard
Please contact the Electricity Supply Industry Training Organisation if you wish to suggest changes to the content of this unit standard.
Electricity Supply Industry Training OrganisationSSB Code 101813 / New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2018