​At EPCOR, we know the best solutions are ones that take safety, security and the environment into account. That's why we support projects that are future-minded, aiming to find new approaches that benefit our communities.

EPCOR's work in electricity has recently been recognized in a global infrastructure competition, winning a 2019 Bentley Year in Infrastructure (YII) Award. The YII Awards program recognizes innovative advancements in design, engineering, construction, operations and project delivery. EPCOR won in the Advancements in Utilities and Industrial Asset Performance category.

The project, Implementing Risk-Based Asset Management for Power Distribution, was recognized for tackling a challenge common in our industry. Maintaining assets like transformers and power poles is critical to ensuring the safe, reliable delivery of electricity. The reach and significance of this issue means we needed to think differently.

"We keep the lights on and make sure the system is safe by proactively conducting regular inspections and replacing assets when they are at the end of their life," said Stephen Seewald, a key member of the project team. "But with over 200,000 assets across Edmonton, we wanted to find a more efficient way to evaluate them and plan for the future."

To find a solution, the project team took a deep dive into years of asset performance data. The outcome: an innovative risk-based solution that allows EPCOR to proactively rank assets based on both:

• their likelihood to fail
• the impacts of its potential failure.

These rankings help EPCOR decide which equipment to proactively replace, leading to safer, more reliable service and a better experience for our customers and communities.

Bentley Systems acknowledged a total of 18 YII Awards winners at a ceremony on October 24. The YII Awards program explores the intersection of technology and business drivers, and how they are shaping the future of infrastructure project delivery and asset performance.

Find more information on this initiative.