On Jan. 13, 2014, the Reliability Coordinators within the Eastern and Quebec Interconnections formed Eastern Interconnect Data Sharing Network, Inc. (“EIDSN”), a nonstock, nonprofit corporation. In April of 2018, EIDSN’s Board of Directors approved the removal of the geographic restriction for joining the Company such that any Reliability Coordinator (RC), Transmission Operator (TOP), Transmission Owner (TO), and Balancing Authority (BA) in North America can join as Member or Participant. The name of the company was also changed to EIDSN, Inc. (EIDSN).
EIDSN’s initial purpose was to develop a new, more efficient and effective network for the sharing of operating reliability data, including both SCADA and synchrophasor data, among appropriate entities to promote the reliable and efficient operation of the Bulk Electric System (BES).
EIDSN deployed a wide-area-network in the summer of 2015 that allows for the sharing of operational data among entities that manage the high-voltage power system in the eastern two-thirds of the United States and Canada. This exchange of data is essential to maintaining the reliability of the BES.
The Electric Information network (EInet) is vendor-diverse, redundant, encrypted, and scalable. It serves 25 companies across North America and consists of over 60 nodes. Two major telecom communication companies provide the EInet “backbones” that comprise EInet. Users can monitor their nodes on EInet and report problems directly to the vendors, making it readily and easily maintained. EIDSN worked with North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) to transition users of the aging NERC network (NERCnet) to EInet, facilitating NERC’s desire to retire NERCnet.
EInet allows users to exchange synchrophasor data, in addition to standard ICCP data. Synchrophasor data tools are being developed throughout the industry to help predict and prevent power system events that cause instability. The exchange of synchrophasor data over EInet is ultimately intended to enhance wide area visibility of the state of the power system, promoting system reliability by making it easier to quickly respond to system events.
EIDSN was also formed with the purpose of facilitating the adoption, development, and support of tools for its interested Members and Participants to help improve the reliable and efficient operation of the bulk electric system. As such, EIDSN provides multiple software tools that enable its Members to enhance their operation of the BES.
The Board of Directors of EIDSN is currently composed of executives from Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, Florida Reliability Coordinating Council, Inc., Hydro-Quebec TransEnergie, Independent Electricity System Operator, ISO New England, Inc., Midcontinent Independent System Operator, Inc., NB Power Corporation, New York Independent System Operator, Inc., PJM Interconnection, L.L.C., Southern Company Services, Inc., Southwest Power Pool, Inc., and Tennessee Valley Authority.