Alstom Grid, a provider of electrical grid management systems, has been selected by the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC), to supply smart grid synchrophasor software applications for its Western Interconnection SynchroPhasor Program (WISP).

Synchrophasor technology provides real-time grid performance data to operators, increasing the capability for increased grid reliability and efficiency.

"Having received the largest Smart Grid Investment Grant (SGIG) under the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA), we selected Alstom Grid's wide area situational awareness applications for our reliability coordination centers,” said Mark Maher, WECC CEO, in a statement.

“When complete, the WISP project will involve 18 utility participants deploying over 340 Phasor Measurement Units (PMUs) in a footprint covering all or part of 14 western U.S. states, 2 Canadian provinces, and a portion of the Baja Peninsula in Mexico," Maher added.

As part of the agreement, Alstom Grid will be supplying important components in the application area of the WISP project, including e-terravision for wide area situational monitoring display and PhasorPoint for phasor display and historical archiving.

"This illustrates our combined capabilities with Psymetrix in wide area situation awareness (WASA) projects, allowing utility System Operators to efficiently visualize, monitor and control grid security and stability, including real-time, pertinent information and the impact of renewable energy," said Jean-Michel Cornille, senior vice president, Alstom Grid Power Electronics and Automation.

The project is scheduled to be completed March 31, 2013.

Alstom announced the acquisition of Utility Integration Solutions, a developer and marketer of demand response management solutions. UISOL, an employer of 44 workers, reportedly generated total sales of over $11 million in 2010. The acquisition is expected to strengthen its capabilities for network management and smart grid solutions in the U.S. market.