Dive Summary:

• The Midwest Independent System Operator (MISO) and a number of grid operators across the country have added new synchrophasor technology in real-time system operations to improve grid monitoring and analysis, and accelerate the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) goal of a smarter grid.
• The synchrophasor technologies have allowed MISO unprecedented data on situations that could “radically affect reliability," says Richard Doying, MISO executive vice president of operations and corporate services.
• In 2010, MISO received a $17.25 million from the (DOE) Smart Grid Investment Grant to develop and deploy the phasor measurement units (PMU).  PMUs collect data from more than 344 installed devices, 30 times per second compared to conventional technology which records measurements every four seconds. In turn, the data, which is GPS time-stamped, enables measurements from various locations to be time-synchronized and combined to create a detailed wide-area assessment of system conditions.

From the article:

... “Synchrophasors provide immediate value by enhancing MISO's ability to simulate and troubleshoot the bulk power system, bringing a new level of situational awareness to grid operators.” ...