Project Highlights:
- Ameren
- 12,000+ circuit km transmission
- 2.4M electric customers
- 900k+ natural gas customers
- 166,000 km² service territory
Headquartered in St. Louis, Ameren provides electricity and natural gas services across Missouri and Illinois and operates more than 12,000 circuit kilometres of electricity transmission network. In the first phase of its grid modernisation, Ameren launched a Network Model Manager initiative to establish an ArcGIS Utility Network foundation for transmission network management.
Delivered over a 10-month period, the project included the development of an electricity transmission (ET) Utility Network data model, migration of existing GIS data, configuration of the Utility Network model and integration with legacy business systems.
Ameren is among the first utilities to successfully deploy an electricity transmission Utility Network model into full production. The project represents a significant milestone for the transmission sector, providing a practical reference for other utilities embarking on similar programmes.
Advanced Network Modeling Goals
Ameren’s legacy ET GIS was based on an ageing data model that lacked the connectivity required to support the organisation’s long-term vision for modern network management. In addition, data was entered manually across multiple systems, increasing the risk of human error and reducing operational efficiency. These limitations made it more difficult for GIS users to maintain data quality, network topology, asset relationships and validation rules.
To address these challenges, the project focused on:
- Replacing disconnected network models with a single, integrated network model.
- Implementing topology, relationship and data validation rules.
- Expanding the representation of internal substation assets.
- Establishing a foundation for advanced ArcGIS Utility Network capabilities.
Achieving these objectives supports Ameren’s long-term goal of maintaining a single authoritative source of network information while improving interoperability across enterprise systems.
Leading the Way for ET Network Modeling
Before beginning implementation, Ameren performed extensive research on the network information management capabilities of Esri’s new platform. This preparatory work enabled the project team to develop a thorough understanding of both the organisation’s existing data and its future business requirements, while allowing Ameren to play an active role throughout the implementation.
At the time, few transmission Utility Network implementations existed within the industry, with most available models designed primarily for electricity distribution networks. As a result, Ameren needed to determine how best to incorporate transmission-specific, non-spatial assets, including dampers, crossarms and other overhead equipment, into the Utility Network model.
Working closely with Esri and UDC, these requirements were incorporated into Esri’s base Utility Network models and subsequent software releases throughout the project.
The outcome provides valuable guidance for other transmission operators planning their own Utility Network migrations, enabling them to build upon an established implementation approach rather than starting from first principles.
Implementation Approach
The first phase of Ameren’s Network Model Manager programme was completed within ten months.
The project began with a comprehensive assessment of existing GIS data using UDC’s automated migration tool, HEIDE. Working collaboratively with Ameren, the team analysed the source systems, identified appropriate Utility Network targets and mapped the existing schema to the Utility Network data model.
Subnetwork rules and trace configurations were then established through an iterative automated process using HEIDE alongside UDC’s Toolkit for ArcGIS Pro. These tools continuously validated schema, attributes, domains and data mappings while identifying issues requiring remediation before migration.
Once the Utility Network model had been validated, it was integrated with Ameren’s existing business systems, with additional integrations developed to support the new data architecture.
Advanced Network Tracing
Using Ameren’s electricity transmission structure data, UDC configured the Utility Network subnetwork controllers to support advanced network tracing.
The resulting functionality enables users to trace all assets associated with transmission circuits, including structures and other assets that do not have direct connectivity. Junction-to-junction associations were also configured to maintain network connectivity without requiring additional physical line features, allowing traces to move seamlessly between transmission lines and substations while maintaining a clean network model.
ArcGIS Web AppBuilder to Experience Builder
As part of the programme, Ameren upgraded its transmission network viewer from ArcGIS Web AppBuilder to ArcGIS Experience Builder. UDC recreated the applications within Experience Builder, successfully migrating more than 80% of the original functionality. The remaining capabilities, previously delivered through custom Web AppBuilder widgets, were redeveloped specifically for the new platform.
The new viewer enables users to visualise and analyse the transmission network and share network views across the organisation as needed, while providing greater flexibility for future enhancements through configurable out-of-the-box widgets and a modern application framework.
ET Utility Network Implementation Components
The features of the ET Utility Network Implementation project include:
- Assessing legacy infrastructure to confirm Utility Network readiness
- Configuring ArcGIS Enterprise, Utility Network services and version management
- Migrating transmission GIS data using HEIDE
- Creating junction-to-junction associations
- Providing guidance on application, scripting and upgrade best practices
- Implementing Utility Network functionality, including tracing and containment
- Developing a new transmission network viewer using ArcGIS Experience Builder
- Updating existing system integrations
- Supporting deployment of migrated data and integration code into the enterprise environment
The implementation transformed Ameren’s transmission GIS from a traditional asset database into a fully connected ArcGIS Utility Network model.
Ameren now operates on the latest ArcGIS Enterprise and ArcGIS Pro platforms while benefiting from:
- Improved data quality and completeness
- Structured GIS editing workflows
- Alignment with industry best practices
- Greater scalability for future growth
- Simplified enterprise architecture
- Enhanced security through modern authentication
- Improved interoperability across business systems
Future phases of Ameren’s grid modernisation will focus on modelling internal substations, improving data alignment across enterprise systems and expanding network model integrations. These initiatives will establish a standardised framework that can be adopted by additional areas of the business as Ameren continues its digital transformation.