By Kiran Boddireddy, HEXstream data solutions engineer

As part of our ongoing effort to enhance operational efficiency and customer satisfaction, HEXstream has developed Smart Power Alert and Restoration Communication (SPARC), a smart restoration-validation platform designed specifically for electric utilities. SPARC brings intelligent automation to one of the most critical (yet manual) aspects of grid operations: confirming when power is truly restored to the customer.

What SPARC does

SPARC enables real-time validation of customer restorations by interfacing with existing systems across the utility’s technology stack. Its core value is in using smart AMI meter data to verify power status—automating a process that has traditionally required manual checks or customer callbacks.

Let’s explore some of the capabilities with SPARC: 

Restoration detection—SPARC captures customer restoration information from the  Network Management System (NMS) or any compatible Outage Management System (OMS).

Meter data retrieval—It identifies each customer’s smart meter from the AMI system.

Batch ping request—SPARC initiates a batch ping to the head-end system (via middleware such as SOA or BizTalk), asking for the current power status.

Status collection—The Smart Grid Gateway (SGG) or equivalent head-end responds with status (Power On/Power Off).

Result handling—SPARC writes the meter status back to the application and, if a negative result (still Power Off) is returned, it submits a callback to NMS, triggering further action.

Visibility & action—Operations teams are provided with real-time visibility into restoration outcomes, enabling more accurate and timely decision-making and customer communication.

Key value for utilities

SPARC plays a vital role in enhancing restoration workflows, offering measurable benefits across operations, customer service, and system reliability. It is designed to simplify and strengthen the way teams handle outage alerts and restoration updates.

SPARC reduces the likelihood of “false restorations,” where systems report customers as restored, but meters indicate otherwise. It strengthens restoration assurance before tickets are closed or communications are triggered. It automates the validation step post-restoration, saving time and reducing field visits, while streamlining dispatch decisions by removing guesswork from outage closures.

SPARC reduces customer callbacks related to unresolved outages; this increases trust by ensuring that restoration communications reflect actual service status. 

Finally, it is dD]esigned to work seamlessly with middleware platforms such as SOA, BizTalk and SGG. And it is flexible enough to integrate with multiple OMS/NMS platforms, ensuring extensibility across utility landscapes.

Why SPARC?

Restoring power after an outage is one of the most sensitive and mission-critical operations for any electric utility. Yet, the traditional process of validating restorations is often manual, time-consuming, and prone to error—relying heavily on customer callbacks or field-crew verification. These gaps can lead to misreported restorations, delayed customer communications, unnecessary truck rolls, and ultimately, eroded trust in utility performance.

SPARC was created to solve this problem at its core. By leveraging the intelligence already embedded in modern smart meters and integrating seamlessly into the existing utility IT ecosystem, SPARC eliminates guesswork from restoration verification. It offers a smarter, scalable way to ensure that restorations are real—empowering operations teams to make data-driven decisions, reduce outage durations, and elevate the customer experience.

SPARC isn't just about automation—it's about building confidence in every restoration event, enabling a more responsive, resilient and modern grid.

Who should use SPARC?

Strategic advantages

SPARC isn’t just a functional tool—it’s a strategic layer in our grid modernization journey. It supports long-term objectives such as:

• Reducing SAIDI/SAIFI indices through faster identification of failed restorations.
• Enhancing grid observability with meter-level intelligence.
• Enabling future automation, such as predictive re-dispatch and outage verification.

Perspective: More than a ping tool

SPARC should be viewed not just as a batch-ping mechanism, but as an operational-intelligence engine. It’s built to grow—to accommodate more data points, support predictive analytics, and become the foundation for a smarter, self-healing grid.

By embedding SPARC into our restoration lifecycle, we’re enabling a faster, smarter and more customer-centric response to outages. And in doing so, we’re setting the stage for the next generation of utility operations.

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