Authors - Abstract - This research investigated the potential for improving the reliability of the Central Pangasinan Electric Cooperative (CENPELCO) San Carlos 20MVA Substation distribution system through optimized placement of Automatic Circuit Reclosers (ACRs). The study employed a Steady-State Genetic Algorithm (SSGA) implemented in MATLAB to identify optimal ACR locations that minimized SAIDI, SAIFI, and maximized EENS. The algorithm was validated using the IEEE 34-node test feeder, demonstrating its effectiveness in balancing competing objectives. The validated SSGA was then applied to the CENPELCO system, resulting in significant improvements in SAIDI values across all feeders. The research introduced a novel approach to using EENS to represent the number of connected customers at each node, refining the SAIDI calculation and providing a more accurate measure of the impact of outages on consumers. The optimized ACR placement strategy consistently brought SAIDI values below the NEA standard for on-grid electric cooperatives, indicating a substantial enhancement in the reliability of the CENPELCO distribution system. The study provides valuable insights for CENPELCO and other power system operators seeking to improve system reliability and minimize the impact of power outages.
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