The SAE is the key tool in the operation of the utility’s electricity grid around the island, Prepa Executive Director Miguel Cordero said Friday after signing the contact with the Siemens unit.

The SAE, which is also known as the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA), is a computerized system to acquire and process data that provides remote control of various generating units, substations and switch yards that make up Prepa’s grid.

The SAE carries out advanced applications of power analysis, which distinguish it from a common system of supervisory control. It also provides the function of automatic generation control using a software package that allows Prepa to monitor and control the generating system.