This paper presents design, testing, commissioning, and operational experience related to a modern digital excitation system. In order to allow comparison with a modern analog system, an analog voltage regulator was also installed and subjected to similar testing. The paper compares the digital and analog regulators in terms of efficiency of commissioning and the resulting system performance. The digital regulator allows ease of custom design of the regulator settings to match the exciter and the generator, resulting in efficient commissioning.