Grid communications the focus of DOE-backed project
Keeping the electrical grid humming is one focus of artificial intelligence research at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. (Photo by Andrea Starr | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory)
A broad alliance of energy industry leaders is supporting the US Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) national laboratories’ efforts to help modernise the energy grid.
Idaho National Laboratories, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Anterix, ABB, Amazon, Avista Utilities, EPRI, the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, Nokia, and Survalent will support the Assessment of Communication Architectures for Energy Systems (ACAES).
ACAES is one of nine projects, led by national laboratories and public- and private-sector entities, that are components of the DOE’s 2023 Grid Modernization Initiative (GMI), announced in September 2023.
GMI represents a $39 million investment in projects that will support the development and deployment of concepts, tools, and technologies needed to measure, analyse, predict, protect, and control the grid of the future.
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“Electrification and high penetration of distributed energy resources (DERs) and EVs, properly planned and coordinated in a secure grid architecture, will bring important benefits in sustainability, equity, reliability, and resilience to the utility industry. Grid communications systems will be key to realizing that future,” said Jim Ogle, chief energy systems engineer in PNNL’s Electricity Infrastructure Group. “With expert input from industry advisors, the ACAES project will help define secure architectures for the critical grid communications systems upon which the modern grid will depend.”
The ACAES team, led by PNNL, is conducting an analysis to identify and suggest ways to mitigate gaps in technology, standards, and processes for communications across the grid. The team will also create a library of potential cyber-attack scenarios, including their operational consequences, to support and advance future cybersecurity training and planning. Lastly, the ACAES team will use this information to provide recommendations for new technology, standards, and practices to address potential risks and help ensure that a grid with high distributed energy resources penetration is secure.
“DERs introduce a variety of changes to the grid and associated communications systems. These include new telecommunications technologies, inclusion of behind-the-meter resources, and an increased role of third-party aggregators in both bulk and distribution system operations,” said Ben Ealey, EPRI technical lead of DER Data and Connectivity. “Projects like ACAES are beneficial to helping the energy sector understand the changes each introduces and how best to maintain grid security, as part of a reliable, affordable, and equitable clean energy future.”
Originally published by Sean Wolfe on power-grid.com
