NETL developing four projects dedicated to grid security

Thanks to funding from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Grid Modernization Initiative, the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) will create four projects that improve grid security and reliability.

“NETL is honored to be a partner to move these projects forward. Our projects and others selected for funding possess the potential to not only enhance the reliability and resiliency of our power grid, but they also represent a major step to strengthen our national security,” Brian Anderson, director of NETL, said.

Research sites will cross the country, with locations in Morgantown, W.V., Albany, Ore.; and Pittsburgh, Pa. Approximately $80 million will be distributed over three years, with meaningful results expected by somewhere between 18 months and 2 years out. NETL will work with both public and private partners to see the projects to completion.

Among the projects are the Multi-Port Modular Medium-Voltage Transactive Power Electronics Energy Hub, which is an effort to develop smart power electronics hardware and software interfaces for grid applications. Its ultimate goal is the design, development and demonstration of an energy hub that can go up to 13.8 kilovolts.

Another project, the Incipient Failure Identification for Common Grid Asset Classes, will focus on the development of a means to diagnose and prescribe fixes for local short-term critical failures and growing problems that are proving central in commonly utilized equipment.

A third project is Blockchain for Optimized Security and Energy Management: the maturation of guidance, metrics and testing for technology, specifically with device security, secure communications and grid resilience.

The fourth project, Water Risk for the Bulk Power System: Asset to Grid Impacts, involves the creation of an analysis platform that will aid short-term operational and long-term investment decisions and improve the reliability and resilience of the power sector by enabling utilities to evaluate impacts and risks associated with water resources.

All of these projects were submitted as part of DOE’s 2019 Grid Modernization Lab Call.