2024 Spring Technical Workshop

Presentations from our 2024 Spring Technical Workshop held in Tucson can be downloaded below.

Recordings of each of these sessions are now available here on the ESIG YouTube Channel.

---

Tutorial: Electromagnetic Transient Analysis Simulation Tools
Moderator: Julia Matevosyan, Chief Engineer, ESIG

Introduction & Industry Need; Identification of Need for EMT Studies and EMT Study Scope; Data Intake and Organization; System Model Construction and Quality Assurance; Simulations; Analysis and Actions/Mitigations
Julia Matevosyan, Chief Engineer, ESIG
Lukas Unruh, Lead Studies Engineer, Electranix
Matthew Richwine, Founding Partner, Telos Energy

Available Tools (PSCAD)
Mathias Pielahn, EMT Simulation Specialist, PSCAD (Canada)
Jessie Lapsley, System Studies Engineer, PSCAD (Canada)

EMTP Overview
Anton Stepanov, Research & Development Specialist, EMTP (Canada)

Accelerating Large-scale IBR Integration Studies in Real-time Using HYPERSIM
Shijia Li, Director – Team Lead – Power Systems, Opal-RT Technologies (Canada)

Available Tools Overview
Paul Forsyth, VP Marketing & Sales, RTDS Technologies Inc. (Canada)

Introduction & Keynote Comments

Keynote: A New Paradigm for System Control
Deepak Divan, Professor and Director of Center for Distributed Energy, Georgia Institute of Technology

Industry Overview
Charlie Smith, Executive Director, ESIG

Opening Plenary Session: Grid Forming Technology Applications
Chair: Julia Matevosyan, Chief Engineer, ESIG

GFM Technology and Project Specifications
Frank Berring, Head of Business Development, Large Scale, SMA America

Are All GFM Controls Created Equal? – Lessons Learned
Lukas Unruh, Lead Studies Engineer, Electranix

GFM BESS Project Development Experience and Future Plans
Amit Barnir, Vice President, US – Network Infrastructure, Zenobē

Integration of GFM Solutions for Compliance on Plant Level
Benjamin Braun, Principal Engineer Power Systems Control, Fluence (Germany)

Session 2: Markets for Transmission
Chair: Aaron Bloom, Executive Director Transmission, NextEra Energy

Interprovincial Planning in Canada
Madeleine McPherson, Assistant Professor, University of Victoria (Canada)

Large-scale Transmission Expansion: What’s the Prognosis?
Ross Baldick, Professor, University of Texas at Austin

Regional Transmission Planning Reforms
Matthew Christiansen, General Counsel, FERC

Regulatory Options for Improvement of Interregional Transmission Investment Signals
Joshua Macey, Assistant Professor, University of Chicago

Session 3A: Transmission Expansion Studies

Transmission Expansion Studies
Chair: Juliet Homer, Senior Energy Research Engineer/Analyst, PNNL

Context, Resource Adequacy and HOT Paths
David Palchak, Manager and Research Engineer, NREL

Economic Analysis: Benefit-cost of Portfolios and Regional Insights
Amy Rose, Energy Analyst, NREL

Zonal-to-nodal: National Transmission Plans and Production Cost Modeling
Jarrad Wright, Senior Researcher, NREL

System Security: AC Power Flow
Nader Samaan, Chief Engineer and Team Lead (Grid Analytics), Electricity Security Group, PNNL

Session 3B: Grid Forming Technology Developments
Chair: Jason MacDowell, Chief Systems Integration Officer, ESIG & GE Energy Consulting

BESS Applications – Project Examples, Grid Forming, and Augmentation
Prashant Kansal, Sr. Staff Power Systems Engineer, Tesla

Beyond Inertia Capabilities for Grid of the Future
Sam Maleki, Senior Principal Power Systems Engineer, Electric Power Engineers

Stabilize High-IBR Power Systems with Grid-Forming Inverters
Shuan Dong, Researcher, NREL

GFM Inverter Hardware Testing
Shahil Shah, Principal Engineer, NREL

Session 4A: Resilience
Chair: Josh Novacheck, Transmission Planning Engineer, NextEra Energy Resources

Operational Impacts of Extreme Weather Events
Stephen George, Director, Operational Performance, Training & Integration, ISO New England

Extreme Events and Transmission Analysis in Probabilistic Modeling
Megan Pamperin, Strategic Assessments Engineer, MISO

Resilience and Transmission Task Force
Ryan Deyoe, Power Markets Specialist, Telos Energy

Forward Looking Extreme Weather Datasets
Casey Burleyson, Scientist, PNNL

Session 4B: Virtual Power Plants

Virtual Power Plant Considerations (SMUD Snapshot)
Chair: Obadiah Bartholomy, Manager, Distributed Energy Strategy, SMUD

VPP – Planning and Operating a Utility Asset
Angela Long, CEO, Rockcress Consulting

Cost and Value of VPPs
Ryan Hledik, Principal, The Brattle Group

VPP Participation Models: What is the Objective?
Elaine Hale, Senior Research Engineer, NREL

Session 5A: Transmission Interconnection Process
Chair: Julia Matevosyan, Chief Engineer, ESIG

GFM Battery Application for Weak Grid Conditions in the Chilean Power System
Anton Stepanov, Research & Development Specialist, EMTP (Canada)

Grid Interconnection Process – Lessons from Australia
Jarman Stephens, Co-founder, gridmo (Australia)

i2X Transmission Roadmap
Cynthia Bothwell, Technology Manager/Grid Integration Engineer, Boston Government Services, contractor to US Dept. of Energy

Near-term Solutions to New Generator Interconnection
Sarah Toth, Senior Associate, Rocky Mountain Institute

IBR Interconnection Requirements, Latest Developments
Julia Matevosyan, Chief Engineer, ESIG

Session 5B: Resource Adequacy
Chair: Bethany Frew, Group Manager, Capacity Expansion & Electricity Markets Group, NREL

RA Metrics and Criteria
Derek Stenclik, Founding Partner, Telos Energy / ESIG RA Task Force Lead

A Comparison of Three Different Reserve Margin Methods in the Context of an Island System
Arne Olson, Senior Partner, Energy and Environmental Economics, Inc.

Evolution of Probabilistic Modeling and Need for Revised Risk Metrics for Resource Adequacy
Durgesh Manjure, Sr. Director, Resource Adequacy Planning, MISO

A Probabilistic Approach to Resource Adequacy Assessment
Anaisha Jaykumar, Reliability Engineer, SERC Reliability Corporation

European Resource Adequacy Assessment (ERAA) 2023 – Methodology and Results
Ralph Pfeiffer, Asset Management – Head of National and European Grid Planning Processes, Amprion GmbH (Germany)
Marlene Petz, System Development – Team Lead System Adequacy, Austrian Power Grid AG (Austria)

Session 6: Price-based Demand Flexibility
Chair: Lisa Schwartz, Sr. Policy Researcher and Strategic Advisor, LBNL

Price-based Demand Response as a Resource in System Planning
Juan Pablo Carvallo, Research Scientist, LBNL

Price-Based Demand Flexibility
Jason Klotz, Sr. Manager Distribution Resource Planning, Strategy & Engagement, Portland General Electric

Dynamic Pricing – AgFIT Pilot
Mitch Sears, Executive Officer, Valley Clean Energy

Real Time Pricing Lessons Learned and PG&E New Hourly Flex Pricing Pilots
Robert Kasman, Dynamic Rates Product Manager, PG&E

Session 7A: System Planning
Chair: Leah Kaffine, Director, Fundamentals, Pattern Energy Group

Integrated System Planning Process at Xcel Energy
Steve Martz, Vice President, Integrated Planning, Xcel Energy

ERCOT Reliability, Economic and Resiliency Planning
Prabhu Gnanam, Director, Grid Planning, ERCOT

How Do the Answers Change if You Study 100% Clean Energy vs 100% Clean Electricity?
Jeremy Hargreaves, Principal, Evolved Energy Research

Decoupling the Value of Energy Storage
Carlo Brancucci, Co-founder & CEO, encoord

Session 7B: DER
Chair: Bryan Palmintier, Manager: Transmission and Distribution Interactions Group, NREL

Integrated System Planning with a DER Perspective
Greg Adams, Technical Executive Consultant, EPRI

Harnessing the Power of Consumer Flexibility
Tom Breare, Global Head of Partnerships, Kraken (United Kingdom)

Dynamic Operating Envelopes
Brad Smith, Smart Energy Lead, GRIDSIGHT (Australia)

Analyzing the Reliability of Distributed PV Plus Storage
Juan Pablo Carvallo, Research Scientist, LBNL

Session 8A: System Oscillations
Chair: Mark O’Malley, Leverhulme Professor of Power Systems, Imperial College London

A System Oscillation Reference Guide
Nick Miller, Principal, HickoryLedge

System Oscillation History in the GB System
Xiaoyao Zhou, Operability Policy Manager, Networks, National Grid ESO (UK)

Managing System Oscillations in the ERCOT System
Yunzi Cheng, Manager, Operations Stability Analysis, ERCOT

Analysis of Oscillations in AEMO’s West Murray Zone
Shahil Shah, Principal Engineer, NREL

Damping System Oscillations with IBR Controls
Vahan Gevorgian, Chief Engineer, NREL

Session 8B: EV Impacts on Electrification
Chair: Sean Morash, Principal, Telos Energy

ESIG Grid Planning for Vehicle Electrification Task Force Report
Sean Morash, Principal, Telos Energy

Applications of AI to Managing EV Charging Loads
Mike Ting, Sr. Product Manager, Itron

Utility Planning for Distribution-Optimized Electric Vehicle Charging
Kyle Garton, Head of Product, WeaveGrid

Revolutionizing Grid Dynamics: Distributed AI for Electric Vehicles
YC Zhang, Vice President of Product Solutions, Utilidata

Turning EV Load into a Flexible System Resource
Nick Morelli, Expert Stategic Analyst, Pacific Gas & Electric

Closing Plenary Session: Plant Retirement Planning – A Panel Discussion
Chair: Paul Sotkiewicz, President & Founder, E-Cubed Policy Associates

Framing the Discussion
Paul Sotkiewicz, President & Founder, E-Cubed Policy Associates

Solution: Keeping a Gas Plant Without Running It
Matt Schuerger, Senior Fellow, ESIG

Solution: Reliability Standards
Mark Olson, Manager, Reliability Assessments, NERC

Solution: Transmission Buildout and RMR Contracts
David Lapp, Maryland Office of People’s Counsel

Solution: Storage
Paul Denholm, Sr. Energy Analyst, NREL

Solution: Demand Flexibility
Debbie Lew, Associate Director, ESIG

 

---