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Topics covered by the Reliability Working Group include dynamic system modeling, grid codes/interconnection requirements as well as interconnection process and studies, interoperability of equipment and controls, system disturbances, system interactions, weak grids, low or zero inertia power systems, grid forming converters, and electrical system standards.

Members of the Reliability Working Group are encouraged to interact with one another via Groups.IO, an online discussion platform and community network. The ESIG Resource Library is also a valuable tool for those seeking information on Reliability, as well as other topics.

Links to both can be found below:

 

 

 

(Please note: only members of ESIG may participate in the Working/Users Groups. If you are interested in membership, please email us at info@esig.energy)

Working Group Chair: Jason MacDowell, GE Energy Consulting
Jason MacDowell is Senior Director – Technology, Strategy & Policy at GE Energy Consulting. Jason brings over 22 years of energy industry experience, where he has worked with a broad range of governments, policy makers, grid companies and generation owners around the world.

High Share of Inverter-Based Generation Task Force

The objective of this task force is to develop an understanding of system need and the options for stable operation of future power systems with a very high share of inverter-based generation like wind, solar and storage, and a roadmap for making the transition from the power system of today to a future one dominated by inverter-based generation, working with research organizations, OEMs, and system operators to build a consensus.

Current work underway:

  • Next Step: Exploring needs and capabilities for integration of planning processes and studies

Ongoing work:

Completed work:

Task Force Lead: Julia Matevosyan, ESIG
Julia Matevosyan is ESIG’s Chief Engineer and has more than 20 years of experience in the power industry.

Stability Project Team

Objective:
The objective of this PT is to identify stability issues related to major grids reaching high levels of IBR penetration. The effort is centered on stability issues that are substantively altered or aggravated by the differences between IBR and synchronous resources. The project team will investigate oscillations that have been observed or are anticipated in grids with IBR, and identify gaps in our understanding that should be addressed in future R&D efforts.

Approach:
There are broad systemic stability issues, such as small signal stability, first swing transient stability and voltage stability. The PT will start with consideration of the latest IEEE stability definitions, but not be unduly constrained by them. The participants will refine the current understanding with respect to high IBR systems. The PT will focus on the stability issues that are most impacted by high levels of IBR and of highest importance to the industry and FSOs.

Efforts will include investigation of stability margins, metrics and indicators of approach to stability limits. The G-PST Pillar 1 Tool Inventory will be used as a starting point in the identification of tools for analysis, root cause assessment, and planning functions.

Deliverables:
Deliverable will include a report summarizing the current experience, state-of-the-art understanding and gaps, and synopsis of available tools and techniques as a basis for future R&D. A Policy Brief summarizing the results for policy makers will be prepared, and a webinar summarizing the results for a technical audience will be presented.

Completed Work:

Project Team Lead: Nick Miller, HickoryLedge LLC
Nick Miller is an internationally known power system engineer, with specialty in integration of wind and solar generation to bulk power systems. 

Reliability Services Task Force

Objective:
The objective of this task force is to identify new services needed in a power system with high IBR.

Approach:
This work will draw from and build on two previous reports, the G-PST Pillar 1 System Needs and Services for Systems with High IBR Penetration report and ESIG’s Grid Forming Technology in Energy Systems Integration. The G-PST work identified how system needs are changing with increasing levels of IBRs and declining amounts of synchronous generation, while ESIG’s report developed a framework for solving a “chicken and egg” problem involving deployment of new inverters with advance controls termed grid forming.

The framework will identify a target system (in terms of target IBR penetration) with target reliability, and operating parameters; determining needs of such systems, and formulating these needs as services that are either procured through markets or required through interconnection codes. Definitions of services and methodologies to identify amounts of each service that are needed will be developed. A test system(s) will be used to conduct a number of case studies to understand when existing services become insufficient and new services are needed, and how to specify these new services.

Deliverables:
A report summarizing the findings of this work and providing recommendations for the specification of new services and methodologies around determining service amounts will be prepared.  A Policy Brief summarizing the results for policy makers will be prepared, and a webinar summarizing the results for a technical audience will be presented.

Project Team Lead: Deepak Ramasubramanian, EPRI
Deepak Ramasubramanian is a Technical Leader at the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) in the Grid Operations and Planning Group.

GFM Testing Project Team

A number of requirements for GFM capabilities have been defined with some requirements at a very high level e.g., HECO and UNIFI, while others are providing more detailed technical specifications e.g., NGESO in Great Britain in their grid code change GC0137. This project team will examine the question of how to test for such requirements and demonstrate expected performance. This project will demonstrate how to verify the expected performance from inverters with advanced controls for various high-level requirements that are being defined by the industry (using both frequency scans and time-domain characterization). The purpose of this project team is to provide more clarity to the industry on meaning of these requirements and behavior sought as well as provide some guidance on possible testing and verification procedures. It may also inform development of the future interconnection requirements for advanced inverter controls.

Project Team Lead: Shahil Shah, NREL
Shahil Shah is a senior engineer for grid integration at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, CO.

Benefits of GFM BESS Project Team

Objective:
The objective of this project is to conduct detailed electromagnetic transient (EMT) studies on a real-world, interconnected power system to explore the benefits, opportunities, challenges, and considerations of adopting grid forming (GFM) battery energy storage systems (BESS) at-scale. The studies will explore, using an actual network with real models from original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), the following core questions:

  • Is GFM BESS a “do no harm” solution option that provides grid-stabilizing benefits to both weak and strong areas of the grid?
  • What are the benefits or challenges of adopting GFM BESS on a widespread basis?
  • Will there be any notable interactions or interoperability challenges with GFM BESS technologies across multiple OEMs?
  • Can GFM BESS help defer more costly solution options and lead to increased integration or less curtailment of renewables?

Approach:
EMT studies will be conducted with a partner utility, American Transmission Co. (ATC), using their actual network and scenarios loosely based on their interconnection studies. The study team will develop scenarios and sensitivities in different zones of the ATC system to explore the questions described above. The studies will be held confidentially among the core study team; however, results will be shared in a genericized and anonymized manner with the broader project team to help guide the study, discuss key findings, explore additional sensitivities or scenarios, and to help craft the key messages regarding findings and recommendations from this work. The project team will meet periodically to hold informational meetings, hear from a wide array of stakeholders, and to share lessons learned.

Deliverables:
Deliverables will include a public informational webinar at the end of 2024 that highlights the key findings, takeaways, and recommendations from the studies conducted. Additionally, the project team will develop and publish a high-level policy brief intended for decision makers, policymakers, and regulatory bodies. The project team will also conduct educational outreach and briefings to key entities at the conclusion of the work.

Supporting Presentation:
History of BESS (and IBRs) in Alaska: Some historical perspectives, by Nick Miller, HickoryLedge LLC

Project Team Lead: Ryan Quint, Elevate Energy Consulting; Andrew Isaacs, Electranix Corporation
Ryan Quint is the Founder and CEO of Elevate Energy Consulting with 15 years of experience in grid dynamics, IBR risk mitigation, and energy regulation; Andrew Isaacs is Vice President at Electranix with over 20 years experience leading EMT studies and tackling some of industry’s most challenging IBR-related stability challenges.

Interconnection Innovation e-Xchange (i2X)

ESIG supports the Interconnection Innovation e-Xchange (i2X) led by U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) and Wind Energy Technologies Office (WETO). This initiative convenes diverse stakeholders involved in the interconnection of solar energy, wind energy, and energy storage resources to facilitate peer-learning and knowledge exchange and inspire new interconnection ideas and capabilities. i2X is supported by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL).

Interconnecting solar energy, wind energy, and energy storage resources to the grid requires navigating complex regulatory structures and technical impact assessments, which vary by jurisdictional authorities of the distribution or transmission grid systems. Current interconnection procedures are not designed to accommodate the deployment of hundreds of gigawatts of solar and wind energy resources needed each year to meet clean energy goals.

For further information visit https://www.energy.gov/eere/i2x/about-interconnection-innovation-e-xchange-i2x

2022 – 2023 i2X work culminated in the Transmission Interconnection Roadmap published in April 2024. The roadmap identifies solutions to enable interconnection processes to meet the growing demand for renewable energy resources from the rapid, widespread clean energy transition. This roadmap provides the diverse group of interconnection stakeholders with near- to long-term solutions to address current challenges in transmission system interconnection.

i2X Forum for the Implementation of Reliability Standards for Transmission (i2X FIRST).

To ensure the reliable and secure operation of clean energy resources connected to the electric grid, a harmonized and comprehensive state of interconnection standards is needed. Relevant standards address such issues as inverter-based generator capabilities, expected performance, and cybersecurity requirements. Some of these standards, such as IEEE-2800, have been developed, but still need to be widely adopted and implemented. Other standards, as well as procedures for assessing and verifying plant conformity with them, have yet to be developed.

ESIG in collaboration with Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and LBNL is supporting the U.S. Department of Energy in launching the Forum for the Implementation of Reliability Standards for Transmission (i2X FIRST) to facilitate the adoption of new and recently updated standards relevant for interconnected clean energy resources like solar and wind energy. The Forum will convene industry stakeholders to enable easier and more harmonized implementation of these interconnection standards. i2X FIRST will address the solutions related to interconnection standards (4.2 to 4.9) that were identified in the DOE i2X Transmission Interconnection Roadmap.

i2X FIRST Meeting Schedule

  1. May 28th, 2024, 11 a.m.- 1 p.m. ET: Introduction of Evolving Standards Landscape
  2. June 25th, 2024, 11 a.m.- 1 p.m. ET: IEEE2800 Ride Through Requirements
  3. July 30th, 2024, 11 a.m.- 1 p.m. ET: IEEE2800 Ride Through Requirements, OEM Perspective
  4. August 20th, 2024, 11 a.m.- 1 p.m. ET:
  5. September 24th, 2024, 11 a.m.- 1 p.m. ET:
  6. October 24th, 2024 hybrid, full day, during ESIG Fall Workshop, Providence, RI: Conformity Assessment
  7. November 26th, 2024, 11 a.m.- 1 p.m. ET:
  8. December 17th, 2024, 11 a.m.- 1 p.m. ET:
  9. January 28th 2025, 11 a.m.- 1 p.m. ET:
  10. February 25th 2025
  11. March 20th, 2025 hybrid full day event during ESIG Spring Workshop, Austin, Texas

Sign up for all future i2X FIRST Meetings here: https://www.zoomgov.com/meeting/register/vJItceuorTsiErIC-HInpPbWuTUtrYQAuoM#/registration

Follow DOE i2X FIRST website: https://www.energy.gov/eere/i2x/i2x-forum-implementation-reliability-standards-transmission-first for meeting materials & recordings and for future meeting details & agendas

Integrated System Planning

The Integrated System Planning (ISP) Task Force provides a platform for planners, system operators, researchers, and consultants to discuss, work through, and advance the integration of electric system planning for generation, transmission, distribution, and load.  The task force also reviews and provides feedback on draft work product for the integrated planning guidebook that is under development.

The ISP Forum provides an opportunity for all who are interested to learn about best practices, tools, and data for integrated electric system planning.  The forum organizes presentations covering recent examples of integrated planning, examples of tools that can link together to provide integrations, and industry needs and research gaps.

ISP Lead:  Matt Schuerger, Senior Fellow, ESIG
Matt Schuerger is ESIG’s Senior Fellow.  Matt has 40 years of experience in the energy industry, as an engineer, a senior manager, and a regulator, focused on reliability, integrated planning, and distributed energy resources. 

COMING SOON! Large Load Task Force

*Led by Reliability Working Group with support from the System Planning Working Group and System Operation and Market Design Working Group

The Large Load Task Force will focus on large loads (also called step loads) and the challenges and solutions associated with ensuring these loads are planned efficiently and operated in ways that are economically efficient and support grid reliability. These new loads include data centers, hydrogen production, industrial heat electrification, EV fleet charging and others. This is a hot issue for utility planners who are struggling to forecast future load, for transmission planners who are struggling to build infrastructure in a timely fashion, for system operators who are seeing large loads disconnecting during a fault and potentially causing instabilities, for large load owners struggling through the interconnection and transmission planning process or who want access real-time prices, etc. This Task Force will address load forecasting, interconnection processes, interconnection performance requirements, modeling requirements, transmission planning, market participation models and resource adequacy.