Planning a reliable electricity system means ensuring supply can efficiently meet the demand of growing populations and economies, as new loads come online, and investment flows into a widening range of generation technologies. Many options exist for meeting that demand and choosing among them requires understanding how different sources of generation will interact in future…
Distribution planning has traditionally relied on snapshot studies, where planners model feeder peak demand under normal conditions (N – 0) and contingency conditions (N – 1) to identify thermal overloads and voltage violations. Based on these assessments, utilities typically pursue conventional infrastructure upgrades such as reconductoring, load transfers, feeder additions, or substation expansion [1]. This approach was…
Images generated by AI using OpenAI tools. For illustrative purposes only. Why conventional distribution planning is under pressure Conventional distribution system planning refers to the long-term process utilities use to decide when and where to build or reinforce feeders, transformers, substations, and related assets. The first stage of this process is known as System Assessment,…
Reliable smart charging requires forecasting the charging behavior of EVs. Deep learning algorithms could present a solution. However, deep neural networks (DNNs) require a large number of samples for training. Although there are available datasets for EV charging, such data is not available for newly committed EVs with limited historical charging records. Therefore, forecasting the…
AI Data Centers and the Grid: Where the Research and Practice Gaps Still Are
Energy storage systems are increasingly recognized as uniquely flexible grid assets. Technically, they can inject and absorb power rapidly, respond to contingencies, support voltage, reduce overload risk, and help defer or complement conventional wires investments. That broad capability is part of why FERC Order No. 841 [1] required RTOs and ISOs to establish participation models…
The Rise of Distributed Energy Resources Electric power systems (EDS) are changing rapidly. The growth of distributed energy resources (DERs), such as rooftop solar panels, battery storage, and small-scale generators, is transforming the traditional EDS. Consumers are no longer passive users but are becoming prosumers who both consume and produce energy. While this shift introduces new flexibility and innovation to the…
Heatwaves, cold snaps, tornadoes, earthquakes, are you hearing these terms in the news more often, or have personally experienced an impactful weather event? In 2025, Alberta alone faced some serious weather events that disrupted communities, forced evacuations, ravaged infrastructures, and left people without power. The power system is not immune from the threats of extreme…
Quantum computing has been marketed as the next great computational revolution. A technology capable of reshaping materials science, leading to drug discovery, disrupting cryptography, helping in discovering new batteries, climate mitigation strategies, optimizing global energy systems [1-6], or supposedly cracking optimization problems that have resisted decades of classical computing, if you believe the brochures. Quantum…