Department of Energy Announces Investment to Improve Resilience and Reliability of the Nation’s Energy Infrastructure

FUNDING WILL EXPLORE THE USE OF BIG DATA, ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, AND MACHINE LEARNING TECHNOLOGY TO LEVERAGE THE POWER OF GRID SENSORS

WASHINGTON, D.C. – (RealEstateRama) — The U.S. the Department of Energy (DOE) released a $5.8 million funding opportunity announcement (FOA) to support the research and development (R&D) of advanced tools and controls that will improve the resilience and reliability of the nation’s power grid. Under this FOA, DOE’s Office of Electricity (OE) Transmission Reliability Program will seek applications that explore the use of big data, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning technology and tools to derive more value from the vast amounts of sensor data already being gathered and used to monitor the health of the grid and support system operations.

The projects funded by this FOA will shape future development and application of faster grid analytics and modeling; better grid asset management; and sub-second automatic control actions that will help system operators avoid grid outages, improve operations, and reduce costs.

“A strong and resilient power grid is vital to America’s security, economy, and modern way of life,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry. “This investment in rapid, technology-driven innovation pushes the limits farther than we can imagine, and marks another important step in ensuring the reliable and secure flow of energy that Americans rely on every day.”

Advanced sensors known as phasor measurement units (PMUs) provide time-synchronize measurements of electric power system values using GPS satellites. The resultant synchrophasor data provides system operators with a near real-time snapshot of the grid’s operating status. To date, PMUs have been deployed at over 2,500 locations across the nation’s bulk power electric systems for wide-area monitoring, power system planning, and forensic analysis of grid disturbances. The PMUs have given grid owners and operators unprecedented quantities of data detailing the condition of the grid. Robust tools are now needed for the analysis and discovery of the actionable information hiding within the growing amounts of PMU data so that future PMUs can contribute even more to the operation and design of a more resilient and secure electric system.

This FOA builds on DOE’s efforts with the private sector to continue improving the resilience and security of the nation’s energy infrastructure. It will expand the development and adoption of energy technologies that will help ensure a more secure, resilient, and reliable electricity system. The due date for submitting an application is November 9. More information on the FOA is available HERE.

More information about DOE’s efforts to ensure the nation’s energy infrastructure is secure and able to recover rapidly from disruptions is available HERE.