Adapting Existing Energy Planning, Simulation, and Operational Models for Resilience Analysis

Resilience is a topic receiving much attention in relation to energy systems, with particular attention being paid to the supply of electricity. Within the context of the electricity system, definitions of resilience encompass holistic concepts that emphasize preparing for, absorbing, adapting to, and recovering from interruptions in electricity supply (White House 2013; DHS 2013; Hotchkiss and Dane 2019; Watson et al. 2014; Stankovic and Tomsovic 2018). Recent research has focused on understanding the resilience of the electricity sector to a core set of disruptions, which reflects (1) the economy’s increased dependence on electricity, (2) multiple emerging threats to the system …

Grid Vision: The Electric Highway to a 21st Century Economy

Electricity is the lifeblood of the modern U.S. economy, yet much of America’s electric grid is outdated and in dire need of investment and expansion to bring it into the 21st Century. The American Society of Civil Engineers recently gave America’s electricity infrastructure a mark of “D+,” and grid congestion and power outages cost American businesses billions of dollars each year.

To better understand the best way to update and invest in the grid, and any associated consumer benefits, the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) undertook a literature review that examines building out the country’s transmission infrastructure. This paper finds …

BEYOND THE FENCE LINE: Strengthening Military Capabilities Through Energy Resilience Partnerships

The Department of Defense (DoD) is increasingly reliant on electric power for critical national defense missions. Domestic
military installations are connected to the civilian electric grid, which is under threat from more frequent and extreme
weather events, aging and outdated infrastructure, and cyber and physical attacks from determined adversaries. In response,
DoD and the military services have issued strong energy resilience policies and developed dozens of energy resilience
and distributed energy projects.

In order to scale the deployment of energy resilience projects to secure critical missions, DoD will have to continue and expand partnerships with states, communities, regulators, utilities and …

Microgrids: A review of technologies, key drivers, and outstanding issues

Microgrids are now emerging from lab benches and pilot demonstration sites into commercial markets, driven by technological improvements, falling costs, a proven track record, and growing recognition of their benefits. They are being used to improve reliability and resilience of electrical grids, to manage the addition of distributed clean energy resources like wind and solar photovoltaic (PV) generation to reduce fossil fuel emissions, and to provide electricity in areas not served by centralized electrical infrastructure. This review article (1) explains what a microgrid is, and (2) provides a multi-disciplinary portrait of today’s microgrid drivers, real-world applications, challenges, and future prospects.…

Power System Resilience: A Primer

The issue of ‘resilience’ of the power system—including how to best define, measure, and ensure it—has
garnered substantial attention in recent months. The energy policy community turned its collective focus
to resilience issues following the devastating electric grid failures in Puerto Rico as a result of Hurricane
Maria, as well as the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) September 2017 proposal of the Grid ResiliencyU
Pricing Rule. DOE submitted the proposed rulemaking to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) with the stated purpose of expeditiously bolstering the grid’s resilience and reliability. The proposal called for tariff changes to ensure the recovery …

Smart grid governance: An international review of evolving policy issues and innovations

The electric power systems of many industrialized nations are challenged by the need to accommodate distributed renewable generation, increasing demands of a digital society, growing threats to infrastructure security, and concerns over global climate disruption. The “smart grid”—with a two-way flow of electricity and information between utilities and consumers—can help address these challenges, but various financial, regulatory, and technical obstacles hinder its rapid deployment. An overview of experiences with smart grid governance policies in pioneering countries shows that many governments have designed interventions to overcome these barriers and to facilitate grid modernization. Smart grid policies include a new generation of …

Discussion Summary: Investing in a Resilient Grid – Paul Tonko (D-NY-20)

Paul Tonko (D-NY-20), Member of the U.S. House of Representatives, hosted a Discussion at OurEnergyPolicy.org (OEP) on the federal government’s role in addressing grid resilience. Here is a snapshot of the perspectives offered by OEP’s community of energy professionals.…

Digitizing the Grid: Next Steps on Policy

Digitization means applying recent advances in digital technology such as electronic devices or data and information systems, to improve the technical and economic performance of real activities, systems, businesses, and organizations. The Bipartisan Policy Center launched the Digitizing the Power Sector initiative to better understand the challenges and opportunities of digitization as applied to one of our nation’s most complex and vital infrastructure systems: the electricity grid.

The electric power sector is changing rapidly, enabled by digitization. Government officials at all levels are grappling with how to maximize the benefits and minimize the costs. The goal of this paper is …

Small Modular Reactors: Adding to Resilience at Federal Facilities

Small Modular Reactors: Adding to Resilience at Federal Facilities (this “Report”) expands on the January 2017 report entitled Purchasing Power Produced by Small Modular Reactors: Federal Agency Options (the “Initial Report”). The Initial Report focused on assisting federal agencies to identify options to participate in the purchase of power produced by small modular reactors (“SMRs”), the structure and issues with financing an SMR, and the unique issues that federal agencies face when making power purchase decisions. The Initial Report identified how federal agencies can purchase SMR-produced power through long-term agreements (over thirty (30) years) by using the Utah Associated Municipal …

Evaluation of the DOE’s Proposed Grid Resiliency Pricing Rule

Brattle Principals Metin Celebi, Judy Chang, Marc Chupka, Sam Newell, and Ira Shavel authored a report that supported comments a diverse coalition of energy companies submitted to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in response to Secretary of Energy Rick Perry’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (DOE NOPR). The NOPR would place eligible coal and nuclear units under cost-of-service tariffs within regional transmission organizations (RTOs) and independent system operators (ISOs) with energy and capacity markets.

The report which was filed with the comment on October 23, 2017, noted that:

There is no evidence demonstrating that RTOs/ISOs need to subsidize resources with