Guest Editorial Special Section on Cloud Computing in Smart Grid Operation and Management

The future power network will be designed to accommodate and integrate all types of distributed renewable energy resources, storage units, and flexible demand response loads in the existing conventional grid. Also it should be able to perform intelligent energy management utilizing advancement in computation and communication to cater the needs of ever growing energy demand in secure manner. This leads the transition of conventional power grid into smart grid. However, performance of the smart grid utilizing automated, intelligent, and integrated functional blocks with widely interconnected distributed energy resources is dependent on advanced communication network, sensors, computing, and information technologies. There is a need for reliable and efficient communication network and computing infrastructure for the robust, affordable, and secure supply of electric power through smart grid operation. This Special Section has accepted altogether seven research manuscripts depending on the novelties and problems that they address. The paper are briefly summarized here.