Architecting distributed digital twins of power grids

By leveraging Digital Twins, the power grid is expected to better accommodate the increased demands from the ongoing electrification of society, driven by the energy transition. Digital Twins can improve operations, maintenance and design of the grid by providing more insight into past (trends), present and (potential) future states of the grid. DTs support the evolution of the grid towards a Cyber Physical Energy System that can respond faster and more effectively to unexpected situations. However, in addition to introducing beneficial enhanced grid capabilities, the addition of DTs to the electricity system also potentially carries risks due to the increased of chance of anti-patterns that come with the of the application of Information and Communication Technology on a large geographical scale across multiple organizations. This paper examines those specific risks, using a lens shaped by decades of experience with distributed systems architectures. We provide guidelines aimed at mitigating both the likelihood and potential impact of these risks.