A Bi-Level Approach for Networked Microgrid Planning Considering Multiple Contingencies and Resilience

As natural disasters and abnormal weather phenomena continue to cause damage to power systems, resilience has become a critical characteristic for future power grids. While microgrids (MGs) have been studied as a potential source of resilience, previous research has mainly focused on operational strategies to improve the resilience of existing MGs. This study proposes a planning approach for a gas-electric-based integrated multi-energy system that includes a microgrid to enhance the power grid's resilience against serious failures. The approach includes an operational process to achieve a specific resiliency level at the lower level, and a bi-level optimization method that considers cost effects at the upper level. The proposed method uses mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) to establish the operational process based on the required resilience level and determine the optimal location for each asset in the microgrid. The effectiveness of the proposed method is evaluated using the IEEE 33 Bus test system in various severe failure scenarios. The results demonstrate that the proposed planning approach can effectively enhance the resilience of power grids through the integration of microgrids, and the bi-level optimization method can provide an optimal solution while considering the cost-effectiveness of the microgrid.