The Grid Event Signature Library: An Open-Access Repository of Power System Measurement Signatures

The power grid is undergoing massive changes, driven by the need to improve both reliability and resiliency, as well as meeting goals intended to combat climate change. Many solutions to such problems will require vast amounts of data. Almost all measurement, control - and in the future, artificial intelligence (AI) - systems utilize sensing mechanisms designed to capture, transmit, or even act on voltage and/or current measurement parsing and characterization. In this paper, a free, open-access online repository of such grid signatures is presented with the intent of encouraging open sharing of power grid data for the development of artificial intelligence and data-driven applications to meet the goals of tomorrow’s grid. Known as the Grid Event Signature Library, or GESL, this Department of Energy-funded endeavour has seen a growth of over 200 users worldwide since its inception.