Optimal Fisher Information Equivalency for Power Grid Integration of Renewable Energy

Our present electric power grid maximizes spinning inertia of fossil fuel generators (inherent energy storage) to meet stability and performance requirements. Our goal is to begin to investigate the replacement of the large spinning inertia of fossil fuel generators with energy storage systems (ESS) including information flow as a necessary part of the renewable energy sources (RES) and subject to certain criteria. General criteria metrics include: energy storage, information flow, estimation, communication links, central versus decentralized, etc. Our focus is on evaluating the Fisher Information Equivalency (FIE) metric as a multi-criteria trade-off cost function for the minimization of ESS options and information flow. This paper begins with a formal conceptual definition of an infinite bus. Then a simple example of a One Machine Infinite Bus (OMIB) system with a Unified Power Flow Controller (UPFC) to demonstrate the FIE-based approach to minimize the ESS. A second more detailed example of several spinning machines are included with representative power electronic and ESS for RES that are attached to the electric power grid. A simple trade-study begins to highlight requirements to support large penetration of RES. Keep in mind for a large scale high penetration of RES will require large investments in ESS which we want to minimize.