Guest Editorial Special Issue on Analysis, Control, and Optimization of Energy Networks

This special issue of the IEEE Transactions on Control of Network Systems (TCNS) contains original contributions which identify and solve the emerging challenges in power systems and, more generally, in complex energy networks. Thirty papers were selected with contributions in rigorous methods and algorithms as well as in computational heuristics which bridge the growing chasm between legacy energy systems and the future complex, math-validated, and physics-enabled engineered networks. The accepted papers address manifold of theoretical and computational challenges in network control, optimization, and big data of energy systems. The proposed solutions contain sound theory and scalable algorithms and software implementable in practical systems. Emerging theoretical and computational methods for the analysis, control, and optimization of energy systems, mainly power systems but also natural gas systems, are the main theme of papers in the special issue. The majority of accepted papers focus on methods which are informed by underlying physical flows, are aided by data, and mitigate increasing uncertainty. Topics covered in the special issue include: 1) tractable outer and inner approximations for feasible domains of network operations; 2) chance constrained and robust optimization and control of networks under uncertainty; 3) voltage and frequency stability and control of power systems at all levels; 4) worst-case, emergency analysis and control of power systems; 5) operation and uncertainty aware network expansion and asset-management methods; 6) co-operations and optimal design of energy markets (of power and natural gas networks); 7) joint statistical modeling and reconstruction of loads, renewable generation, components failures, and costs of service interruptions; 8) control and optimization for demand response technology; We would like to mention that this special issue only provides a snapshot of the emerging field on energy systems modeling, optimization, and control. Due to standard page limits, we include a rather small number of papers. As a result, despite our best efforts, its coverage is by no means complete nor comprehensive. In particular, we were not able to identify solid contributions relevant specifically to such important components of energy systems as those related to district heating/cooling.