Data-Driven Engineering: The Reliability and Resilience of the North American Bulk Power System [Technology Leaders]

Electricity is an essential need for modern society. Nearly everything we do relies on safe and affordable electric energy. The constant demand for reliable energy delivery exists during a time of rapid changes to and evolutions of the bulk power system (BPS) in North America. Inverter-based resources, such as wind, solar photovoltaic (PV), battery energy storage systems, and hybrid plants, continue to transform the mix of BPS-connected generating resources. Sustainability and climate change initiatives are driving innovations in end-use loads, such as the electrification of the transportation sector. Distributed energy resources (DERs), aggregators, and the Internet of Things are pushing consumers of electric energy toward becoming prosumers in our electrical ecosystem. The persistent threat of cyberattacks on the electrical infrastructure by cybercriminals and nation-states is bringing attention to securing the BPS. These challenges are significant, yet the common themes toward how to overcome them may be more straightforward: Collaboration is key, information sharing is critical, technology innovation is inevitable, and engineering decisions require adequate data to develop appropriate solutions.