Planning: Planning-DCL-EPSCOR: CPS Frontier: Next-Generation Power Systems to Enhance Energy Resilience for Rural Communities

Modern society is increasingly dependent on regional distribution networks to electric power long distances. However, these systems are vulnerable to disruptions from fires, windstorms, snowstorms, or even cyberattacks. Improving community resilience requires installation and management of localized energy sources. To ensure stable operation both when connected to the larger power grid and when isolated during disturbances requires an integrated control and communication system. This project enables planning for a large-scale research project in the areas of advanced microgrids to meet future community needs and driving scientific engagement between researchers, local stakeholders and industry to increase resilience of electric power for communities. This project seeks to form an institutional framework for multiple universities in EPSCoR jurisdictions, national labs, and industrial partners to collaborate, to research and design resilient next-generation power systems. The research goal is to integrate and manage energy from varied sources including energy storage, solar, wind, geothermal, and nuclear sources efficiently, reliably and securely. By engaging in advanced and applied research, the team advances new microgrids that offer low-cost, disaster-resilient, and cyber-secure power generation that will enhance community resilience to man-made and natural disasters and enhance workforce development in communities. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.