Travel: 19th Conference on Probabilistic Methods Applied to Power Systems

This NSF project aims to provide travel support for the U.S.-based students and speakers to attend the 19th International Conference on Probabilistic Methods Applied to Power Systems (PMAPS), which will be held in Salt Lake City, Utah from September 21 to September 24, 2026. The intellectual merit of this project includes facilitating interaction and discussion between U.S. based students and prominent researchers and speakers in an international conference that has a dedicated focus on probabilistic methodologies and applications to power systems. The broader impacts of this project include increasing awareness in academia and industry on the need for innovative approaches to planning and operating power systems that need to remain dependable under the combined pressures of emerging technologies, complex demand patterns, and extreme natural hazards. PMAPS is the premier biennial international conference on power grid reliability and resilience that creates an interactive environment for researchers, students, and application engineers for the presentation of innovative research that supports the reliable operation of power grids. PMAPS 2026 is hosted by The University of Utah, in partnership with the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC), and centers its theme on Reliable Power Grids in the Age of AI and Large Loads, calling on participants to advance probabilistic methods that integrate AI-enabled forecasting, control, and decision-making with traditional reliability assessment. PMAPS 2026 will highlight innovative approaches to planning and operating power systems that remain dependable under the combined pressures of emerging technologies, complex demand patterns, and extreme hazardous events. 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.