The Emerging Interdependence of the Electric Power Grid & Information and Communication Technology

Technical Report · Sat Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 2015

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/1221500· OSTI ID:1221500

Taft, Jeffrey D. ^[1]; Becker-Dippmann, Angela S. ^[1]

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1. Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

This paper examines the implications of emerging interdependencies between the electric power grid and Information and Communication Technology (ICT). Over the past two decades, electricity and ICT infrastructure have become increasingly interdependent, driven by a combination of factors including advances in sensor, network and software technologies and progress in their deployment, the need to provide increasing levels of wide-area situational awareness regarding grid conditions, and the promise of enhanced operational efficiencies. Grid operators’ ability to utilize new and closer-to-real-time data generated by sensors throughout the system is providing early returns, particularly with respect to management of the transmission system for purposes of reliability, coordination, congestion management, and integration of variable electricity resources such as wind generation.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 1221500
• Report Number(s): PNNL-24643; WC0100000
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English