{"id":43140,"date":"2026-01-11T21:26:11","date_gmt":"2026-01-12T02:26:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cise\/?p=43140"},"modified":"2026-01-11T21:26:53","modified_gmt":"2026-01-12T02:26:53","slug":"cise-fall-workshop-charts-course-for-intelligent-resilient-power-grids","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cise\/cise-fall-workshop-charts-course-for-intelligent-resilient-power-grids\/","title":{"rendered":"CISE Fall Workshop Charts Course for Intelligent, Resilient Power Grids"},"content":{"rendered":"

The challenge of delivering reliable, resilient, and sustainable power in the 21st century is growing, driven by the integration of renewable energy, new electric loads, and the increasing threat of severe weather.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To address these critical issues, the Center for Information & Systems Engineering (CISE) and the BU Division of Systems Engineering<\/a> co-sponsored a pivotal workshop, \u201cA Roadmap for Intelligence and Resilience in Power Grids,\u201d to forge a roadmap for modernizing power systems.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"The event aimed to develop a shared strategy to address practical challenges in power infrastructure and resolve critical technical and societal challenges in modern power systems.<\/span><\/p>\n

The workshop successfully gathered leading experts from academia, industry, national laboratories, and government agencies to explore transformative strategies for upgrading power grids. Discussions focused intently on identifying technological gaps and potential solutions for several key challenges.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The ultimate aim of the workshop was to foster lasting collaborations among Boston University, other academic institutions, grid operators, and industry that could lead to large-scale, impactful projects and initiatives to modernize the power system.<\/span><\/p>\n

Professor Emiliano Dall\u2019Anese<\/a> (ECE, SE), one of the workshop\u2019s organizers, opened the day with remarks on the day\u2019s goals. He added that he hoped the day would motivate collaborators to work towards a cleaner environment and to take a convergent approach to research to make an impact.<\/span><\/p>\n

Professor Elise Morgan<\/a> (ME, MSE, BME), Dean of BU\u2019s College of Engineering, expressed her excitement about the future of the ideas under discussion.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe need for sustainability work is being questioned, and growing polarization is fueling skepticism and cynicism about alternative energy technologies and even science in general,\u201d she said. \u201cBut alongside the unease that this precarious moment brings, I also feel hope.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cScientific ideas have never needed anyone’s permission to form, and research communities like the ones that many of you participate in have shown incredible resilience in nurturing those ideas and bringing them to fruition,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"Digaunto Chatterjee, Senior VP of Engineering at Eversource, then addressed the need for electric infrastructure buildout for a sustainable future, focusing on the Greater Boston system.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He highlighted significant challenges, including aging grid infrastructure, rising costs, and the need to navigate complex policy and regulation. Achieving net-zero goals requires critical projects such as new substations, and Chatterjee stressed the need for a streamlined, inclusive process to overcome siting challenges.<\/span><\/p>\n

Florian D\u00f6rfler, professor at the Automatic Control Laboratory at ETH Z\u00fcrich, discussed the control of power-electronics-dominated power systems, essential for a distributed energy future. He noted that challenges with Inverter-Based Resources (IBRs) are now widely recognized and require bridging research between power systems, power electronics, and control theory.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A key issue is interoperability, as vendors implement different interfaces and current grid codes lag. To ensure stability, he proposed applying the principle of passivity and translating old step-response grid codes into clearer frequency-domain reference behavior.<\/span><\/p>\n

An ensuing “Super Session on Control of Future Power Systems” followed, diving deeper into Grid-Forming (GFM) Inverters:<\/span><\/p>\n