1. Technology Transformation: Power System Challenges
Dennis Ray
Executive Director Power Systems Engineering Research Center
Woodrow Wilson Energy Forum March 8, 2007

2. Key Points Innovation is happening with PCS (pretty cool stuff).
Challenges facing the industry will require continual innovation.
People are going to be needed
to work on innovations
to make innovations work
Policies interact with technology innovation decisions – sometime positively, sometimes not.

3. Synchronized System-Wide Sensing

4. New Uses of Synchronized Data

5. Vegetation Management through Intelligent System Monitoring

6. More Efficient Restoration Plans
Generation
Transmission
Distribution
Obtain a
coordinated restoration
plan
Constraints
Measurements
Operator experience
Objectives

7. Integration of Plug-In Hybrids

8. Robust generation & transmission
Microgrid Enhanced Distribution
Demand Response
Distribution
Substation
Customers
Transmission
Microgrid
Robust generation & transmission
Advanced distribution is used to provide local reliability and flexibility, robustness of T&D and promote the use of demand response, CHP and renewable intermittent resources.

9. Role of Policy-Making in Technology Innovation
Are regulators really bystanders?
What about the clash of good intentions?
Keep costs low objectives and legal requirements for allowing only prudently occurred costs
Flexibility to take technology risks and support research
What about state/regional planning?
Forecasts of generation, loads, resources, transmission, etc. to determine investment needs.
Where does a technology vision fit in?

10. Conclusions
Collaboration among industry, govern-ment, and universities is needed to educate the next generation of power engineers.
Regulators should consider how their everyday decisions influence industry decisions to take technology risks.
Industry and policy-makers should have more conversations about technology vision alternatives, and the influence of policy on those alternatives.