pwr_february-2025 - 9

GRID RELIABILITY
improved grid stability. This integrated
approach allows for a more efficient,
resilient power grid, especially during
times of increased demand or extreme
weather events. "
Smith listed what he called " key enhancements "
to improve the overall reliability
of electricity transmission and
distribution, including decentralizing grids.
" Traditional centralized grids are vulnerable
to cascading failures during
extreme weather events, like major
hurricanes and heatwaves, which are
becoming more prevalent. Switching to
a decentralized model, which includes
incorporating distributed generation resources
[such as renewables] closer to
demand points, improves resilience, "
said Smith. The Itron executive also
noted the importance of leveraging intelligent
grid edge solutions. " Integrating
distributed intelligence into utility
systems enables grid
sectionalization,
allowing power to be rerouted automatically.
This reduces outages by leveraging
real-time data to detect anomalies more
efficiently than manual inspections. "
The use of distributed generation is
helping provide additional power apart
from centralized power plants. Advanced
metering infrastructure is helping
monitor power usage in real-time,
and supporting demand response programs.
And then there are efforts to
combat the problems associated with
keeping the lights out during extreme
weather events.
" At the top of the list for transmission
and distribution is grid hardening and
modernization, " said Young. " Utilities
are replacing aging infrastructure with
weather-resilient materials, and deploying
smart grid technologies such as automated
reclosers, which isolate faults
and reroute power almost instantly, reducing
outages. The growth in smaller
energy sources, such as rooftop solar
and batteries, has been supported by
distributed energy resource management
systems [DERMS] that aggregate
them to provide stability to the grid in
times of peaks or emergencies. Future
technologies, like grid-forming inverters,
will stabilize grids with high renewable
penetration, controlling voltage and
frequency independently and acting as
virtual power plants. "
Itron's Smith said, " EV [electric vehicle]
charging stations are an increasingly
valuable resource that can be quickly
repurposed before and during grid failures
to provide grid services and backup
power, respectively. Additionally, EV batFebruary
2025 | POWER
2. Upgrades to the power delivery system in Morris County, New Jersey, got underway in December
2024. The construction is part of Jersey Central Power & Light's New Jersey Reliability
Improvement Project. Courtesy: First Energy / Jersey Central Power & Light
teries within vehicles, specifically within
larger vehicles like buses, offer a robust
source of energy storage. These batteries
can be tapped during outages to enhance
grid resilience and maintain power
for critical operations, making them an
essential component in modernizing grid
infrastructure to cope with outages. "
Deloitte's Keefe said that reinforcing
physical infrastructure is another important
step. " Strengthening, upgrading,
and hardening key components,
such as power lines, substations, and
transformers, can not only help handle
higher loads but also reduce transmission
losses and improve resiliency and
energy delivery efficiency, " said Keefe.
" A few states have signed bills mandating
that utilities consider grid-enhancing
technologies as a shorter-term solution
in their IRPs [integrated resource
plans]. Replacing outdated transformers
with high-efficiency models can cut energy
consumption by up to 12%, further
boosting grid efficiency. "
Keefe added, " Deploying grid-enhancing
technologies and advanced conductors
to add capacity and flexibility to the
existing transmission system [improves]
transmission reliability. These technologies
offer a cost-effective way to expand
capacity compared to rebuilding
transmission lines. Upgrading to high-efficiency
conductors can minimize transmission
line losses by 10% to 20%. "
Keefe also noted how model predictive
control (MPC) technology can support
reliability. " MPC uses a mathematical
model to predict future system behavior
within a set timeframe. It is popular
in power electronics for managing constraints,
multiple inputs and outputs, and
nonlinearities. Unlike other control methods,
MPC explicitly considers system
constraints and optimizes control actions
over a prediction horizon. This results in
better performance, lower energy consumption,
and increased reliability in
www.powermag.com
power electronic applications. In renewable
energy systems like photovoltaic
[PV] and wind energy, MPC can optimize
power extraction and facilitate maximum
power point tracking [MPPT]. It also coordinates
multiple energy sources, storage
devices, and loads to ensure optimal
performance and reliability. "
Grid Projects
Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L),
a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp., in
December began construction on infrastructure
upgrades designed to enhance
electric reliability for customers in three
Morris County communities in New Jersey
(Figure 2). The work, scheduled to
be completed in October of this year,
is part of JCP&L's New Jersey Reliability
Improvement Project, which is an
element of the company's rate review
settlement approved by the New Jersey
Board of Public Utilities in February
2024.
Equipment
enhancements
will
take place along more than five miles of
power lines in Chester, Washington, and
Roxbury townships.
Doug Mokoid, FirstEnergy's president
for New Jersey, in a statement said: " The
upgrades we're making under the New
Jersey Reliability Improvement Project
are part of our commitment to providing
safe, reliable electric service for all
our customers. These improvements, in
particular, target areas where customers
have experienced some of the most frequent
outages in recent years. "
The New Jersey Reliability Improvement
Project is a two-phase effort to
enhance reliability for customers on
high-priority lines selected based on
historical outage data. The first phase,
which includes at least $95 million in upgrades,
is set to be completed over the
next three years, according to FirstEnergy.
The second phase, which includes
longer-duration projects, is expected to
be completed by year-end 2028.
9

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