IEEE Power & Energy Magazine - November/December 2021 - 4

Ning Lu and Steve Widergren
balancing clean energy
the shift to a dominant-renewable future
I
4
IN AUGUST, THE SUMMER
Olympics wrapped up af -
ter a year's delay due to
the pandemic. The games
featured reminders that we
live in interesting times. A
shot cracked at the start
of each event, while we in
the audience focused on the
competitors' performance.
In the background, we heard
the muted cheers of attendees
and gazed at eerie stadiums
full of empty seats.
Besides dealing with the
BACKGROUND-©SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/PANACEA DOLL. SOLAR PANELS-©SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/LOVIN
impacts of COVID-19, the Olympics
em phasized sustainability-sensitive initiatives
for a zero-carbon footprint: procuring
100% of the games' electricity from
renewable resources and 99% of their
goods from recycled and reused material.
This included lightweight, recycled cardboard
beds and mattresses made from
recyclable polyethylene fibers as well
as medals melted down from gold, silver,
and bronze in old mobile phones. Hydrogen
fueled the Olympic flame, while
electric people movers carried athletes
around the Olympic Village.
The games remind us of the diversity
of humanity and the beauty achieved
through personal and team dedication to
goals of excellence shared among people
around the globe. While all nations do
not yet embrace a unified agreement,
there is a growing consensus on the need
for clean energy to power a sustainable
Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/MPE.2021.3104123
Date of current version: 18 October 2021
ieee power & energy magazine
future. The electric power system is central
to enabling such a goal. The theme
of transitioning to a clean energy future
is a thread woven into previous issues
of IEEE Power & Energy Magazine. This
issue explores the implications
of shifting to
a system dominated by
renewable resources. It
highlights the concerns
that those charged with
power system operations
and planning must address
to integrate and reliably
operate this system.
In This Issue
The complexion of power
systems operations
and planning is changing
as solar and wind generation
resources replace
fossil fuels. Simultaneously,
the electrification
of fossil-based end
Besides
dealing with
the impacts
of COVID-19,
the Olympics
emphasized
sustainabilitysensitive
initiatives
for
a zero-carbon
footprint.
uses is increasing the system load. Photovoltaic
and wind resources are inverterbased,
variable generation. Their voltage
and frequency control mechanisms are
fundamentally different than those of synchronous
machines with
a large spinning mass. A
transition from fossil fueldominated
power systems
requires rethinking operating
principles and planning
processes that have
become engrained in grid
management. New, unfamiliar
operating paradigms
can threaten power
system reliability and
stability. High-renewable
system integration issues,
exacerbated by increasing
electricity demand,
deserve careful study with
early remedies to avoid
dramatic socioeconomic
impacts.
november/december 2021
editors' voice
IEEE Power & Energy Magazine - November/December 2021

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