Grid management

The challenge

In the developed world, electric grid operators aspire to deliver power at greater than 99.9% reliability. Meeting this standard requires overcoming many challenges, such as ensuring sufficient energy supply; managing capacity, load, and demand; maintaining infrastructure; and protecting against physical and cyber threats.

In the developing world, it can be difficult to provide consistent electricity even when a grid exists. These challenges can be as fundamental as a lack of power generation capacity or basic grid infrastructure. Almost everywhere, grid management practices implemented in response to regulatory policies, severe weather, the addition of renewable power sources, changing demand, and the addition of large loads like data centers often have a direct impact on the affordability of electricity.

Our impact

MITEI sponsors faculty and researchers across the Institute who analyze and develop the technical and policy aspects of grid management. 

Our areas of research include:

• Planning grids to meet future power demands
• Integrating new loads and power generation
• Optimizing capacity expansion for grid resilience
• Analyzing distributed vs. centralized energy resources
• Managing widespread electrification and shifting demand
• Interactions between the grid and flexible assets (for example, data centers, e-transportation)
• Building resilience to cyberattacks, weather events, and grid interruptions
• Designing electricity markets and rate structures