Workshop Overview

The Workshop featured 12 Expert Speakers focused on the theme "Are YOU smart enough for the Smart Grid?". Attending the workshop were 40 power electronic industry experts, managers and decision makers interested in learning of the challenges faced by their industry in addressing the Smart Grid. The Keynote Speaker was Clark Gellings, Lifetime Fellow of the EPRI. Clark led the workshop with an introduction to the Grid as it is today, covering History, and challenges that face the grid. Topics that came after covered the Management of the Grid, Drivers of Change to the Grid, What is the Smart grid, Evolving Loads on the grid, Communications for the grid, Cyber security issues for the grid, Grid Stability issues, Energy Storage status and research, Autonomous Response, Changes to the end-user equipments, and ways to optimize system performance. Invited Speakers for the workshop included:

Dr. Khaled Abdul-Rahman of California ISO
Don Von Dollen of EPRI
Dennis Symanski of EPRI
Dr. Jian Sun of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Harley Garrett of SCI Systems
Jonathon Pollett of Red Tiger Security
Dr. Greg Smedley of One Cycle Control
Dr. Satish Rajagopalan of EPRI
Ed Herbert of PSMA
Dr. Conor Quinn of Emerson Network Power
Dr. Keyue Smedley of University of California - Irvine

The full day of presentations and panel discussions provided a comprehensive view from the experts in attendance of the existing grid, the future Smart Grid, and the challenges facing the Power electronics Industry. High points in the day came as revelations to many who were not familiar with Cyber Security concerns, Energy Renewable source issues and the lack of solutions today. A summary of the key information and future challenges discussed during the very full day was presented by the Keynote Speaker Clark Gellings.

The Steering Committee for the workshop, led by Ed Herbert, worked for several months in formulating, the theme, appropriate topics, and identifying expert speakers who were willing to participate. All the speakers generously took time from their busy schedules to prepare and participate in this event.

The workshop, including full presentations, Panel discussions and, for the first time speaker narrative, will be available in a report to be issued by PSMA and EPRI. The report will be available to attendees, members of PSMA and EPRI and will be available in print or soft copy version.

Provided by Doug McIlvoy, Power Electronic Strategies, Workshop Moderator

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