Only Connect: Microgrids for Distribution System Restoration

Electricity infrastructure is the cornerstone of every industrialized nation in the world. As the utility grid ages and the demand for electricity grows, the impact of major interruptions of the electricity infrastructure will be more intense. Costly power outages throughout the world caused by natural disasters such as floods and hurricanes have highlighted the importance of reinforcing the electricity infrastructure. A recent study conducted for the U.S. Department of Energy indicated that sustained power interruptions (those lasting more than 5 min) in the United States incur costs of more than US$26 billion dollars annually. Power outages caused by Hurricanes Sandy and Katrina in the United States threw into notice the crucial role of smart grid technology and the need for further investments in more comprehensive data communication and distribution management systems, distributed energy resources, energy storage facilities, additional automation, and further migration toward decentralized operations for the largely centralized power grid.