DOE Announces Investment for Resilience, Reliability of Nation's Energy Infrastructure

Today, the U.S. the Department of Energy released a US$5.8 million funding opportunity announcement (FOA) to support the research and development (R&D) of advanced tools and controls that will improve the resilience and reliability of the United States' power grid. Under this FOA, DOE's Office of Electricity (OE) Transmission Reliability Program will seek applications that explore the use of big data, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning technology and tools to derive more value from the vast amounts of sensor data already being gathered and used to monitor the health of the grid and support system operations. The projects funded by this FOA will shape future development and application of faster grid analytics and modeling; better grid asset management; and sub-second automatic control actions that will help system operators avoid grid outages, improve operations, and reduce costs. "A strong and resilient power grid is vital to America's security, economy, and modern way of life," said U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry. "This investment in rapid, technology-driven innovation pushes the limits farther than we can imagine, and marks another important step in ensuring the reliable and secure flow of energy that Americans rely on every day."