Tutorials & Panels

As inverter-based resources (IBRs) and distributed energy resources (DERs) dominate the modern grid, new challenges and opportunities emerge in stability, resilience, and cybersecurity. This panel highlights cutting-edge research and practical insights into the integration of IBRs, development of intelligent grid-forming inverters, and the use of physics-informed analytics for risk and stability assessment. Attendees will learn how emerging technologies are reshaping resilience strategies for the evolving power system.

This panel will explore the growing impacts of large industrial and commercial loads on U.S. power systems. Experts from utilities, ISOs/RTOs, and industry will discuss integration challenges, operational reliability, and market opportunities related to high-impact large loads, including those driven by electrification, oil and gas, data centers, and manufacturing. The session will highlight technical requirements, grid planning considerations, and evolving market frameworks to ensure reliable and efficient integration of these emerging large loads.

Featuring utility practitioners and grid engineers on the front lines, this panel will highlight how trustworthy, actively maintained models unlock the full potential of next-generation grid solutions. Key discussion points include: (i) How model fidelity shapes renewable hosting capacity, voltage management, and protection coordination. (ii) The hidden complexities of secondary network modeling: unbalanced loads, dynamic phasing, and behind-the-meter generation. (iii) Why synchronization delays between field changes and model updates threaten reliability. (iv) Real-world case studies: Utilities modernizing modeling across planning, operations, and real-time systems. (v) Emerging solutions: Automated model synchronization, sensor validation, and digital twin architectures. (vi) The ripple effects of poor models: How they undermine AI, forecasting, and advanced power flow analytics.

The rapid growth of large electricity loads, the proliferation of demand-side flexibility, and the increasing role of grid-scale storage are reshaping utility planning and operations. This panel brings together experts from utilities, consulting, and academia to share perspectives on how power systems can adapt to these shifts. Panelists will discuss practical challenges, emerging opportunities, and the role of innovative tools and strategies in ensuring reliable, efficient, and sustainable grid operation.

This panel brings together leading experts to discuss critical aspects of SiC power device technology and its role in powering the age of intelligence: (i) Barriers to SiC Power Device Commercialization — Exploring the technical, economic, and supply-chain challenges that limit widespread SiC adoption. (ii) SiC Device Packaging — Addressing reliability, thermal management, and innovative packaging solutions essential for unlocking SiC’s full potential. (iii) Powering the Age of Intelligence — Doubling Power Density for a Sustainable Future — Highlighting how WBG devices are enabling disruptive improvements in power density, efficiency, and sustainability for next-generation intelligent systems.

This tutorial will provide an introduction to VR technologies, covering both hardware platforms such as Meta Quest and HTC Vive, and software tools including Unity, Unreal Engine, and OpenXR, with a focus on integration with power system simulation packages like MATLAB/Simulink, PSCAD, and DIgSILENT. We will explore the role of VR in power engineering education through 3D visualization of phasors, power flow, and stability phenomena, as well as VR labs where students can build and operate virtual power grids and engage with gamified learning modules. The tutorial will also highlight applications of VR in grid operations and training, including immersive control room and SCADA interfaces, outage management, field crew safety, and real-world use cases from utilities and independent system operators (ISOs). A hands-on demonstration will showcase a live VR module for power flow and fault simulation, along with a step-by-step walkthrough of building a simple VR scene in Unity integrated with power system data, with opportunities for attendee participation using headsets when available. Finally, we will discuss research and future directions such as coupling VR with AI and digital twins, enhancing cyber-physical security training through VR, and identifying new opportunities for collaboration and funding.

This is a 3-hour tutorial introducing participants to AI concepts that have been used in power electronics and power systems in the past three decades, still very contemporary and useful for the current time. Participants will understand the why and how of how control systems evolved towards AI based, where heuristics versus data modeling are applicable, principles of Fuzzy Logic and Neural Networks, with two case studies showcasing power electronics with Python and Matlab. At the end of the workshop the participants will have a clear understanding of what is a Fuzzy Logic and Neural Networks Toolset, when to use them, and how to start their research and functional developments towards better performance in the integration of power systems with power electronics for renewable energy applications.