On an Information and Control Architecture for Future Electric Energy Systems

Abstract

This paper presents considerations towards a control architecture for future electric energy systems driven by massive changes resulting from the societal goals of decarbonization and electrification. A historical perspective is provided on the role that architecture and abstractions have played in other technological systems such as the Internet, serial computation, and communication systems. For power systems, we present a viewpoint of architecture as the organization of multiple control loops aligned with the entities involved, as well as taking advantage of time-scale and spatial scale separations. New requirements and challenges in designing the set of control loops required for future electric energy systems are substantiated from a temporal and spatial scale perspective. Finally, we articulate key desirable control loops that can enable decarbonization of the electricity sector. We thereby argue that the present architecture of electric power grids designed in a different era is indeed extensible to allow the incorporation of increased renewables.