September 2025 Newsletter Edition

G-PST’s Research Agenda: What’s Changing and How to Contribute

Each year, the Global Power System Transformation Consortium (G-PST) revisits our Research Agenda to ensure we continue to focus on and tackle the right problems. First published in 2021, the Agenda reflects the most pressing technical priorities identified by our system operator participants. In 2025, we have been working with dozens of operators across all regions and system archetypes to take a fresh look and refine our priorities.

For example, the original Agenda addressed distributed energy resources (DERs) within several topic areas, including system restoration (black start). Since then, operators have shown growing interest in using DERs to provide services at the transmission level. In 2023, G-PST launched a DER task force with both transmission and distribution operators to explore this space and pinpoint where members can deliver high-impact insights and solutions. In the 2025 Research Agenda, DERs now have a dedicated section.

This kind of sharpening is seen across the full set of research priorities. The 2025 Research Agenda is organized into six sections that capture the most urgent and forward-looking challenges facing system operators today:

• Inverter-based resources
• Stability
• Distributed energy resources
• Control room of the future
• Services
• Planning

We invite your input to help shape the details and prioritization of these research topics. We are also eager to learn more about your organization’s current focus areas and technical expertise.

If you are interested in contributing, please do not hesitate to reach out to our team.

Karin Wadsack
Director, Global Power System Transformation Consortium

Featured News

The Real-Time Phasor Analytics framework provides a standardized format for receiving and processing phasor measurement unit data for use by downstream applications.

New Tools for Operators: Real-Time Phasor Analytics and System Strength Assessment

Two open-source tools that make it easier for system operators to monitor grid conditions in real time and strengthen decision-making are now available through G-PST. The Real-Time Phasor Analytics (RTPA) framework provides a straightforward way to collect and analyze data from Phasor Measurement Units (PMUs) and Phasor Data Concentrators (PDCs).

Designed to follow the IEEE C37.118-2 standard, RTPA can connect to multiple PDCs at once, handle asynchronous data streams, and even simulate a PDC server. With Python bindings included, operators and analysts can interact with the framework directly in a familiar environment, making advanced phasor data analysis more accessible without requiring specialized coding skills.

Complementing this framework, the RTPA-SCR System Strength Online Tool uses PMU data to estimate the short circuit ratio (SCR) of a bus in the system. SCR is an important indicator of how strong or stable the grid is at a given point. Unlike traditional offline methods, this tool captures real-time interactions between the system and inverter-based resources, giving operators a more accurate and immediate view of system strength. Together, these tools help operators turn raw phasor data into actionable insights, supporting more reliable operations and better situational awareness.

Learn more about these tools: RTPA and RTPA-SCR Online Tool.

Access the RTPA tool and more on G-PST’s GitHub: github.com/G-PST/RTPA-core.

Smarter Alarms for a Safer Grid: SCADA Enhanced Alarm Intelligence Tool

In the control room, an alarm in SCADA serves as the first line of defense, alerting operators to deviations in system operations and prompting corrective action. But what happens when operators face not one alarm, but 1,000 in a single hour? When every signal claims urgency, the result is “alarm fatigue,” a flood of alerts that overwhelms staff, dulls response times, and can obscure the alarms that truly matter. During emergencies such as extreme weather or sudden operational challenges, alarm fatigue can have serious consequences.

To address this, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is developing the SCADA Enhanced Alarm Intelligence Tool (SEA-IT) with support from the U.S. Department of Energy. Building on NREL’s eGridGPT prototype, SEA-IT will apply machine learning to classify system states, filter non-actionable alarms, and correlate critical alerts with recommended mitigation steps. Dynamic dashboards will provide operators with situational awareness and decision support, reducing cognitive strain and enabling faster, more effective action when it counts most.

G-PST is supporting this effort by ensuring meaningful engagement with system operators worldwide. Partners will be offered one-on-one deep dives on the new capability, as well as opportunities to participate in global and regional webinars and other forums where the tool and its applications can be demonstrated. These activities will allow for broad feedback and collaboration, strengthening the impact of the project. By pairing artificial intelligence with human expertise, and amplifying results through G-PST’s global network, SEA-IT aims to make the control room safer, more reliable, and more resilient.

For more information or to express interest in a deep dive, contact our team.

EPICS and G-PST Partner to Advance the Future of Power Systems

G-PST is working closely with the EPICS Center to deliver practical solutions that strengthen the reliability, efficiency, and adaptability of power systems worldwide. This collaboration, led by Johns Hopkins University, Imperial College London, and the University of Melbourne with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), connects world-class research directly to the needs of system operators.

Over the past two years, EPICS and G-PST co-hosted milestone meetings in Washington, D.C. and Copenhagen that brought together utilities, regulators, and researchers to launch joint research and analysis projects, which are already producing results. EPICS researchers are also working with G-PST system operator partners the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) and the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) on new approaches to energy storage management that improve operational decision-making under uncertainty. At the same time, projects with the UK’s National Energy System Operator, and other G-PST system operator partners, are advancing stability tools for inverter-based resources, technologies that are rapidly becoming central to modern grids.

EPICS teams are also addressing how market structures, planning tools, and operations can better serve consumers while managing emerging technologies. With direct input from G-PST research and implementation councils, these projects ensure that innovations move quickly from theory to application. Education programs are expanding these impacts further by connecting students and early-career researchers with G-PST experts and industry mentors, building a skilled workforce to support future system operations. Together, G-PST and EPICS are accelerating innovation that makes power systems more reliable, resilient, and responsive.

Learn more about these activities on the EPICS web page.

Spotlight on the 2025 Women in Power System Transformation Interns at EPRI

The Women in Power System Transformation (WPST) Initiative is a global effort under G-PST to expand technical and leadership career opportunities in the energy sector. By supporting hands-on research experiences, mentorship, and international collaboration, the program builds the next generation of talent that will help ensure more reliable, resilient, and efficient power systems.

This year, two WPST interns joined the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and supported projects that combine advanced research with practical applications for industry.

Yashika Paharia

Yashika Paharia – Biomimicry for Energy Innovation: Originally from India, Yashika Paharia is pursuing her master’s in Aerospace Engineering at Arizona State University after earning her bachelor’s degree in the same field. With a passion for applying design and engineering at the intersection of aerospace and mechanical systems, she is exploring how natural systems can inspire stronger, more efficient energy solutions. Her project, Nature-Inspired: Strategic Biomimicry Innovation in Energy, highlights practical lessons from case studies such as wind turbines modeled after owl feathers, water-saving panels based on desert beetles, and software platforms inspired by swarm intelligence. By examining how utilities can adopt biomimicry as a framework, Yashika’s work provides pathways to improve efficiency and adaptability while supporting innovation that benefits industry.

Rachael Ejemen Josephs

Rachael Ejemen Josephs – Advancing Hydrogen System Reliability: Rachael Josephs, a Ph.D. student in Energy Engineering at the University of North Dakota, brings expertise in renewable hydrogen production and storage with a focus on turning excess wind generation into long-duration energy solutions. At EPRI, she is working with the Technology Innovation and Strategic Insights teams to strengthen hydrogen system reliability. Her project, Understanding Electrolyzer Degradation Pathways and System Performance, applies artificial intelligence to data from more than 40 manufacturers, building predictive models of system performance and offering strategies to reduce equipment degradation. By providing a foundation for a standardized performance reporting framework, Rachael’s work supports the development of more resilient and cost-effective hydrogen technologies.

Both Yashika and Rachael are engaging directly with EPRI researchers and the G-PST community, ensuring their contributions reflect the real challenges and opportunities facing today’s power systems.

Visit G-PST’s WPST web page to learn more and explore opportunities to get involved. 

Noteworthy Events

Global System Operations Summit in Berlin

G-PST is joining 50Hertz Transmission GmbH in hosting a series of high-level technical workshops in Berlin, Germany, in September 2025 that will bring together leaders and innovators in system operations from around the world. The program will open with the Modular Control Centre System (MCCS) Checkpoint 25 at the 50Hertz Control Center in Neuenhagen, featuring Elia Group’s annual session on Modular Control Center Software. Immediately following, the Global System Operations Summit will take place at 50Hertz headquarters in central Berlin.

This international forum will provide a unique space for system operators and technical experts to exchange practical lessons, explore digital transformation in control centers, and discuss innovation priorities for the years ahead. Highlights will include sessions on topology optimization, lessons learned from global grid-forming projects, and the latest testing and performance insights from real-world plants.

Stay tuned for outcomes from this event and for future opportunities to join the dialogue.

Workshop Outcomes on Multi-Model Workflows for Integrated System Planning

In February 2025, G-PST, together with Breakthrough Energy, Sequoia Climate Foundation, the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), and the Energy Systems Integration Group (ESIG), convened more than 40 experts, including representatives from three power system operators, for a two-day workshop on multi-model workflows for integrated system planning.

Discussions highlighted both the challenges of moving data between diverse tools and the opportunities of creating common data frameworks that reduce manual effort, improve data portability, and encourage innovation. Key takeaways included broad agreement on the value of integrated planning, the importance of dataset portability across a wide set of models, and the potential for near-term wins such as reusable tools and standardized input and output formats. Follow-on collaboration is now underway through G-PST’s Pillar 5 on Open Data and Tools.

Explore the full set of workshop presentations and outcomes: Multi-Model Workflows Workshop Materials.

G-PST and ACE Convene ASEAN Community of Practice and BESS Workshop

In May 2025, G-PST partnered with the ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE) to host the inaugural ASEAN Community of Practice and Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) Workshop in Pasay City, Philippines. The event brought together more than 100 system operators, policymakers, regulators, and technical experts from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to strengthen regional collaboration on shared power sector priorities.

Over three days, participants engaged in technical exchanges on power system planning, cross-border electricity trading, and battery energy storage deployment. Discussions highlighted regional and international best practices, identified common technical and regulatory challenges, and explored practical solutions to advance renewable energy integration and modernize power grids. G-PST experts contributed international perspectives from the United States and Australia, supporting knowledge sharing on integrated system planning, interregional coordination, reserve sharing, and the role of BESS in enhancing grid flexibility and reliability.

To carry this work forward, participants established three thematic working groups that will continue collaboration in these priority areas. Each group will develop technical papers, capacity-building programs, and knowledge products to harmonize planning practices, improve regulatory alignment, and advance technology deployment across the ASEAN region.

For further detail on the discussions, insights, and next steps identified during the workshop, see the ACE event recap and full G-PST presentation.

Recorded Trainings

EMT Modeling and Testing Session with Nova Scotia Power – The session highlights Nova Scotia Power’s development of EMT study capabilities, moving from no established processes to a comprehensive framework within a few years. Presenters demonstrate model documentation and test scripting in PSCAD, and discuss how these resources support peers and align with the recent NERC alert on inverter-based resource modeling. Nova Scotia Power followed this up with a training on their EMT model validation protocols. Access the recording.

G-PST/ESIG Webinar: P2X and Future Sector Coupling in Denmark – Denmark plans to build a highly integrated and sector-coupled energy system to reach climate neutrality by 2045. This session explores the R&D pathways needed as wind, solar, and Power-to-X technologies transform system dynamics and operations. Access the recording.

Speaker: Anders Bavnhøj Hansen, Chief Engineer, Energinet

G-PST/ESIG Webinar: Moving Beyond SCR – Updating Our Stability Screening Methods – Traditional short-circuit ratio methods are increasingly unreliable for assessing stability in systems dominated by inverter-based resources. This webinar introduces the Dynamic Impedance Method, a simpler yet scalable alternative that balances accuracy with practicality. Access the recording.

Speakers: Matthew Richwine, Telos Energy; Nick Miller, HickoryLedge LLC

G-PST/ESIG Webinar: Ireland and Northern Ireland’s Operational Policy Roadmap 2025 to 2035 – EirGrid and SONI present their updated roadmap for operating with higher shares of non-synchronous renewables. The discussion covers new initiatives, policy updates, and long-term targets to achieve electricity sector decarbonization by 2035. Access the recording.

Speakers: Dave McGowan, SONI; Simon Tweed, EirGrid

G-PST/ESIG Webinar: Comprehensive Study of Impact of IBR Controls on Transmission Line Protection Elements – This study explores how inverter-based resource control strategies affect relay behavior in transmission line protection. The speakers highlight which factors have little impact and which, like current control and limiting, can significantly change outcomes. Access the recording.

Speakers: Brian K. Johnson, University of Idaho; Jing Wang, NREL

G-PST/ESIG Webinar: Reliable Energy Forecasting for Power System Operations – Reliable short-term forecasting is critical for low-carbon power system operations. This webinar presents methods to handle missing data in real-time and a smart predict-and-optimize approach that ties forecasts directly to operational decisions. Access the recording.

Speakers: Akylas Stratigakos, Imperial College London; Wangkun Xu, Imperial College London

G-PST/ESIG Webinar: CIGRE Green Book “Power System Dynamic Modelling & Analysis in Evolving Networks” – The session provides an overview of the CIGRE Green Book on dynamic modeling under high inverter penetration. It highlights updated stability concepts, modeling needs for different system components, and emerging enablers like AI and probabilistic analysis. Access the recording.

Speakers: Babak Badrzadeh, Etik Energy; Zia Emin, EPRI