The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, Inc. (ERCOT) announced that it is partnering with the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES) to develop detailed generic dynamic models of large grid loads — such as data centers, crypto and electrolyzers — and how they change their power output during and after a period of grid disturbances (e.g., faults and other power quality events). The partnership is part of ERCOT’s recently announced Grid Research, Innovation, and Transformation (GRIT) program.
“Most of the large loads range from tens to hundreds of megawatts and are based on power electronics technology,” said Prashant Kansal, ERCOT director of grid transformation. “This represents a similar shift to what has been seen in the change from conventional generation to inverter-based generation — only at a much larger scale for loads – and will introduce complexities and new ways in which they interact with the grid.”
With the significant growth of large loads on the grid, ERCOT is collaborating with TEES to accelerate the development of generic models for various conceptual studies, gain a better understanding of plant-level characteristics and benchmark models in the lab.
“It is critical to accurately model large load behavior during and immediately after grid disturbances to understand grid stability, which drives how ERCOT plans and operates the grid,” said Jeff Billo, ERCOT director of operations planning. “These models are among the first available open-source Electromagnetic Transient (EMT) models developed based on the best available information and are a good first step towards improving data center modeling.”
Texas A&M University electrical and computer engineering faculty members Dr. Prasad Enjeti and Dr. Xin Chen are co-leading this research initiative, uniting power electronics hardware and power systems modeling expertise to help develop these dynamic models.
“Texas A&M has a test setup with computer power supply, expertise working with different power electronics applications and simulation tools that are critical to the success of this work,” Enjeti said.
The effective completion of this work will enable more accurate grid study assumptions and recommendations for desirable large load characteristics, which will help solve growing concerns on grid stability. Fundamentally, this work will support ongoing industry needs.
About Grid Research, Innovation, and Transformation (GRIT)
ERCOT’s Grid Research, Innovation, and Transformation (GRIT) initiative will advance research and prototyping of emerging concepts and solutions to deeply understand the implications of rapid grid and technology evolution, positioning ERCOT to lead in the future energy landscape. Visit the GRIT webpages to learn more.
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ERCOT, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, manages the flow of electric power to more than 27 million Texas customers, representing about 90 percent of the state’s electric load. As the Independent System Operator for the region, ERCOT schedules power on an electric grid that connects 54,100+ miles of transmission lines and 1,250+ generation units, including Private Use Networks. ERCOT also performs financial settlement for the competitive wholesale bulk-power market and administers retail switching for more than 8 million premises in competitive choice areas. ERCOT is a membership-based 501(c)(4) nonprofit corporation, governed by a board of directors and subject to oversight by the Public Utility Commission of Texas and the Texas Legislature.
Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES) is the official research agency for Texas A&M Engineering and is pivotal in advancing interdisciplinary research across The Texas A&M University System. TEES is dedicated to addressing complex challenges through applied engineering research, managing research grants and contracts and actively fostering partnerships with industry, government and academia, benefiting Texas A&M Engineering faculty and researchers. Technology transition efforts in TEES help move research from the lab to industry and consumers. Additionally, TEES enhances engineering expertise through workforce development by training professionals in emerging fields and engaging educators and students to inspire future engineers.