What drives the Grid Modernization Lab Consortium

Modernizing the nation’s power grid to accommodate more clean energy resources while being resilient, reliable, and secure in the face of increasing extreme events and man-made threats is critical to our national security and economic prosperity. The Grid Modernization Laboratory Consortium (GMLC) coordinates and executes research and development in support of the Department of Energy’s Grid Modernization Initiative.

GMLC Impact

Researchers at GMLC national laboratories are engaged in cutting-edge research and development in a broad portfolio of grid domains and technical areas that span generation, transmission, distribution, and grid edge technologies.

Architecting Tomorrow’s Power Grid

Tomorrow’s power grid needs to support demand for distributed energy resources, renewable energy, and electric transportation. GMLC researchers and grid architecture experts provide blueprints for tomorrow’s grid.

Intelligent Coordination of Microgrids for Resilience

GMLC researchers are working with utilities to enable networked microgrid operations using (OpenFMB) architecture so that groups of microgrids can coordinate support to the bulk power system when it’s stressed.

Managing Increasing Grid Complexity

GMLC researchers played a key role in developing an open-source co-simulation platform called HELICS capable of simulating behavior of an increasingly complex grid. HELICS is used in DOE’s North American Energy Resilience Model.

Five Key Trends

Changing mix of types and characteristics of electric generation (in particular, distributed and clean energy). Growing demands for a more resilient and reliable grid (especially due to weather impacts and cyber and physical attacks). Growing supply- and demand-side opportunities for customers to actively participate in electricity markets.

Project Highlights

Hawaii Makes First Move for Grid Frequency-Watt Control

May 4, 2018

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Mapping Electricity Affordability

January 13, 2020

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Strategic Vision for Grid Interoperability Published

May 8, 2018

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Resources

Products and deliverables created through the GMLC projects. It also contains guidance documents, as well as key accomplishments by the national laboratories toward grid modernization.