Industrial Microgrid Analysis and Design for Energy Security and Resiliency

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), in partnership with Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) and Fortune 10 company UPS, are assessing microgrid capabilities at the crown jewel of UPS's company, their WorldPort in Louisville, Kentucky - the most technically advanced facility of its kind in the world. UPS is very interested in the development of an industrial microgrid to serve their 50MW peak WorldPort facility to increase reliability and strengthen the surrounding grid through advanced microgrid control schemes.  ORNL, SNL, and UPS will investigate the risks, costs, and benefits of a microgrid at the UPS WorldPort and Centennial Hub facilities in Louisville, KY. LG&E has agreed to provide any and all information requested by UPS during the course of the analysis. This project will keep LG&E tied into the analysis throughout the entire process so that the utility is aware of just how industry customers want to use microgrids, and how microgrids will affect the larger electric grid.

This project will also provide a roadmap for other industries interested in microgrid technologies by spelling out the institutional and regulatory challenges associated with development of an industrial microgrid. It will also highlight the interaction between an industrial customer interested in pursuing a microgrid and a utility which is hesitant to commit to adopting such a technology, a scenario industries across the country are highly likely to face. Final technical documents will be produced to assist UPS and other industrial companies in overcoming institutional barriers and assessing their capability to implement a microgrid at their facilities.