CRISP 2.0 Type 1: Collaborative Research: Economic Mechanisms for Grid Resilience Against Extreme Events and Natural Gas Disruptions

This Critical Resilient Interdependent Infrastructure Systems and Processes (CRISP) project seeks to develop an evidence-based, economically sound and validated approach to enhancing the resilience of US electricity grids, accounting for their interdependence with the natural gas supply system. This project develops a robust and comprehensive technique to quantify how different types of actions and measures improve the resilience of an electric grid. Based on a harm function that unifies existing resilience metrics, the effectiveness of various network management options are quantified. Options include: changing the structure of the electric grid, hardening some components, expanding gas transmission and storage capacity, or boosting preparedness. This project also examines the optimal mix of resilience investments. Models will be validated using case studies in New England and Puerto Rico.

This research is following a three step approach. In the first step, the researchers develop a harm function that unifies existing resilience metrics. This function is defined as the weighted sum of the outage time at different nodes of the network. Based on this metric, measures to improve the resilience of the grid can be rigorously quantified. In the second step, the researchers optimize resilience investments using equilibrium models of electricity markets that account for natural gas transmission constraints. In the third step, the algorithms, models and mechanisms are validated examining natural gas and grid test systems in the Northeastern U.S., with a focus on the New England region; and 2) the power system of Puerto Rico, which provides a unique opportunity to test and validate the methods in a real system undergoing an almost complete rebuild after a major disruption. The results of this project will be of interest to regulators concerned with long term investments in resilience that are effective and based on sound economic principles and regulatory practices. The techniques developed in this project will help electric utilities compare the effectiveness of various measures and justify the corresponding operating and capital expenditures to their regulators. The results will be disseminated through undergraduate and graduate infrastructure courses and workshops for utilities, ISOs and government agencies.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.