Demonstration of technology for rapid power restoration in Puerto Rico
GE has announced it has been awarded one of several projects supported by the US Department of Energy (DOE) to develop new grid resilient technologies.
Image source: GE
USA, Niskayuna: GE has announced it has been awarded one of several projects supported by the US Department of Energy (DOE) to develop new grid resilient technologies.
These technologies will allow communities to rapidly restore power following devastating weather events like Hurricane Fiona. The total funding of GE’s project will be $4.5 M, with $3 M from the DOE and an industry cost-share of approximately $1.5 M.
GE Research, together with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL); LUMA Energy, which operates and manages the electrical grid in Puerto Rico; Sandia National Laboratories; and GE’s Renewable Energy and Digital businesses will develop and demonstrate an automated power restoration system in Puerto Rico that would enable a community to rapidly restore electricity following extreme weather events.
Dr. Bilgehan Donmez, a Senior Engineer in Electric Power Systems at GE Research and project leader, said GE’s solution could serve as a model for communities to quickly restore power in the future following severe weather events, stating, “Following Hurricane Fiona in mid-September, it took several weeks before many communities in Puerto Rico had their power fully restored. We’re aiming to develop and demonstrate an automated power system in Puerto Rico that would cut the restoration time from weeks and even months to just hours or days.”
Donmez noted that a key focus of the project will be to demonstrate an automated restoration system that could help underserved communities quickly restore power and recover from a severe weather event.
Source: GE
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