Managing Legacy and Modern Grid Technologies

Modern grids are dominated by power electronics, yet many of today’s stability problems are old physics problems we’ve forgotten how to see.   Some of the most useful intuition for today’s converter-dominated systems comes from technologies we rarely talk about anymore. A few years ago, I analysed the behaviour of fixed-speed induction generator (FSIG) wind turbines using real disturbance data and simulations. What stood out wasn’t nostalgia, it was how clearly they exposed stability mechanisms that are still relevant. Not because we should go back to FSIGs, but because they reveal physics that modern grids have to recreate through control design. ➤ FSIGs delivered inertia through physics, instant, natural, and loop-free When frequency dipped: • the rotor slowed • stored kinetic energy was released • power was injected within milliseconds • before any grid-side controller acted. In the animation below: • frequency falls (blue) • inertial power is injected in Stage I (orange) • energy is then recovered in Stage II as rotor speed returns (provided pitch allows re-acceleration) This is physical inertia in action, not synthetic inertia produced by a control loop. ➤ Why this matters for today’s engineering challenges Much of what engineers grapple with, RoCoF sensitivity, fast frequency response tuning, PLL dynamics, coordination of grid-forming controls, is an attempt to recreate, in software, behaviours that used to exist naturally in electromechanical machines. FSIGs help explain: • why historical grids were inherently more forgiving • why frequency used to decline more slowly • why inertia was once a physical property, not a procured service • why synthetic inertia is not the same physical process • why converter-dominated grids demand precise control coordination ➤ We’re not romanticising old technology, we’re extracting timeless principles FSIGs also had real limitations: poor voltage control, limited reactive capability, and constraints that ultimately pushed the industry toward modern turbines. But their inertial behaviour remains a powerful reference for: • how machines exchange torque • how energy moves in the first 200 ms • what stabilises the system before any control loop wakes up As we build a grid dominated by power electronics, we can’t lose the intuition that anchored the synchronous era. The physics hasn’t disappeared. It has moved into software, and that makes understanding it more important, not less. I’m seeing these questions surface increasingly in EMT studies, connection assessments, and early grid-forming control design decisions, not as theory, but as constraints on what actually gets approved. 👉 As we design synthetic inertia and fast frequency response, how do we ensure we’re reproducing not just the equations, but the robustness and predictability that physical inertia once gave us “for free”? #PowerSystems #RenewableEnergy #GridStability #Inertia #InverterBasedResources #GridForming #EnergyTransition

When 47 million people lost power across Spain and Portugal in April, the "blame renewables" narrative emerged almost immediately. Even US Energy Secretary Chris Wright jumped in, declaring it a cautionary tale about "hitching your wagon to the weather." But the official grid operator report tells a very different story — one that offers critical lessons for how we manage high-penetration renewable grids globally. In our latest episode of Open Circuit, we collaborated with Laurent Segalen and Gerard Reid of the Redefining Energy podcast. They joined me, Katherine and Jigar to look at the cause of the outage, why the blame keeps shifting, and the tech/culture change solutions. The cascade began with a 300 MW solar plant sending frequency oscillations through the grid. But this should have been easily manageable. Instead, the conventional generators that were legally obligated to provide voltage stabilization failed to do their jobs. A series of communication, dispatch, and technical errors ensued, triggering a 27-second cascade that darkened an entire peninsula. Three systemic failures converged: 1. Inadequate grid coordination: Spain has installed tens of gigawatts of solar in the past decade with minimal battery storage and weak interconnections to neighboring grids. As Laurent Segalen put it: "The system has become more fragile." 2. Conventional generator failures: The gas plants paid to stabilize the grid didn't fulfill their contractual obligations during the crisis. 3. Outdated grid management: Grid operators are still managing 21st-century technology with 1980s protocols, lacking the real-time data and software integration that modern grids require. In the episode, we highlight some of the critical solutions for grids around the world: 1. Battery storage at scale: You can't have massive solar capacity without adequate storage to match. The UK avoided similar issues because batteries immediately compensated when a 1.4GW interconnector failed. 2. Grid-forming inverters: Solar and wind can provide grid stabilization services, but only if they're equipped with the right technology and allowed to participate. 3. Regional integration: Strong interconnections prevent localized issues from becoming system-wide failures. 4. Cultural shift in grid management: Operators need to embrace data-driven management and treat renewables as infrastructure, not just variable generation. Plus, in the second half of the show: As America leans into its role as a petrostate, will Europe lean into its role as an electrostate? We have a very insightful conversation on the many ways security -- not decarbonization -- is shaping EU investments. While the US can choose fossil fuels, Europe has "no choice but to move towards energy independence, and the only way you can do that is to electrify," Reid explained. This was a really fun episode! Listen: https://bit.ly/4eGWhT0

Modernising transmission and distribution grids is now a strategic priority for boards tasked with driving both resilience and decarbonisation. Global clean energy investment is projected to reach $2.2 trillion by 2025, yet grid modernisation still lags behind the demands of renewables, EV growth, and digitalisation. For senior leaders, the imperative is to move from legacy assets to future-ready infrastructure. Companies are responding with: * Targeted capital for advanced analytics, storage, and flexible grid tech, extending the life and reliability of existing assets. * Strategic resilience investments: from power line undergrounding to digital substations and real-time demand response. Recent pilots in the Middle East and Europe show a measurable drop in outages and increased grid stability. * Policy-driven innovation in microgrids and distributed resources, now core to national energy strategies. To capitalise, executive teams must: 🔹 Apply scenario-based capital planning tied to regulatory and market signals. 🔹 Prioritise investments by their impact on system reliability, emissions, and commercial value. 🔹 Forge public-private partnerships to manage risk and scale technology. Key takeaways: - Treat grid modernisation as a commercial risk and opportunity, not just a compliance obligation. - Track value through metrics, outage reduction, customer satisfaction, and emissions cuts, not just capital deployed. How is your company quantifying the business case for grid modernisation today? I look forward to your perspectives. #GridModernization #Electrification #EnergyTransition #SmartInfrastructure #BoardLeadership

🔧 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗿𝗶𝗱 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻: 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗨𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗡𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗚𝗘𝗧𝘀 As load forecasts shift rapidly—driven by data centers, electrification, and distributed energy—utilities face a growing challenge: how to meet demand when the traditional playbook is too slow. New transmission takes years. But the grid needs relief now. 𝗚𝗿𝗶𝗱-𝗲𝗻𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀 (𝗚𝗘𝗧𝘀) offer a way forward—solutions that help utilities do more with what they already have. From dynamic line ratings and topology optimization to modular power flow controls, GETs are reshaping grid planning. 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀: • 🚀 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀 – Unlock 10–30% more throughput from existing lines in months, not years. • 🔄 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗳𝗹𝗲𝘅𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 – Route power around constraints and respond in real time to fluctuating demand. • 💡 𝗗𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗖𝗮𝗽𝗘𝘅 – De-risk and defer expensive upgrades by squeezing more value from legacy infrastructure. • 📈 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀 – Enable faster renewable integration by easing congestion and bottlenecks.    𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀: 1. 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿. GETs provide near-term tools that enhance grid agility without full rebuilds. 2. 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵. These technologies help maintain grid stability even as load grows unpredictably. 3. 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁. Forward-thinking utilities are using GETs to demonstrate proactive planning and grid stewardship. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱. It’s about reimagining how we operate the grid we already have—more dynamically, more intelligently, and more sustainably. ✅ Is your utility actively exploring GETs? ✅ How are you factoring flexible, tech-enabled solutions into your long-term planning? The time to rethink grid strategy is now—and GETs should be part of that conversation. #GridModernization  #EnergyTransition  #UtilityInnovation  #GridEnhancingTechnologies  #SmartGrid  #TransmissionPlanning #PowerGrid  #CleanEnergy  #ElectricUtilities