The audio-slide productions of PSERC tele-seminars are publicly available. By clicking on a title below, a web-streaming version of the tele-seminars will begin. The audio-slide productions provide the audio and synchronized slides from the tele-seminar. These audio-slide productions are best viewed with Internet Explorer. The slides alone are available on the PSERC website, or browse to the webcast site. The tele-seminars are categorized by the following topics:

• Power Markets and Policy
• Power Systems
• Transmission and Distribution Technologies

Power Markets and Policy Tele-Seminars

Real Time Market Power Monitoring (08-16, December 9, 2008)
Speaker: Bernie Lesieutre, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Over the past few years we have developed and studied sensitivity-based methods to identify market participants with the ability to increase prices without changing dispatch (load pockets), and/or to simultaneously increase prices and revenues. Mathematically, the method involves calculating the sensitivity of an optimal power flow (OPF) to changes in offer price. In our prior work we applied this technique to a 30-bus test system with six suppliers with dispatch determined using a full nonlinear AC OPF. Market power potential determined using sensitivity calculations are consistent with market power observed in economic experiments. Recently we have focused on challenges to allow the application of our techniques to large-scale systems. In this presentation we present our theoretical analysis of the structure of sensitivity matrices and show illustrative results on the common 118 bus system. We then present results from applying our methods to a couple large-scale model, including snapshots from PJM data.

A SuperOPF Framework for Improved Allocation and Valuation of System Resources through Co-optimization (08-14; November 4, 2008)
Speaker: Ray Zimmerman, Cornell University
There are wide range of activities in the power systems area that depend critically on the availability of tools which enable decision-makers to properly allocate and value system resources, including shared public goods such as reliability. The SuperOPF provides a framework for proper allocation and valuation of resources through true co-optimization. Instead of solving a sequence of simpler and approximate sub-problems, the SuperOPF approach combines everything into a single mathematical programming framework, with a full AC network and simultaneous co-optimization across multiple scenarios. The SuperOPF research effort involves development of the problem formulations, implementation of research grade software codes, and testing of the methods and algorithms on a range of case studies to demonstrate their added value over currently available tools.

Evaluation of Alternative Market Structures and Compensation Schemes for Incenting Transmission Reliability and Adequacy Related Investments (PSERC Project M-11) (08-11; September 16, 2008)
Speaker: Shijie Deng, Professor, Industrial and Systems Engineering, Georgia Tech University
(Project Tele-Seminar for PSERC Industry and University Members Only). This tele-seminar presents results from PSERC project M-11, "Incenting Transmission Reliability and Adequacy Related Investments." Adequate transmission capacity enhances reliability, lowers energy cost as delivered, limits market power of market participants, and provides flexibility to protect against market uncertainties such as load fluctuation, fuel price volatility, and unexpected facility outages. Incentives for attracting investments in transmission assets are essential to the overall success of the restructuring of the electric power industry. We will present research outcomes related to the evaluation of market-based schemes for compensating transmission investments.

The Effects of Greenhouse Gas Limits on Electric Power System Dispatch and Operations (08-10; September 2, 2008)
Speaker: Miaolei Shao, Ph.D. Candidate, Wichita State University
This presentation first discusses several power system features that will impact CO2 emissions. Then the formulation of a CO2 emission-constrained AC optimal power flow (OPF) is presented. The effects of the proposed approach on power system dispatch and operations were investigated using the standard IEEE 24-bus reliability test system through several case studies. For each case study, a wide range of CO2 prices were modeled.

Demand Response via Real-Time Pricing to Increase Use of Operational Wind Energy Generators (08-07; May 6, 2008)
Speaker: Ramteen Sioshansi, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Title XIII of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2005 states that it is now U.S. policy to modernize the grid by creating a Smart Grid that, in part, will integrate distributed resources and incorporate demand response. Real-time pricing (RTP) is a means for demand response that could be enabled by a Smart Grid. This seminar is on a study of how RTP can make the use of wind energy more efficient in a power system.

Designing CO2 Trading Markets for the Power Sector: Does It Matter Who Gets the Allowances and Who Must Comply? (08-05; April 1, 2008)
Speaker: Benjamin Hobbs, John Hopkins University
Carbon allowance trading has been implemented in the European Union, and will start in several eastern states in June. Meanwhile, several western states and Canadian provinces are negotiating the formation of a trading region for the West, and it appears likely that a federal system will emerge in the next Congress, if not before. Because of the potentially large costs that would result, as well as the large economic rents, from implementation of these systems, there has been intense political discussion of who should be responsible for compliance and how allowances should be distributed. In this seminar, I will discuss whether the answers to these questions are important from the point of view of overall economic efficiency.

The Efficiency of Uniform-Price Electricity Auctions: Evidence from Bidding Behavior in ERCOT (08-03; March 4, 2008)
Speaker: Steve Puller, Texas A&M University
This tele-seminar will discuss evidence that bidders distort the efficient price signal. In many restructured wholesale electricity markets, transactions occur through frequently-repeated uniform-price auctions. For example, the ERCOT balancing market, and the day-ahead and real-time markets in the Northeast and Midwest U.S. use uniform-price auctions.

Agent-Based Test Beds for Power Industry Research, Teaching, and Training (08-01; February 5, 2008)
Speaker: Leigh Tesfatsion, Iowa State University
This talk will discuss the potential usefulness of agent-based test beds as research, teaching, and training tools for the exploratory study of wholesale power markets. An agent-based test bed is a computational rendering of a real-world process as a dynamic system of interacting agents.

The Electric Power Industry and Climate Change: Power Systems Research Possibilities (07-05; June 5, 2007)
Speakers: Judy Cardell, Smith College; and Tom Overbye, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
In response to increasing concerns over global climate change, this tele-seminar continues a PSERC discussion on possible research areas that PSERC can pursue related to interactions between the power industry and global climate change.

Models for Electric Transmission Property Rights (07-04; May 1, 2007)
Speaker: Ross Baldick, University of Texas at Austin
The presentation provided a description of a proposed model for electric transmission property rights based on "border flow rights" with associated financial rights called "contracts for differences of differences."

Markets for Reactive Power and Reliability (06-14; December 12, 2006)
Speaker: William Schulze, Cornell University
The FERC report on reactive power lays out issues and raises questions about market power. How markets should be organized, not only for reactive power but for real power and reliability, examine issues of market power through both simulation and experimental economics, including possible market designs drawn from the conceptual model, simulations, and experiments.

Carbon and Climate Issues for the Electric Power Sector (06-13; December 5, 2006)
Speaker: Jay Apt, Carnegie Mellon University
Increasing levels of greenhouse gases (GHG) - and the climate change they are causing - are real and they are a major problem. To stabilize concentrations, the world is going to have to reduce its emissions of CO2 and other GHGs by at least 90%. Public education about CCS and about alternative ways to reduce CO2 emissions needs to start now.

Trying to Maintain Generation Adequacy in "Deregulated" Markets (06-09; May 16, 2006)
Speaker: Tim Mount, Cornell University
The initial efforts to deregulate the electric utility industry in the USA occurred in states that had relatively high rates (the northeast and California). This seminar discussed how this predicament over generation adequacy in "deregulated" markets should be addressed.

Generation Adequacy via Call Options Obligations: Safe Passage to the Promised Land (06-02; February 7, 2006)
Speaker: Shmuel Oren, University of California at Berkeley
The call option approach relies on standard hedging instruments that a mature energy-only market can support without regulatory intervention. Energy call options provide intrinsic value to customers, since the generators who are paid for such options must pay back any windfall profits. This seminar will describe the rationale and mechanics of the proposed approach along with some variants and recent implementation experience.

Power Systems Tele-Seminars

Oscillation Monitoring System: Wide-Area Measurement-Based Detection and Remedial Control Actions (08-13; October 28, 2008)
Speaker: Mani V. Venkatasubramanian, Washington State University
In the recently concluded PSERC research project, we designed, developed and implemented an Oscillation Monitoring System (OMS) that uses wide-area PMU measurements for automatically monitoring for poorly damped and/or negatively-damped oscillatory modes. OMS includes two complementary engines that provide real-time modal analysis: 1) an automatic Prony-type analysis of power system responses following routine events such as line tripping and generator outages; and 2) an engine for continuous estimation of poorly damped mode frequencies and their damping ratios from routine ambient noise PMU measurements. The seminar will provide an overview of the algorithms and the implementation features at TVA.

The Key Role of Network Systems Engineering in Meeting the Energy and Environment Dream (08-12; October 7, 2008)
Speaker: Marija Ilic, Carnegie Mellon University
Energy and the environment are once again on everyone's mind. The primary energy producers have entered a race for making the traditional energy resources cleaner and safer, as well as for developing scientific principles in support of entirely novel energy resources. At the same time, we do not have the infrastructure to transport the energy effectively. The infrastructure for converting our primary energy resources and delivering energy in the form required by the end users was designed with qualitatively different objectives from the functions of today; it is aging and far from what it should and could become. This talk concerns the basic challenge of transforming today's passive electric power grids into active enablers of efficient and reliable utilization of emerging unconventional energy resources.

The Effects of Greenhouse Gas Limits on Electric Power System Dispatch and Operations (08-10; September 2, 2008)
Speaker: Miaolei Shao, Ph.D. Candidate, Wichita State University
This presentation first discusses several power system features that will impact CO2 emissions. Then the formulation of a CO2 emission-constrained AC optimal power flow (OPF) is presented. The effects of the proposed approach on power system dispatch and operations were investigated using the standard IEEE 24-bus reliability test system through several case studies. For each case study, a wide range of CO2 prices were modeled.

PMU-Based Enabled Distributed State Estimation with the SuperCalibrator (08-09; June 17, 2008)
Speaker: Sakis Meliopoulos, Georgia Tech University
PSERC researchers at Georgia Tech have been searching for improved state estimation and power grid visibility approaches that use advanced data acquisition hardware. This research has led to the creation of the "SuperCalibrator," a new technology that enables distributed state estimation by using existing relay/PMU devices in substations. Recently, these researchers teamed up with Concurrent Technologies Corporation (CTC) through the U.S. Department of Energy's Center for Grid Modernization to accelerate development of fully distributed state estimator technologies and their use in modern energy management systems.

Effective Power System Control Center Visualization (Project S-25) (08-08; June 3, 2008)
Speaker: Tom Overbye, University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign
This tele-seminar presents results from PSERC project S-25, "Effective Power System Control Center Visualization. The key purpose of this project was to perform research aimed at increasing the effectiveness of power system visualizations, with a particular emphasis on those used in the control center environment. The specific research accomplishments from this project can be grouped into six areas.

Operational Defense of Power System Cascading Outages (Project S-26, Part 1) (08-06; April 15, 2008)
Speaker: James McCalley, Iowa State University
(Project Tele-Seminar for PSERC Industry and University Members Only). Cascading outages in power systems are costly events that power system operators and planners actively seek to avoid. Such events can quickly result in power outages for millions of customers. Although it is unreasonable to claim that blackouts can be completely prevented, we can nonetheless reduce the frequency and impact of such high consequence events. Power operators can take actions if they have the right information provided by tools for monitoring and managing the risk of cascading outages. Such tools are being developed in this research project by identifying contingencies that could initiate cascading outages and by determining operator actions to avoid the start of a cascade.

An Online Dynamic Security Assessment Scheme Using Phasor Measurements and Decision Trees (Project S-27) (08-02; February 19, 2008)
Speaker: Vijay Vittal, Arizona State University
This talk describes an online dynamic security assessment scheme for large-scale interconnected power systems using phasor measurements and decision trees which was developed as a part of the PSERC project S-27.

The Case for Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles (07-10; December 4, 2007)
Speaker: Jerome Meisel, Georgia Institute of Technology
This seminar focused on the benefits of hybrid-electric powertrain technology to help achieve energy security.

Requirements and Mechanisms for Flexible and Robust Inter-Utility Data Sharing (07-09; November 6, 2007)
Speaker: Dave Bakken, Washington State University
With the increase in the monitoring of status data at very high rates in high voltage substations and the ability to time synchronize these data with GPS signals, there is a growing need for transmitting this data for monitoring, operation, protection and control needs.

Reliability Based Vegetation Management Through Intelligent System Monitoring (07-08; October 16, 2007)
Speakers: Dr. B. Don Russell, Carl L. Benner, Jeffrey Wischkaemper, Texas A&M University
Vegetation intrusion causes faults, momentary interruptions and sustained outages, and potential safety hazards to people and animals. Utilities spend significant resources managing vegetation. Most vegetation management programs for distribution systems are calendar-based. Because each feeder has a unique level of vegetation exposure and outage risk, uniform cycles cannot provide optimal reliability, especially for large systems with diverse geographies. Calendar-based cycles result in some feeders being trimmed more frequently than necessary without improving reliability, while other feeders are trimmed too infrequently and reliability suffers.

Integration of Renewable Resources (07-07; October 2, 2007)
Speaker: David Hawkins, California ISO
This seminar provided a brief overview of the CAISO work on Integration of Renewable Resources to meet California's 20 percent RPS target.

Nuclear Energy Renaissance in the U.S. (07-03; April 3, 2007)
Speaker: Jasmina Vujic, University of California at Berkeley
This presentation viewed the recent advances in nuclear energy technologies, reprocessing and spent fuel management, safety considerations and economics, and the new Global Nuclear Energy Partnership program envisioned by the Bush Administration. It addresses possibilities of new nuclear power plant construction in the U.S. by 2010.

The Reliability Assessment Project (07-02; March 6, 2007)
Speaker: George Gross, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
This seminar summarizes the key aspects of the recently completed Reliability Assessment Incorporating Operational Considerations and Economic Aspects for Large Interconnected Grids Project. This project was conceived as an undertaking to bridge the developments in PSERC's Markets and the Systems Research Stems. This project established a solid basis for linking economics, reliability and security.

Electric Power Industry in China (07-01; February 6, 2007)
Speaker: Hui Ren, University of Wisconsin at Madison, North China Electric Power University
China is experiencing a high rate of economic growth. That growth is accompanied by an increasing demand for energy that is resulting in considerable investment in new generation and electric delivery infrastructure. This presentation provides an overview of China's electric power sector and how China is approaching the challenges it faces.

Optimizing Power System Restoration Resources and Actions (06-12; November 7, 2006)
Speaker: Chen-Ching Liu, Iowa State University
Restoration of a large and interconnected grid from a complete shutdown is a highly complex operation involving many technical and non-technical constraints. This presentation will draw on research using information from a case study.

Toward Optimal Operations (06-11; October 3, 2006)
Speaker: Paul Hines, Carnegie Mellon University
By "Operations" we mean the decisions made in real-time by human operators and computer-based controllers. This presentation summarizes the work done by Paul Hines for his Ph.D. and for PSERC project S-26, "The Risk of Cascading Failures" and funded in part by ABB Corporate Research.

The Threat of Hacking with Megawatts (April 25, 2006)
Speaker: Chris DeMarco, University of Wisconsin at Madison
Power grid vulnerability in remote configuration of generator controllers: the threat of hacking with megawatts.

Security Enhancement through Direct Non-Disruptive Load Control (06-07; April 18, 2006)
Speakers: Ian Hiskens, University of Wisconsin at Madison; and Vijay Vittal, Arizona State University
Significant enhancements in communications, metering and computer technologies have meant that coordinated control of massive numbers of diverse loads is becoming feasible. Our research has focused on the viability of load control for alleviating voltage collapse, and hence, for mitigating the possibility of cascading system failures.

Nuclear Energy: 1996, 2006, 2016 (April 10, 2006)
Speaker: Per Peterson, University of California at Berkeley
Overview of current events for nuclear energy, liquid salts for high temperature nuclear heat transfer, and nuclear waste management and Yucca Mountain.

Wide-Area Small-Signal Stability Controller (06-06; April 4, 2006)
Speaker: Mani Venkatasubramanian, Washington State University
Recent blackout events (such as the 1996 Western U.S. events, the 2004 Northeastern disturbance, and the 2004 Italian blackout) have demonstrated the need for new automatic controllers that respond to unforeseen operating conditions to keep power system problems from cascading into large-scale blackouts. Simulations showed that the controller could have stabilized oscillations before they became critically large in the Western U.S. blackout on August 10, 1996.

Real-Time Monitoring of Cascading Events (06-05; March 28, 2006)
Speaker: Mladen Kezunovic, Texas A&M University
This tele-seminar presents research results on new technologies for monitoring and control at the system and local levels.

Adaptive Islanding to Prevent Cascading Failure Events (06-04; March 21, 2006)
Speaker: Vijay Vittal, Arizona State University
Power systems are under increasing stress as market policies introduce new economic objectives for operation. The research issue is how to take advantage of the information from the slow coherency generator grouping method to island the system in a controlled way by tripping an identified set of transmission lines.

Visualization of Power Systems and Components (Project S-18) (06-01; January 24, 2006)
Speaker: Tom Overbye, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The need for enhanced power system visualizations has been increasingly acute over the last decade as the size of power system models has grown. This project focused on the performance of formal human factor experiments to evaluate the effectiveness of power system visualizations.

Transmission and Distribution Technologies Seminars

Massively Deployed Sensors (08-17; December 16, 2008)
Speaker: Jerry Heydt, Arizona State University
(Project Tele-Seminar for PSERC Industry and University Members Only. This tele-seminar summarizes results of PSERC Project T-31). This tele-seminar provides a summary of a PSERC project on a range of unconventional sensor applications in electric power engineering. Included are: 1) Integration of existing sensory information from sensors (e.g,. temperature and pressure, substation security perimeter status, substation battery voltage, neutral - ground voltage, liquid levels) into the EMS and alarm processing software tools. 2) Investigation of unconventional sensors and sensory information (e.g., satellite graphic information, mechanical position and inclinometer-type sensors, static wire impedance, conduit and cable trough conductivity). 3) Development of alarm processing techniques and algorithms that utilize a large number of sensory information sources including unconventional sensory information. The alarm processing techniques may use innovative mathematical techniques. 4) The use of a very large number of signals for enhanced power system operation and operational decision making in order to capture new information and to enhance the accuracy, quality, and redundancy of the collected information.

Integration of Operational and Non-Operational Data for Improved EMS Monitoring (08-15; November 18, 2008)
Speaker: Mladen Kezunovic, Texas A&M University
(Project Tele-Seminar for PSERC Industry and University Members Only). This tele-seminar is based on Part I of PSERC Project T-32 (forthcoming) as well as the findings reported in PSERC Report 08-07 titled "Optimized Fault Location" published in April 2008. This presentation's objective is to identify the potential benefits of integrating information obtained from the substation IED data, beyond what is obtained from RTU data, into the EMS. The presentation was focused on three major tasks: 1) Identification of properties of IED data to be used to supplement EMS functions; 2) Definition of EMS improvements regarding operators' use of new monitoring data; and 3) Outline of new design approaches for future EMS functions including fault location, topology processing, alarm processing, operator displays, etc.

The Utilization of Satellite Images to Identify Tree Endangering Transmission Lines (08-04; March 18, 2008)
Speaker: George Karady, Arizona State University
(Project Tele-Seminar for PSERC Industry and University Members Only). (Project T-37). In recent years, renewed emphasis has been placed on vegetation management of transmission right-of-way to avoid tree contacts that could put system reliability at risk. At the same time, new approaches to vegetation management have been sought to be able to achieve the needed tree clearances as cost-effectively as possible. One possible approach is to process satellite images to prioritize tree maintenance work. For this approach to work, new computational tools would be needed to convert satellite image data into useful information for vegetation management scheduling. This project's objective was to develop such computational tools for determining the location of trees interfering with overhead transmission lines. The input data were derived from satellite images, and the GPS coordinates and altitudes of transmission towers. The tools determine the location of healthy trees that are penetrating a danger zone or safety envelope (e.g., 20 ft radius) surrounding the conductors. In this project, two tools were implemented and tested: 1) a transmission line scanning computer program and 2) a tall tree identification program. This work is significant because it shows how satellite images that are already commercially available can be used for the large-scale assessment of vegetation encroachment on transmission lines.

Reliability Based Vegetation Management Through Intelligent System Monitoring (07-08; October 16, 2007)
Speakers: Dr. B. Don Russell, Carl L. Benner, Jeffrey Wischkaemper, Texas A&M University
You are invited to watch this Mediasite presentation: PSERC_10/16/2007.
Vegetation intrusion causes faults, momentary interruptions and sustained outages, and potential safety hazards to people and animals. Utilities spend significant resources managing vegetation. Most vegetation management programs for distribution systems are calendar-based. Because each feeder has a unique level of vegetation exposure and outage risk, uniform cycles cannot provide optimal reliability, especially for large systems with diverse geographies. Calendar-based cycles result in some feeders being trimmed more frequently than necessary without improving reliability, while other feeders are trimmed too infrequently and reliability suffers.

Use of Composite Materials for High Temperature, Low Sag Conductors (07-06; September 4, 2007)
Speaker: Ravi Gorur, Arizona State University
The electrical and mechanical properties of composite materials are largely controlled by formulation and processing details. There are no standards for the product and this technology is new. This seminar will highlight technical issues and work done under the PSERC project.

Risk-Based Resource Allocation for Distribution System Maintenance (06-10; September 5, 2006)
Speakers: James 'Jim' McCalley, Iowa State University; and Ward Jewell, Wichita State University
The existing state-of-the-art power system maintenance program offers three approaches for making decisions associated with identifying maintenance activities: condition-based maintenance (CBM); reliability-centered maintenance (RCM); and optimization techniques.

Detecting Circuit Breaker Status Errors in Substations (06-08; May 2, 2006)
Speaker: Ali Abur, Northeastern University
Detecting and identifying breaker status errors can be accomplished by a two stage procedure. Recently a new method, which can address this shortcoming, was proposed for topology error analysis.

Effects of Voltage Sags on Household Loads (06-03; February 21, 2006)
Speaker: George Karady, Arizona State University
Voltage sags pose a serious power quality issue for the electric power industry. Surveys were conducted to determine the type of equipment present in residential apartment complexes in Tempe, Arizona. The testing enabled assessment of the accuracy of standard "CBEMA" curves that allow prediction of the effect of voltage sags on equipment performance.

PSERC Contact Information:

Power Systems Engineering Research Center
Arizona State University
Box 878606
Tempe, AZ 85287-8606
Phone: 480-965-1643
Fax: 480-965-0745
Send Us Your Questions