PNNL

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) chief electrical engineer Jeff Dagle has been reappointed as co-director of the Advanced Grid Institute (AGI), a leadership role he first held when the institute was established in 2018. He resumes the position following Wei Du’s transition to Washington State University (WSU), where Du will continue collaborating with PNNL through a joint appointment.

"I am delighted to welcome Jeff back as AGI co-director—few people bring his depth of experience in power and energy systems, his history of WSU–PNNL collaboration, and his ability to bring people together around big ideas,” said Anamika Dubey, AGI co-director. “I am excited to work alongside him to advance AGI’s mission and turn ambitious ideas into real impact.”

Dagle served as AGI co-director before stepping away in 2024 to accept a one-year assignment with the Department of Energy, supporting the under secretary of energy for science and innovation in work associated with the Grid Modernization Initiative. During that time, Du assumed the co-director role and guided the institute through a successful period of growth.

When Du announced his move to WSU, PNNL leadership asked Dagle if he would be interested in resuming the co-director role.

“I said, ‘Absolutely, that sounds great,’” Dagle said. “I knew that Wei wasn’t going very far away because he’s still going to be a joint appointee with PNNL and will still be involved in the technical work, so this is an easy transition.”

The joint institute brings together scientists, faculty, and students to develop innovative technologies—including a national-scale simulation platform and data framework—that modernize, secure, and strengthen the nation’s electric grid through advanced controls and operations for future power systems.

For Dagle, one of AGI’s most valuable aspects is the opportunity to bring together researchers, students, and industry representatives to discuss how to advance the electric grid.

“It’s the external visibility and impact that I enjoy most,” he said. “Events like AGI Day, our industry advisory board, and our partnerships create opportunities to strengthen relationships, develop new collaborations, and increase the institute’s regional and national impact.”

AGI Day, the institute’s annual conference held at WSU Tri-Cities, will take place on August 19, 2026, bringing together researchers, industry leaders, students, and government partners to discuss advances in grid modernization.

Dagle has spent nearly four decades at PNNL. After interning at the Laboratory in 1987 and 1988, he joined full-time in 1989 following the completion of his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering at WSU. While working at PNNL, he earned his master’s degree, also in electrical engineering, at WSU Tri-Cities.

Throughout his career, his work has focused on power systems, including grid operations, planning, security, and system performance. He has contributed to analyses following the major North American power outages in 1996 and 2003, completed several assignments with Department of Energy headquarters, and led and supported collaborative efforts related to synchronized grid measurements, power system modeling, and grid reliability.

“Jeff brings a wealth of experience to the AGI co-director role,” said Shuchismita Biswas, electrical engineer with PNNL. “With four decades in power systems research, he's a leading national expert, an IEEE Fellow, and a member of the Washington State Academy of Sciences. But what really stands out is his generosity—he's always willing to mentor junior researchers and share what he knows. His reappointment as AGI co-director will help further strengthen the ties between PNNL and WSU.”

Today, his work includes projects focused on transmission systems, capacity expansion modeling, reliable timing technologies, and the impacts of changing electricity demand and generation resources.

As AGI enters its next chapter, Dagle sees positive opportunities ahead.

“It’s a really exciting time for the power grid,” he said. “There are enormous changes happening across the energy landscape, and AGI is well positioned to bring together the expertise and partnerships needed to help address those challenges.”