The Electricity Infrastructure Operations Center (EIOC) at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is a hub for innovative research supporting mission critical areas in grid reliability and modernization. Researchers, grid operators, power system engineers, and industry partners use the EIOC’s testbeds, software, control rooms, and advanced data analysis tools to develop new technologies and solutions that protect and strengthen our grid.  

New and Ongoing Research

Data Curation and Big Data Analytics

The quality of grid research rests on the availability of both real and synthetic curated datasets. This is a critical step toward development and adoption of real-time early warning tools, operator decision support tools, and automated controls. Curated datasets enable exploration of artificial intelligence (AI) tools with synchrophasors data, to confirm and improve existing knowledge, and to discover new insights and tools for better grid operation and management. A recent example of data curation was the creation of the National PMU Dataset, where PNNL was tasked with collecting, curating, and providing 2 years’ worth of geographically dispersed PMU data from each of the three U.S.-based transmission interconnections in support of big data analytics projects for the Office of Electricity.

The EIOC and Grid Storage Launchpad Integrated Testbed

PNNL is working to advance grid modernization through an integrated testbed linking the EIOC with the Grid Storage Launchpad, a national facility located at the PNNL-Richland campus, for testing, validating, and accelerating the development of new energy storage technologies. By connecting the testbed capabilities of both facilities, the project seeks to validate the performance and market readiness of new energy storage technologies under realistic grid operating conditions. The integrated testbed project aims to realize the system benefits of energy storage through accurate storage capacity modeling, interoperability testing, scenario-based evaluations, and operator training.

PRIME Testbed Transmission and Distribution Simulation  

The EIOC will develop a co-simulated testbed that integrates transmission and distribution synthetic grids with energy management systems and advanced distribution management systems in-the-loop while incorporating hardware and human interaction. This testbed is designed to evaluate operational strategies spanning the transmission and distribution boundary while enabling advanced exploration of grid operations use cases. By fostering dynamic simulations, the project provides a versatile platform to innovate and optimize grid management techniques.

Synchrophasors Applications Training and Human Factors Studies

The EIOC is exploring how emerging technologies can be more effectively used to deliver training to utility control room operators and dispatchers. To do this, we’re exploring how new simulation tools and human-machine teaming approaches can improve situational awareness, decision-making, and operational reliability in modern control rooms. Using the EIOC’s simulation capabilities, testbeds, control rooms, and human factors expertise, operators and dispatchers engage in immersive training scenarios that build critical thinking, planning, and decision-making skills, while also earning North American Electric Reliability Corporation continuing education hours. The project is partnering with utilities, EMS vendors, and subcontractors to develop a modular training approach that not only advances operational excellence but also deepens understanding of human-machine interactions, decision support systems, and human-to-human workflows within the control room environment.

Operation Technology Cybersecurity Visualization Dashboard (OTVD)

The OTVD is designed to enhance situational awareness by bridging the communication gap between power system operators and cybersecurity analysts. It provides real-time insights into cybersecurity events affecting energy systems, such as intrusions or coordinated attacks, using data from simulations generated by the EIOC’s PRIME testbed. By prototyping and validating anomaly detection, the OTVD is designed to improve cohesive responses to cyber threats and protect critical energy infrastructure.

Past Research

Dynamic Contingency Analysis Tool (DCAT)

DCAT is an open-source platform for developing tools designed to help power system planners more effectively evaluate the risks and impacts of extreme events and cascading failures in their systems. Learn More.

Electrical Grid Resilience and Assessment System (EGRASS)

EGRASS is a cloud-based, web-accessible platform that helps utilities and emergency responders simulate the impact of natural disasters on power grids, assess component failure risks, prioritize critical infrastructure protections, and optimize recovery strategies in real time. Learn More.

The Energy System Co-Design with Multiple Objectives and Power Electronics (E-COMP)

The E-COMP Initiative at PNNL is developing innovative capabilities to enable the multi-objective optimization of the design and operation of energy systems dominated by power electronics. E-COMP’s Multi-Entity Simulation thrust team used the EIOC to simulate the interactions between localized, optimized entities and the broader energy system. Learn More.

The Generator Scorecard

The Generator Scorecard is a tool developed by PNNL in partnership with Bonneville Power Administration to automate performance evaluations of power grid generators. It ensures grid stability by analyzing the response of generators to sudden disruptions using real-time data from phasor measurement units. Learn More.

Grid-Forming Inverter Models

PNNL designed specialized models for evaluating how grid-forming inverters enhance the stability and reliability of power grids as their energy mix diversifies. Unlike conventional grid-following inverters that only control electric currents, grid-forming inverters regulate voltage and automatically coordinate with other grid components. This makes them essential for maintaining frequency and voltage stability in a rapidly evolving power system. Learn More.

National Transmission Planning (NTP) Study

The NTP Study is a Department of Energy initiative, conducted in collaboration with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and PNNL, to develop long-term transmission planning tools and analyses to evaluate transmission planning scenarios across the United States. The study examined future electricity needs through 2050 by using capacity expansion modeling, resource adequacy assessments, and a wide range of economic, reliability, and resilience indicators.