The increasing complexity of electric power networks and interconnections to other infrastructures, vulnerabilities to cascading failures, interactive and large-scale nature of these networks, coupled with advances in modeling, computational methods, software technologies, simulations, control of networks and economic aspects, have stimulated the interest of the control community in this area. With the advent of deregulation, unbundling, and competition in the electric power industry, new ways are being sought to improve the efficiency of that network without seriously diminishing its reliability.

From a broader historical perspective, reliable networks of energy, transportation, and communication constitute the foundation of all prospering societies. For example, the U.S. electric power grid has evolved over the last hundred years, it underlies every aspect of our economy and society; it has been hailed by the National Academy of Engineering as the 20th century's engineering innovation most beneficial to our civilization. The role of electric power has grown steadily in both scope and importance during this time and electricity is increasingly recognized as a key to societal progress throughout the world, driving economic prosperity, security and improving the quality of life.

In the coming decades, electricity's share of total energy is expected to continue to grow, as more efficient and intelligent processes are introduced into this network. For example, controllers based on power-electronic, combined with wide-area sensing and management systems have the potential to improve situational awareness, precision, reliability and robustness of this continental-scale system. It is envisioned that the electric power grid will move from an electro-mechanically controlled system into an electronically controlled network in the next two decades. However, this infrastructure, faced with deregulation and coupled with interdependencies with other critical infrastructures, increased demand for high-quality and reliable electricity for our digital economy is becoming more and more stressed. As an example, the U.S. electric power system evolved in the first half of the 20th century without a clear awareness and analysis of the system-wide implications of its evolution. This continental-scale grid is a multi-scale, multi-level hybrid system.

The increasing connectivity of interactive networks including the electric power grid pose new challenges for robust control, management and secure operation of these complex interconnected systems. These networks are characterized by many points of interaction among a variety of participants; a local change anywhere can have immediate impact everywhere. This is a characteristic of the industries that make up a national or international "infrastructure," for instance, energy (including gas, water and oil pipelines, as well as the electric power grid), telecommunications, satellite systems, transportation, banking and finance.

A new mega-infrastructure is emerging from the convergence of energy (including the electric grid, water, oil and gas pipelines), telecommunications, transportation, Internet and electronic commerce. An example, we are experiencing increased linkages between computer and communications systems with the electric power grid. These bi-directional interactions range the use of the Internet, electronic transactions, and communications by the utilities to the in-orbit satellite network used for WAMS. Another increased level of complexity would be the inclusion of additional layers for water, oil/gas pipelines that interact with the above. Large-scale cascading failures and failures in seemingly unrelated businesses can occur. Because these networks support critical services and supply critical goods, disturbances can have serious economic, health, and security impacts. These pose new challenges for reliable, robust and secure network measurement, control, management, and operation. Sub-areas of interest include:

• Modeling, simulation and control of energy generation and delivery systems and interdependencies with other interactive infrastructure networks and identification of their vulnerabilities: Cascading phenomena, dynamics and identification, failure models and failure dynamics; as well as interaction and interdependency among information, communication, and power networks -- wide area measurement and control.
• Modeling (including identification and reduction of dynamic models) and analysis of hybrid and Discrete-Event Dynamical Systems for power systems (those combining continuous dynamics with the discrete dynamics in switching elements, e.g. FACTS devices).
• Power plant dynamics and control: All aspects of modeling, operation, and control of power plants and power systems, dynamic interactions of power plants and power systems.
• Tools for enhanced system observability (including visualization of wide-area networks), efficiency, robustness and reliability (including probabilistic risk assessment). Faster than real time simulation for security assessment and dispatching.
• Secure operation of such interdependent network will require an understanding of several effects as well as development of mathematical underpinning for: interdependencies among large-scale networks, cascading effects, and development of robust control to prevent or ameliorate them.
• Preventive and corrective control of cascading failures: Robust control of the power grid and interdependent infrastructures. Adaptive control of these interdependent infrastructures. Address issues of distributed vs. centralized control (how does it interface with the hierarchical operation and management).
• Power electronics and instruments, which enable new capabilities for sensing and control of large-scale networks.
• Modeling and control of power markets: Modeling and analysis of couplings between power market dynamics on the physical control; impact of deregulation on power system control, security monitoring, as well as analysis and control in deregulated power systems.
• Simulation and analysis tools for long-term (5-7 years and beyond) grid planning, asset deployment (including FACTS and SMES, etc) with stability/reliability analysis for their interaction and cost/benefit analysis of network expansion plans.

An increased participation from researchers in these areas is expected; the research areas include modeling and Control of Energy Processing and Power Systems and other interactive infrastructure networks, power electronics and instruments that enable new capabilities for sensing and control. For more information on this or on providing additional technical resources and proposing opportunities for technical collaboration in these areas contact the chair at the address above.