In December 2014, it was announced that GE Global Research, GE Energy Consulting, National Grid (a utility in the Northeast), the Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), and Clarkson University (Potsdam, N.Y.) were forming a partnership in a research project to develop an enhanced microgrid control system (eMCS) designed to improve the reliability and resiliency of electric delivery to the Village of Potsdam, which is located in the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains and prone to ice storms that can damage utility lines and other above-ground power infrastructure.


The system is expected to be able to connect approximately a dozen key entities in the village, including emergency-service providers, healthcare facilities, utilities, power-generation sources, staging areas, housing, and fuel and food providers.


The diversity of generation is considered to be a key factor in the ultimate resilience of the microgrid, which will combine power from solar panels, hydroelectric dams and thermal resources, such as combined heat and power (CHP).


“The microgrid control system that we will be developing will bring these renewable-­power sources online and effectively manage them, along with other traditional generation resources, to improve the reliability and efficiency of the main power grid, while helping ensure stable backup power in the event of a blackout,” said Sumit Bose, principal investigator on the project and microgrid technology leader at GE Global Research.


Another part of the project will involve the installation of an underground primary distribution network that connects the various sources of generation and loads of the system. Being underground, the network will not be vulnerable to grid-killing events such as ice, wind and lightning.


Nova Energy Specialists has been selected to identify the generation resources and configurations to serve the needs of the loads and to provide studies of the system dynamic behavior, system protection, black start requirements and utility power-grid interactions.


While there are a number of microgrids in operation on military bases and college campuses, this is believed to be the first in the United States designed to cover at least the critical resources within a whole town. The expected completion of the project is 2017.


“Together, GE’s control system and the underground microgrid envisioned for the Potsdam community could serve as a model for towns and cities across the country that are susceptible to weather disasters and blackouts,” Bose said.