Smart Grid

Smart Grid

Colleges: VCEA, CAS

The focus of the Smart Grid group includes electric power research and smart grid technology including the incorporation of renewable energy resources, energy storage, and smart grid strategies. The Energy Systems Innovation Center (ESIC) at Washington State University is a leading Center of excellence, both nationally and internationally, for research, education, technological innovation, and technology transfer in energy systems, including smart grids. Long-standing relationships with industrial partners and other collaborators have enabled the implementation of many WSU-led advancements directly into products and strategies used in the industry. WSU has one of the top programs in the world in this area, and one of only two academic institutions in the western US that has a significant number of personnel and research expenditures in electric power and smart grid research. With an exceptional team of faculty in power, energy, and computer science, and additional faculty in allied fields including economics, public policy, and sociology, ESIC provides a strong synergistic environment for conducting major multi-disciplinary studies on electric energy and its social and economic impacts, facilitating the development of public policy at the state and national levels. ESIC includes internationally recognized grid researchers, including a member of the US National Academy of Engineers. The group collaborates with governments and industries (e.g., PNNL, INL, Bonneville Power Administration, City of Spokane, Urbanova, AVISTA, SEL) on research and development, education, workforce training, and economic development. For example, the WSU-PNNL joint Advanced Grid Institute (AGI) offers synergistic local collaboration that enhances the effort of WSU researchers in this area. Furthermore, Pullman, WA, is one of only a handful of US cities experimenting with smart metering and other related technologies, giving WSU a competitive edge.