Skyrocketing energy grid demands brought on by increasingly large electric loads have been impacting grid stability and reliability, complicating power distribution during and after grid disruptions.
To better understand how these large loads behave, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) will partner with the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES) to develop models of large load and how they change their output in response to grid disturbances.
The ERCOT energy partnership will spur the development of detailed generic dynamic models of large loads – including data centers, crypto and electrolyzers – for use in future conceptual studies. Large loads do not behave the same way as conventional loads, which in turn introduces new challenges in understanding their interactions with the ERCOT grid particularly during heavy use.
Models developed as a part of this research will inform the understanding of plant-level characteristics and establish benchmark models in the lab. Once completed, researchers will have access to more accurate grid study assumptions and recommendations for desirable large load characteristics. This information is critical to developing solutions to address grid instability and reliability.
The results of this research will establish the first available open-source Electromagnetic Transient models based on the latest and best information. The ERCOT energy partnership is the result of the state’s Grid Research, Innovation and Transformation (GRIT) program which aims to advance research and prototyping of cutting-edge solutions and conceptualization of rapid grid and technology evolution.
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