Sandia leads efforts to update power grid

Sandia National Laboratories is participating in the Grid Modernization Laboratory Consortium’s efforts to modernize the U.S.’s electrical grid and using its expertise in grid modernization to take the lead in the area of security and resilience.

“Sandia has decades of experience in physical and cybersecurity, and in providing resilience support for the power grid and some of the most critical infrastructures in the nation, such as nuclear power plants, oil and gas installations and water and transportation systems,” Deputy Director for Sandia’s Renewable Systems and Energy Infrastructure Program Juan Torres said. “Sandia’s capabilities, coupled with assets at our partner labs, bring tremendous resources for the nation.”

The Grid Modernization Laboratory Consortium (GMLC) is an award winning section of the Department of Energy’s Grid Modernization Initiative. The GMLC’s goal is to fully update the U.S. electrical grid using modern, clean technologies that will make the grid more capable of supporting the increasing energy demands of the United States.

Sandia engineers will oversee multiple projects like the GMLC Testing Network, the Grid Analysis and Design for Energy and Infrastructure Resiliency for New Orleans project, and a project in Vermont to help utilities that can accommodate the state’s ambitious clean energy plan.

“Sandia engineers and scientists are excited to be applying decades of technology leadership in national security areas to help create a modern electric grid.” Charles Hanley, Sandia’s senior manager for the Grid Modernization Program, said “The GMLC is an excellent avenue to increase our technical collaborations and ensure a broad national impact for this critical work.”