Conference Video: Victoria Hunt, PhD - Simulation of the US Electric Grid for Renewable Energy Integration
This is Victoria Hunt , PhD’s tech talk from the WiDS Puget Sound Conference 2020. Enjoy!
ABSTRACT:
Please join me for a whirlwind tour of how the US electricity sector works, how we model it with high temporal and spatial resolution, and how we analyze our findings. I will present on a highly detailed and realistic simulation of the US electric grid, which we use for exploring strategies to integrate renewable energy under future conditions. Our model is open access and exclusively uses publicly available data from multiple sources. I will provide an overview of our algorithms used to mimic power system operation, optimizing generation and dispatch of electricity and minimizing costs at hourly time intervals across an 82,000 node system. I will also share a preview of our in-development web interface, which will serve as a flexible and customizable tool for policymakers to quantitatively study energy policy impacts, and will include a full set of research-grade features for engineers and researchers.
Victoria Hunt, PhD, is a data scientist for the Clean Energy team. In this role, she researches and implements simulation and analysis methods for the team’s US grid simulation framework. She is keenly interested in policy, and in supporting renewable energy policy though data visualization and data storytelling. Victoria’s passion for policy is also reflected in her pursuits outside of her role on the Clean Energy Team; she currently is a city council-member for the city of Issaquah, and in this role serves on several regional boards and commissions.