DOE Developing “SuperLab” to Stress Test the Grid
Image courtesy of Antti Lipponen under Attribution 2.0 Generic License, resized to 700 x 391 pixels.
The Department of Energy (DOE) is working on the development of a “SuperLab,” which will test the power grid against simulated hurricanes, forest fires, and cyber-attacks. The initiative is expected to be launched sometime in late 2024, and it will represent yet another data point to help drive grid-hardening decisions.
Details and Background of the DOE’s SuperLab
Overall, while the name is singular, the initiative will encompass a network of 7 different DOE laboratories. The initiative is based on work that was previously done creating the labs and research platforms to share information.
It’s not the first time the DOE has launched something like this, but previous iterations missed the mark. For example, the first SuperLab was launched in 2017, but it was too slow. Another one launched in 2021, but it was too small (only focused on 1 city). The ‘new and improved’ iteration will be much larger in scope in order to derive the greatest insights possible from the simulation. Its focus will be on large events of national interest that no single lab could handle on its own.
A key objective of the initiative is to determine how to move the right mix of renewable energy and stored battery power to the right places at the right times. This is critical, because decades from now cities won’t be able to fall back on fossil-fuel sources, which will by then likely be replaced with facilities that are able to produce renewable energy and nuclear power.
In summary, the DOE’s SuperLab will provide a platform to conduct large-scale simulations designed to identify areas of vulnerability on the nation’s power grid. This information will be used as a roadmap to understand the optimal way to replace fossil fuel energy sources with clean energy sources going forward.
Getting this transition wrong would be devastating for utilities, so from an emergency preparedness perspective, I certainly hope the DOE learns what it expects to learn and can use the learnings to provide a viable roadmap going forward.
