Research Projects

The transition to a decarbonized electric grid is accelerating the deployment of renewable energy sources (RESs), such as wind and solar, which are inherently intermittent, uncertain, and inertialess. These characteristics pose significant challenges for maintaining power system frequency stability and damping inter-area oscillations, especially in large interconnected grids. To address these challenges, the proposed project aims to develop a cyberattack-resilient adaptive wide-area control framework that ensures combined frequency regulation and inter-area oscillations (IAOs) damping under high-RES penetration. Modern wide-area measurement systems (WAMS) comprising Phasor Measurement Units (PMUs) enable real-time monitoring and control across large geographical areas. However, their dependence on communication networks and digital infrastructure exposes them to cybersecurity threats, such as false data injection (FDI), denial of service (DoS) attacks, and random delays. These attacks can compromise measurement integrity, mislead control actions, and destabilize the power system. Existing wide-area control designs often overlook such threats, assuming secure, delay-free, and accurate data transmission, which is an unrealistic assumption in modern cyber-physical systems. In this view, this project proposes a novel adaptive wide-area damping controller (WADC) for combined frequency regulation and inter-area oscillation (IAO) damping that is resilient to cyberattacks, communication delays, and operating point uncertainties. The outcomes will benefit system operators, grid planners, and policy makers by offering a resilient control solution compatible with the evolving smart grid landscape.