Fast-Tracked Power Electronics Standards for Decarbonizing Power Systems

Driven by the ambitious targets on deeper electrification and decarbonization, the power systems across the world are transitioning to be dominated by power electronics. Power electronics are penetrating through all stages of the power systems ñ generation, transmission, and consumption, including inverter-based wind and solar generation, batter storage, electric vehicle changing and discharging, power electronics-controlled appliances, power conversion for data centers, and DC transmission and distribution. These power electronics are fundamentally changing power system dynamics and increasing power system complexity. This transition is occurring at a very fast pace. The design, control, and interoperability of the power electronics devices need to be defined, understood, and standardized to ensure efficient, reliable, and resilient operation of the future power systems. However, standards development historically takes years to mature, much slower than the current pace of the power electronics transition. Such a situation creates significant challenges in manufacturing, installing, and operating power electronics devices. Innovative and fast-tracked standards or standardization approaches are essential to keep up with the fast transition and avoid the fundamental break of power systems while pursuing electrification and decarbonization. This panel session brings government agencies, manufacturers, and industry users together to discuss the needs for power electronics and identify the fast-tracked paths forward for power electronics standardization. Presentations in this panel session: - HVDC needs and market in the US (23PESGM4030) - Power electronics manufacturing and the impact of standards (23PESGM4034)