IAB Newsletter Editor

electrical engineering. As discussed at proposal writing (such as a white Phillip D. McCrory the May IAB meeting, Dennis will be paper for a $5,000,000, five-year IAB Newsletter Editor a principle point of contact between project in response to the News ERC industry members and PS . With his Department of Defense’s Multi- If you have information you would like office at the University of Wisconsin, Disciplinary University Research to have published in this newsletter for Dennis can be reached at 608-265- Initiative); and PSERC members, send it to 3808 (telephone), 608-262-5559 (fax),  Productive discussions on PSERC’s [email protected] or [email protected]. He will be reorganization around the research contacting the industrial members in stems of (1) systems, (2) the coming weeks and will get a transmission and distribution, and Inside This Issue chance to meet you in person at the (3) markets. next IAB meeting. The PSERC Executive Committee also New PSERC Staff held important discussions on ways to Andy Gardner has also joined PSERC. involve industry in the research stem He will be helping PSERC with Report: PSERC Summer Retreat activities, on recruiting and web site accounts processing, financial development, and on PSERC policies HICSS Papers reporting and invoicing, as a portion of and procedures. More information on his work at Cornell University. Andy the results of those discussions will be Calendar is a recent graduate of State University available soon. of New York, College at Fredonia with Research a Bachelors of Science degree in HICSS Conference Business Administration. Papers Coming… Report From the PSERC You should plan on getting your web Summer Retreat browser ready for a number of papers that will appear on the PSERC web site Members of the PSERC faculty in September. Bob Thomas is a “Track New PSERC Staff gathered in Steamboat Springs, Chair” for the upcoming Hawaii Colorado for the 2000 summer retreat, Bob Thomas, PSERC Director, has International Conference on Social July 31-August 5. PSERC’s annual announced that two new staff members Sciences, January 3-6, 2001. This summer retreats facilitate collaboration have been added to support the growth conference provides a particularly among the universities and, therefore, in PSERC. efficient opportunity for collaboration make a substantial contribution to Dr. Dennis Ray is the Center’s new among PSERC faculty, industry and PSERC research, education and Executive Director. Previously he other international researchers on organization activities. This year’s served as a co-director of the topics relevant to PSERC’s research retreat was no exception. Particularly Wisconsin Public Utility Institute at program. It is a working conference. noteworthy outcomes from this year’s the University of Wisconsin before The faculty prepares and presents retreat include: spending two years in energy-related technical papers that appear in the  Substantive progress on research consulting. Much of Dennis’ conference proceedings. Their papers tasks involving PSERC faculty and experience involves the electric power also contribute to their research staff members from national industry, from distribution and facility projects. Conference attendance is laboratories working under engineering for the Air Force to open to industry. academic research and professional funding through the Center for Electric Reliability Technology development instruction on electric Bob Thomas’ track focuses on Solutions (for more information power economics and policies. His improving understanding of complex on CERTS go to interest in PSERC actually has a long systems, power systems in particular. www.pserc.wisc.edu/index_resear history since he worked with Bob “Minitrack” topics include information ch.html); Thomas and other faculty in PSERC’s management, security and reliability, early days. His Ph.D. is in Business  Identification of research funding implications of decentralized decision- with an undergraduate degree in opportunities and initiation of making in systems, uncertainty, and design of markets (such as for Professor Vijay Vittal Some Recent Publications on the ancillary services). Information about ([email protected]) from Iowa State PSERC Website (in the publications the conference and about the session University, is the organizer of the folder at www.pserc.wisc.edu) topics can be found at 2000-2001 Internet Seminar Series. http://www.hicss.hawaii.edu/HICSS_3 “New Methods for the Visualization of 4/cscfp.htm. As with other PSERC Other Scheduled Internet Seminars Electric Power System Information.” work, industry members benefit by (all from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m.): Thomas J. Overbye and Jamie D. being able to review the papers in Weber present several power system advance of publication. You will October 3 (Cornell) visualization techniques to help system receive notification when the papers November 7 (Illinois) operators among others assess the state are available. December (Arizona State) of the system in an intuitive and quick manner. (PSERC publication 00-05) Calendar of Events Research News… “ Enhancing Reliability of Power Protection Systems Economically in IAB Meeting: November 30- Prof. Fernando Alvarado at the UW- Madison is studying transmission zone the Post-Restructuring Era.” H. Wang December 1 in Denver definitions for the California power and Jim Thorp assess the impact of market. In a special study for the consecutive relaying malfunctions and Planning is underway for the next IAB California ISO, under the sponsorship pinpoint the vulnerable locations in the meeting. At the meeting, there will be of the Center for Electric Reliability New York Power Pool’s (NYPP) a presentation in each of the stem Technology Solutions (CERTS), Prof. 3000-bus system by simulating research areas, poster sessions on Alvarado is examining how electrical blackouts using the Cornell every project, and a tutorial on a topic transmission zones could be redefined Theory Center’s supercomputers. of interest. There will be ample to address current transmission Then, they develop an optimal opportunities for discussions between congestion problems. His study will investment plan for replacing PSERC faculty and industry members look at when, where and how to protective relays to enhance the overall on current research projects; training establish new transmission zones, and system reliability. (PSERC publication events; new ideas for research, how to respond to transmission "hot 00-06) education and other PSERC services; spots" that do not fit well within the and current events in the electric current zonal model for California’s “ Simulation of Bilateral Contracts in power industry. More information will system. He is also studying how zonal an AGC System after Restructuring.” be available soon. prices and transmission congestion V. Donde, Mangalore Pai and Ian contracts would be affected if the Hiskins propose modifications in the Internet Seminar: September 5 from zones are redefined and if the number use of automatic generation control 1:00-2:00 p.m. (Iowa State University) of zones is increased. His findings will (AGC) to accommodate bilateral Title: Security Assessment: Decision be available in a forthcoming report. contracts in a restructured electric Support Tools for Power System power market. (PSERC publication 00- Operators As part of another CERTS activity, on 07) Professor J. D. McCalley, Iowa State August 23, Bob Thomas and Tim University Mount, along with Vickram Budhraja Next Meeting: and Carlos Marteniz, visited Mike November 30 - December 1, 2000 Instructions on how to connect to the Gent, Dave Nevius and Bob Internet seminar: posted at the PSERC Cummings at NERC to exchange Meeting accommodations will be forth website: information and to see if there were coming…keep watching the web-site http://www.pserc.wisc.edu/index_pser projects of mutual interest. The for additional details and agenda. conly.html following day the group visited with Phil Harris, CEO of the PJM ISO and This will be the first Internet seminar his staff, Bob Hinkel and Tom Bowe. of the 2000-2001 academic year. The In addition to a visit to the PJM seminars target PSERC faculty and Control Center, a great deal of students to improve collaboration and information was exchanged and areas information sharing across campuses. of mutual interest were explored. Bob However, experience shows that said, "I was really impressed with the industry members also have benefited attitude and the work environment at from seminars. The seminars are held PJM. Phil has energized his people over the Internet using Microsoft’s with a forward looking philosophy, NetMeeting software along with a working objectives that make a lot of direct teleconference telephone sense, and a real can-do attitude. connection. Details about the seminar topic, and the telephone and pin numbers to use the telephone bank will be emailed before the seminar.