7 events found.
Week of Events
Strengthening Power Systems: Resilience, Sustainability, Security, and Investment Priorities
Power systems face escalating risks from aging infrastructure, extreme weather, cyber and physical threats, increased electrification, and shifting energy demands. Recent failures expose these vulnerabilities. In 2021, severe winter storms in Texas froze pipelines and shut down plants: Over 4.5 million people lost power, 246 died, and damages reached $195 billion. Between 2019 and 2023, wildfires and heatwaves in California triggered rolling blackouts. In 2023, winter storms in Quebec knocked out power for over a million. Europe’s 2022-2023 energy shortages, driven by geopolitical tensions, led to blackouts and supply restrictions. These are just a few examples. Cyber and physical attacks continue to threaten power systems. In 2015 and 2016, cyberattacks in Ukraine cut power to over 230,000. Since 2022, multi-pronged attacks have destroyed generation plants, reduced capacity, and forced the grid into emergency protocols. Blackouts are common, exposing the vulnerability of centralized systems during conflict. Failures happen fast. Recovery is slow. Resilience requires decisive action. Modernizing grids with smart technologies can reduce outage durations by 20% (EPRI, 2024). Decentralizing through microgrids adds redundancy—by 2025, 15% of urban areas will rely on them (IEA, 2025). Predictive maintenance using AI has cut transformer downtime from months to less than a week (DOE, 2024). AI-driven cybersecurity has reduced threat response times by up to 70% (DHS, 2025). Energy storage systems help balance supply and demand, particularly during peak loads, while advanced demand response systems increase grid flexibility and reduce stress during surges. However, resilience is not only about technology. It requires robust supply chains for critical components like transformers, semiconductors, and storage technologies. It depends on understanding the interdependencies between power, water, transportation, and telecommunications systems, where a failure in one sector can cascade into others. Investment strategies must prioritize scalable, climate-adaptive infrastructure while ensuring equitable access for underserved communities. Public-private partnerships will be essential to fund and drive these transformations, while policy frameworks must incentivize innovation, sustainability, and resilience. Data integration and AI will be central to optimizing grid efficiency, identifying vulnerabilities, and guiding proactive interventions. Global benchmarking can also provide insights from regions advancing resilience—lessons that can be applied to diverse infrastructure contexts. For IEEE Young Professionals, the challenge is to design, implement, and advocate for these solutions. It means advancing technical expertise, engaging with policymakers, and promoting investments that ensure sector resilience. This session will present real-world examples, data-driven strategies, and practical frameworks for strengthening power infrastructure resilience. It will outline steps to build robust, adaptive systems across interdependent sectors, regions, nations, and global networks. Speaker(s): Dr. Massoud Amin Agenda: - Introduction (5 minutes) - Key Note by Dr. Masood Amin - (45 minutes) - Q&A (10 minutes) Virtual: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/478409
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Engagement Opportunities in IEEE and Associated Career Advancement: A Perspective
Engagement Opportunities in IEEE and Associated Career Advancement: A Perspective
Engagement Opportunities in IEEE and Associated Career Advancement: A Perspective Join Us: MONDAY, APRIL 14TH @ 11:00 AM EST Guest Lecturer: BURAK OZPINECI This seminar will explore engagement opportunities provided by IEEE and discuss how active participation can accelerate career advancement. IEEE is recognized worldwide for its commitment to advancing technology for the benefit of humanity, fostering innovation and excellence in various fields. Its global network supports professional growth, collaboration, and knowledge sharing among researchers, practitioners, and students. The session will also introduce the new IEEE chapter—the Transportation Electrification Council (TEC) for the East Tennessee Region. As the first TEC chapter in North America, it is at the forefront of the transportation electrification revolution, engaging with cutting-edge advancements in electric and hybrid vehicles, more-electric ships and aircraft, rail systems, and personal transport. The TEC chapter aims to create leadership opportunities, enhance professional development across disciplines including motive power, energy storage, power grid integration, electronic intelligence, and control technologies. Attendees will gain insights into how involvement with IEEE and the TEC chapter can empower professionals by providing a platform that fosters collaboration, innovation, and the exchange of ideas in the field of transportation electrification. Engagement Opportunities in IEEE and Associated Career Advancement: A Perspective WHEN: Apr 14, 2025 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM EST WHERE: Virtual Event Co-sponsored by: IEEE TEC East Tennessee Chapter Speaker(s): Burak Ozpineci, Virtual: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/479237
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Grids of the Future – HVDC Technology and Power Quality Solutions
Grids of the Future – HVDC Technology and Power Quality Solutions
Dr. Frans Dijkhuizen, Hitachi's Corporate Research Fellow with expertise in power electronics and HVDC systems, will visit Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Hardin Valley Campus, where he will offer a technical talk on a topic to be decided. The event will be virtual, and a Teams link will be provided to the registered participants the evening before the event. Dr. Frans Dijkhuizen is a Research Fellow at Hitachi Energy Research with 25 years industrial experience in research and development of high-power electronic converters for HVDC and power quality solutions. Dr. Dijkhuizen earned his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the Eindhoven University of Technology TU/e, the Netherlands. He joined ABB Corporate Research in Västerås Sweden in 2001 in the field of high-power electronics for research and development of grid connected converter technology for HVDC Light and Power Quality solutions, and since 2019 at Hitachi Energy Research. In his global role he is responsible for the long-term research and strategy in the field of high-power electronics for dc applications. Dr. Dijkhuizen holds numerous patents in the field and serves as an Associate Editor for the IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics, is vice-chair of IEEE PELS TC8 2025, vice-chair of the IEEE PELS International Technology Roadmap of High-Power Electronics for Modern Energy Grids (ITRG). He is also a working group member since 2016 first with the European standardization group CENELEC that went into the IEC TC115-WG15 for developing a global standard for HVDC Grids Systems. [] Virtual: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/480076