K. Johnston
NextGen Energy Partners,
United States
Keywords: grid, AI power systems, storage, virtual power plants
Summary:
The grand challenges of our time are prompting a paradigm shift in the way we produce, store and transfer electricity at localized and regional levels to achieve energy security, society prosperity, and environmental protection. The U.S. Department of Energy and the State of Louisiana have launched a first-of-a-kind grid innovation demonstration project, Hubs for Energy Resilient Operations (HERO Hubs) to innovate and scale a statewide human-centric 24/7 electricity network. The public-private sector transformative grid initiative is uniting utilities, research institutions, community-led organizations, market participants to unlock the potential of on-site 24/7 carbon-free power generation and energy storage technologies across the state to protect and serve society during times of crisis and generate value on blue sky days. The HERO Hubs initiative is to be a catalyst for a national replicable model to increase the capacity needed to meet the rapid electrification demand, reduce energy burdens, and mitigate climate-related risks from unplanned and extended power outages. The presentation will provide an overview of the large-scale demonstration project and dive into the innovative design and technologies for the first-of-a-kind statewide distributed energy resources system.