AI Augmented Decision Support for Grid Operators Enabling Cyber-Power Resilience
Speaker
Dr. Anurag K Srivastava
West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
Title
"AI Augmented Decision Support for Grid Operators Enabling Cyber-Power Resilience "
Abstract
Ensuring the resilience of the cyber-physical-human electric grid is essential for maintaining power to critical loads such as hospitals, airports, and emergency services, especiallyduring extreme weather events and cyber disruptions. The increasing integration of Distributed Energy Resources (DERs), Grid-Enhancing Technologies (GETs), and Internet of Things (IoT) devices has improved grid flexibility and automation but has also introduced new cyber and operational challenges. Extreme weather events, such as hurricanes and heat waves, can strain grid infrastructure, requiring adaptive response strategies that combine cyber resilience with physical grid enhancements. The resilience of electric grids depends on multiple factors: (a) identifying weather and cyber threats and planning for resilience, (b) utilizing advanced tools for real-time analysis and automated control, (c) applying metrics to guide investment and operational decisions, (d) enhancing operator training and cognitive flexibility, and (e) employing a testbed to validate resilience tools. Tools for cyber resilience must address computing systems, networking, data protocols, and hardware/software security and trust. Cognitive flexibility in human decision-making is important for responding to rapidly evolving threats. This talk will present resilience objectives, resilience metrics for grid operations, physics-aware and AI-augmented techniques for anomaly and event detection, AI-augmented digital assistants, cognitive flexibility assessment, and a testbed for validating cyber-physical-human resilience strategies.
About Speaker
Anurag K. Srivastava holds the Raymond J. Lane Professorship and serves as Chairperson of the Computer Science and Electrical Engineering Department at West Virginia University. Additionally, he is an adjunct professor at Washington State University and a senior scientist at the Pacific Northwest National Lab. He earned his Ph.D. in electrical engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology in 2005. Dr. Srivastava's research focuses on data-driven algorithms and tools for cyber-resilient electric energy systems. His impactful research projects have resulted in the implementation of tools at utility control centers, supported by over $66M in funding from entities such as the US Department of Energy, National Science Foundation, Siemens Corporate Research, Electric Power Research Institute, Schweitzer Engineering Lab, Power System Engineering Research Center, Office of Naval Research, and various National Labs. Over the years, he has held visiting positions at organizations including Réseau de transported´électricité in France, RWTH Aachen University in Germany, PEAK Reliability Coordinator, Idaho National Laboratory, PJM Interconnection, Schweitzer Engineering Lab (SEL), GE Grid Solutions, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Mississippi State University. He is an IEEE Fellow, recepient of IEEE PES Pete Sauer Educator Award, numbers of best papers award, leading multiple IEEE technical subcommittee/ WGs (Resiliency, Microgrid, voltage stability, distributed optimization), PES/IAS Distinguished Lecturer, and the author of over 440 technical publications, 4 books, and 3 patents.