Weather-Power-Grid Testbed Experiments for Risk Contingency Management during Hazards: Cascading Failures, Fragility Curves, and Grid and Weather Monitoring Needs 

Background:

Extreme weather events like hurricanes, heatwaves, and storms are increasing in frequency and intensity due to climate change, posing significant risks to power grid infrastructure. These events cause widespread outages and cascading failures, reducing grid resilience. Additionally, the growing reliance on renewable energy, which depends on weather conditions, adds complexity to grid stability. This project seeks to analyze the interaction between weather and power grid vulnerabilities using a real-time simulation testbed. The research will generate insights to help grid operators and policymakers enhance resilience and mitigate risks.

Industry Need:  

The power industry faces growing challenges in maintaining grid stability under extreme weather conditions. There is a need for advanced tools to simulate and analyze grid performance during hazardous events, assess vulnerabilities, and improve monitoring systems. A deeper understanding of cascading failures, fragility curves, and tipping points will support the development of more effective risk mitigation strategies and infrastructure hardening measures.

Objectives: 

The project aims to create a simulation-based framework to enhance the resilience of power grids against extreme weather. It will integrate real-time digital simulation with high-resolution weather data to model grid behavior under stress. Key goals include assessing historical weather events, modeling cascading failures, developing fragility curves, optimizing monitoring systems, and providing guidelines for grid hardening. The research will help identify vulnerabilities, improve forecasting capabilities, and strengthen grid infrastructure.

Methodology:  

Using the UConn-Eversource RTDS testbed, the study will simulate coupled weather-power-grid interactions. Historical extreme weather events will be analyzed to validate the testbed and generate fragility curves. The project will assess critical thresholds leading to cascading failures and evaluate different mitigation strategies. Sensitivity analyses will determine the probability of grid failure under various conditions, guiding optimization efforts. The research will also refine weather monitoring systems to enhance preparedness and response.

Deliverables:  

The project will provide a validated testbed for simulating weather-related grid disruptions, models identifying failure thresholds, and fragility curves for assessing system vulnerabilities. It will generate recommendations for grid hardening, including infrastructure upgrades and redundancy planning. Additionally, improved guidelines for weather and grid monitoring will support disaster preparedness. The findings will help utilities refine resilience strategies and improve long-term grid stability against climate-driven hazards.