IEEE Smart Grid – 2022 in Review

Written by Peter Wung

We want to reflect on the happenings of the past year during December as the end of the year gives us all a reason to hit pause. This year more than most, the IEEE Smart Grid (SG) Program has very much to reflect on. This has been a very productive year, as you will see in the articles from the committee chairs.

To summarize, IEEE SG has hosted 19 webinars and produced 12 monthly eBulletins (over 44 articles) and 2 white papers. In partnership with Educational Activities, a new education product was created for the IEEE Learning Network (ILN) on Distribution Automation, along with a panel to introduce the new product. Finally, the representatives for the IEEE SG program have participated in countless workshops and activities to further the mission of modernizing the grid.

It has been significant for IEEE Smart Grid as an entity in that we were able to renew our relationships with all the member Organizational Units (OU)s which comprise the IEEE Smart Grid. We also gained a new participating OU, the Circuits and System Society, who are enthusiastic about the work that our volunteers and staff members are doing for the advancement and promotion of the smart grid.

I would like to thank all the OU presidents and the volunteer IEEE Smart Grid Steering Committee members from each of the OUs. It is their wisdom and insights that have made our journey so rewarding for everyone involved.

I would like to highlight our collaboration with the PES board and the task force that was formed to assist the IEEE Smart Grid and chaired by Dr. Ambra Sannino. This collaboration has been quite enlightening and productive for both entities. I would also like to thank the members who volunteered their experience and expertise for the task force. Your work is appreciated.

IEEE Smart Grid has also collaborated with the Reliability (RS) and Industry Applications Societies (IAS) to develop a joint Vision Statement and Call to Action to initiate closer collaboration in the areas of application of specific techniques and technologies to the smart grid, joint papers and panels, and joint Standards development. I wish to thank the IEEE Smart Grid Vice Chair Sara Biyabani, Lou Gullo of RS, and Sergio Panetta of IAS.

The IEEE Smart Grid conference committee is also very fortunate to be a part of the Grid Edge conference to be held April 10-13, 2023, in San Diego, California. It is an honor and a privilege to be included in this important new conference. I would like to personally thank Alan Ross, our Marketing Chair, and Kaveh Aflaki, our Meetings chair, as well as Wayne Bishop for working together in making sure that IEEE Smart Grid is represented.

Finally, December of 2022 marks the end of my four-year term as the chair of the IEEE Smart Grid. It has been an honor and a privilege to serve in this capacity. The program has not only survived the pandemic but is thriving with renewed energy and enthusiasm from the community, which will no doubt carry on the mission that we have been responsible for over the last 12 years.

I thank my predecessors, Prof. Massoud Amin and Ms Wanda Reder; I also want to thank Mr. Steve Collier, Doug Houseman, and Wei-Jen Lee for their timeless counsel. Also, with my memories of these men fresh in my memory, I also want to thank Mr. Pat Ryan and Mr. Erich Gunther for having the vision to create an atmosphere for the sustaining effort that is IEEE Smart Grid.

Finally, I wish to thank Ms. Angelique Rajski for guiding me through the confusing first months of being on this committee, and Ms. Phyllis Caputo for keeping me focused on the essential tasks of IEEE Smart Grid.

To view all articles in this issue, please go to December 2022 eBulletin. For a downloadable copy, please visit the IEEE Smart Grid Resource Center.