ISO Minute: Studying weather’s impact on an evolving grid

ISO Minute is a video series featuring ISO New England employees speaking about their experiences working for the region’s independent system operator and supporting the safe and reliable transition to clean energy.

In this ISO Minute, Stephen George and Jinye Zhao explain how studying the weather helps the ISO plan the future electric power grid.

George, director, Operational Performance, Training, and Integration, and Zhao, technical manager of Advanced Technology Solutions, are leading the Operational Impact of Extreme Weather Events project, a joint effort of ISO New England and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), an independent, nonprofit energy research and development organization. The study examines how the region’s bulk power system will fare under stressful weather and operational conditions in the future, providing vital information that will help us prepare for a grid powered by increasing amounts of weather-dependent renewable resources.

Preliminary results studying the winter of 2027 were released in May; results studying winter 2032 were released in August.