Anjan Bose, Washington State University Regents professor in the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, has been appointed a senior advisor to the Department of Energy (DOE), where he will lead an effort to coordinate research on electric power grid technologies.
One of the DOE’s highest priorities is to expand the electric transmission system and increase its reliability and efficiency. Several DOE divisions and programs have been involved in this effort. Bose has been called on to coordinate ongoing smart grid research among these programs.
“Dr. Bose is an internationally recognized expert on power systems engineering who will bring his unique expertise to tackling some of our nation’s biggest challenges in electric power and energy security,” said Howard Grimes, vice president for research and dean of the graduate school. “WSU’s strength and breadth in national energy issues is well-represented in this appointment.”
Anticipating renewable sources
“Because there are so many changes happening on both the technology and policy sides in the electric energy industry, it’s not an easy task to envision what the future grid will look like,” Bose said. “There’s a lot of research work already initiated by DOE and by industries that are moving this forward.
“My task is to coordinate the research that is already going on and to try to lay out the road map of what additional work is needed and where the country needs to be going in electric power research.”
In particular, the electric power grid is including more renewable energy sources, which impacts the way the grid will operate. Most of the renewables are geographically constrained and are not where most energy users are and where load growth is taking place.
Consumers self-schedule loads
With growth in information technologies, the future grid will enable more direct decision-making by energy users. With more smart meters, controllers and electric cars available, private customers and corporations will decide how to schedule their own electric loads for their homes, buildings and factories.
“These are all things that will impact the grid, and we want to make sure that the grid grows in those directions to accommodate the changes that society will be making towards a cleaner and more sustainable energy future,” Bose said.
About Bose
Bose has worked 40 years on the electric power grid, first in industry as an engineer and then in academia. He is a member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering and a fellow of the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers).
He has won numerous awards, including the Outstanding Power Engineering Educator Award (1994), the Third Millenium Medal (2000) and the Herman Halperin Electric Transmission & Distribution Award (2006) from the IEEE. He has been named a distinguished alumnus of the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur (2005), and the College of Engineering, Iowa State University (1993).
“We’re proud and excited that Dr. Bose has the chance to help shape what our future power grid will look like,” Grimes said.
During his yearlong assignment, Bose will continue his WSU appointment and will conduct research and advise graduate students part time.
