The conundrum facing the U.S. electric power sector

The changing resource mix has resulted in a large amount of weather-dependent renewable variable energy resources, distributed energy resources, micro-and smart-grids, and demand response technologies as well as an increasing reliance on just-in-time delivery of natural gas to fuel new generating capacity. This transformation is resulting in a different use of the power lines and changing the system’s dynamic. In parallel, the potential for cyber and physical attacks has increased as the adoption of advanced technologies compounds the reliance on digital controls and communication systems.