News

Department of Energy Announces First Ever Grid Software Competition

October 31, 2018

Secretary of Energy Rick Perry today announced ARPA-E's first ever Grid Optimization (GO) Competition. The GO Competition is a series of challenges to develop software management solutions for a resilient and secure American electricity grid. Today marks the beginning of GO Challenge 1, offering up to $4 million in prizes to develop new algorithms to make routing power across the grid faster and more efficient. See Press Release.

GO Competition Evaluation Code released

October 23, 2018

The Python Evaluation source code, evaluation.py, was made available on GitHub at https://github.com/GOCompetition/Evaluation. 

Entrants may find the input data parsing done by the Evaluation code (specifically in data.py) a useful model for their own code.

GO Competition Challenge 1 Problem Formulation Document and Scoring Update released

August 28, 2018

The most recent version of th Problem Formulation document for Challenge 1 may be found on the Problem Formulation page.

The most recent version  Scoring document for Challenge 1 may be found on the Scoring page.

GO Competition Challenge 1 Rules Document released

August 15, 2018

The most recent version of the  Rules document for Challenge 1 may be found on the Rules page.

FERC Workshop video available

July 27, 2018

A video of the June 28, 2018 GO Competition Workshop held at FERC is available here.

GO Competition Challenge 1 Scoring document released.

July 26, 2018

The most recent version  Scoring document for Challenge 1 may be found on the Scoring page.

ARPA-E Announces Funding Opportunity to Support Upcoming Grid Optimization Competition

July 24, 2018

ARPA-E today issued a funding opportunity announcement (FOA) of up to $5 million for research and development of algorithms to modernize the electric grid. If successful, awardees will participate in Challenge 1 of ARPA-E’s Grid Optimization (GO) Competition, set to launch in fall 2018. See the press release. The FOA (DE-FOA-0001952) can be found at ARPA-E Funding Opportunity Announcement--select Funding Archive in the upper left and enter the FOA number if the direct link does not work. View the Support Grants for Participation in ARPA-E GO Competition Challenge 1 FOA Document.

GO Competition Program Announcement

July 23, 2018

ARPA-E announces the Grid Optimization (GO) Competition Challenge 1. View the announcement.

2018 FERC Software Conference

June 28, 2018

The slides presented at the Grid Optimization Competition Workshop held at the conclusion of the FERC Technical Conference are available for download.A video is also available.

Workshop at the FERC Conference on June 28th in Washington, DC

June 13, 2018

Daniel S. Kheloussi, Energy Industry Analyst, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) sent an e-mail to people registered for FERC's Ninth Annual Software Conference - June 26-28, 2018 informing them of the ARPA-E GRID OPTIMIZATION COMPETITION WORKSHOP 1:15PM to 3:30PM on June 28, 2018. View the announcement from FERC, and download the workshop details included as attachments (PDF, MSWord).

Information in Power Globe

April 25, 2018

Dr. Kory Hedman, ARPA-E Program Director, provided information about this competition in an e-mail to the Power Globe community on April 25, 2018. View the e-mail.

GO Competition Initial (Beta) Submission

September 27, 2017

The first (Beta) submission by a GO Competition registered user was made. The code was written in Java.

GO Competition Initial Registration

August 2, 2017

First registration with GO Competition Beta website.

2017 FERC Software Conference

June 28, 2017

Talks by people eventually involved (support or competitors) with the Competition at the 2017 FERC Technical Conference on Increasing Market and Planning Efficiency through Improved Software held at the FERC building in Washington, DC, June 26-28, 2017.

  • Error Bounds on Power Flow Linearizations: A Convex Relaxation Approach, presented by Dan Molzahn; Presentation
  • Linearized Reactive Power and Voltage Constraints for DC OPF, presented by Brent Eldridge (with Richard O'Neill); Presentation
  • Multi-Period Dual Pricing Algorithm for Cost Allocation in Non-Convex Electricity Markets, presented by Robin Broder Hytowitz (with Richard O'Neill and Brent Eldridge); Presentation

GRID DATA related talks

  • A Methodology for the Creation of Geographically Realistic, Synthetic Optimal Power Flow Models, presented by Tom Overby; Presentation
  • Multiport Element Models and Sparse Tableau Network Representation for Security Constrained Optimal Power Flow, presented by Chris DeMarco; Presentation
  • Grid Research for Good: High-Fidelity Power Systems Data Sets, Format, and Software Tools for Optimal Power Flow, presented by Pascal Van Hentenryck; Presentation
  • Smart-DS: Synthetic Models for Advanced, Realistic Testing- Distribution Systems and Scenarios, presented by Venkat Krishnan; Presentation
  • Sustainable Data Evolution Technology (SDET) for Power Grid Optimization, presented by Ruishing Diao; Presentation
  • The ARPA-E Generating Realistic Information for the Development of Distribution and Transmission Algorithms (GRID DATA) Repository, presented by Dariush Shirmohammadi; Presentation
  • DR POWER: a Data Repository for Power system Open models With Evolving Resources, presented by Stephen Elbert; Presentation

GO Competition Website Goes Live

June 15, 2017

Beta version of GO Competition website goes live.

GO Competition Announced

February 2017

The GO Competition was formally announced at the ARPA-E Energy Innovation Summit in February 2017.

GRID DATA Technical Review

January 26-27, 2017

ARPA-E holds GRID DATA Annual Technical Review Meeting in San Diego, CA. View the meeting materials.

Competition Design RFI Webinar

November 7, 2016

ARPA-E held a 90 minute webinar to directly involve the community, via a Request for Information (RFI), on the design of this competition. The RFI was released October 11, 2016. View a video recording of the webinar.

Competition Design RFI Released

October 11, 2016

ARPA-E releases a Request for Information (RFI) on Grid Optimization Competition Design. View the RFI pdf.

2016 FERC Software Conference

June 28, 2016

The following Competition and GRID DATA related talks were presented at the 2016 FERC Technical Conference Increasing Real-Time and Day-Ahead Market Efficiency Through Improved Software held at the FERC building in Washington, DC, June 27-29, 2016.

  • OPTIMAL POWER FLOW COMPETITION DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS, presented by Dr. Timothy Heidel; Presentation
  • DATA REPOSITORY FOR POWER SYSTEM OPEN MODELS WITH EVOLVING RESOURCES (DR POWER), presented by Stephen Elbert (not Mark Rice); Presentation

GRID DATA Kickoff Meeting

March 30-31, 2016

ARPA-E holds GRID DATA Kickoff Meeting in Denver, CO. View the meeting materials.

GRID DATA Awards Announced

January 15, 2016

ARPA-E announced $11 million in funding for seven transformational projects as part of ARPA-E’s newest program, Generating Realistic Information for the Development of Distribution and Transmission Algorithms (GRID DATA).GRID DATA Program awards announced. View the GRID DATA Program announcement; view the GRID DATA projects.

GRID DATA Submissions Closed

October 19, 2015

Submission Deadline for Full Applications to GRID DATA Program

2015 FERC Software Conference

June 23, 2015

Talks by people eventually involved (support or competitors) with the Competition at the 2015 FERC Technical Conference on Increasing Market and Planning Efficiency through Improved Software held at the FERC building in Washington, DC, June 22-24, 2015.

  • First Order Line Loss Approximation for LMP Calculation, presented by Brent Eldridge (with Richard O'Neill); Presentation
  • Impact of ACOPF Constraints on Security-Constrained Unit Commitment, presented by Anya Castillo (with Richard O'Neill); Presentation
  • Identifying and Controlling Risky Contingencies of Transmission Systems, presented by Daniel Bienstock; Presentation
  • Flexible Transmission Decision Support Systems, presented by Kory Hedman; Presentation
  • Using High Performance Computing to Solve Unit Commitment Problem, presented by Stephen Elbert; Presentation

GRID DATA Program Announced

June 10, 2015

ARPA-E issues Generating Realistic Information for the Development of Distribution and Transmission Algorithms (GRID DATA) Funding Opportunity Annoucement (FOA). One of the objectives is that "models and repository created in this program may be used as the basis for an ARPA-E OPF algorithm competition." View the FOA (DE-FOA-0001357) pdf.

Advanced Bulk Power System Optimization Technologies Workshop

November 13-14, 2014

ARPA-E holds Advanced Bulk Power System Optimization Technologies Workshop in Arlington, VA, organized by Tim Heidel. The Workshop said publicly available (synthetic) data needed before an Optimization Competition can be held.

2014 FERC Software Conference

June 25, 2014

Talks by people eventually involved (support or competitors) with the Competition at the 2014 FERC Technical Conference on Increasing Market and Planning Efficiency through Improved Software held at the FERC building in Washington, DC, June 23-25, 2014.

  • On the role of wind covariance estimation in power grid dispatch, presented by Cosmin Petra; Presentation
  • FULL AC NETWORK INTEGRATED CORE SOLVER FOR THE SUPEROPF FRAMEWORK, presented by Hsiao-Dong Chiang; Presentation
  • Moment-Based Relaxations of the Optimal Power Flow Problem, presented by Dan Molzahn; Presentation
  • Multi-Stage Robust Optimization in Electric Energy Systems, presented by Andy Sun; Presentation
  • Multi-time-step Chance Constrained Generation Re-dispatch, presented by Daniel Bienstock; Presentation
  • Experience Solving the RTO Unit Commitment Test System, presented by Stephen Elbert; Presentation

2013 FERC Software Conference

June 25, 2013

Talks by people eventually involved (support or competitors) with the Competition at the 2013 FERC Technical Conference on Increasing Market and Planning Efficiency through Improved Software held at the FERC building in Washington, DC, June 24-26, 2013.

  • Synchronization-Aware and Algorithmically-Efficient Chance Constrained Optimal Power Flow, presented by Daniel Bienstock; Presentation
  • A Novel Parallel Approach to Solving Constrained Linear Optimization Problems, presented by Stephen Elbert; Presentation
  • Application of Semidefinite Programming to Large-Scale Optimal Power Flow Problems, presented by Dan Molzahn (with DeMarco, Lesieutre, and Ferris); Presentation
  • COMPUTATIONAL PERFORMANCE OF SOLUTION TECHNIQUES APPLIED TO THE ACOPF, presented by Anya Castillo (with Richard O'Neill); Presentation
  • ACOPF models: extending data, formulations, and solution methodology, presented by Michael Ferris (with Molzahn, DeMarco and Lesieutre); Presentation
  • Solving MPEC Models with the KNITRO Nonlinear Solver, presented by Richard Waltz; Presentation

2012 FERC Software Conference

June 27, 2012

Talks by people eventually involved (support or competitors) with the Competition at the 2012 FERC Technical Conference on Increasing Market and Planning Efficiency through Improved Software held at the FERC building in Washington, DC, June 25-27, 2012.

  • Robust Corrective Transmission Switching Schemes, presented by Kory Hedman; Presentation
  • The price of storage: collections of models to decide what, when and how, presented by Michael Ferris (with Jesse Holzer); Presentation
  • Linear-Programming Approximations of AC Power Flows, presented by Pascal Van Hentenryck (with Carleton Coffrin); Presentation
  • The IV Formulation of the ACOPF and The IV Formulation of the ACOPF and its linearizations, presented by Richard O'Neill; Presentation
  • Robust Optimal Power Flow with Uncertain Renewables, presented by Daniel Bienstock; Presentation
  • Advanced Methods for Security Constrained Financial Transmission Rights (FTR), presented by Stephen Elbert; Presentation
  • Opportunities for Exploiting Problem Structure in Unit Commitment MIP Models, presented by Ed Rothberg; Presentation

2011 FERC Software Conference

June 28, 2011

Talks by people eventually involved (support or competitors) with the Competition at the 2011 FERC Technical Conference on Increasing Market and Planning Efficiency through Improved Software held at the FERC building in Washington, DC, June 28-30, 2011.

  • Linear and Integer Programming - Powering Unit Commitment Models, presented by Edward Rothberg; Presentation
  • RTO-Scale Unit Commitment Test Cases, presented by Eric Krall (with Richard O'Neill); Presentation
  • Online Control of Cascading Power Failures, presented by Daniel Bienstock; Presentation
  • AC Optimal Transmission Switching, presented by Thomas Dautel (with Richard O'Neill); Presentation
  • Computational Approaches to the AC Optimal Power Flow (OPF) Problem, presented by Anya Castillo (with Richard O'Neill); Presentation

This conference series was started in 2008 by Richard P. O'Neill, but there seems to be no on-line records until 2010.

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