83 FR 12725 - Solid State Power Substation Roadmap

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 57 (March 23, 2018)

Page Range		12725-12726
FR Document		2018-05940

The Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability (OE), is seeking comments and information from interested parties to inform its development of a Solid State Power Substation (SSPS) Roadmap. An SSPS is defined as the strategic integration of high voltage power electronic converters in substations to provide enhanced capabilities and support the evolution of the grid. SSPS technology can overcome some of the current limitations within substations by enabling control of real and reactive power flows, management of voltage transients and harmonic content, and the ability to increase the flexibility, resiliency, and security of the electric power system.

Federal Register, Volume 83 Issue 57 (Friday, March 23, 2018)

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 57 (Friday, March 23, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12725-12726]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2018-05940]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


Solid State Power Substation Roadmap

AGENCY: Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability, 
Department of Energy.

ACTION: Request for information (RFI).

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Electricity Delivery 
and Energy Reliability (OE), is seeking comments and information from 
interested parties to inform its development of a Solid State Power 
Substation (SSPS) Roadmap. An SSPS is defined as the strategic 
integration of high voltage power electronic converters in substations 
to provide enhanced capabilities and support the evolution of the grid. 
SSPS technology can overcome some of the current limitations within 
substations by enabling control of real and reactive power flows, 
management of voltage transients and harmonic content, and the ability 
to increase the flexibility, resiliency, and security of the electric 
power system.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before May 7, 2018. An 
informational webinar will be held on Thursday, March 29th, 2018 from 
1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. ET to discuss the draft SSPS Roadmap in more 
detail and provide information on this RFI.

ADDRESSES: Comments can be submitted by any of the following methods.
    Email: [email protected], whereas the subject line of the 
message is ``SSPS Roadmap Comment.'' Please provide your full name, 
title, and organization, along with your comments in the Excel 
spreadsheet provided and name the file ``Your first and last name--SSPS 
Roadmap Comment.''
    Mail: Kerry Cheung, Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy 
Reliability, U.S. Department of Energy, Forrestal Building, Room 6E-
092, 1000 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20585.  Note: Delivery 
of the U.S. Postal Service mail to DOE may be delayed by several weeks 
due to security screening. DOE, therefore, encourages those wishing to 
comment to submit comments electronically by email.
    Web page: The draft SSPS Roadmap, Excel spreadsheet for comments, 
and information on the upcoming webinar can be found on the following 
web page: https://energy.gov/oe/articles/solid-state-power-substation-roadmap-request-information

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information 
should be directed to Kerry Cheung, Office of Electricity Delivery and 
Energy Reliability, U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue 
SW, Washington, DC 20585 at [email protected], 202-586-4819.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    Substations are critical points within the vast U.S. power grid, 
serving a number of functions important to the safe, reliable, and 
cost-effective delivery of electricity. Substations serve as the entry 
point to the grid for electric power generators as well as the exit 
point for large industrial customers. Substations also form the 
boundaries between the high voltage transmission network and the 
distribution system, enabling the network to reconfigure to ensure 
stability and reliability, and to regulate power quality for down-
stream

[[Page 12726]]

electricity customers. As the electric power system continues to 
evolve, with stakeholders integrating higher amounts of variable 
renewable generation, deploying electric vehicles and associated 
charging infrastructure, and connecting more dynamic end-use devices 
and subsystems, substations will need to evolve as well. These critical 
nodes will need to continue providing their traditional functions as 
well as new functions and capabilities required in a future grid.
    The SSPS Roadmap will present a path for the strategic integration 
of high voltage power electronic converters in substations to provide 
enhanced capabilities and support the evolution of the grid. Ultimately 
envisioned as a modular, scalable, flexible, and adaptable power block 
that can be used within all substations, SSPS converters will serve as 
power routers or hubs that have the capability to electrically isolate 
system components and provide bidirectional alternating current or 
direct current power flow control from one or more sources to one or 
more loads--indifferent to magnitude and frequency. Deployment of SSPS 
technology within substations can facilitate evolution of the grid by 
enabling better asset utilization, increasing system efficiency, 
enhancing security and resilience, and easing the integration of 
distributed energy resources and microgrids.

II. Request for Information

    The draft SSPS Roadmap was developed by the OE Transformer 
Resilience and Advanced Components program with support from the 
Savannah River National Laboratory. The roadmap is structured to 
provide the context, rationale, and potential benefits of utilizing 
SSPS technology, and articulates a research and development pathway to 
accelerate maturation of SSPS. It aims to capture the state-of-the-art 
in critical enabling technologies, highlight research gaps and 
opportunities, and align disparate activities across the stakeholder 
communities to realize the SSPS vision.
    This RFI provides the public, industry, and interested 
stakeholders, the opportunity to play an important role in defining and 
refining the SSPS vision and the potential technology development 
pathway. The intent of this RFI is to solicit input concerning the 
benefits offered by SSPS technology, the application areas where SSPS 
technology can provide a value proposition, the current state-of-the-
art, and the gaps that are most critical to fill. The information 
obtained will be public and is meant to be used by DOE to guide and 
inform research and development activities. Please provide your 
comments next to the relevant questions in the Excel spreadsheet and 
supporting information if noted, including studies, reports, 
references, data, and examples relevant to SSPS.

SSPS Roadmap Questions

Chapter 1-2: Introduction and Conventional Substations
    What issues and concerns not captured in the roadmap most deeply 
impact the ability of substations to meet the demands of an evolving 
grid? What are additional challenges faced by utilities that would 
necessitate power electronic converters in substations?
    Are there any other issues or comments regarding these Chapters?
Chapter 3-4: Solid State Power Substations and SSPS Technology 
Development Pathway
    Is there evidence of a growing need for power electronic converters 
in substations? If so, in what capacity? What specific challenges would 
the use of power electronic converters address?
    Comments are requested on the SSPS vision and the three 
classification of SSPS converters articulated in the roadmap, as well 
as on the defining feature and functions and the voltage and power 
ratings.
    Comments are requested on the SSPS technology development pathway 
presented in the roadmap. For each classification of SSPS converters, 
are there other potential applications that have not been captured?
    What are additional benefits of using SSPS converters that should 
be captured?
    Are there any other issues or comments regarding these Chapters?
Chapter 5: SSPS Technology Challenges, Gaps, and Goals
    Comments are requested on the R&D challenges identified in the 
roadmap and their associated goals. Are they sufficiently aggressive 
and appropriate to realize the defining feature and functions for each 
classification of SSPS converter? What R&D challenges not yet 
identified would prevent SSPS technologies from being realized, as 
envisioned? For these additional R&D challenges, what would be the 
associated goals for each classification of SSPS converter?
    Comments are requested on the state-of-the-art and the research 
gaps identified in the roadmap for each of the R&D challenges. What on-
going work, that can be publicly shared, should be reflected in the 
state-of-the-art? What additional gaps needs to be highlighted to 
address the R&D challenges identified? What specific actions will need 
to be taken in the near-, mid-, and long-term to sufficiently address 
the gaps identified?
    What additional non-technical challenges are there that would 
prevent SSPS converters from being accepted by industry? What 
additional standards would be relevant to SSPS technology, as 
envisioned? What are potential market or regulatory barriers that will 
need to be addressed?
    Are there any other issues or comments regarding this Chapter?

General Comments

    Comments are requested on the technology topic described in the 
roadmap. What is the appropriate Federal role in advancing this 
technology area? What are some organizational roles in helping to 
advance this technology concept? What amount of resources would be 
required to fully implement the roadmap?

    Issued in Washington, DC, on March 16, 2018.
Bruce Walker,
Assistant Secretary, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Electricity 
Delivery and Energy Reliability.
[FR Doc. 2018-05940 Filed 3-22-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6450-01-P

12726 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 57 / Friday, March 23, 2018 / Notices

electricity customers. As the electric and inform research and development additional gaps needs to be highlighted
power system continues to evolve, with activities. Please provide your to address the R&D challenges
stakeholders integrating higher amounts comments next to the relevant questions identified? What specific actions will
of variable renewable generation, in the Excel spreadsheet and supporting need to be taken in the near-, mid-, and
deploying electric vehicles and information if noted, including studies, long-term to sufficiently address the
associated charging infrastructure, and reports, references, data, and examples gaps identified?
connecting more dynamic end-use relevant to SSPS. What additional non-technical
devices and subsystems, substations challenges are there that would prevent
will need to evolve as well. These SSPS Roadmap Questions SSPS converters from being accepted by
critical nodes will need to continue Chapter 1–2: Introduction and industry? What additional standards
providing their traditional functions as Conventional Substations would be relevant to SSPS technology,
well as new functions and capabilities as envisioned? What are potential
What issues and concerns not
required in a future grid. market or regulatory barriers that will
The SSPS Roadmap will present a captured in the roadmap most deeply
need to be addressed?
path for the strategic integration of high impact the ability of substations to meet Are there any other issues or
voltage power electronic converters in the demands of an evolving grid? What comments regarding this Chapter?
substations to provide enhanced are additional challenges faced by
utilities that would necessitate power General Comments
capabilities and support the evolution of
the grid. Ultimately envisioned as a electronic converters in substations? Comments are requested on the
modular, scalable, flexible, and Are there any other issues or technology topic described in the
adaptable power block that can be used comments regarding these Chapters? roadmap. What is the appropriate
within all substations, SSPS converters Chapter 3–4: Solid State Power Federal role in advancing this
will serve as power routers or hubs that Substations and SSPS Technology technology area? What are some
have the capability to electrically isolate Development Pathway organizational roles in helping to
system components and provide advance this technology concept? What
bidirectional alternating current or Is there evidence of a growing need amount of resources would be required
direct current power flow control from for power electronic converters in to fully implement the roadmap?
one or more sources to one or more substations? If so, in what capacity?
Issued in Washington, DC, on March 16,
loads—indifferent to magnitude and What specific challenges would the use
2018.
frequency. Deployment of SSPS of power electronic converters address?
Bruce Walker,
technology within substations can Comments are requested on the SSPS
vision and the three classification of Assistant Secretary, U.S. Department of
facilitate evolution of the grid by Energy, Office of Electricity Delivery and
enabling better asset utilization, SSPS converters articulated in the Energy Reliability.
increasing system efficiency, enhancing roadmap, as well as on the defining
[FR Doc. 2018–05940 Filed 3–22–18; 8:45 am]
security and resilience, and easing the feature and functions and the voltage
BILLING CODE 6450–01–P
integration of distributed energy and power ratings.
resources and microgrids. Comments are requested on the SSPS
technology development pathway DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
II. Request for Information presented in the roadmap. For each
The draft SSPS Roadmap was classification of SSPS converters, are [Case No. 2017–011]
developed by the OE Transformer there other potential applications that
Resilience and Advanced Components have not been captured? Notice of Petition for Waiver of Big Ass
program with support from the What are additional benefits of using Solutions (BAS) From the Department
Savannah River National Laboratory. SSPS converters that should be of Energy Ceiling Fan Test Procedure,
The roadmap is structured to provide captured? and Grating of Interim Waiver
the context, rationale, and potential Are there any other issues or AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and
benefits of utilizing SSPS technology, comments regarding these Chapters? Renewable Energy, Department of
and articulates a research and Energy.
Chapter 5: SSPS Technology Challenges,
development pathway to accelerate ACTION: Notice of petition for waiver,
Gaps, and Goals
maturation of SSPS. It aims to capture notice of grant of an interim waiver, and
the state-of-the-art in critical enabling Comments are requested on the R&D request for comments.
technologies, highlight research gaps challenges identified in the roadmap
and opportunities, and align disparate and their associated goals. Are they SUMMARY: This notice announces receipt
activities across the stakeholder sufficiently aggressive and appropriate of and publishes a petition for waiver
communities to realize the SSPS vision. to realize the defining feature and from Big Ass Solutions (BAS) seeking an
This RFI provides the public, functions for each classification of SSPS exemption from specified portions of
industry, and interested stakeholders, converter? What R&D challenges not yet the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
the opportunity to play an important identified would prevent SSPS test procedure for determining the
role in defining and refining the SSPS technologies from being realized, as efficiency of ceiling fans under
vision and the potential technology envisioned? For these additional R&D appendix U (appendix U). BAS seeks to
development pathway. The intent of challenges, what would be the use an alternate test procedure to
this RFI is to solicit input concerning associated goals for each classification address issues involved in testing
amozie on DSK30RV082PROD with NOTICES

the benefits offered by SSPS technology, of SSPS converter? certain basic models identified in its
the application areas where SSPS Comments are requested on the state- petition. According to BAS, testing at
technology can provide a value of-the-art and the research gaps low speed for the low-speed small-
proposition, the current state-of-the-art, identified in the roadmap for each of the diameter ceiling fan basic models
and the gaps that are most critical to fill. R&D challenges. What on-going work, identified in the petition, may cause
The information obtained will be public that can be publicly shared, should be BAS undue hardship in meeting the
and is meant to be used by DOE to guide reflected in the state-of-the-art? What stability requirements contained in

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Document Created: 2018-11-01 08:54:10
Document Modified: 2018-11-01 08:54:10

Category		Regulatory Information
Collection		Federal Register
sudoc Class		AE 2.7: GS 4.107: AE 2.106:
Publisher		Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration
Section		Notices
Action		Request for information (RFI).
Dates		Comments must be received on or before May 7, 2018. An informational webinar will be held on Thursday, March 29th, 2018 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. ET to discuss the draft SSPS Roadmap in more detail and provide information on this RFI.
Contact		Requests for additional information should be directed to Kerry Cheung, Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability, U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20585 at [email protected], 202-586-4819.
FR Citation		83 FR 12725