Eric

This presentation will cover the challenges with ensuring grid reliability as system operators face unprecedented demand growth from Large Loads such as data centers, cryptocurrency mining, industrial facilities, and hydrogen production. Over the last several years the pace of Large Load integration has quickened, and the size of these loads now rivals the size of small cities. As loads of this size have never been operated on the grid before they pose novel challenges in ensuring grid stability. We will provide a background on what Large Loads are then look at grid disturbances involving Large Loads and the risks they pose to the grid. Finally we’ll cover the work done by efforts such as NERC s Large Load Task Force and grid operators across the nation to mitigate these risks.

Biography:

Eric Meier is the Supervisor of Planning Model Administration at ERCOT. He works across the grid operations and transmission planning domains and has experience in transmission planning, grid modeling and simulation, the Common Information Model (CIM) integration, software development, and leading engineering teams. His team focuses on building steady state, short circuit, geomagnetic disturbance models, and collecting the data needed for grid simulations of the Texas Interconnection. His recent work has focused on Large Load integration helping to draft the policies in Texas, and as a member of the NERC and ESIG Large Loads Task Force where he is a section lead and drafter for their whitepapers and reports. He is also involved in Large Load efforts in CIGRE and IEEE as well.

Eric earned a B.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and he is a licensed Professional Engineer in the state of Texas. He also serves on advisory boards for the Texas State Electrical Engineering, and Bismarck State College Electrical Transmission Systems Technology programs advising on the curriculums and workforce needs.