Abstract: For the first time since the end of the Second World War, the grid is growing at rates unseen in generations. This growth has been driven in large part by the rise of data centers, which is resulting in GW of load being added to the grid. The magnitude of growth is also coupled to a known phenomenon that the data centers experience: a rapid load cycling that can lead to instabilities that need to be managed through strategic use of power electronics, impacts of resonant frequencies of the generating assets, and reliability of the large loads under faults and trips. Further development and integration of renewable energy into the grid will require accounting for these new phenomena in grid systems: reliability, flexibility, stability, and load growth. In this talk, we will review these dynamics, potential ways to manage them, and considerations for technology development to address these issues.

Biography:

Greg Dreifus is a Program Manager with the Integrated Solutions group in the GE Vernova Consulting Services, where he works across the GE Vernova portfolio spanning generation, transmission, and distribution capabilities to support the data center market. The Integrated Solutions team conducts techno-economic analysis and reference architecture studies to understand the system specification requirements of varied data center power systems. Greg has worked for GE Vernova since 2023, where he first worked in its research division before moving to its consulting division in 2025. Previously, he worked at MIT’s Sloan Business School of Management and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Greg has a MS in mechanical engineering from MIT and a BA/MA in applied mathematics from CUNY Macaulay Honors College at Hunter College. He currently works in Baden, Switzerland.

Abstract: The use of electricity is increasing rapidly due to the fast adoption of mega-sized data centers, electric vehicles, etc. To combat the greenhouse effect, the generation of renewable energy is also skyrocketing. However, the other important piece of the puzzle is to transport electricity from where it is generated to where it is used in load centers in the most reliable, efficient and affordable way. The power industry’s pressing need to transfer bulk power along a desired path may be met by building new transmission lines, which is a long and costly process. Alternatively, it may be quicker and cheaper to identify the underutilized transmission lines and harness their dormant capacity to increase the power flows to the lines’ thermal limits by using a properly-designed power flow controller. Also, the grid congestion can be mitigated by holding the power flow in a line at its design limit, instead of tripping the line and possibly initiating a cascaded failure of the grid as it happened in 2003.

The presentation will be of particular interest to all utility power engineering professionals, academicians and researchers. The audience will hear from an expert who actually designed and commissioned a number of power electronics-based FACTS controllers since its inception in the 1990s.

Biography:

Kalyan Sen is the President & Chief Technology Officer of Sen Engineering Solutions, Inc. (www.sentransformer.com) that specializes in developing SMART power flow controllers—a functional requirements-based and cost-effective solution. Kalyan was an Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering at Prairie View A&M University during 1987-90 and spent the next 30 years in industry, starting at Westinghouse Science & Technology Center (STC) in 1990 and retiring from Fluor (formerly Westinghouse) in 2020. He was a key member of the Flexible Alternating Current Transmission Systems (FACTS) development team at the Westinghouse-STC for which he became a Westinghouse Fellow Engineer. He contributed to concept development, simulation, design, and commissioning of FACTS projects at Westinghouse. He conceived some of the basic concepts in power flow control technology for which he was elevated to the IEEE Fellow grade with the citation: for the development and application of power flow control technology. He is the Co-inventor of the Sen Transformer, which is commercially available to regulate ±6.5 MVA line power in a 33 kV line.

Kalyan holds BEE (1982), MSEE (1983), and PhD (1987) degrees, all in Electrical Engineering, from Jadavpur University, Tuskegee University and Worcester Polytechnic Institute, respectively, and an MBA (2012) from Robert Morris University. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in Pennsylvania and New York. He has been serving as an IEEE PES Distinguished Lecturer since 2002. In that capacity, he has given presentations on power flow control technology more than 250 times in 20 countries. He serves IEEE SSIT Board of Governors as Education Committee Chair and President-Elect (2025-2026). He also serves IEEE Region 2 as its Professional Activities Chair. Kalyan has authored or coauthored more than 25 peer-reviewed publications, 8 issued patents, 2 books, and 3 book chapters in the areas of power flow control and power electronics. He is the Coauthor of the book titled, Introduction to FACTS Controllers: Theory, Modeling, and Applications (978-0-470-47875-2), IEEE Press and John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2009, which is also published in Chinese and Indian paperback editions. His second book is titled, Power Flow Control Solutions for a Modern Grid using SMART Power Flow Controllers (ISBN: 978-1-119-82435-0), IEEE Press and John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2022. Kalyan served twice as a Fulbright Specialist, sponsored by the U.S. Government.

The presentation will be of particular interest to all utility power engineering professionals, academicians and researchers. The audience will hear from an expert who actually designed and commissioned a number of power electronics-based FACTS controllers since its inception in the 1990s.

Abstract: Power distribution systems are becoming increasingly intelligent through the adoption of graph neural networks (GNNs), which naturally model the electrical connectivity of the grid and enable highly accurate fault diagnosis. This talk presents our recent advances in developing heterogeneous multi-task GNNs for comprehensive fault analysis, capable of simultaneously detecting, locating, and classifying faults while estimating fault resistance and fault current within a unified learning framework. By leveraging graph message passing and explainable AI techniques, the proposed approach also identifies the most influential buses for optimal sensor placement, enabling reliable fault diagnosis with sparse measurements.

Despite their remarkable performance, deep learning models remain susceptible to adversarial manipulation. The second part of the talk demonstrates how carefully designed backdoor attacks can compromise GNN-based fault diagnosis by perturbing both graph topology and node measurements, causing incorrect predictions that may jeopardize grid reliability and resilience. Experimental results on the IEEE 123-bus distribution feeder illustrate both the effectiveness of multi-task GNNs and their vulnerability to adversarial attacks.

Biography:

Nasim Yahya Soltani received the Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA, in 2014. From 2014 to 2017, she was a Research Associate with the Digital Technology Center at the University of Minnesota. She subsequently served as a Senior Data Scientist at Harley-Davidson Motor Company, Milwaukee, WI, USA, from 2018 to 2019. Since 2019, she has been a Northwestern Mutual Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at Marquette University, Milwaukee. Her research lies at the intersection of statistical signal processing, machine learning, optimization theory, and network science, with applications in healthcare, wireless communications, and smart power grid.

Dr. Yahya Soltani has an established record of scholarly contributions, with publications in leading peer-reviewed IEEE journals and conferences, reflecting both theoretical innovation and practical relevance.

Abstract: The future of the New York electric grid will be shaped by electrification, large load growth, resource turnover, extreme weather, and public policy, creating new challenges for planners charged with making long-term infrastructure decisions. As the range of potential future conditions continues to expand, planners are evaluating how traditional planning approaches can evolve to better assess risk, inform investment decisions, and maintain reliable system performance across a broader set of plausible outcomes. This presentation examines the drivers behind this evolution, emerging approaches being considered across the industry, and lessons learned from New York Independent System Operator’s planning processes.

Biography:

Ross Altman is Senior Manager of Reliability Planning at the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO), where he oversees transmission planning, system modeling, transmission security, and resource adequacy activities. Over nearly two decades in the power industry, including nine years as a power systems consultant with Siemens PTI, he has led reliability, interconnection, public policy, and interregional planning efforts, including large-scale transmission initiatives supporting renewable integration and load growth. He represents the NYISO in regional and national planning forums and holds Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Electrical Engineering from Virginia Tech. Ross is a licensed Professional Engineer in New York State.

Abstract: As electricity demand surges, driven by data centers, AI infrastructure, and industrial growth, nuclear microgrids are emerging as a compelling solution for reliable, dispatchable, and fuel-independent power. This seminar explores how small modular reactors and microreactors can be integrated into microgrids to serve applications ranging from data centers to remote and critical-infrastructure communities. Drawing on Idaho National Laboratory's world-class research infrastructure, including the MARVEL microreactor, the MAGNET non-nuclear microreactor testbed, and the RAPID Microgrid-in-a-Box, this talk presents the technology benefits, control strategies, and integration approaches actively advancing nuclear microgrid deployment. It also highlights techno-economic findings showing that SMR-based microgrids can be financially competitive and self-sufficient in islanded operation, particularly for data center loads. Looking ahead, INL's phased validation roadmap—progressing from digital modeling and real-time grid emulation to hardware-in-the-loop testing and culminating in physical demonstration with the MARVEL microreactor—offers a clear, de-risked path toward real-world deployment of nuclear-powered microgrids. Beyond nuclear-specific work, the presentation will also touch on INL's broader microgrid research, illustrating INL's role as a national testbed for de-risking a wide range of advanced microgrid technologies.

Biography:

Dr. Bikash Poudel is a researcher in the Power and Energy Systems Department at Idaho National Laboratory (INL), with expertise in small nuclear reactors, integrated energy systems, and microgrids. Since joining INL in 2021, he has contributed to several projects funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, including work on nuclear-integrated system digital twins, nuclear hydrogen production, microgrid solutions for coastal and wildfire-resilient communities, and infrastructure modernization for rural utilities. His technical expertise encompasses dynamic process modeling, control system design, transient simulation, hardware-in-the-loop tests, load flow and contingency analysis, optimization, and resilience analysis. Dr. Poudel holds a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from the University of Saskatchewan and a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Tribhuvan University, Nepal.

Abstract: The New York Electric Grid: From Birth (1897) to the Future (2047) traces the remarkable evolution of New York's electric power system, from the pioneering Mechanicville Hydroelectric Station—the birthplace of the modern electric grid—to a forward-looking vision for a resilient, carbon-free energy future. The presentation is divided into two complementary parts.

Part I of the presentation explores the history, engineering significance, and current operation of the Mechanicville Hydroelectric Station. Constructed in 1897 and designed by Charles Proteus Steinmetz, the facility was among the nation's first large-scale hydroelectric generating stations and played a foundational role in the development of the modern interconnected electric grid through its coordinated operation with a second hydroelectric station. Attendees will learn about the plant's original design, its designation as the oldest continuously operating hydroelectric station in the United States, the extensive restoration efforts that preserved both its structural integrity and historic character, and its continued contribution of renewable energy to New York's electric grid.

Part II of the presentation shifts focus on New York's electric grid of the future, addressing the technical and economic challenges of achieving a reliable, zero-emission power system. The presentation introduces the Subterranean Pumped Energy Repository System (SUPERS), an innovative closed loop, long-duration, underground pumped-storage concept designed to provide large-scale, dispatchable emission-free energy storage. Topics include the rapid growth of solar and wind generation, the role of virtual power plants, long-duration energy storage requirements, HVDC transmission overlays for enhanced grid reliability, evolving electricity market economics, and strategies for meeting New York's ambitious clean energy goals through 2040 and beyond. Together, these discussions provide a comprehensive perspective on how lessons from the past can guide the design of a resilient, sustainable, and economically viable electric grid for the next century.

Participants will gain valuable insights into the historical foundations of power system engineering, modern grid transformation strategies, renewable energy integration, advanced energy storage technologies, and the future of transmission infrastructure supporting New York's evolving electric power system.

Biography:

James A. Besha, Sr., P.E. is chairman of Albany Engineering Corporation in Albany, New York. Mr. Besha received his A.B. in Sociology and his Bachelor of Science in Industrial and Systems Engineering from Syracuse University. He is a licensed professional engineer in New York and eight other states, and has 55 years of experience. Mr. Besha is a life member of numerous professional organizations including American Society of Civil Engineers, Institute of Electric and Electronic Engineers, National Society of Professional Engineers, and Society of Mining Engineers. Mr. Besha is a former Trustee of the New York Power Authority, has published articles in multiple professional journals, and holds US Patents.

Albany Engineering Corporation was founded in 1924 and develops, designs, constructs, and operates hydroelectric generation projects. Albany Engineering currently owns hydroelectric facilities in New York State and has other hydroelectric projects under development.