TECH & AI
Renewable energy integration and evolving cybersecurity threats are posing new challenges for utilities. Smart grid technologies could be a critical solution to manage this complexity whilst maintaining reliability and security.
Grid digitalisation began decades ago with the introduction of digital protection relays to replace electromechanical systems. However, the pace of change has accelerated as renewable generation creates more variability in power networks.
Claudia Cosoreanu, Chief Technology Officer for Grid Automation in the Electrification Segment at GE Vernova, explains:“ Managing the grid with so much variability without detailed information about its assets, loads, generation and the ecosystem around it is like driving a car with no windshield.”
The integration of distributed energy resources( DERs), such as solar panels and wind turbines, has significantly altered grid dynamics. Traditional grid management systems, designed for predictable centralised generation, are becoming unfit for this new system.
110 September 2025