Power Engineering Research Experience for Undergrads (REU)

Overview

As our country moves toward its goal of 100% carbon-free electricity systems by 2035, the reliable and resilient operation of the U.S. power grid faces unprecedented challenges introduced by the intermittency and uncertainty of variable renewable resources such as wind and solar. Installation of hundreds of gigawatts (GW) of wind and solar generation is projected to meet this goal. These dramatic changes in generation sources will require ideas and innovative technologies to maintain reliable grid operation and drive the expansion of jobs to support power sector decarbonization. This REU site is designed to help address these issues and develop highly skilled workforce by introducing a diverse and inclusive cohort of undergraduate students to the scientific challenges and societally relevant needs in the power system.

• The PwrEng REU features a ten-week immersive summer research program for ten undergraduate students annually and these ten REU students will be closely mentored by faculty mentors at Clarkson in an integrated team-based learning environment.
• The students will work in pairs under the guidance from these mentors to research into open questions including grid asset hardening with 5G networks, cyber-resilient Distributed Energy Resource (DER) control, offshore wind modeling and grid integration, smart solar inverter control for improved grid resiliency and sustainability, transportation electrification, and energy storage in power grid applications.
• Research activities will be enriched by professional development activities and field trips (including tours of NG’s substation in Upstate New York, the NYPA’s St Lawrence Franklin D. Roosevelt Power Project in Massena NY, and a virtual tour of NREL’s energy infrastructure in Golden, CO).