2026 Event Schedule

The U.S.  power grid is increasingly being asked to perform functions it was never originally designed to support.  Rapid electrification, large-scale retirement of synchronous generation, widespread adoption of inverter-based resources, and accelerating data center expansion are placing unprecedented demands on grid stability, power quality, and operational flexibility.  While grid reliability has historically focused on maintaining service under normal operating conditions, today’s operating environment requires a stronger emphasis on resiliency, the ability to withstand, adapt to, and rapidly recover from large-scale and compound disturbances.

This session examines the evolving role of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) as a foundational grid asset for enabling both reliability and resiliency.  Attendees will gain a technical understanding of how BESS offsets the loss of system inertia and voltage support associated with traditional generation retirements, providing fast frequency response, dynamic reactive power compensation, voltage regulation, and black start capability.  Particular attention will be given to the role of BESS in supporting high-density, fast-ramping loads such as data centers, as well as electrically weak or constrained portions of the grid where conventional solutions are increasingly insufficient.

Real-world market applications including peak shaving, energy arbitrage, and grid stabilization will be explored, with a focus on fast-acting active and reactive power support at the point of interconnection.  From a systems perspective, this session will examine how BESS can complement, and in some cases replace traditional grid-support assets such as STATCOMs and synchronous condensers through advanced inverter-based controls.  Deployment challenges facing utilities and developers, including interconnection studies, protection and control coordination, evolving market participation rules, and regulatory considerations, will also be addressed.  Finally, emerging trends such as grid-forming inverters, long-duration energy storage, virtual power plants, and AI-enabled operational strategies will be discussed in the context of improving system strength, operational flexibility, and long-term grid resiliency.

Session Sponsored by JST Power Equipment, Inc.