2027 Event Agenda

Abstract: EPB of Chattanooga and Oak Ridge National Laboratory present field results and a validated path toward utility microgrids with networked, dynamically reconfigurable boundaries for distribution-grid resilience. EPB describes its operating microgrid deployments, including the retrofit of a legacy substation to host multi-MW battery energy storage, and shows how these assets deliver everyday grid-tied value through peak shaving and dispatch — then island during disruptions to sustain service for thousands of customers. ORNL presents its plan to operate five microgrids through dynamic expansion and networking coordinated by the ORNL's CODAS platform, with controller-hardware-in-the-loop validation de-risking the controls ahead of field deployment in 2027. The panel closes with lessons learned from both organizations on deploying, validating, and scaling microgrids in a working utility system.

Proposed flow:

EPB — deployments & infrastructure: EPB's microgrid deployments and the retrofit of an aging substation to install BESS.

Use cases: grid-tied operation and peak shaving; islanded operation with dynamic boundaries and networked microgrids.

ORNL — enabling technology: the CODAS platform, CHIL demonstration, controls, forecast and optimization.

Conclusion: demonstration activities for networked microgrids and dynamic boundaries