The NETL Modern Grid Initiative: The Role of Multi-Agents in the Modern Grid

Agents, grid agents, and multi-agents will become popular in the electric utility industry out of necessity. We often hear great students of the electricity industry history talk of the greatest machine ever created in the world being the 20th century US electric system. If the robust industry trends continue, the level of complexity, reach, flexibility, and sheer size of the US electric system in the 21st century will make today\´s system pale in comparison. The NETL Modern Grid team cannot stress enough about how the electric industry trends are "changing the game", requiring leaps monitoring and controls schemes for the future. The industry and policy makers need to work together to incentivize and accelerate the technology development and deployment. As the consumers drive new tariffs andbusiness models in the industry, the industry needs to assure the technology deployed keeps up with the consumers needs and desired for flexibility. Solving these core issues will drive modernization, naturally.