Foundations for power systems software development

Electric power systems engineers are traditionally educated with an equipment and systems emphasis. As power systems have become more complex, software tools and simulations have played a more important role. Theory supports an understanding of the equipment systems and software tool behavior. For many engineers, the production of software turns out to be an important work product in their careers. The theory learned in school must then be applied to software production, enhanced with software engineering skills learned on the job. Consideration of software engineering in the curriculum would help graduates efficiently produce quality software.