Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment, Energy Engineering and Power Technology
5
Scopus Publications
Scopus Publications
Data-driven robust transmission expansion planning against rising temperatures J Kyle Skolfield, Ahmad Alnakhli, Ali Alawad, Adolfo R Escobedo, Payman Dehghanian Environmental Research Infrastructure and Sustainability, 2025 The evidence of ongoing rising temperatures has been accumulating for years. It is, therefore, essential to utilize recent climate data to inform future investment decisions. Perhaps nowhere is this more important than in improving the aging power grid infrastructure. This work presents a novel data-driven robust optimization approach to guide transmission expansion planning and transmission capacity expansion planning decisions focused on mitigating the effects of globally and regionally rising temperatures. The proposed methodology is tested on a large-scale realistic test case of the power transmission grid in Arizona, and two classes of valid inequality are used to accelerate the computation time. The effects of temperature are modeled at a regional level in the feastured test case using a k-means clustering method. Results demonstrate that more accurate regional temperature modeling results in more focused investment plans.
Coordinated Energy Scheduling in Interconnected Power-Water-Gas Networks Under Network Failures Ahmad Alnakhli, Payman Dehghanian, Mohannad Alhazmi IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications, 2025 The rapid growth of interconnections between different energy systems has seen emerging developments in recent years. Electric Power System (EPS), Water System (WS), and Natural Gas System (NGS) have been traditionally operated independently. However, a multi-sectoral approach is needed to enhance the resilience of critical infrastructure systems and reap the economic benefits. This becomes crucial as natural disasters with massive power outages have increased in both frequency and magnitude. To address these challenges, this paper proposes a cooperative joint framework for the operation of the Power, Water, and Gas Networks (PWGNs) during emergency operating conditions. The proposed formulation takes into account the nonlinear nature of both the hydraulic constraints in WS and the gas flow in the NGS. To reduce the computational burden of the original problem, linearization techniques are employed to convert the nonlinear model into a Mixed-Integer Linear Programming (MILP) formulation. Case studies with different contingency scenarios are analyzed in the IEEE 24-bus and IEEE 118-bus test systems, which are jointly operated with a 12-node and 20-node NGS, and a 15-node commercial-scale WS. Numerical results demonstrate that the proposed model effectively enhances the resilience of the interconnected energy systems and reduces the overall operational costs during emergency conditions. Additionally, results show that the proposed joint operation model provides significant energy flexibility and is efficiently scalable to large networks.
Equity-Aware Load Shedding Optimization in Interdependent Power and Gas Networks Against Rising Temperatures Ahmad Alnakhli, Payman Dehghanian, Maeshal Hijazi, Ali Alawad 2025 IEEE Texas Power and Energy Conference Tpec 2025, 2025 With increasing climate variability, extreme weather events like heatwaves pose significant challenges to the operation of interdependent power and gas networks. These events result in surges in electricity and gas demands, straining system capacity and disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations. To address these challenges, we propose an equity-aware operational co-optimization framework that enhances system resilience during heatwaves. The framework integrates dynamic line ratings and fragility-based de-rating of infrastructure to ensure reliable and equitable resource distribution. Additionally, we employ the Gini coefficient to quantify equity in load-shedding strategies, providing a robust measure of fairness in resource allocation. Utilizing a modified Alternating Direction Method of Multipliers (ADMM), we decouple the optimization of the power and gas systems, enabling coordinated yet decentralized operation. Through diverse operational scenarios, we demonstrate how cooperation between power and gas operators improves system performance, reduces operational costs, and enhances equity in resource allocation. The proposed framework provides actionable insights into managing integrated power and gas networks under climate-induced stresses, offering a pathway to more resilient and equitable energy systems.
Optimal Operation of Integrated Multi-energy Systems during Emergency Conditions Ahmad Alnakhli, Payman Dehghanian, Mohannad Alhazmi Conference Record Industrial and Commercial Power Systems Technical Conference, 2023 The rapid growth of interconnections between different energy systems has seen emerging developments in recent years. Electric Power System (EPS), Water System (WS) and Natural Gas System (NGS) have been traditionally operated independently. However, a multi-sectoral approach is needed to enhance the resilience of critical infrastructure systems and reap the economic benefits. This becomes crucial as natural disasters with massive power outages have increased in both frequency and magnitude. To address these challenges, this paper proposes a cooperative co-optimization framework for the operation of the Power, Water, and Gas Networks (PWGNs) during emergency operating conditions. The proposed formulation takes into account the nonlinear nature of both the hydraulic constraints in WS and the gas flow in the NGS. Linearization techniques are employed to convert the nonlinear model into a MixedInteger Linear Programming (MILP) formulation. Case studies with different contingency scenarios are analyzed in the IEEE 24-bus reliability test system, which is jointly operated with a 12-node NGS and a 15-node commercial-scale WS. Numerical results demonstrate that the proposed model effectively enhances the resilience of the interconnected energy systems and reduces the overall operational costs during emergency conditions.
Optimal Energy Management of A Power Transmission Grid under A Heatwave Exposure Ali Alawad, Ahmad Alnakhli, Payman Dehghanian 2021 North American Power Symposium Naps 2021, 2021 The recent increase in number of weather events across the globe has grabbed the attention of researchers and industry. Weather related events such as extreme temperatures, hurricanes and earthquake are responsible of the majority of power outages in the last decade. In particular, extreme temperatures can affect the power network in three levels: generation, transmission and distribution. For instance, during a heatwave the efficiency and output of power plants will decrease, and the transmission lines will operate at their limits. This happens while the demands in the distribution side will increase above the usual peak. Planning for such events require careful operation and planning of the entire system. In this paper, an optimal operation strategy is proposed for transmission systems under the heatwave exposure taking into consideration the impacts of hourly temperature on load profiles and available capacity and efficiency of renewable and non-renewable power generations, transmission lines capacity, and load curtailment. The proposed approach has been applied to capture the impacts of the heatwave event occurred in the state of Texas in August 2011. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed operation strategy in quantifying the impact of heatwaves on the transmission network operation.
