2023/11/13 by Aniruddha Rajendra Rao, Chandrasekar Venkatraman, Rao, Aniruddha Rajendra +5
Engineering · Physics and Astronomy · #FOS: Electrical engineering #FOS: Mathematics #Lightning and Electromagnetic Phenomena #Optimal Power Flow Distribution #Optimization and Control (math.OC) #Power System Reliability and Maintenance #Systems and Control (eess.SY) #electronic engineering #information engineering
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2311.07569
openalex publication_date 2023/11/13 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
Public utilities are faced with situations where high winds can bring trees and debris into contact with energized power lines and other equipments, which could ignite wildfires. As a result, they need to turn off power during severe weather to help prevent wildfires. This is called Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS). We present a method for load reduction using a multi-step genetic algorithm for Public Safety Power Shutoff events. The proposed method optimizes load shedding using partial load shedding based on load importance (critical loads like hospitals, fire stations, etc). The multi-step genetic algorithm optimizes load shedding while minimizing the impact on important loads and preserving grid stability. The effectiveness of the method is demonstrated through network examples. The results show that the proposed method achieves minimal load shedding while maintaining the critical loads at acceptable levels. This approach will help utilities to effectively manage PSPS events and reduce the risk of wildfires caused by the power lines.