• Seven of us attended the IEEE PES T&D conference in Chicago, IL, in May 2026: Fan Jiang, Linhan Fang, Ann Mary Toms, Rida Fatima, Hassan Zahid Butt, Haoxiang Wan, Xingpeng Li.

• T&D is a large conference held once every two years, with mixed attendees from academia, national labs, and the industry.

• We presented our research work with 6 posters. Our work addresses several timely challenges in power and energy systems:

  • Fan Jiang presented a frequency-dynamics-aware economic dispatch framework that uses neural network surrogate modeling to capture frequency nadir, RoCoF, grid-forming/grid-following inverter allocation, and reserved power headroom.
  • Haoxiang Wan presented a data center spatio-temporal load flexibility framework showing how flexible workloads can support congestion relief, renewable integration, and improved grid reliability.
  • Hassan Zahid Butt presented a degradation-aware microgrid optimal planning framework that integrates PV degradation, BESS cycle degradation, second-life battery potential, tariff structures, and long-term reliability.
  • Linhan Fang presented a diagnosis-driven co-planning framework for network reinforcement and BESS deployment in distribution grids with high EV penetration.
  • Ann Mary Toms presented WAKE-NET, a wake-aware optimal planning framework for wind farms that jointly considers 3D wake interactions, multi-hub-height turbines, capacity selection, cable routing, and economic performance.
  • Rida Fatima presented a multi-objective distribution network optimization approach combining Conservation Voltage Reduction and topology reconfiguration to reduce losses, operational costs, and system stress.

• It was also especially meaningful to reconnect with a former team member, Cunzhi Zhao, who is now a professor himself and attending the conference with his own graduate students. Seeing mentorship and collaboration continue across “generations” is truly rewarding.

Figure. Photos from the IEEE PES T&D 2026: