IBR Interconnection and Grid Planning

Inverter-based resource (IBR) interconnection and grid planning address the growing challenge of integrating solar, wind, battery systems, and emerging power-electronic loads into the bulk power system while maintaining reliability, stability, and adequacy. As IBR penetration increases, reduced inertia, limited fault current, and tightly coupled frequency–voltage dynamics necessitate new planning paradigms. Key priorities include advancing interconnection and hosting-capacity assessments, coordinating transmission expansion with IBR siting and control strategies, and leveraging programmable IBR dynamics to balance stability, reliability, and economic objectives.

At the same time, IBR-dominated systems introduce new modeling and analysis requirements. Fast control dynamics and wide-bandwidth behavior often require electromagnetic transient (EMT) simulations. Data-driven approaches are increasingly important for representing vendor-specific controls, while root-cause analysis of observed dynamic events remains critical. Future work must also address large-signal stability in mixed IBR–synchronous systems and evaluate how advanced control strategies—particularly grid-forming control—can enhance overall system stability.