Texas Tech Professor Leads Efforts to Revolutionize Power Grid Stability

Beibei Ren, PhD

A Texas Tech professor is spearheading efforts to revolutionize global energy systems. With Texas grappling with grid instability, Beibei Ren, the Larry and Nancy McVay Endowed Professor in Engineering at Texas Tech University, is at the forefront of finding solutions. Ren and a collaborative team from various universities secured over $1.2 million from the National Science Foundation for their project, "Online Stability Assessment, Flexibility, and Enhancement of IBR-dominated Power Systems."

Ren's focus is on ushering in a new era for power grids by developing microgrids capable of seamlessly integrating diverse energy sources. This includes traditional power plants alongside emerging distributed energy resources (DERs), also known as inverter-based resources (IBRs). Through this project, Ren aims to address the pressing challenges of grid stability and resilience while paving the way for a more sustainable and efficient energy future.