Research Updates
Includes recent research highlights, a task force calendar for the year, and links to current year’s research projects
Recent Highlights
|
Assessing Residential EV Impacts to Secondary Grid Methods to screen for EV secondary impacts without and with AMI data and secondary models. |
Distribution Strategic Planning Guidebook A step-by-step process for completing a strategic planning study and identified tools to be used. |
|
Demand Flexibility as a Distribution Planning Alternative Approaches for modeling demand flexibility including consideration of application, dispatch and data availability. |
Substation and Voltage Class Upgrades
for High Penetration of DER and Electrification Methods and guidance for evaluating and planning wide-area distribution voltage class upgrades. |
For the full list of past research, click here
2025 Meeting Calendar
Task force meetings are open to funders of the distribution planning research. Reach out to Lindsey Rogers if you are interested in learning how to participate.
| Date | Event | Link |
|---|---|---|
| 01/28/2025 | Program 200 Webcast: 2025 Member Orientation / Pre-Advisory Discussion | |
| 02/18/2025 | Planning Research (P200B) 2025 Taskforce Kick-Off | |
| 03/20/2025 | Project Prioritization and Portfolio Optimization - Research Plan | |
| 05/15/2025 | Non-Wires Alternatives Workshop | |
| 05/19/2025 | Distribution Planning Training Curriculum | |
| 05/27/2025 | Prioritization and Design of Distribution Voltage Class Upgrades | |
| 06/04/2025 | Strategic Capacity Planning Tool | |
| 07/07/2025 | Planning Research Mid-year Update | |
| 07/23/2025 | Planning for Transportation Electrification | |
| 08/06/2025 | Reverse Power Flow on Substation Transformer Banks | |
| 08/21/2025 | Staged Solutions to Serve Large Customer Connection Requests | |
| 10/15/2025 | Resilience Planning Metrics and Methods | |
| 11/05/2025 | Locational Medium- and Long-Term Forecasting Accounting for Electrification | |
| 11/19/2025 | Project Prioritization and Portfolio Optimization - Research Summary | |
| 12/08/2025 | Planning Research End of Year Webcast |
2025 Planned Deliverables
| Title | Description |
|---|---|
| Distribution Planning Guidebook: 2025 Edition | Expansion and revision of guidebook focusing on traditional and modern distribution planning practices and procedures. |
| Locational Medium- and Long-Term Forecasting Accounting for Electrification | Develop guidance on applying transportation and building electrification forecast information and considering weather and climate change in locational time-series medium- and long-term distribution load forecasting. |
| The Effect of Reverse Power Flows on Substation Transformer Banks | Develop guidance on reverse power flow impacts on substation transformer banks and associated rating and loading practices. |
| Planning for Transportation Electrification | Develop guidance on the demand characteristics of non-residential transportation electrification loads and the associated distribution planning practices, methods, and tools. |
| Project Justification and Portfolio Prioritization | Review industry practices, methods, and tools to identify issues and opportunities in project justification, and the valuation and prioritization of a list of disparate projects and programs within a portfolio. |
| Staged Solutions to Serve Large Customer Connection Requests | Provide planners with guidance on how to predict when and where large customers are likely to connect to the distribution system as well as potential mitigation opportunities that may provide mutual benefits to the utility and its customer. |
| Non-Wires Alternatives Workshop | Workshop discussion and collaborating with members on the aspects of planning, implementing, and operating NWA programs. |
| Strategic Capacity Planning Tool | Develop a software tool to efficiently assess long-term, system-wide, substation- and feeder-level infrastructure needs and opportunities for non-wires solutions. |
| Voltage Conversion Strategies and Prioritization | Develop methods and guidance for prioritizing and sequencing voltage conversion projects considering loading and capacity, asset condition, and reliability impacts. |
| Resilience Planning Metrics and Methods | Review and advance resilience planning metrics and methods, considering combined physical infrastructure and societal factors. |