Optimal transmission switching in power grids: Optimization and machine learning progress

Andy Sun – MIT

Optimal transmission switching (OTS) of the power grid topology is a low cost, flexible grid control technology that can mitigate congestion and improve grid reliability. The optimization behind it is quite challenging due to the discrete nature of the switching decision and the nonlinearity of the power flow. In this talk, we will give an overview of the benefits and challenges of OTS and the new advances in both optimization methods and machine learning approaches for solving OTS in large scale power grids.