DOE’s power-electronics agenda brings interoperability into the grid investment discussion

Infraday Coverage · Energy & Power

A September 10 Department of Energy update highlighted modular power electronics as a route to stronger domestic grid equipment supply and more scalable deployment.

The Office of Electricity linked the discussion to the September 23–24 Grid PACE annual meeting. It identified proprietary controls, equipment variation and maintenance as challenges, alongside opportunities in converters and solid-state technologies.

A grid upgrade needs a support model

Infraday perspective: Faster and more precise electrical control is useful only when utilities can operate and maintain the equipment reliably. Procurement should examine how a new device fits the existing protection, monitoring and maintenance environment.

Interoperability is therefore a capital planning issue. Owners should understand how controls communicate, which software and hardware dependencies remain with the supplier, and what happens when components need replacement.

For domestic manufacturers, a more consistent approach to modules and testing could make it easier to scale production. For utilities, the practical task is to define performance and support requirements clearly enough to compare alternatives without assuming that different implementations behave the same way.

What to watch

Track demonstrations, test results and utility procurement requirements that emerge from this work. DOE’s technology discussion does not itself announce a new construction contract or operating substation.

Source: Official owner or agency update. Reviewed October 1, 2026.

Representative photograph of a transmission tower, not a specific Grid PACE demonstration. High-voltage transmission tower; representative photograph. Photo: Novoklimov / CC BY 4.0. No editorial alterations; WordPress may resize or crop for display.