WVU to host North American Power Symposium

 WVU will host the symposium from September 17-19.

Representatives from more than 15 countries will head to West Virginia University September 17-19 for the 49th annual North American Power Symposium at the Morgantown Marriott at Waterfront Place. NAPS provides an international forum for participants from academia and industry to present their research and development in power and energy with special attention to the latest advances and challenges in power and energy technologies.

According to organizing co-chairs Jignesh Solanki and Sarika Khushalani Solanki, a record number of accepted publications will be presented in 32 technical sessions.

“From microgrids to smart cities, from mathematical to artificial intelligence to data mining techniques, from defining smart grid requirements to the future of smart grids, the conference covers these topics in breadth,” said Solanki.

On Sunday, participants can attend tutorials as well as tours to the AES Laurel Mountain Wind Farm, Longview Power Plant and the WVU campus and nearby Coopers Rock State Forest.

Following opening remarks by WVU President E. Gordon Gee and Gene Cilento, Glen H. Hiner Dean of the Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources, several keynote speakers will address symposium attendees at 8:30 a.m. Wayne Carr, founder and CEO of Milsoft Utility Solutions, will discuss, “Vision for the future of software analysis in the electric distribution utility industry.” Other keynotes include Mark McGranaghan, vice president, distribution and energy utilization sector, Electric Power Research Institute; WVU alumnus Mike Doran, vice president of operations, Duquesne Light Company; and Eyad H. Abed, program director, Division of Electrical, Communications and Cyber Systems, National Science Foundation.

Eight concurrent technical sessions will be held throughout the day along with a Young Professional Panel scheduled to be conducted during lunch.

Tuesday begins with three plenary sessions featuring Tom Weaver, manager, distribution system planning, American Electric Power; Marija Ilić, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University; and Di Shi, manager, PMU & System Analytics Groups, GEIRI North America.

Following the morning’s final technical session, the event will conclude with the closing ceremony and student award luncheon where top paper honors will be presented.

The 49th annual North American Power Symposium is sponsored by WVU, the National Science Foundation, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Power and Energy Society, RTDS, Appalachian Power, an AEP Company; Dominion Energy; First Energy; Duquesne Light Company; KeyLogic; Lucas-Nuelle; Edibon International; FESTO; Opal-RT Technologies; and the West Virginia Division of Science and Research.

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