Chair: Robert Thomas
Cornell University
School of Electrical Engineering
428 Phillips Hall
Ithaca, New York 14853
Tel: 607-255-5083 Fax: 607-255-8871
rjt1@cornell.edu

A complex system may be large or small in scale. A characteristic, however, is that such a system exhibit a behavior under stress that is difficult to predict. This may be because models are not well understood (i.e. load models in electric power systems, behavioral models in social and economic systems). It may be because the number of variables is so large that it is beyond simulation capabilities of current computers, or because the relation between a large number of variables is so complex that current mathematics or simulation methods are inadequate. The electric power system is a worthy example of such a system.

This track seeks to explore methods at the frontier of understanding complex system phenomena. Of special interest is the use of the electric power systems as a context for this exploration.

This mini-track focuses on the management and visualization of information associated with large, complex systems.  Using the electric power grid as an example, with the transition to competitive markets knowledge concerning the capacity, constraints and reliability of the electric system have become a commodity of great value. Electricity markets can be fast changing; understanding the implications of these changes before others can give an important competitive advantage.  Electric power systems, however,  are characterized by extremely large sets of data that cover spatial, temporal and contingent dimensions.  Converting these data into usable information requires the cooperative effort of numerous specialized applications, perhaps from multiple vendors running on a variety of different platforms.  Suitable papers for this session should present techniques for integrating, processing or visualizing the information associated with such large-scale systems. 

Thomas J. Overbye
Dept. Of Electrical & Computer Engrg.
University of Illinois
1406 W. Green Street
Urbana, IL 61801
Tel: 217-333-4463
Fax: 217-333-1162
overbye@ece.uiuc.edu

Marck R. Robinson
PowerData Corporation
15193 SE 54th Pl
Bellevue, WA  98006
Tel: 425-957-7988 ext 11
Cell: 425-785-4210
marck@powerdata.com

Markets and Regulation

Reliance on market mechanisms and decentralized decisions as alternatives to central planning and prescriptive government regulation of energy and other critical infrastructure enterprises has gained momentum worldwide over the last decade. This trend has been seen in the sale of government owned and operated monopolies in energy (electricity, gas and oil), in water and in public transportation.  But, natural monopoly power remains where service delivery is restricted to complex networks, and new sources of market power emerge through concentration at terminals and the supply of information technology.

In nations such as the United States where independent ownership was frequently the case, increased dependence on market mechanism is replacing governmental price regulation in these same industries.  Whether under the title of privatization, deregulation or restructuring, the movement has been toward allowing competitive market forces to set prices for essential commodities that in the past were actively controlled through direct government ownership or regulation. At the same time, in response to price volatility, there is increased pressure for re-regulation of some commodities and for the regulation of the derivative markets that have been established as .hedges.

The theme of the Markets and Regulation Mini Track is on analytical papers that focus on the experience in multiple national settings of restructuring of, primarily, the energy sectors.  Specific attention will be given to the interactions between the commercial market, financial instruments in that market and the complexities of the physical delivery

systems that produce and deliver the energy. Topics of specific interest include but are not limited to:

* Market response to new and/or changing market operating rules.
* Design and/or redesign of markets, exchanges, and auction formats based on current operating experience.
* The reemergence of regulation as a major influence in energy markets.
* Privatization of governmental energy suppliers.
* The physical and economic integration of distributed generation and load response technologies into the electric     
   power system.
* Property rights, congestion management and hedging in transmission systems
* Provision of reliability through markets
* Experimental analysis of both producer and consumer behavior in response to volatile or variable     
   commodity prices.

Richard D. Tabors
Massachusetts Institute of Technology and
Tabors Caramanis & Associates
50 Church Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
tabors@tca-us.com

Richard E. Schuler
Cornell University
Civil & Environmental Engineering
Ithaca, NY, 14853
Tel: 607-255-7579
Fax: 607-255-2818
res1@cornell.edu

Critical infrastructure such as transportation systems, communication networks, electric power grids, and health delivery systems are highly networked and interdependent systems. Such systems are characterized by complex nonlinear behavior, and experience uncertainty both in their internal description and in external disturbances/environments.

Large-scale disasters can introduce unforeseen disruptions into infrastructure systems, creating the need to restore not only individual systems such as water supplies but also interdependencies between multiple systems. Critical infrastructure interdependencies naturally arise, for instance, when two or more infrastructures must act in concert to provide a service. An example is the need for both electric power and transportation infrastructures for the provision of mass transportation. The robust design, assessment of reliability and survivability of such infrastructures present many analytical and computational challenges.

This minitrack will focus on rigorous framework, reliable models, and robust methods for analysis and design of resilient critical infrastructure systems, with emphasis on the role of interdependencies in such systems. Reliable and cost-effective systems are possible if proper exploitation and integration is achieved among emerging technologies such as advanced sensors, wireless communication, embedded software, and intelligent systems. Some specific topics of interest (but not limited to) include:

* Analysis of networked systems with focus on failure mechanisms, characterization of vulnerabilities, fault tolerant architectures, and role of interdependencies in complex infrastructure systems.

* Design of (real-time) health monitoring in complex networked systems with focus on distributed sensing, surveillance, and situation awareness

* Prescriptive procedures and strategies for reducing vulnerabilities, countermeasures to mitigate impact of disruptions, and guiding actions for response and recovery 

Jagdish Chandra
School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
George Washington University
1776 G Street NW
Washington, DC 20052
202-994-0179;
fax:202-994-4606
jchandra@seas.gwu.edu

William A. Wallace
Decision Science and Engineering Systems
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Troy, NY 12180-3590
Tel: 518-276-6854
Fax: 518-276-8227
Wallaw@rpi.edu

This mini-track focuses on topics related to the ability of complex systems such as power systems to survive disturbances with minimal impact on performance. Specific topics include: steady-state and dynamic security assessment where the impacts of pre-specified contingencies are analyzed; Available Transfer Capability (ATC) which quantifies the ability of the interconnected system to accept increases in power transfers; and related technologies.

Peter W. Sauer
Dept. of Electrical & Computer Engineering.
University of Illinois
1406 W. Green St.
Urbana, IL 61801
Tel: 217-333-0394
Fax: 217-333-1162
sauer@ece.uiuc.edu

Complex Systems with characteristics similar to Self-Organized Criticality (SOC) or Highly-Optimized Tolerance (HOT) exhibit failure events of all sizes, typically with a frequency of occurrence described by a heavy-tailed distribution. Some large scale engineered or physical systems, such as the  North American electric power grid, have failure statistics consistent with SOC and HOT systems. This suggests that the risks of large-scale failure of these systems should be analyzed using ideas from complex systems. Papers are sought that examine network properties, such as topology and dynamics, which contribute to complex system behavior, and further the evidence for and the characterization of such behavior in the failure of large networks.

Ian Dobson
Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Madison, WI 53706-1691
Tel: 608-262-2661
Fax: 608-262-1267
dobson@engr.wisc.edu