Even a very short power outage can have dire consequences for a hospital, transportation system, or large campus. This is where microgrids can add real value. In this episode, Dave Whitehead talks with microgrid expert Dr. Mahmoud Kabalan about these small, stand-alone power systems that can keep electricity flowing regardless of what’s happening on the bulk power grid.

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Associate Professor, Director of the Center for Microgrid Research

Dr. Kabalan is an Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering and the Founding Director of the Center for Microgrid Research at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota. He is the recipient of the 2023 National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER grant which is the National Science Foundation's most prestigious grant in support of early-career faculty. He is the Principal Investigator of more than $22.6 million grants and contracts on electric power systems research and development. His work has been supported by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Minnesota Department of Commerce, and the National Science Foundation. He led and supervised the commissioning of a $3 million industry-grade microgrid on UST’s St Paul campus. He has more than 35 peer-reviewed publications on power systems and microgrids. He was a contributing author to multiple industry-wide technical reports on microgrid operations and research. Dr. Kabalan has served as a subject matter expert on multiple state and federal committees such as NSF, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), and Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (MN PUC). He is a licensed Professional Engineer in the state of Minnesota.

Keeping the Lights On: Microgrids and the Benefits of Localized Power