INL reveals new power grid

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) - Idaho National Laboratory has just finished the 10 year, $40 million project to introduce arguably one of the nation's most comprehensive electric power grid test beds.

The grid is rated up to 138 kilovolts with 32 miles of reconfigurable distribution lines. The new project also included four new research pads housing large-scale equipment, full fiber-optic communication and a new on-site command center with control systems and power management equipment. The facility teamed up with the National Department of Energy and local Idaho Falls-based Walsh Engineering and Wheeler Electric companies.

It provides reliable and different types of power to the INL facilities. Workers need to be able to use various amounts of voltage for certain experiments which also differs from the typical "house power." The workers will be able to do just that thanks to this new power grid as well as run different experiments at one time.

This new grid also takes a big step into cybersecurity. It has additional security measures taken within the entire electrical system to protect the entire campus including the reactors from online threats.

"As we go forward with new solutions and as new security challenges, vulnerabilities crop up, which they will to be able to test, validate, demonstrate security solutions and in other, you know, efficiency solutions at scale," INL Director of Critical Infrastructure Dan Elmore said. "It'll be differentiating for a long time to come."