Learning Across Borders: NYISO Shares and Gains Grid Reliability Insights in Germany
What can New York’s grid operators learn from their counterparts overseas, and what expertise and wisdom can they offer in return? That two-way exchange brought NYISO’s Aaron Markham, Vice President of Operations, and Udayan Nair, Director of Grid Transition, to Grid Transformation Week in Germany, where they joined grid operators, technology providers, researchers, and other energy experts from around the world.
The shared challenge on both sides of the Atlantic is keeping electricity reliable amid rising demand, aging generation, a changing resource mix, and extreme weather. For Markham and Nair, the event offered an opportunity to compare operating practices, exchange technical expertise, and explore tools that could inform NYISO’s work. The conversations moved from understanding emerging risks to improving how operators recognize and respond to them with New York’s experience contributing to the discussion.
Detecting and managing emerging reliability risks
A major European blackout illustrated the stakes. On April 28, 2025, a widespread power failure shut down the electricity systems of mainland Spain and Portugal. Known as the Iberian blackout, it was the most severe disruption to Europe’s power system in more than two decades. Multiple interacting problems, including grid oscillations and inadequate voltage control, contributed to rapid voltage increases and a cascade of generator disconnections.
Oscillations are repeated swings in electrical conditions; excessive voltage means voltage rises above safe operating limits. They are distinct problems, but they can interact, putting equipment at risk and causing generators to disconnect to protect themselves. A disturbance can then spread into a wider outage.
For Markham and Nair, comparing approaches with international peers offered valuable insights into detecting these risks early. Participants discussed tools to identify oscillations and their sources, monitor the grid’s ability to resist sudden changes, and detect disturbances as they unfold.
Modernizing the grid and its control rooms
The exchange extended beyond recognizing risks to the tools and operating practices that can help manage a changing grid. Participants explored ways to make better use of existing transmission infrastructure, including changing the network’s configuration to direct electricity through less-used transmission facilities. These approaches, known as topology optimization and network reconfiguration, can help improve the efficiency of power flows.
“As the grid evolves, the control room must evolve with it. We're focused on modernizing operator tools to help them quickly understand real-time conditions, recognize emerging grid stress, and evaluate potential response options,” Markham said. “Engaging with operations leaders at Grid Transformation Week reinforced the importance of these efforts and highlighted additional opportunities to enhance situational awareness in the control room.”
Sharing insights from New York’s transition
The event was a shared learning experience as Markham and Nair described how NYISO is preparing for a changing resource mix and emerging reliability needs. Their contributions gave international peers a window into the challenges facing New York and the work underway to address them.
“From interconnection reforms and advanced modeling to new reliability initiatives and winter preparedness efforts, we’re taking a proactive approach to ensure the grid remains reliable as New York’s resource mix evolves,” Nair said. “Grid Transformation Week provided a valuable opportunity to share our experiences, exchange ideas with industry peers, and identify approaches that can help support reliability during this period of change.”
For Markham and Nair, the value of the visit was not any single technology or practice. It was the opportunity to learn from operators facing similar pressures, share NYISO’s experience, and build relationships for continued technical exchange. Those connections and insights can inform NYISO’s work to recognize emerging risks, strengthen operator tools, and maintain reliable electricity service for New Yorkers as the grid evolves.