The Working Group on Modern Heuristic Optimization (WGMHO) under the IEEE PES Power System Analysis, Computing, and Economics Committee aims at identifying emerging developments in computational intelligence for solving power system optimization problems.

The transition of power systems worldwide towards widespread use of renewable energy sources and higher demand side response entails significant structural changes and new challenges in routine operation and planning activities. Within the framework of the so-called smart grid, many of these activities requires efficient solution of different types of optimization problems, whose mathematical complexity motivates further research and development on more powerful optimization methods.

Pioneer and recently introduced heuristic optimization methods are undergoing further extensions and developments by using novel high level mechanisms (metaheuristics) for improved search exploration and exploitation, including the possibility of using an ensemble of methods in a complementary manner (hybridization). Thus, the WGMHO will create task forces (TFs) to work on panels and tutorials on the application and benchmarking of these developments in all areas of the power and energy systems.

As an initial step, a special panel and competition was held at the 2014 IEEE PES General meeting, whose focus was on application of modern heuristic optimization methods for solving optimal power flow (OPF) problems. Guidelines and material related to the competition can be found here. Interested researchers are kindly encouraged to test their algorithms on the 2014 OPF test bed and to submit their results to J.L.RuedaTorres@tudelft.nl in case they beat the best results achieved so far.

This webpage is also intended to serve as a platform for dissemination of the activities of the WGMHO. This includes sharing experiences in the development and application of heuristic optimization algorithms, exchange of new ideas, and source codes.