Exploring the Strategic Value of Long-Duration Energy Storage

At an AI4OPT Seminar, Patricia Hidalgo-Gonzalez of the University of California, San Diego, presented pioneering research on the evolving role of long-duration energy storage (LDES) in future zero-emissions electricity grids. Drawing from a 2024 Nature Communications study, her team found that LDES offers unique value in grids dominated by wind generation or declining hydropower resources.

Game-Theoretic Modeling of Distributed Energy Resource Dynamics

In addition to her work on LDES, Hidalgo-Gonzalez introduced a novel game-theoretic framework that incorporates learned inverter dynamics from high-fidelity nonlinear models of Distributed Energy Resources (DERs). This approach models DER participation in Virtual Power Plants that support grid regulation services. Published in PSCC 2024, this methodology represents a first-of-its-kind effort to formally study non-cooperative interactions in inverter-dominated grids, marking a foundational step in advancing control strategies for the decentralized grid of the future.

A Leader in Renewable Energy Systems Research

Professor Hidalgo-Gonzalez brings a multidisciplinary perspective to power systems engineering, combining expertise in optimization, control theory, and machine learning. Her research is widely recognized and supported by institutions including the U.S. Department of Energy and the California Energy Commission. She is the 2025 IISE Energy Systems Division Outstanding Young Investigator and has been featured in the White House Economic Report of the President. Her work informs both theoretical advancements and practical planning for resilient, equitable, and low-carbon energy systems.