The “Tsinghua―PJM Automatic Voltage Control Cooperation Project” signing ceremony was held at Tsinghua University on October 26. Dr. Jianzhong Tong, Senior Strategist of the PJM Interconnected Power Grid Corporation, and Tsinghua Vice President Kang Kejun attended the signing ceremony that morning.

Currently the largest regional power grid corporation in the world, PJM is in charge of the operation of power grids involving Washington, D.C. and the 13 eastern states, whose total electricity consumption accounts for 1/6 of that in the entire U.S.A. The cooperation between Tsinghua and PJM in Automatic Voltage Control (AVC) began in early 2008 and is led by Professor Sun Hongbin and Professor Zhang Boming from Tsinghua’s Department of Electrical Engineering. Phase I of the project, “AVC Study of the PJM System”, has just been successfully finished. Phase II, “Online Implementation of AVC at the PJM Control Center”, was signed at this ceremony. According to the contract, the AVC system with independent intellectual property rights for Tsinghua will be installed in the PJM control center at the end of 2009. This is the first advanced power system control technology to be exported from China to the U.S.A.

PJM is recognized as the leader of advanced electrical technology not only in North America but throughout the world, said Vice President Kang. He noted that Tsinghua University has many years of research experience in areas of AVC. This cooperation will expand the international influence of the Department of Electrical Engineering and make an important contribution to Tsinghua's strategic goal of ranking among world's best universities.

Dr. Jianzhong Tong spoke highly of the research group led by Professor Zhang Bomin and Professor Sun Hongbin, noting that it is a world-class team in the AVC field. He noted that AVC is the key project in the Smart Grid application for PJM. He said that as a result of Phase I, AVC can save about 15 million U.S. dollars in energy efficiency for PJM every year and also bring enormous benefits to lower PJM's market price for electricity by reducing voltage congestion.

What cannot readily be measured by numbers are the social benefits stemming from improved reliability of the power supply. Such a result has made an extensive impact on the American electric power industry and provided a great opportunity for the application of Tsinghua AVC technology worldwide.

（From Department of Electrical Engineering）