SGER: Creating an Archive for the August 14, 2003 Northeast Blackout Data

Cornell University, Ithaca NY

Investigators

Abstract

This proposal is for an initial exploration of an effort to transition technical and other data collected by the blackout investigation team related to the electric power blackout of August 14, 2003. The transition will be from its present SQL relational database to a D-Space web-accessible archive that can be accessed widely by the academic community and others. The purpose of transitioning these data from its present form to a D-Space archive is so that a) The data can be cataloged and archived according to library standards b) Librarians skilled in managing information can manage the collection c) Communities of interest can be created that will allow several levels of access and d) Derivative material created based on the data can be exchanged, archived and otherwise made available. Intellectual Merit: This project addresses the challenge of how to design an archive to make widely available data and other information on an event of historic magnitude. In designing and implementing the archive, this may lead to new standards for information exchange among groups in the power industry. Broader Impact: Without the transition, the data will remain in its present location at the North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC) in Princeton, NJ and remain largely unavailable to the researchers and students. The data will provide a unique opportunity, especially for the academic community, to use the data for classroom teaching, for illustrations in new textbooks, for validating the findings of the task force and for performing research into new areas of inquiry associated with improving monitoring, control and operation of future electric systems.