The IEEE has recently published IEEE Std 2988-2024 IEEE Recommended Practice for Use and Functions of Virtual Synchronous Machines [1], developed by the IEEE Standard 2988 Virtual Synchronous Machines Working Group and sponsored by the IEEE Power Electronics Society (PELS) Standards Committee.
Electrification is the greatest engineering achievement of the 20th century, and power systems are arguably the most important infrastructure that underpins social life and economic growth. The generation of electricity has been dominated by centralized large power plants, but power systems are going through a paradigm shift. Centralized large generating facilities are being replaced with distributed, incompatible, non-synchronous, and relatively small renewable wind turbines, solar panels, plug-in EVs, and energy storage units, etc., interfaced through power electronic converters (PECs).
At the same time, different types of loads, such as motors, lighting devices, and electronic devices, are connected to power systems at an ever-increasing speed, also interfaced through PECs. The fundamental challenge behind the scenes is that future power systems are power electronics-based, rather than electrical machines-based, with millions of non-synchronous heterogeneous players [2]. This paradigm shift, referred to as the democratization of power systems, is comparable to the great historical event of personal computers replacing mainframes in the technology domain or republics replacing monarchies in the political domain. It brings unprecedented challenges to grid stability, reliability, security, and resiliency. The power industry has been calling for a holistic solution for years, as evidenced by the Iberian blackout on April 28, 2025.
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