Power and Energy Center, VT
The Power and Energy Center (PEC) is a nationally recognized leader in power systems research, education, and industry engagement. PEC faculty many active sponsored research projects, while delivering a core undergraduate and graduate curriculum that supports critical workforce needs across the nation and the Commonwealth.
Power systems research has long been a defining strength of the Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Virginia Tech. Seminal innovations such as phasor measurement units (PMU), pioneered by PEC faculty Arun Phadke and the late James Thorp, are deployed globally and have fundamentally advanced power system monitoring, reliability, and situational awareness, including at Dominion Energy. Over the years, PEC has been home to four members of the National Academy of Engineering: Professors Chen-Ching Liu, late James Thorp, Arun Phadke, and Yilu Liu—underscoring the Center’s national and international prominence. In addition, Professor Saifur Rahman, former President of the IEEE, has provided exceptional leadership to the profession.
Beyond research, PEC serves as a major engine for education and workforce development in the United States. The Center consistently supplies highly trained graduates to regional and national utilities, vendors, and energy companies, reinforcing Virginia Tech’s role as a strategic partner to industry and the Commonwealth.
Center Administration
PEC Director | [email protected] | (540) 231-4492 | 428 Whittemore
Center Coordinator | [email protected] | (540) 231-2095 | 426 Whittemore
Core Faculty
PEC Director and Professor | [email protected] | (540) 231-4492 | 428 Whittemore
- Microgrid control
- Inverter-based resources
- Integration of renewable
-Cybersecurity
PEC Director Emeritus and
AEP Research Professor Emeritus | [email protected] | (540) 231-1373 | 426A Whittemore
-Distribution systems
-Cyber-power system security
-Industrial software for system restoration: EPRI (Trans.), PNNL (Distr.)
PEC Founding Director and University Distinguished Research Professor
-Power system analysis
-Power system protection and control
-Synchronized measurement systems
Professor | [email protected] | (703) 538-3767 | Room 438 (Falls Church)
-Static and dynamic state estimation
-Robust power system parameter and dynamic state estimation w/PMUs
Assistant Professor | [email protected] | 472 Whittemore
-Control, optimization, and machine learning for energy systems
-Trustworthy AI for urban infrastructures
-Cyber-physical systems security
Professor | [email protected] | (540) 231-3121 | 345 Durham
-Energy Internet, Blockchain enabled for energy systems
-VLSI, Networks-on- Chip, Systems-on-Chip
Hugh P. and Ethel C. Kelly Professor | [email protected] | 4-014 VT Research Center (Arlington)
-HVDC and FACTS
-High-power electronics
Joseph Loring Professor | [email protected] | 571-858-3300 | 5-194 VT Research Center (Arlington)
-Energy efficiency and sensor integration
-DOE BEMOSS platform
-President of IEEE (2023)
Associate Department Head and Chief of Operations | [email protected] | (540) 231-2133 | 464 Whittemore
-Energy efficiency
Professor and Assistant Department Head | [email protected] | (540) 231-2045 | 427 Whittemore
-PMU
-Instrumentation
Adjunct Professor of Practice
-Power system operations
-Resiliency hardening and recovery planning for utilities
-Utility grounding for lightning protection
Collegiate Assistant Professor | [email protected] | 571-858-3316| 4-178 VT Research Center (Arlington)
-Analysis and control of power systems
-State estimation and sensor placement
Affiliated Faculty
Willis G. Worcester Professor | [email protected] | (540) 231-2972 | 451 Durham
-Wireless Communications
-Wireless Security
Associate Professor | [email protected] | (540) 231-6516 | VTRC, Room 5-008, Arlington, VA 22203
-Wireless Power Transfer
Associate Professor of Practice | [email protected] | (540) 570-9535
-Renewable Energy Facility Siting
W. Martin Johnson Professor of Engineering and Associate Dean for Research and Innovation| [email protected] | (540) 231-2129 | 445 Durham
-Wireless Communications
Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering | [email protected] | (540) 231-7243 |
-Dynamic Spectrum Access
Senior Extension Specialist | [email protected] | (540) 432-6029 x108
-Renewable Energy
-Energy Efficiency
-Nutrient Management
Professor | [email protected] | (540) 231-7384| 101 FST Bldg.
175 West Campus Drive
Blacksburg, VA 24061
-Agrivoltaics
-Sustainable Agriculture
Professor | [email protected] | (540) 231-7332| 227 Major Williams Hall
220 Stanger Street
Blacksburg, VA 24061
-Sustainable Transporation and Water Supply, inclusive capitalism
