Linking Cascading Failure Models and Organizational Networks to Manage Large-Scale Blackouts in South Korea

Abstract

Major blackouts are often attributed to cascading failures, where the failure of few power grid components causes large-scale loss of electricity. Despite recent innovations in modeling and predicting cascading losses, few studies link cascades to the complex management context of blackout response. This work broadens the purpose of cascading failure models to provide a heuristic method to study coordination plans to manage blackouts. The South Korean power grid is analyzed with a cascading failure model and the results are used to generate social networks of Korean organizations that respond to national blackouts. Organizations critical to cascading failure response are identified by analyzing resulting network models for power grids and social networks. The results of the study have key implications for Korea’s blackout management policy because the organizations that constitute critical hubs for coordinating almost all cascading failures are small in number (e.g., betweenness ≥0.2). Also identified are highly connected organizations involved in a small number of cascading failures that may be able to provide backup support in case critical hubs are unavailable. Together, this work contributes methods to assess how emergency coordination can extend during cascades and demonstrates methods with an initial assessment for South Korea.