Can a community design a power grid that is reliable, affordable, and fair enough to justify replacing or supplementing their utility's power grid?

The Project

Students begin with a high-level introduction to the electrical grid, the role of energy generation and distribution, and the stakeholder perspectives that shape real infrastructure decisions. Each team is assigned a side in the debate, such as utility, regulator, community advocate, renewable developer, industrial customer, or policy advisor, and the work from the beginning is framed as evidence for that side. The project then moves from grid modeling to simulation, then into coding, then into a staged physical build. Students first learn how to model a grid, then how to test scenarios, then how to code the control logic that makes a microgrid behave, and only then how to compare simulation to hardware. When new constraints are introduced, students see why optimization matters, but the project keeps optimization practical and accessible for every student, with more formal math reserved for advanced learners. The final phase gives students time to price energy, prepare as a team, and take part in a live technical debate on microgrids, centralized systems, and the social, economic, and ethical tradeoffs that connect them.

1. 1
   The Stakeholder TablePhase 1 of 4

   1. Dispatch Orders

      Students are assigned stakeholder roles, receive a project brief, and are introduced to the grid at a high level. They discover that the power system is not just wires and generators, but a network of competing needs, and they produce a stakeholder brief that defines the side they will argue.

   2. Inside the Grid

      Students map generation, transmission, distribution, storage, and demand. They discover how centralized power systems balance supply and demand, and they produce a systems map of how electricity moves through the grid.

   3. The Brief Changes

      Students receive a new constraint update to their plan, such as budget limits, resilience requirements, land restrictions, or emissions targets. They discover why optimization becomes necessary, and they produce a revised design target with clear priorities.
2. 2
   The Simulation StudioPhase 2 of 4

   1. Simulation Platform Setup

      Students are introduced to the simulation environment and learn how the model represents generation, demand, and storage. They discover that the platform is a simplified version of reality, and they produce a working baseline model.

   2. Troubleshooting the Model

      Students debug data entry, settings, and assumptions in the simulation. They discover that small modeling choices can change outcomes, and they produce a corrected simulation with notes on what had to be fixed.

   3. Scenario Building

      Students test different grid mixes under the same constraints. They discover how assumptions shape outcomes, and they produce a baseline comparison of two or more possible grid designs.

   4. Tradeoff Tuning

      Students vary the resource mix, demand profile, or storage strategy. They discover the tension between cost, reliability, resilience, and emissions, and they produce an improved scenario with evidence for why it performs better.

   5. Which Grid Wins?

      Students compare a microgrid to a centralized system using simulation evidence. They discover where each model is strongest and where it breaks down, and they produce a stakeholder recommendation that names the best option for their assigned role.
3. 3
   The Working MicrogridPhase 3 of 4

   1. Coding the Controller

      Students are introduced to the basic computer science behind the microgrid controller and write the core logic that makes the system respond to changing conditions. They discover how conditional logic and sequencing guide power decisions, and they produce a first-pass control program.

   2. First Power

      Students begin the physical build and wire the first control path. They discover how voltage, current, and switching affect real hardware, and they produce a tested wiring and control plan that connects the code to the build.

   3. Storage and Switching

      Students add storage, routing, and basic control behavior. They discover that a microgrid is a managed system, not just a collection of parts, and they produce a working partial microgrid.

   4. Simulation Meets Reality

      Students compare the simulated model to measured hardware behavior. They discover that simulation predicts patterns but real hardware reveals what the model missed, and they produce a discrepancy log and revision plan.

   5. Push It to Failure

      Students stress-test outages, overloads, and recovery conditions. They discover how resilience changes when the system is pushed past normal conditions, and they produce a stress-test report plus a final tuning list.
4. 4
   The Rate Case HearingPhase 4 of 4

   1. What Does Power Cost?

      Students build a simple energy price formula using generation, storage, losses, and maintenance. They discover how utilities recover costs and how pricing shapes public decisions, and they produce a draft rate model.

   2. Debate Prep Studio

      Students work in teams to turn their technical work into a debate-ready case. They discover how to use evidence, counterarguments, and stakeholder priorities in a live argument, and they produce a complete debate brief, speaking roles, and opening statement.

   3. The Grid Hearing

      Students present and defend their design in a formal technical debate. They discover how technical facts, social values, and economics collide in infrastructure decisions, and they produce final testimony and a recommendation for the best grid strategy in their case.