Title: Security assessment of the electricity infrastructure under terrorism

Authors: Carolina Tranchita, Nouredine Hadjsaid, Alvaro Torres

Addresses: Laboratoire de Genie Electrique de Grenoble, UMR 5269 INPG/UJF-CNRS, ENSE3 – BP 46 – 38402 Saint-Martin-d'Heres Cedex, France; Departamento de Ingenieria Electrica e Ingenieria Electronica, Universidad de los Andes, Carrera 1a No. 18A-70 Edificio W, Piso 4, Bogota, Colombia. ' Laboratoire de Genie Electrique de Grenoble, UMR 5269 INPG/UJF-CNRS, ENSE3 – BP 46 – 38402 Saint-Martin-d'Heres Cedex, France. ' Departamento de Ingenieria Electrica e Ingenieria Electronica Universidad de los Andes, Carrera 1a No. 18A-70 Edificio W, Piso 4, Bogota, Colombia

Abstract: The electrical network is a critical infrastructure which is highly interconnected and strongly interdependent on other basic infrastructures on which basic human activities depend. As a result, this network is often targeted by terrorist attacks. The occurrence of events (that may affect the system) due to terrorism must be considered in power system security assessment. In this way, proper decisions in the planning and operation of the power system can be taken so that an appropriate balance between operative cost and robustness in the case that a terrorist act affects the system can be reached. In this paper we present a methodology that enables us to assess the power system security with regard to the possibility of terrorist acts, considering also the uncertainties associated with load and generation. The method is a validated Western System Coordinating Council (WSCC) nine-bus test system, taking as an example the terrorism conditions of the Colombian electricity infrastructure.

Keywords: power systems; security assessment; fuzzy risks; terrorism; electricity infrastructure; critical infrastructures; terrorist attacks; risk assessment; electrical networks; power load; electricity generation; Columbia.

DOI: 10.1504/IJCIS.2009.024873

International Journal of Critical Infrastructures, 2009 Vol.5 No.3, pp.245 - 264

Published online: 02 May 2009 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article