The 43rd CIGRE Session, as usual, was held in the Palais de Congres de Paris (Congress Palace) in Paris, France.

It was attended by several thousand specialists from many countries and all continents around the world – evenly representing utilities, manufacturers, consultants, researchers and academics. It is definitely one of the key global events for our industry.

Several hundred papers on the multiple preferential subjects submitted from member countries’ National Committees were accepted for inclusion in the conference program. A significant number of papers were focused on issues related to electric protection, control and automation subjects, integration of distributed energy resources, communications, microgrids and other topics that together will define the smarter grids of the future. Even that Paris  offers to the visitor many forms of entertainment, art and food, the attendees spent the days participating in paper discussion sessions, working group meetings, technical committee meetings or discussing new technical solutions exhibited by leading suppliers from all over the world.

The conference program on Monday was dedicated to two panels on broad topics:

•  Need for increased Intelligence in Power Systems
•  Large disturbances

Tuesday to Friday the main events in the program were sixteen Discussion Meetings arranged in four parallel sessions each day. At the same time there were six Poster Sessions where delegates could meet with paper authors.

The Technical Exhibition was at the same location and available to the delegates during the days of the session.

The Discussion Meetings are based on a “Special Reporter” system. All registered delegates receive in advance a CD with approximately four hundred session papers and are strongly encouraged to read the papers before the Session.

Papers are not presented by their authors, but discussed in Discussion Meetings based on the questions raised by the Special Reporter for each preferential subject. The discussions are in the form of prepared contributions, followed (when time is available) by spontaneous contributions at the end of the session. Each discussion session ends with a summary of the discussions prepared by the Special Reporter. For each Discussion Meeting a “Daily Summary of Discussions” was issued and available the next day.

The following Discussion Meetings covered topics of interest to the protection, automation and control community:

SC B5 Protection and Automation

• PS1: Protection, control and monitoring for the next decade
• PS2: Impact of renewable generation and cogeneration on substation automation and protection

SC C1 System Development and Economics

• PS1:  Solutions for planning power systems for a low carbon energy future
• PS2:  New business processes to support / facilitate power system design for a low carbon energy future
• PS3: Asset management challenges/strategies (replacement, refurbishment and maintenance) for a low carbon energy future

SC C2 System Operation and Control

• PS1: Enhancement of operational reliability
• PS2: Consistency and coordination of system control and operation

SC C6 Distribution Systems and Dispersed Generation

• PS1:  Planning and operation of distribution networks incorporating dispersed energy resources (DER) and renewables energy sources (RES)
• PS2: Demand side integration
• PS3: New technologies and concepts for the electrification of rural and remote areas

SC D2 Information Systems and Telecommunication

• PS1:   Practical implementation of IEC 61850 in electric power systems (Common with B5)
• PS2: Information and information technology security for electric power utilities

A Buffet-Dinner was organized by CIGRE with the assistance of the French National Committee at the “Pavillons de Bercy”.

Governing bodies, study committees and some working groups also held private meetings during the session.