Accelerating the implementation of energy technologies

Growing up in Colombia, Laura A. Ward, Ph.D., was fascinated by the invisible force that powered everyday life: electricity. While many children simply played with electronic toys, she and her brother Julio eagerly dismantled remote-controlled cars and household electronics to understand the circuits hidden inside. Those childhood experiments sparked a curiosity that would eventually develop into a career dedicated to transforming electric power systems.

That curiosity evolved into purpose after high school when her mother introduced her to Ricaurte Vergara, Ph.D., then dean of engineering at Universidad del Valle. Beyond encouraging technical excellence, Vergara challenged Ward to envision herself as a leader capable of contributing to one of society's most critical infrastructures. His mentorship reinforced that engineering is ultimately about solving complex problems that improve people's lives.

Inspired by that vision, Ward earned her bachelor's degree in electronics engineering from Universidad del Valle before completing her Ph.D. in electrical engineering at Texas Tech University under the supervision of Stephen Bayne, Ph.D. Her doctoral research focused on advanced inverter controls, resilient microgrids, and power system modernization — expertise that naturally aligned with the rapidly evolving needs of the U.S. electric grid.

Seeking to expand her technical work into public service, Ward joined the U.S. Department of Energy's Energy Innovator Fellowship (EIF). The fellowship places highly qualified engineers and energy professionals within federal, state, Tribal and local organizations to address some of the nation's most pressing energy challenges. Fellows contribute technical expertise while helping organizations modernize energy infrastructure, strengthen reliability, improve affordability, accelerate decarbonization, and enhance resilience.

For Ward, the fellowship represented an opportunity to bridge engineering with public policy.

She recognized that the transition toward a cleaner electric grid depends on far more than deploying new technologies. Successfully integrating distributed energy resources requires modern regulations, updated interconnection procedures, advanced planning methodologies, cybersecurity, grid resilience, interoperability standards and effective collaboration among utilities, regulators, industry and policymakers. Engineers therefore play a critical role not only in developing technology but also in translating complex technical concepts into practical, evidence-based policy decisions.

Ward’s fellowship is with the Energy Administration of the District of Columbia Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE), the agency responsible for developing the district's energy policies and long-term clean energy strategy. Under the mentorship of Thomas Bartholomew, associate director of the Clean Energy Division, she supports initiatives focused on distribution system modernization, distributed energy resource (DER) integration, regulatory modernization and electric grid resilience.

Her research directly supports the district's ambitious clean energy objectives, including achieving 100% renewable electricity by 2032 and 15% locally generated solar energy by 2041.

Rather than focusing solely on technology deployment, Ward's research evaluates how engineering, regulation, economics and planning interact to enable large-scale DER integration. Her research includes reviewing interconnection regulations, assessing hosting capacity methodologies, evaluating tariff structures, supporting advanced inverter implementation aligned with IEEE 1547-2018 and developing recommendations that improve transparency, reliability and equitable access to distributed energy resources.

A typical day combines engineering analysis with policy development. Ward reviews utility technical studies; analyzes hosting capacity data; evaluates interconnection processes; participates in regulatory working groups; collaborates with utility engineers, economists, policymakers and researchers; and develops technical recommendations for ongoing grid modernization initiatives. This multidisciplinary environment has allowed her to apply advanced power system analysis while strengthening skills in regulatory interpretation, stakeholder engagement, strategic communication and public-sector decision support.

"My goal is to help develop practical, technically sound recommendations that enable greater adoption of distributed energy resources while maintaining reliability, improving resilience and supporting the district's transition toward a cleaner and more flexible electric grid," Ward said.

One of Ward's most significant fellowship contributions has been developing an integrated grid modernization communication framework that translates highly technical engineering and regulatory information into accessible decision-support resources for policymakers, stakeholders and the public. In collaboration with the DOEE team, she synthesized multiple modernization initiatives, including advanced inverters, hosting capacity analysis, interconnection reform, resilience planning and DER integration, into a unified, web-based platform designed to improve transparency, stakeholder engagement and cross-agency coordination. The resulting methodology demonstrates how advanced engineering analysis can be transformed into actionable information that supports public policy and informed decision-making. The final version of the methodology will be published on the DOEE Grid Modernization webpage upon completion and approval. In the meantime, a working technical version is available here.

Ward has also contributed to technical publications and presented her research at national conferences, including the IEEE Power & Energy Society (IEEE PES) Energy and Policy Forum. Her presentations, including Advanced Inverters for a Resilient DC Grid, Energy and Policy Roadmap for Grid Modernization Aligned with IEEE 1547-2018 and Advanced Inverters: Enabling High Solar Penetration, Grid Resilience and Regulatory Compliance for Clean Energy, explored how modern inverter technologies, regulatory innovation and coordinated planning can accelerate the transition toward cleaner and more resilient electric distribution systems. Her research received positive recognition from technical reviewers, policymakers and conference participants for addressing practical implementation challenges facing utilities across the United States.

Throughout her fellowship, Ward has demonstrated that accelerating the deployment of emerging energy technologies requires more than technological innovation alone. It requires aligning engineering excellence with regulatory modernization, economic considerations, cybersecurity, stakeholder collaboration and effective public communication. By connecting these disciplines, her research helps reduce barriers to clean energy adoption while strengthening the reliability and resilience of the electric grid.

Looking ahead, Ward plans to continue advancing grid modernization through engineering leadership, regulatory innovation and large-scale renewable energy integration. She remains committed to developing practical solutions that enable utilities and policymakers to navigate the increasingly complex challenges created by distributed energy resources, electrification, artificial intelligence and rapidly evolving customer demands.

"As an engineer, researcher and lifelong learner, I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the future of energy through public service," Ward said. "This fellowship has reinforced my belief that meaningful innovation occurs when engineering, policy and collaboration work together. I hope my contributions will help strengthen the district’s electric grid while supporting broader efforts to build a cleaner, more resilient and more equitable energy future."

For Ward, engineering has always been about more than designing systems. It is about building bridges, between technology and policy, innovation and implementation, and ultimately between today's challenges and tomorrow's resilient energy future.  

The Energy Innovator Fellowship program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation (CMEI), Office of Electricity (OE), and Office of Indian Policy and Programs (IE), and is administered by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE), managed by Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU).