False Data Injection Impact on High RES Power Systems with Centralized Voltage Regulation Architecture

The increasing penetration of distributed generation (DG) across power distribution networks (DNs) is forcing distribution system operators (DSOs) to improve the voltage regulation capabilities of the system. The increase in power flows due to the installation of renewable plants in unexpected zones of the distribution grid can affect the voltage profile, even causing interruptions at the secondary substations (SSs) with the voltage limit violation. At the same time, widespread cyberattacks across critical infrastructure raise new challenges in security and reliability for DSOs. This paper analyzes the impact of false data injection related to residential and non-residential customers on a centralized voltage regulation system, in which the DG is required to adapt the reactive power exchange with the grid according to the voltage profile. The centralized system estimates the distribution grid state according to the field data and provides the DG plants with a reactive power request to avoid voltage violations. A preliminary false data analysis in the context of the energy sector is carried out to build up a false data generator algorithm. Afterward, a configurable false data generator is developed and exploited. The false data injection is tested in the IEEE 118-bus system with an increasing DG penetration. The false data injection impact analysis highlights the need to increase the security framework of DSOs to avoid facing a relevant number of electricity interruptions.