Traditionally, power system protection describes detecting, clearing, and locating faults in the power system. Traditional methods for detecting and locating faults may not be sufficient for inverter-based resources (IBR) as the fault response of an IBR differs from the response of a synchronous generator. As the composition of the power grid continues to evolve to integrate more IBRs that employ communication-based control algorithms; the power system is also exposed to cyberattacks. Undetected cyberattacks can disrupt normal system operation causing local outages. Therefore, power system protection must evolve with the changes in the grid to not only detect, locate, and clear faults with IBR generation but also detect and mitigate cyberattacks on IBR controllers. This thesis proposes methods for protecting an IBR-based transmission system from: (i) GPS spoofing cyberattacks on a power sharing controller; (ii) open-circuit faults. The GPS spoofing detection algorithm is a decision tree that enables either the proposed state observer--based mitigation technique or the proposed long short-term memory (LSTM)-based mitigation algorithm. The proposed logic for detecting open-circuit faults addresses each subcategory of open-circuit faults: breaker malfunctions, broken conductors, and series arc faults. PSCAD/EMTDC simulations are performed to test the effectiveness of the proposed methods. / Master of Science / The desire to reduce carbon emissions from electric power generation is resulting in the simultaneous retirement of fossil-fuel-burning electric power generation and increase in the number of renewable energy resources. These renewable energy resources, or inverter-based resources, respond differently to disturbances than traditional generators, and; therefore, require the development of new strategies to improve the disturbance response of an inverter-based resource. Disturbances in the power system can be divided into two types: (i) normal disturbances; (ii) abnormal disturbances. The response of an IBR to normal disturbances is improved with reliable control, further improved with communication, which ensures the stable operation of the power system. The abnormal conditions can also be split into two categories: (i) cyberattacks; (ii) faults. A cyberattack is when an adversary gains access a system with the goal of causing harm. In IBRs, cyberattacks can degrade power quality and lead to local outages. Faults are events that cause a change in the normal current flow in the power system. Undetected faults can cause local outages, lead to forest fires, and personnel injury; therefore, must be detected, located, can cleared in a timely manner. This work explores methods for detecting and mitigating cyberattacks and detecting faults in the presence of inverter-based resources.

The U.S. movement toward clean energy generation has increased the number of installed inverter-based resources (IBR) in the grid, introducing new challenges in IBR control and cybersecurity. IBRs receive their set point through the communication link, which may expose them to cyber threats. Previous work has developed various techniques to detect and mitigate cyberattacks on IBRs, developing schemes for new inverters being installed in the grid. This work focuses on developing model-free control techniques for already installed IBR in the grid without the need to access IBR internal control parameters. The proposed method is tested for both the grid-forming and grid-following inverter control. Separate detection and mitigation algorithms are used to enhance the accuracy of the proposed method. The proposed method is tested using the modified CIGRE 14-bus North American grid with 7 IBRs in PSCAD/EMTDC. Finally, the performance of the detection algorithm is tested under grid normal transients, such as set point change, load change, and short-circuit fault, to make sure the proposed detection method does not provide false positives. / Master of Science / Due to the increasing presence of renewable energy resources such as photovoltaic and solar has introduced new challenges to the grid as the United States shifts towards clean energy. Those resources rely on devices called inverters to transform the energy to match the conditions of the grid. Inverters receive instructions to change their values before making the connection, making them potentially vulnerable to cyberattacks. While there has been progress in developing protection methods for inverters, existing inverters require additional protection to ensure their safe and reliable function. This work proposes a way to improve the reliability of existing inverters without changing the values of their internal settings. The method, tested under several conditions, successfully detects and counters potential cyberattacks without mistaking normal grid operations such as adjustments in demand and short circuit events.