Takashi Hiyama received his B.E., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees all in Electrical Engineering from Kyoto University, Japan in 1969, 1971, and 1980, respectively. Since 1989 to March 2012, he had been a full professor at the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Kumamoto University, Japan. From April to May of 1975, he was a visiting researcher at Moscow Energy Institute of former Soviet Union. From June 1985 to September 1986, he was with Clarkson University, NY, USA as the Research Fellow involved in ESSERCO (Empire State Electrical Energy Research Corporation) project on Harmonics Measurement and Analysis. He was also working as the Director of International Student Center, one of the Members of the Special Advisory Board for the President, the Vice-Dean and the Dean of the Graduate School of Science and Technology, and the Director of Shock Wave and Condensed Matter Research Center at Kumamoto University. His research interests included intelligent systems applications to electric power systems, especially for the operation, control and management of power systems. In addition, his research covered the applications of renewable energy power sources in power distribution networks for the configuration of micro-grid and/or smart-grid. Here, it should be noted that the development of FLPSS (Fuzzy Logic Power System Stabilizer), the introduction of Artificial Neural Network based MPPT control for PV systems, and the application of Multi-agent Systems for the coordinated Automatic Generation Control (AGC) including PV, WTG, and Energy Capacitor Systems with regular power plants. He also jointly worked for 25 years at the several divisions of Kyushu Electric Power Co. including Research Institute with varieties of research topics related to operation, control and management of electric power systems. He published five books and more than 200 papers including international conference papers. His current h-Index is 34, and the total citations of his papers reach 4458 (SCOPUS/June 2022). Soon after his retirement from Kumamoto University at the end of March 2012, he got the title of Professor Emeritus of Kumamoto University, and he was also assigned to the President of Kumamoto Prefectural College of Technology. After two years work there, he came back to Kumamoto University in April 2014 with the title of Distinguished Professor at the Priority Organization for Innovation and Excellence (POIE). There, he worked as the Director of International Collaborative Research Group for Science and Technology and later the Director of International Research Organization for Advanced Science and Technology (IROAST) until the end of March, 2020. Currently, he is a Life Senior Member of IEEE and a Life Member of IEE of Japan.

Yu Juan (1980-), IEEE Senior member, professor and doctoral supervisor, serves as deputy director of the Center for Electric Power and Energy Reliability Research, Chongqing University. She is mainly engaged in risk assessment and control of electric power and energy systems, deep learning and big data technology theory. She hosted and participated in more than 40 scientific research projects, and published more than 90 high-level papers. 37 national invention patents were granted, including 2 American patents. She won the first prize of China Electric Power Science and Technology Award, the first prize of Chongqing Science and Technology Award, the second prize of Science and Technology Award of the Ministry of Education, and the nomination prize of 100 Excellent Doctoral Dissertations in China. She served as Chairman of the Working Group on Reliability Assessment of IEEE PES, Chairman of IEEE PES Chongqing chapter and other international academic organizations and conferences.

A. R. Al-Ali (SM IEEE) received his Ph.D. in electrical engineering and a minor in computer science from Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA, Master degree from Polytechnic Institute of New York, USA, and B.Sc.EE from Aleppo University, Syria. Professor Al-Ali worked as an associate/assistant professor in KFUPM, Saudi Arabia (1991- 2000), and has been a Professor of Computer Science and Engineering at the American University of Sharjah (UAE) since 2000. His research and teaching interests include; embedded systems hardware and software architectures, smart homes automations, smart grid evolutions and development, smart factories and cities. Professor Al-Ali has many conference and journal publications including two USA and European Patents. He has also been invited to deliver keynote speeches on the recent evolution and development on the Internet of Things, Cyber-Physical Systems, smart grid & energy, and smart cities at several regional and international conferences.

Kenji Ushimaru has been engaged in a variety of technical, policy, and regulatory issues in the areas of energy and environment. Mr. Ushimaru’s past responsibilities include project management of major contracts for the U.S. National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Energy, and a host of research and development programs for a variety of utility companies. Infra Innovations specializes in inspection and repair of underground utility infrastructure, such as water/sewer pipelines and electric transmission systems. Mr. Ushimaru will present a current status report of renewable energy sources, specifically from the industry’s perspective. His business is located in Seattle, Washington, U.S.A., where the industrial electricity tariff is one of the lowest in the United States, and the statewide electricity generation source has some of the smallest carbon footprints in the United States, due to its large hydroelectric resources. Yet, the largest private electric utility in the state is taking initiative to build up an impressive level of solar and wind resources. He will discuss how and why renewable resources are growing regardless of the local grid parity pricing. Using the expertise gained in his professional life, Mr. Ushimaru is also active in the Global Humanitarian Technology Committee of the IEEE, and he is now involved in sustainable carbon sink operations as a profit-making business in Africa.