Meta-Power: Digitalized Power Systems Driven by Metaverse

Metaverse is a transformative stage in the digital revolution, focusing on the development of an interactive and hyper-spatiotemporal ecosystem. This ecosystem is built upon various technologies, such as digital twins and extended reality. The application of the metaverse in power systems can significantly advance their digitalization level. This paper introduces a novel concept of meta-power to represent digitalized power systems driven by the metaverse. Supported by multiple technologies, the meta-power is a power ecosystem with high interactivity and hyper-spatiotemporal capabilities. The multi-technicity of meta-power enhances the stability, flexibility, reliability, safety, and economy of power systems. Furthermore, its high interactivity improves the convenience and immersion of power system monitoring and maintenance. Additionally, its hyper-spatiotemporal capability overcomes spatial and temporal limitations in power system operations and planning, providing benefits in evaluating and deducing future energy development strategies. This paper presents a comprehensive exploration of meta-power, encompassing its architecture, characteristics, enabling technologies, and application scenarios, aiming to provide theoretical and practical implications, respectively. At the theoretical level, this paper can stimulate research and development efforts in new metaverse technologies for power systems. At the practical level, it serves as a guide for power system digitalization, facilitating the advancement of a sustainable economy while ensuring the reliability and safety of power systems.