A SURVEY ON CLOUD COMPUTING INTEGRATION WITH ADVANCED SMART GRIDS: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES

Integration of Cloud Computing (CC) into Smart Grids (SG) represents a transformative shift in the energy sector, enhancing scalability Future Smart Grid (SG) power management is anticipated to be effective, dependable, secure, and economical as cloud computing technology advances. Emerging technologies like virtualization, however, expose current SG networks to additional risks that are not real-time data processing and efficient resource management. This paper examines the synergy between CC and SG, focusing on advanced technologies, as well as the role of CC in enabling renewable energy integration and distributed energy resource management. Key opportunities, including cost efficiency, scalability, and enhanced security, are discussed alongside critical challenges like data security, network reliability, regulatory compliance, and integration with legacy systems. A comprehensive literature review highlights recent advancements, including private cloud architectures, multi-agent systems (MAS), and big data analytics for optimizing SG operations. This paper aims to provide researchers and practitioners with a detailed understanding of the current state, challenges, and future directions in integration of CC into SG, facilitating advancements in energy management and sustainability.