Le Xie honored with IEEE PES Peter W. Sauer Outstanding Power Engineering Educator Award

Le Xie, Gordon McKay Professor of Electrical Engineering at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS), has been awarded  the Peter W. Sauer Outstanding Power Engineering Educator Award for Undergraduates from the IEEE Power & Energy Society (PES). 

The award, presented annually, recognizes “outstanding electric power engineering educators who have excelled in teaching”. Up to two recipients are selected each year, one in undergraduate education and one in graduate education.

Xie is recognized for his “visionary and sustained contributions to educating power engineers in data science and artificial intelligence.”

At SEAS, Xie’s courses and research explore large-scale power systems, grid integration of renewable resources, and the complicated relationship between artificial intelligence and the power grid. His previous courses include ES-215: “Physical and Economical Operations of Sustainable Energy Systems” and ENG-SCI 145: “Modern Electric Power Systems.” This year, Xie will teach ENCE 50: “Gateway to Science and Engineering for Sustainable Solutions”, the introductory course to the new Energy, Climate and the Environment concentration. 

Beyond teaching, Xie co-leads the Power and AI Initiative at SEAS, which brings together researchers from electrical engineering, computer science, climate science, materials science, and the social and behavioral sciences to take a holistic approach to grid modernization. The initiative is designed to bridge the power sector and the technology sector — helping the grid support rapid AI growth while using AI to make the grid cleaner, more reliable, and more efficient.