Recap of the 2026 PowSyBl Bootcamp: A path towards a strong community
PowSyBl (Power System Blocks) was born inside RTE, the French transmission system operator, from a very practical need: power system studies were becoming more complex, more numerous, and more tightly integrated with European processes than ever before. It led to designing a modular, extensible software library that could serve as a common foundation for many different grid analysis tools. Instead of building custom, isolated applications for each new requirement, the purpose is to have reusable “blocks” that could model the network, perform power flows and security analyses, support different data formats, and scale from a laptop to a supercomputer. That vision became PowSyBl.
In 2019, RTE joined LF Energy and open sourced PowSyBl. This move transformed PowSyBl into a community-driven, shared digital infrastructure project, inviting other grid operators, vendors, and researchers to use, inspect, and improve the code.
Once hosted by LF Energy, PowSyBl’s development and adoption accelerated. Multiple transmission system operators and RCCs began to deploy or build tools on top of PowSyBl. What had started as a library inside one TSO evolved into a shared engine for European grid analysis, underpinning applications for load flow, security analysis, capacity calculation, and more. Today, PowSyBl is much more than a codebase. It is a shared foundation for grid modelling and simulation across Europe, enabling TSOs, RCCs, and vendors to innovate faster, reduce duplication, and build interoperable, future-proof tools.
The 2026 PowSyBl Bootcamp
As a demonstration of the growing community involved in PowSyBl, the PowSyBl community gathered in Paris on the 16th of June. This event, organised by LF Energy, was the first in-person meeting dedicated to members of the PowSyBl community and gathered the community to foster exchanges and collaboration between stakeholders.
17 companies (31 participants) attended in person:
- TSOs: Elia, TenneT NL, Statnett, 50Hertz, TransnetBW, RTE
- RCCs: TSCNET, Baltic RCC
- Service providers: AIA, Artelys, RTE-I, Sopra Steria
- Research organizations: CRESYM, TU Delft, SuperGrid Institute
- French energy sector stakeholders: EDF, Enedis
The morning was dedicated to sharing some PowSyBl use cases: 10 presentations were performed, illustrating the modularity and strength of PowSyBl to answer several business cases.
The afternoon focused on a discussion around the enhancements needed in PowSyBl to better address the community’s challenges.
This bootcamp was a great opportunity to get to know each other, share experiences and needs, and build connections that will be valuable to continue to develop uses, contributions, and collaborations around PowSyBl.
What’s next?
The event was a success, with strong interest in continuing the momentum:
- In the very short term, the PowSyBl Technical Steering Committee meetings, held every month, provide a forum to exchange ideas and discuss identified needs.
- A new in-person meeting is envisioned in September, on the sidelines of the LF Energy Summit, to further explore the common needs that emerged and the corresponding collaboration modalities;
Stay Connected
Website: https://www.PowSyBl.org/
GitHub: https://github.com/PowSyBl
Mailing list: https://lists.lfenergy.org/g/PowSyBl
Slack: https://slack.lfenergy.org (join the workspace and look for the #PowSyBl channel)
LinkedIn (news & updates via LF Energy): https://www.linkedin.com/company/lf-energy-foundation/
TSC Calendar: https://zoom-lfx.platform.linuxfoundation.org/meetings/PowSyBl?view=month
