Enhancing Distribution System Resilience: A First-Order Meta-RL algorithm for Critical Load Restoration

The increasing frequency of extreme events and the integration of distributed energy resources (DERs) elevate the need for resilient and efficient critical load restoration strategies. We propose a First-Order Meta-based RL (FOM-RL) algorithm within an online framework for adaptive, robust restoration. By leveraging local DERs, FOM-RL enables rapid adaptation to unseen situations with reduced tuning. Experiments indicate improved resilience under uncertainty compared to standard and warm-start RL baselines.