Guest editorial special section on control theory and technology

Control theory and technology pertains to an interdisciplinary branch of engineering and mathematics that deals with the analysis and synthesis of dynamical systems that can be automatically regulated. The overarching principle that is common to the application of control to all these systems is feedback¿the process by which information is gathered, processed, and used to make decisions that drive the closed-loop behavior of these systems. One of the main features of the smart grid is the introduction and use of information and communications technologies pertaining to renewable generation, consumption, and storage, in an automated fashion, to improve the efficiency, reliability, economics, and sustainability of the generation and distribution of electricity. As such, smart grid becomes an apt application area for control, as it opens up a variety of possibilities for gathering information, designing feedback strategies, and making decisions. This role of control is explored in this special section.