Systems and Methods for Dynamic Islanding to Minimize Load Shed During Restoration After a Fault

A system and method for minimizing load shed during restoration after a fault in a power distribution network includes collecting customer prioritization data for a set of customers and calculating an inconvenience factor from the customer prioritization data on each customer in the set of customers. A load reduction required for restoration is determined, and at least one zone to be isolated from the power distribution network based the load reduction and the inconvenience factor is identified. The identified zone may then be isolated from the distribution network. The customer prioritization data may include customer priority data, customer load data, customer back-up device data, customer available back-up time, data related to willingness of customer to use their back-up device.