The author presents a method for reducing transient torsional stresses of steam turbine-generators in series-capacitor-compensated power systems, which are equipped with ZnO varistor schemes. The fundamental concept is to reduce the coupling between the electrical network and the shaft system with respect to the troublesome torsional frequency. The electrical network and the rotating shaft system are coupled through the generator air-gap torque. This coupling can be attenuated by unbalancing the network with respect to the phenomenon of torsional oscillations. This is achieved by setting the protective voltage levels of the three phases of a three-phase series capacitor at unequal values. The technical feasibility of the proposed method is demonstrated on a test system, using the BPA Electromagnetic Transients Program (EMTP) as the study tool. The impact of the proposed countermeasure on the transient torques of the system, as a result of different disturbances, is demonstrated. The limitations of the proposed method are discussed. >