Models to Inform Planning for the Future of Electric Power in the United States Proceedings of a Workshop (2020) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
Overview
Overview
Pages 1-6
The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.
From page 1... ...
To support its information gathering, the committee convened a workshop on February 3, 2020, titled "Models to Inform Planning for the Future of Electric Power in the United States." Speakers and participants from industry, government, and academia discussed available models for long-term transmission and distribution planning, as well as the broader context of how these models are used and future opportunities and needs. Participants explored strengths and weaknesses of available models and modeling approaches, discussed how they have been used to guide utility planning and policy, and considered how they may be improved to 1
|
From page 2... ...
Models are particularly useful as tools for understanding how policy changes or infrastructure investments might impact long-term outcomes. Weyant and other participants described how models provide context for anticipating the costs, market dynamics, environmental impacts, and distributional impacts of different technologies or policies, thus laying the groundwork for planners to make informed decisions.
|
From page 3... ...
Modeling electric power systems can require accounting for a wide range of power sources, local geographies, and climate considerations; multiple and overlapping jurisdictions, such as federal, state, or local governments; multiple stakeholder interests, such as producers, customers, and regulators; and the vast uncertainties endemic to system operation, such as policy changes and unexpected outages. New risks, such as cybersecurity threats, are constantly emerging, further complicating the picture.
|
From page 4... ...
Dealing with the interplay between different systems and models is an overarching challenge, several participants observed. Jason Fuller, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, noted that distribution planning overlaps to a much greater extent with other aspects of the electric power system and indeed with other sectors than ever before.
|
From page 5... ...
Joseph Eto, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, added that in his view, the most significant challenges for transmission planning are the changing resource mix, the complexities associated with incorporating new inverter-based generation technologies, modeling for resource variability, changing market structure and behavior, and understanding long-term impacts of new public policies and technologies. On the distribution side, several speakers pointed out that many utilities are seeing a growing need for models that integrate and account for bidirectional flows, distributed energy resources, batteries, and other emerging technologies.
|
From page 6... ...
Whether one is examining the details of daily operations or creating a 30-year forecast, a persistent challenge across all electric system modeling is the need to understand and mitigate trade-offs while being poised to react to challenges and developments as they occur. "This real-time balancing of supply and demand really drives everything that's going on in this industry," Eto said.
|
Key Terms
This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
More
information on Chapter Skim is available.