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Electric System Reliability in a Post SONGS World. Topics for Today. What is “The Grid?” Things that affect reliability Renewables and reliability The Need for dispatchable Local Generation. Preliminary Points. Generation output must match demand
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Topics for Today • What is “The Grid?” • Things that affect reliability • Renewables and reliability • The Need for dispatchable Local Generation
Preliminary Points • Generation output must match demand • We operate at 60 Cycles PS. If demand causes a drop to 59.6, we drop load. • Impacts to any part of the system will affect our ability to deliver power • Some impacts can be anticipated, others can be hard to predict • Time for recovery following an event depends on the nature of the impact • Time of year/weather will play a part on what we do for recovery since demand varies
Generation • Hydro Generation • Old Steam Generation • Combined Cycle • Single Cycle Gas Turbines • Renewable • Small Hydro • Wind • Geothermal or biomass • Solar
Small Hydro Generation • RPS Standard Generally less than 30 MW • Many of these are run of the river: No reservoir
Natural Gas Fired Generation • Combined Cycle • Start with a gas turbine (think big jet engine) This spins one generator • Exhaust gases (which are real hot) are used to heat water into steam which in turn spins more generators • Not well suited for peaker power • Peakers • Single Cycle Gas Turbine • Spins a generator
Renewable • Wind • Wind must be within a certain range of velocity • Peak Wind Generation in SCE territory is midnight to 6:00 a.m. • Solar • Only works in sunlight • Requires large land area • Project 500 MW on 4500 acres • Geothermal • Small Hydro • Storage technology is needed to deal with the variable nature of renewable generation
Transmission • Transmitting large amounts of power over long distances • Different voltages • 500 KV • 230KV • 66KV • Some older systems • 115KV • 33KV
Substations • Grid Control • Outages • Reduce voltages from transmission levels down to distribution levels • Components: • Switch Yard • Transformers • Reactors or condensers • Capacitors
Distribution • Delivers power to customers • 12 KV • Original system design was for the power to flow in one direction
Why can’t we just have generation in the desert? • Loss of transmission will result in blackouts • Transmission lines are only capable of carrying a certain amount of power • Regulatory Restrictions • Physical Limitations • There must be balance in the system with a certain amount of generation in the load center
Impacts to Reliability • Impacts to Transmission • Fires • Floods • Wind • Impacts at Substations • Catastrophic Failures • Transformers • Collateral Damage • Long Term Reconstruction • Environmental damage • Capacitors • Potential PCB issue • Distribution • Wind and Fire
Renewables can create problems in reliability • Small Hydro=run of the river…not reliable when the streams are down • Geothermal: Not enough • Solar: Intermittent • Wind: Intermittent
What is a mother, or SCE, to do? SONGS is out. This can’t be fixed
When does 2200=500 • SONGS was about 2200 MW of generation Capacity • It was baseload generation which means it ran at near 100% capacity factor • But…for the near term, SCE is looking at a need for around 500 MWs of gas fired generation in Los Angeles area. This is a contingency back up to… • Preferred resources of Energy Efficiency, DR, Storage
Factors that resulted in the drop • Energy efficiency programs • Demand response • Transmission upgrades • There has been a substantial increase in renewable generation which is, to a certain extent, offsetting the need for fossil generation. But remember there are problems created by renewables • This only a near term forecast; long term we will need greater capacity • California Independent System Operator is looking at at a possible need for over 3000 MWs • So what?
There is still a need for new gas fired generation • This generation is dispatchable • It can fill in the “gaps” created by renewable generation • Also needed for voltage support • But we need some reform of the NSR Requirements • In the South Coast Air Basin we are in attainment for PM10 • Offsets are still required by SCAQMD Regulations • Cannot change that unless there is a change to SB 288 • This will require a programmatic approach that is achievable: attractive to the environmental groups • There are no easy solutions but it will require thoughtful ideas