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Reliability Unit Commitment Chad Thompson Manager, Operations Support Joint Operations Working Group & Congestion Management Working Group Meeting ERCOT Public March 19, 2014. Reliability Unit Commitment. Inquiries into ERCOT’s RUC actions Winter 2014
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Reliability Unit Commitment Chad Thompson Manager, Operations Support Joint Operations Working Group & Congestion Management Working Group Meeting ERCOT Public March 19, 2014
Reliability Unit Commitment • Inquiries into ERCOT’s RUC actions Winter 2014 • ERCOT Operating procedures have not changed with regards to committing generation • Challenges: • Unusually large number of cold days in 2014 • Dynamic load forecast due to significant changes in weather forecast (polar vortex) • Temporal Constraints impact RUC timing • Fuel restriction uncertainty • Icing/Freezing impacts on Wind Output
Cold Days Comparison • This winter experienced nearly double the number of cold weather days compared with 2012/13, and 2.5 times as many compared with 2011/12 • Dallas experienced 22 days above the normal number of days below freezing • Brownsville experienced 7 times as many days below 40 degrees as 2012/13
Peak Demand Challenge Jan 6 Jan 27/28 Feb 6/7 Jan 23/24
2014 RUC Actions • Jan 6 – None for capacity • Jan 23 – 3 units committed from HE1-4. These units were self-scheduled to come on at HE5. • A lessons learned from the Feb 2011 event from FERC/NERC was for ERCOT to get units online before the freezing temperatures hit • Feb 6 – 2 units committed; one on alternative fuel. These were due to the 4GW of gas curtailments, icing, and media appeal in effect.
Reliability Unit Commitment (RUC) Capacity by Weather Zone – Feb. 2014
Fuel Restriction Challenge • ERCOT plans around fuel restrictions, as ERCOT receives restriction/de-rate notifications from QSEs, day before or day of the occurrence • On February 7, many restrictions/de-rates occurred in real-time without prior notice
Options • RUC vs SASM • Increased AS may result in more on-line MWs held in reserve, when the need is additional resources connected to the grid • RUC in advanced of need • Bring units on in advance of operating hour needed in RUC, or bring on-line before planned start time (lesson learned from previous events)