FERC Approves ISO-NE Request For Electronic Dispatch For Wind, Hydropower
August 14, 2015
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has approved a request by ISO-New England to implement a modified electronic dispatch method for certain wind and hydropower generators that are classified as intermittent power resources under the system operator’s market rules. ISO-NE explained that intermittent power resources, which do not have direct control over their net power output, are not currently electronically dispatchable and must be manually curtailed to manage congestion. It explained that the manual process is inefficient, as the curtailment and the congestion are not reflected in real-time prices. ISO-NE said that results in a mismatch of economic signals and reliability requirements, as the energy prices indicate that low-cost resources should continue operating at the same time that manual curtailment instructions are being issued to ensure reliable operation. FERC agreed that the changes would improve price formation and system reliability, and allow better alignment between price signals and operational requirements.
http://crowdenergy.org/ferc-approves-electronic-dispatch-of-wind-hydro-generation-in-new-england/