A report released in September by the ISO/RTO Council (IRC) looked at a range of options that independent system operators (ISOs) and regional transmission organizations (RTOs) can use to help manage variable energy resources (VERs or renewables).
The report looked at steps that can be taken in a wide range of areas, including Forecasting VER Production, Scheduling and Dispatching VERs, Reliability Commitment and Balancing Authority Coordination. It also examined issues with VERs in Real-time: The Impact of VERs on Ancillary Services and Resource Adequacy.
Paul Murphy, President and CEO of Ontario’s Independent Electricity System Operator and Chair of the IRC, said in a press release, “As an industry, we are making great strides in harnessing the power of variable energy resources … Effectively integrating this new supply is a long-term process that requires us to refine our respective systems, modify our operating procedures, and make adjustments to our markets for energy, operating reserve and ancillary services.”
The report, titled “Variable Energy Resources, System Operations and Wholesale Markets,” can be found on the website of the Council: www.isorto.org.