WECC Variable Generation Subcommittee Sep 14&15, 2009 Salt Lake, UT

1. Ongoing NREL Research On BA Cooperation WECC Variable Generation Subcommittee Sep 14&15, 2009 Salt Lake, UT Michael Milligan & Brendan Kirby (consultant)National Renewable Energy LaboratoryGolden, Colorado USA NREL is a national laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy operated by the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC

2. NREL Research Efforts • Western Wind and Solar Integration Study • Eastern Wind Integration & Transmission Study • Potential Benefits of Balancing Area Cooperation and Wide-Area Management Approaches in the Western Interconnection • Uncorrelated and partly correlated variability are reduced through aggregation • Regulation and load following • “Stranded” ramping capability • Many methods to share variability and response • Joint NREL/PNNL Virtual BA project

3. References: Various papers by Milligan & Kirby • Methodology for Examining Control Area Ramping Capabilities with Implications for Wind • The Impact of Balancing Areas Size, Obligation Sharing, and Ramping Capability on Wind Integration • An Analysis of Sub-Hourly Ramping Impacts of Wind Energy and Balancing Area Size • Capacity Requirements to Support Inter-Balancing Area Wind Delivery National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future

4. FY 2010 Tasks • “Copper Sheet Analysis” • Scenarios to be developed with VGS • High levels of variable generation • ACE sharing and load following • Initial look at BA cooperation potential • WWSIS wind and load data (3 year data set) • Impacts on individual and total variability • With transmission limitations • … National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future

5. FY 2010 Tasks (continued) • Production cost simulation • Wind penetration and locations to be developed with VGS • Hydro scheduling and dispatch • Production cost and other metrics as desired by the VGS • Sub-hourly scheduling impacts on resource availability • Identify sources of flexibility and tap those that are economic • Show impact of new transmission, demand response, wind only BAs, etc. • Quantify both physical and economic benefits • Physical and institutional constraints National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future

6. FY 2010 Tasks (continued) • Canadian and Mexican renewable resources are not included in WWSIS • Develop 3-year meso-model (wind) for the rest of WECC • Coordinate time-synchronized load and wind data • Develop full WECC model • Possibly with TEPPC National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future