An emergency order issued by the United States Department of Energy (DOE) under Section 202(c) of the Federal Power Act. It allows the Secretary of Energy to temporarily order connections of facilities and the generation, delivery, or transmission of electricity to best meet an emergency caused by war, a sudden increase in demand, or a shortage of energy or facilities. These temporary orders can also exempt power plants from federal, state, or local environmental rules and have historically been used to prevent outages during severe weather events or supply shortfalls.
These incentivize customers to reduce, increase, or shift their electricity consumption in response to price spikes or grid reliability signals. Most programs encourage utility customers primarily through price incentives to shift electricity consumption from hours of high demand (relative to energy supply) to hours when energy supply is plentiful (relative to demand).
These encompass strategies and programs designed to influence electricity consumption patterns on the customer side of the meter. These initiatives aim to moderate electricity demand through methods such as financial incentives for energy conservation and energy efficiency measures, like improved insulation or the adoption of energy-efficient appliances.
Refers to electricity generation resources that power grid operators can control and adjust on demand to meet changing electricity needs. These include nuclear, hydropower, battery storage, and thermal power plants.
Small-scale energy generation and storage technologies located near the point where the energy is used, rather than at a centralized power plant. These resources–such as solar microgrids, rooftop solar, and battery storage–can be used to enhance or replace traditional energy sources and can operate independently or be connected to the main grid.
Refers to any unwanted or unplanned electrical event that interferes with the normal operation of the electrical grid. These can manifest in power outages, surges, and other events, and can originate from various sources within the electrical grid, such as loss of a large generating unit or another grid asset, such as a transmission line or transformer.
The ability of a piece of electrical equipment to stay connected to the grid through a short-term disturbance, thus helping keep the grid stable through the event. Inverter-based resources, such as photovoltaic solar arrays, wind turbines, and battery storage, can provide disturbance ride-through services, but require specific design of their control system to do so.
In energy regulation, it is a formal proceeding or official record initiated by a regulatory body (such as a Public Utilities Commission or the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)) to address a specific issue or project. It serves as a repository for all submitted documents, evidence, and public comments.
A visual representation of how solar power generation impacts the daily electricity demand curve, particularly in regions with high solar adoption like California. It depicts a dip in net electricity demand during midday due to solar generation, followed by a steep increase in the evening as solar output decreases and demand peaks.
Midcontinent Independent System Operator, serves northern Midwest, southeast, and parts of Canada
Power that does not perform useful work but is used to establish and maintain electromagnetic fields that are needed to generate, transmit, and convert electric power in the alternating current network. A shortage of reactive power can cause voltage to decline. (See also: voltage support)
A characteristic of the whole electricity system to describe its ability to consistently deliver electricity to consumers without interruption, even through grid disturbances. Reliability comes down to having sufficient generating resources to meet demand and a functional operational grid system.
An agreement initiated by an RTO or ISO with a power plant, keeping it in operation temporarily for reliability purposes.
The ability of the grid to ride through extreme events, recover quickly, and support other critical systems (e.g., transportation, health care, public safety etc.).
An assessment of whether the current or projected resource mix is sufficient to meet capacity and energy needs for a particular grid. The resource mix includes all resources able to provide capacity and energy to the system. Adequacy assessments are used to identify potential shortfalls in the availability of resources across different time frames; from long-term planning (5 to 20+ years) to seasonal and day-ahead assessments.
(see also: ISO) – A non-profit organization that manages the electricity transmission system in a specific region, ensuring reliable and efficient electricity delivery. RTOs operate the high-voltage electricity grid, facilitating the movement of power from generating plants to substations and ultimately to consumers. They also oversee competitive wholesale electricity markets.
A network of distributed energy resources—like rooftop solar panels, electric vehicle chargers, and smart water heaters—that work together to balance energy supply and demand on a large scale. They are usually run by local utility companies that oversee this balancing act.
Often described as the “pressure” that pushes electric current through a circuit. It’s measured in volts (V) and is essentially the energy per unit charge. Think of it like water pressure: the higher the voltage, the greater the “push” on electrons, and the more current can flow.
Maintaining stable voltage on the grid is critical to keeping the lights on and avoiding equipment damage. Voltage is not consistent across the grid, though it is locally constant, with higher voltages used for longer transmission lines and lower voltages used at the distribution level.
