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.
An entity that is hired by an Independent System Operator (ISO) or Regional Transmission Organization (RTO) to oversee and assess the operations of the wholesale electricity market. Its primary role is to ensure fair and competitive market practices by monitoring market participant behavior and identifying potential market manipulation or design flaws.
A non-profit organization that manages the electricity grid and wholesale electricity markets within a specific geographic region. Its primary role is to ensure the reliable and efficient delivery of electricity, balancing supply and demand in real-time and overseeing fair competition among market participants.
In the context of the grid, it refers to the energy stored in the rotating machinery of generators, such as the turbines of a gas plant or hydropower station.
The turbines rotate at the same rate as the grid–60 cycles per second (hertz) in the United States–and help provide stability for the grid, particularly during spikes in power demand or other disturbances. If the power plant goes offline for any reason, the inertia of the turbines maintains the grid’s frequency for a window of time while another power source is brought online to replace the offline generator.
Certain types of renewable energy, such as wind and solar photovoltaic, do not use rotational generators, instead using electronic inverters. But these renewable technologies include electronic sensors that can respond to changes in frequency quickly, and can replace the need for rotational inertia.Synthetic inertia – Inertia provided without synchronous generators and refers to the transfer of active power into the grid from a grid-forming inverter. This type of inertia can provide the same, or even better, stabilization services as traditional inertia because it has an instantaneous effect.
The process of connecting new power sources, like renewable energy generators or energy storage systems, to the existing grid infrastructure. It involves integrating these new sources with the grid’s transmission and distribution networks, ensuring a stable and reliable flow of electricity.
The line in which power generation and transmission projects must wait after they have requested to connect to the electric grid. These queues are managed by grid operators like ISOs (Independent System Operators) or RTOs (Regional Transmission Organizations). Projects are evaluated for their impact on the grid and the necessary upgrades before they can connect and deliver electricity.
A power source whose availability and output fluctuate due to natural variations in its energy source. This means the power supply isn’t consistently available, often linked to weather conditions like wind speed, time of day, or season. Renewable energy output can be forecast and stored in battery systems to maintain grid reliability.
Technology that provides the interface between the grid and energy sources like solar panels, wind turbines, and energy storage, converting direct current to alternating current (which is how electricity is delivered in the United States). It is used to convert power output from solar cells, batteries, and wind turbines into power that can be injected into the grid.
A power generation or storage device (such as a battery) that connects to the electrical grid through an inverter, a power electronic device that converts direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC). These resources, including solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, wind turbines, and battery energy storage systems, are increasingly important for grid stability.
ISO New England
Wind turbines erected in bodies of water that harness the power of wind, converting it into electricity that is then transmitted to the mainland to power homes and businesses. Offshore wind farms are considered a renewable energy source.
The real-time balancing of energy supply and demand to maintain frequency and voltage within safe operating limits. It is the shorter-term dimension of reliability and requires regular monitoring and control of the entire grid. It includes the ability to quickly respond to sudden changes, like the loss of a major power plant or transmission line, and to handle normal variations in supply and demand.
The brief periods when electricity consumption is at its highest, often driven by factors like extreme weather or heat events. This is the highest amount of electricity demand for which a grid operator needs to plan.
A power plant that is designed to quickly ramp up and provide electricity during periods of high energy demand, such as during hot summer afternoons or cold winter evenings, to meet the increased needs of households and businesses. These plants generally only run during these peak events to supplement regular power generation.
A regulatory tool that ties a portion of utilities’ earnings to the utilities’ performance on desired regulatory outcomes, offering utilities opportunities to create the programs and services needed to advance emerging priorities.
The conversion of light into electricity at the junction of two substances exposed to light. A photovoltaic system employs solar modules, each comprising a number of solar cells, which generate electrical power.
Pennsylvania-New Jersey-Maryland Interconnection- services 13 states in Midatlantic and Midwest region
The rate of transfer of energy. It’s essentially how quickly energy is being used or converted from one form to another in an electrical circuit. Power is measured in watts (W), which represents one joule (J) of energy per second.
A measure of how efficiently electrical power is being used. It shows how much of the total power flowing in a circuit is actually doing useful work (active power) versus being ”wasted” as reactive power. A power factor closer to 1 means higher efficiency and fewer losses.
Sometimes also called a Public Service Commission (PSC), is a state-level governmental agency that regulates utilities like electricity, gas, and water. PUCs ensure that these essential services are provided fairly, reliably, and at reasonable prices, often by overseeing monopolies and protecting consumers.
