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.
Fuel cell that carries energy generated from another source. It can be used in fuel cells to generate electricity with water as the only byproduct, or it can be burned for heat. Hydrogen can be produced from a variety of sources–renewable energy such as solar or wind, or gas plants, nuclear, and other energy sources–which dictate whether it can be considered “clean” or not.
A type of power station in which the heat energy generated from various fuel sources (e.g., coal, natural gas, nuclear fuel, etc.) is converted to electrical energy.
The maximum amount of electrical power that can be reliably moved from one geographic region of the power grid to another, essentially indicating the ability of the transmission lines connecting those regions to transport electricity between them without causing instability or exceeding safety limits. It’s a crucial concept for ensuring the safe and efficient operation of the power system, particularly in the context of electricity markets and grid planning.
Equipment used to increase and decrease voltages at grid interfaces.
The process (and infrastructure) of moving large amounts of electrical power over long distances from where it is generated, like a power plant, to substations closer to consumers.
Measure of the rate of energy transfer over a unit of time, with one watt equal to one joule (J) per second.
A form of renewable energy that uses the kinetic energy of wind to generate electricity. It involves capturing the wind’s energy through turbines, which then convert this mechanical energy into electricity. Modern wind power generation primarily relies on wind turbines, often grouped into wind farms, connected to the electrical grid.
The increase in energy demand during the winter months, usually due to heating needs. This can lead to higher energy prices and bills for a number of reasons, including:
