The mechanism for choosing the lowest cost energy option that meets energy needs, which gives cheaper renewable energy and battery storage an edge. 

• Uneconomic dispatch – when a grid operator/utility chooses a higher-priced energy option, or above market-rate source, to meet electricity needs. This has emerged as a significant problem in areas where United States utilities are operating coal plants that can’t compete on cost with gas-fueled facilities and renewables. This practice allows utilities to continue to collect the costs of fuel and operations from customers to pay off their investment in the power plant.

Measurement used to calculate how much an energy resource–such as a wind farm or solar array–contributes to the overall reliability of the grid. It assesses the resource’s ability to meet electricity demand, particularly during peak usage periods, and is especially useful for variable renewable energy sources whose output depends on factors like weather conditions. 

Measures that reduce electricity use in a home or business. These measures include replacing inefficient heating and air conditioners with heat pumps, adding attic insulation, and sealing ducts and foundation, walls, roof, windows, and doors of buildings. It also includes replacing energy-intensive appliances with more efficient ones. These measures can provide energy savings, improve comfort, and increase property values.

Connecting new generation to the grid with minimal transmission upgrades and managing impacts through operational strategies rather than extensive upfront infrastructure investments. This approach, often referred to as “connect and manage,” prioritizes adding generation capacity quickly while relying on the grid operator to manage any resulting operational constraints. It requires new resources to risk curtailment (where the generator is asked to stop supplying power to the grid when supply is too high). The process has allowed Texas’ ERCOT to connect record numbers of new clean projects in the last several years significantly faster than other regions. 

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas serves as an independent system operator (ISO), managing the flow of electrical power over transmission infrastructure in the state of Texas.

A combination of automated and manual controls grid operators adjust to maintain grid reliability by ensuring a balance between supply (generation) and demand (load). They generally consist of three main aspects:

• frequency response – short-term adjustments to maintain the grid’s oscillations at 60 hz), 
• balancing – related to frequency response but on longer time frames, to, for e.g., plan for energy resource outages due to maintenance, and 
• voltage control – involves magnetic waves to allow for the movement of watts of energy

An independent agency that regulates the interstate transmission of natural gas, oil, and electricity. FERC also regulates natural gas and hydropower projects.

A United States law primarily regulating the interstate transmission and sale of electricity and the development of hydroelectric power. It was responsible for creating the body now known as FERC. It was created in 1920 and has been amended several times since. 

Measures taken to ensure backup power, particularly of renewable energy, such as solar and wind generators. These requirements may require battery storage, ancillary services, or backup generation, such as an added gas plant to produce energy when a solar or wind plant does not.

Electricity is supplied to homes and businesses in the United States in the form of alternating current, and frequency is the rate at which an alternating current changes direction, as measured in hertz (Hz). Across the power grid there is a consistent frequency which in the United States is 60 Hz. 

The ability of the grid to react to a change in

the frequency to bring it back to the normal operating frequency, which is 60 Hz in the United States

• Inertial response refers to the injection of stored energy, such as battery energy, into the electricity grid to slow down a decline in frequency. 
• Primary frequency response – The first line of defense against frequency fluctuations that could destabilize the grid. It takes the form of immediate, automatic adjustments in power output by generators and loads in response to frequency deviations in the electric grid.
• Fast frequency response consists of the combined inertial response and primary frequency response. It injects energy in the seconds immediately following a disturbance to slow frequency decline and establishes the minimum frequency (called the nadir).
• Secondary frequency response works on a slightly longer time frame than primary frequency response, on the order of 5-15 minutes. It maintains grid frequency and allows for scheduled energy transfers between balancing authorities, which include utilities, regional transmission operators, and other grid management entities.

For electricity infrastructure, like power lines and generating facilities, these requirements involve a range of considerations, including safety, environmental impact, and community engagement. Specific regulations vary by location and project type, but generally include distance requirements from existing infrastructure, environmental assessments, and engagement with landowners and stakeholders.

The conversion of sunlight into electricity using photovoltaics (PV) or solar thermal technologies. It’s a renewable energy source that is becoming increasingly important in the global energy landscape due to its sustainability and decreasing costs.

Refers to the real-time wholesale cost of electricity that fluctuates based on supply, demand, weather, and grid conditions.

Southwest Power Pool

Generators with turbines rotating in sync with the grid frequency. They include large-scale thermal (coal and gas) and hydropower plants.