Accommodating High Levels of Variable Generation - NERC

Conclusions & Recommended Actions
1.6. Probabilistic planning techniques and approaches are needed to ensure that system
designs maintain bulk power system reliability.
1.7. Existing bulk power system voltage ride-through performance requirements and
distribution system anti-islanding voltage drop-out requirements of IEEE Standard 1547
must be reconciled.
1.8. Variable distributed resources can have a significant impact on system operation and
must be considered and included in power system planning studies.
2. Operators will require new tools and practices, including enhanced NERC Standards to
maintain bulk power system reliability (NERC’s Operating Committee)
2.1. Forecasting techniques must be incorporated into day-to-day operational planning and
real-time operations routines/practices including unit commitment and dispatch.
2.2. Balancing areas must have sufficient communications for monitoring and sending
dispatch instructions to variable resources.
2.3. Impact of securing ancillary services through larger balancing areas or participation in
wider-area balancing management on bulk power system reliability must be investigated.
2.4. Operating practices, procedures and tools will need to be enhanced and modified.
3. Planners and operators would benefit from a reference manual which describes the
changes required to plan and operate the bulk power and distribution systems to
accommodate large amounts of variable generation (NERC’s Operating and Planning
Committees)
3.1. NERC should prepare a reference manual to educate bulk power and distribution system
planners and operators on reliable integration of large amounts of variable generation.
In addition, a number of issues, not under the purview of NERC, should be addressed by industry
and policy makers:
4. Industry Actions
4.1. Existing bulk power system voltage ride-through requirements and the distribution
system anti-islanding voltage drop-out requirements of IEEE Standard 1547 must be
reconciled.
4.2. Industry activities (e.g. the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) and
Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC)) efforts on developing short circuit
and dynamic models should be supported and encouraged.
4.3. Variable generation owner, operators and vendors must familiarize themselves with the
intent and purpose of NERC’s Modeling, Data and Analysis (MOD) Standards.
4.4. The use of probabilistic planning techniques and approaches should be investigated and
adopted for the planning and design of bulk power systems with high levels of variable
Accommodating High Levels of Variable Generation 64