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FERC Releases Report on Frequency Response Metrics for Variable Renewable Generation

January 24, 2011

From the FERC news release:

"The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) today issued for public comment a study that seeks to ensure reliability for consumers by identifying tools that will help manage the planning and operations of new generation resources into the nation's electricity system.
The study, conducted by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory with a team of power system experts, and initiated and funded by FERC's Office of Electric Reliability, examines what is known as the frequency response of the bulk power system. Frequency response measures how the system performs in responding to a sudden loss of generation that could cause reliability problems such as blackouts.
The purpose of the study is not to determine how much of any particular resource can be reliably integrated into an interconnection, but to develop an objective methodology to evaluate the reliability impacts of varying resource mixes including increased amounts of renewable resources. The study accomplishes this objective by developing and testing tools that can be used to assess and plan for the operational requirements of the grid."

Joe Eto, EETD scientist and principal investigator of the research project, made a statement about the report at a hearing in Washington at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission hearing coinciding with the report's release.

FERC news release, "Study identifies tools to help ensure grid reliability"
Download the report, titled "Use of Frequency Response Metrics to Assess the Planning and Operating Requirements for Reliable Integration of Variable Renewable Generation," and related documents.