Look-ahead dispatch in ERCOT: Case study

Abstract

Compared with conventional static security constrained economic dispatch, look-ahead dispatch leverages the near-term forecasts of variable generation for an overall more cost-effective utilization of generation assets. This panel paper presents a case study of applying look-ahead dispatch in the nodal market operations of Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) system. The major components of the ERCOT nodal market and the incorporated look-ahead functions are introduced first. Then an ERCOT-scale case study to demonstrate the benefits of look-ahead dispatch compared with static security-constrained economic dispatch is presented.