A Comprehensive Generation Control and Dispatch System for an Electric Utility with Special Requirements

The ability to control a power system in real-time with considerations for unusual generation configurations and heavy industrial loads has become increasingly important to utility operations for a number of reasons. An Energy Control System which includes special techniques in the real-time generation control and dispatch algorithms to solve these problems has recently been delivered to the Duquesne Light Company. All generation resources, including jointly-owned units, combined -cycle units and units located external to the control system boundary, are considered for control and dispatch. Large, non-conforming, industrial loads which cause wide swings in the system´s net interchange and Area Control Error, such as arc furnaces and rolling mills, have been accounted for, while still allowing the control system to respond properly to system emergencies and changes in system load.