The new thermal governor model used in operating and planning studies in WECC

In April 2003, the WECC board of trustees directed that all operating and planning studies performed in the WECC should use the GE GGOV1 model for transient studies and new blocking recommendations, based on actual survey results, for post-transient studies due to the simulation improvements with the new model. The paper demonstrates the impact of the new turbine-governor modeling approach that correctly represents thermal units that have demonstrated unresponsive characteristics such as "base loaded" units, or as units with load-controllers, and the effect of the model on operating transfer capability. The planning studies include the work demonstrating the impact of the new thermal governor model during an off-nominal frequency excursion in the WECC Interconnection. The WECC currently has a coordinated off-nominal frequency load shedding and restoration plan that is being evaluated to determine if the WECC off-nominal frequency plan needs to be updated due to the new thermal governor model.