Document Type

Project

Publication Date

Spring 6-2018

Keywords

Variable renewables, Energy imbalance market, EIM, Renewable integration, Electricity markets, Renewable grid integration

Abstract

Compared to other regions of the United States, the Western electric grid is fragmented and balkanized, due to lack of regional market coordination. As the West anticipates the growth of renewable energy, there is an evident need for regional market interconnection. The Energy Imbalance Market (EIM) is the first sub-hourly regional power-trading market in the West, allowing Western utilities to buy and sell electricity across the diverse geographic region (EIM, 2018a). By tapping into the flexibility and diversity of regional production profiles, the EIM reduces the variability and intermittency of renewable power. According to the 2017 quarterly benefits report, from market inception in 2014 through December 2017, the Energy Imbalance Market reports $288.44 million in total market integration benefits (Figure 1). Benefits include enhanced grid reliability, higher electricity dispatch efficiency, increased renewable power integration, reduced renewable curtailment, and reduced flexibility ramping reserves.

Department

Environmental Studies

Subjects - Topical (LCSH)

Distributed resources (Electric utilities)--West (U.S.); Electric power-plants--Load--Management; Electric power system stability; Renewable energy sources--West (U.S.)

Geographic Coverage

West (U.S.)

Genre/Form

student projects; term papers

Type

Text

Rights

Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this document for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author’s written permission.

Rights Statement

http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Language

English

Format

application/pdf

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