1

NERC’s Integration of Variable Generation Task Force:

4. Operations
Abstract-- State and potential federal policies are expected to
significantly increase renewable generation in North America in This panel provides a review of the results from this report
the immediate future. Much of this growth will be from and the status of the ongoing activities supporting the work-
variable resources such as wind generation and solar plan. This specific paper focuses on the activities of the
photovoltaic (PV). As the amount of variable generation (VG) planning work group, which includes the following three
increases, the reliability of the bulk power system can be
tasks:
negatively impacted if provisions are not made to accommodate
the additional variability and uncertainty. As such, in 1. Planning Models – Evaluate extent to which standard,
December 2007, NERC created the Integration of Variable valid, generic, non-confidential, and public variable
Generation Task Force (IVGTF) to prepare a report to identify generation power flow and stability models exist and
technical considerations associated with integrating high whether NERC’s Standards need to be modified to
penetrations of VG and specific mitigating actions needed to rectify any deficiencies.
ensure bulk system reliability. The special report, released in 2. Emerging Flexible Resources – Evaluate the potential
April 2009, identified several follow-on tasks to further improvement to bulk system reliability from
investigate measures to ensure reliability. This paper integration of large amounts of plug-in hybrid electric
summarizes the efforts of one of four IVGTF work groups
vehicles, storage and demand response programs and
tasked with activities related to the characteristics of variable
generation.
how such influences should be considered in planning
studies.
Index Terms— variable generation; renewables, integration; 3. Distributed Energy Resources Impact – Evaluate
interconnection; standards potential adverse bulk system reliability impacts of
variable distributed resources and recommend whether
I. BACKGROUND existing NERC standards need to be modified to
rectify any deficiencies.
T o date, North American experience with variable
generation has been limited to integration of a relatively
small amount of the total generation within a power system or
II. CHARACTERISTICS OF VARIABLE GENERATION
TECHNOLOGIES
balancing area (i.e. typically less than 10%). The industry is
now starting to experience operational reliability issues, Much of the North American experience with the
though integration of variable generation typically has not operation of variable generation technologies has been
appreciably affected the reliability of the bulk power system limited to that of smaller wind farms mostly located in a
to date. Anticipating substantial growth of variable limited geographic areas and using smaller turbines and basic
generation, NERC’s Planning and Operating Committees generator types (Type 1 and Type 2 generators). Many of
created the Integration of Variable Generation Task Force these generators that were went into service due to the
(IVGTF) who prepared a report, entitled, “Accommodating Qualifying Facilities (QF) program policy mandate under the
High Levels of Variable Generation,” [1] which was released Public Utilities Regulatory Policies Act (PURPA) did not
in April 2009. have the financial incentive and were not under the necessary
In addition to defining various technical considerations for operational oversight to direct their operation to focus on the
integrating high levels of variable generation, the report reliability of the power system within which they operated.
identified a work plan consisting of twelve follow-on tasks to Hence, power system operators have developed outdated and
investigate potential mitigating actions, practices and
normally adverse impression of these technologies due to:
requirements needed to ensure bulk system reliability. These
1. Small geographic footprint of the wind farms made
tasks were grouped into the following four working groups
their output highly variable and very susceptible to
with three tasks each:
1. Probabilistic Techniques local weather events;
2. Planning 2. Older and smaller wind turbines limited the range of
3. Interconnection wind speed at which wind generation could generate
electric power;
Dariush Shirmohammadi ([email protected]) is with Shir
Power Engineering Consultants, Inc., Beverly Hills, California 90210 USA.

978-1-4244-6551-4/10/$26.00 ©2010 IEEE

3. Older and less sophisticated generation technologies for types 3 and 4 units.
made the output of wind plants less controllable and
therefore dependent on the power system to which This panel presentation focuses on the characteristics of
they were connected; and variable generation technologies with specific concentration
4. The lack of technology diversity, such as solar on the impact of such characteristics on power system
generation, has not been widely implemented, operation. The objective is to discuss the impact of variable
thereby making the output of many variable generation resources, not only in terms of their variability and
generation areas limited to a few hours in the day. uncertainty, but also in terms of the capabilities that they
The more recent variable generation landscape does not offer to operators to better manage power system operation.
suffer from any of the adverse conditions noted above. In The discussion will also broadly cover distributed variable
short: generation technologies as well as potential future evolution
of the utility industry due to or impacting variable generation
1. Variable generation plants are significantly larger technologies.
and located in significantly wider geographic areas
making their output vary significantly more III. CONCLUSIONS
smoothly and less dependent on local weather The NERC IVGTF, under the direction of the NERC
events; Planning and Operating Committee, has prepared a special
2. The advances on variable generation technologies report identifying technical considerations for integrating
has allowed these generators to provide many, if not variable generation into the bulk power system, and specific
all, of the capabilities that conventional generators actions, practices and requirements to accommodate the
provide that contribute to the reliability of power unique nature of these resources. The report identifies
system operation; and specific follow-on tasks to evaluate actions for power system
3. Introduction of diversity in variable generation planning to ensure that a reliable and robust power system is
technologies, and particularly the known available to the power system operator within the planning
complementary wind and solar generation output horizon. Three of these tasks related to system planning are
have made it possible to have significant and steady summarized within this panel paper – (1) adequacy of
generation output from renewable sources. planning models, (2) potential system flexibility offered
from emerging resources and their aggregate impact on
For example modern wind generation technologies offer reliability, and (3) potential adverse reliability impacts of
distributed energy resources and whether NERC Standards
the following control capabilities today:
need to be altered accordingly.
1. Voltage/VAR control/regulation: Reactive support
IV. REFERENCES
and power factor control can be provided either
1. Special Report -- Accommodating High Levels of Variable Generation,
through built-in capability (available for wind turbine NERC, http://www.nerc.com/files/IVGTF_Report_041609.pdf
generators Types 3 and 4) or through a combination
of switched capacitor banks and/or power electronic
transmission technologies such as SVC/STATCOM Dariush Shirmohammadi (F’05) is the
(applicable for all wind generator types). Chief Consultant with Shir Power
2. Voltage ride-through: This control capability can be Engineering Consultants, Inc. His 30-year
achieved with all modern wind turbine generators tenure in the electric power industry has
mainly through modifications of the turbine generator primarily included technical leadership
controls. In some cases with older Type 1 or 2 wind positions in all areas of transmission and
turbine-generators, at weak short-circuit nodes in the distribution planning and operations as well
transmission system, there may be a need for as in the design and implementation of electricity markets.
Some of his most recent assignments have been the Director
additional transmission equipment subject to detailed
of Regional Transmission Organization with the California
studies.
ISO, Chief Technologist with the North American Energy
3. Power curtailment and ramping: This control can
Credit and Clearing Corporation (NECC), Vice President and
be achieved through unit control mechanism for units Head of Americas Energy Markets with the OMX Group,
with active-stall or pitch control, and/or discrete Managing Consultant with PA Consulting Group, Director of
tripping of units. Emerging Energy Market Services with Perot Systems
4. Primary frequency regulation: This can be supplied Corporation, and the Director of Energy Systems Automation
by all turbines that are equipped with some form of Group with Pacific Gas & Electric Company. He has a Ph.D.
pitch regulation (i.e. active-stall or pitch-control). in Electric Power Engineering from the University of Toronto
5. Inertial response: This is inherent in type 1 and 2 and is a registered professional engineer. Dariush is also a
units and can be achieved through supplemental fellow of IEEE.
controls in the converter to emulate inertial behavior