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JI Makes Case for Dynamic Scheduling
Published: April 23, 2009:Author: ColumbiaGrid Staff
The Joint Initiative infrastructure strike team tipped out a proposal for the flexible application of a Dynamic Scheduling System (DSS) this month and is looking for shows of interest to move to the next stage of development. “Agreements of Interest” are due May 8, with final participant agreements and a contract award planned for June 30, according to team facilitator Sharon Helms.
The business case for flexible dynamic scheduling, released April 8, is a major achievement for the Joint Initiative, a collaboration that began last summer between three subregional transmission entities: ColumbiaGrid, Northern Tier Transmission Group (NTTG) and West Connect. Helms, NTTG’s representative to the JI, explained that the case confirms the technical feasibility, identifies costs and benefits, and outlines an implementation path.
Dynamic scheduling provides balancing authorities easier access to load following and regulation services that are critical as more variable resources come on line. The proposed DSS would allow participants to accommodate any number of future dynamic schedules and take advantage of load and resource diversity and shorter-term weekly, daily or hourly deals that were previously impractical. Helms said if there is an adequate show of support for flexible dynamic scheduling, the JI will issue a request for proposal from vendors capable of developing the needed software protocol.
The overall JI effort is organized “to keep us nimble,” according to Kristi Wallis, who coordinates ColumbiaGrid’s participation. The three transmission groups provide the forum and support to explore grid issues that benefit from broad expertise and geographical boundaries, she said. When an issue is identified, a strike team forms to flesh it out and prepare a business case to gauge “if there is a critical mass of interest to move forward,” Wallis explained.
Thanks to the work of a team co-chaired by Wallis and Charlie Reinhold, West Connect’s project manager for JI, other new products and services are taking shape. Among them are proposed business practices that accommodate within-hour transmission scheduling and purchases, and a proposal for a software platform (ITAP) that would help match buyers and sellers of intra-hour generation and automatically handle details, like attaching electronic tags to the transactions.
The JI “started off with the sense that the added system flexibility was needed for integrating intermittent resources, like wind,” Reinhold said. But the benefits of what we are doing are much broader, he added, and “the products we are producing will help meet other needs.”
The JI will hold its third Think Tank meeting April 30 in Seattle. For more information, check the website at www.columbiagrid.org.
