Assessing Wind Integration Costs with Dispatch Models: A Case Study of PacifiCorp; Preprint

Conventional electric production simulation models do not fully capture the unique issues surrounding wind power plants. PacifiCorp used an hourly system dispatch model to estimate wind resource integration costs in its Integrated Resource Plan (IRP). This paper explores a number of modeling issues surrounding the representation of wind integration costs in dispatch models and the implications for calculating wind integration costs. Such issues include unit commitment logic, reserve requirement calculations, and wind forecast accuracy. We also discuss methods of assessing integration costs outside the conventional modeling framework, and we present some wind-related results from the PacifiCorp IRP. We believe that this paper will be of value for utilities and control areas that are involved in assessing potential wind impacts and integration cost and will help provide a framework for future model development. These modeling issues need to be addressed by the modeling community as wind becomes a significant part of utility resource portfolios.