topic 3

Question 1

- Peak load

Answer 1

the demand (load) of the electricity system at its near maximum

Question 2

• Intermediate load

Answer 2

the portion of the load that predictably rises from the low to high point

Question 3

• Base load

Answer 3

the portion of the load that is constantly being demanded

Question 4

• Generation

Answer 4

production of electricity

Question 5

• Transmission

Answer 5

initial mass transport of the produced electricity to the region where the load is

Question 6

• Distribution

Answer 6

final stage of power delivery where individual buildings are connected to the grid

Question 7

• Stranded costs

Answer 7

cost of investments made previously that may have become redundant over time

Question 8

• Control area

Answer 8

An electric power system or combination of electric power systems to which a common automatic control scheme is applied in order to:

Question 9

• IOUs

Answer 9

investor owned utilities that are privately owned

Question 10

• RTOs

Answer 10

regional transmission organizations, responsible for transmission & distribution

Question 11

• Scheduling

Answer 11

understanding/planning the generation sources to meet the anticipated load changes

Question 12

• Reliability

Answer 12

likelihood that the asset will be in service when needed

Question 13

• Intermittency

Answer 13

a particular type of resource availability risk relating to renewable generation sources

Question 14

• Dispatchability

Answer 14

the utility’s ability to dispatch generators to meet the load

Question 15

• Resilience

Answer 15

ability of the grid to withstand external shocks

Question 16

• FERC / NERC

Answer 16

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission: The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or FERC, is an independent agency that regulates the interstate transmission of natural gas, oil, and electricity. FERC also regulates natural gas and hydropower projects; Assist consumers in obtaining reliable, efficient and sustainable energy services at a reasonable cost through appropriate regulatory and market means. / North American Electric Reliability Corporation: The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) is a not-for-profit international regulatory authority whose mission is to assure the reliability of the bulk power system in North America.

Question 17

• Hardening

Answer 17

physical resilience of the transmission & distribution assets

Question 18

• Independent System Operator

Answer 18

an independent organization that handles transmission and distribution assets, usually formed by regulations that break up larger utility monopolies

Question 19

• Load-following

Answer 19

generators that supply the increasing intermediate load

Question 20

• Operating reserve

Answer 20

reserves set aside by the utility to ensure sufficient reserves are in place to meet potential customer demand

Question 21

• PUC

Answer 21

public utilities commission: a governing body that regulates the rates and services of a public utility

Question 22

• Reserve margin

Answer 22

excess supply that is available to meet uncertainty in the actual load

Question 23

• Spinning reserves

Answer 23

generation assets that are required to be available and deployed in synchronization to replace any unexpectedly lost generation

Question 24

• Vertically integrated

Answer 24

utilities that incorporate generation, transmission, and distribution systems

Question 25

• Smart Grid

Answer 25

an “intelligent” grid system designed to automate and self-regulate