THE FUTURE OF RENEWABLE ELECTRICITY, PT. 4

Volume 4: Bulk Electric Power Systems: Operations and Transmission Planning

June 2012 (National Renewable Energy Laboratory)

“…[T]he Renewable Electricity Futures Study (RE Futures), funded by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, is a collaboration with more than 110 contributors from 35 organizations including national laboratories, industry, universities, and non-governmental organizations…

“…[It] is an initial investigation of the extent to which renewable energy supply can meet the electricity demands of the continental United States over the next several decades…[It] explores…very high renewable electricity generation levels—from 30% up to 90%, focusing on 80%...—in 2050…”

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[From the report:] “The electric power system is the infrastructure that converts fuel and energy resources into electric power (thus generating electricity) and carries and manages that electric power from where it is generated to where it is used…It is a system of systems that comprises physical networks that include fuel and resources; power plants of many different varieties; electric transmission and distribution line networks and measurement; information and control systems; and virtual networks of money, business relationships, and regulation. Achieving balance among all of these elements is a fundamental challenge for the planning, engineering, and operation of the overall system because of the variability and uncertainty of load and unexpected equipment failures that affect the generation and delivery of electricity. The system of systems is loosely referred to here as ‘the grid.’”

[From the report:] “The major physical elements of the grid are generation, transmission, distribution, and load. Generation is the collection of power plants electrically connected to the grid and ranging in size from very small, distributed units…to central stations rated at over 1,000 MW…Transmission is the collection of networked high-voltage lines (above 100 kV) that tie generation to load centers. High-voltage lines also connect utilities to one another, reduce costs through sharing of resources, and provide enhanced reliability in case of events such as the loss of a large generator. The high-voltage transmission system also enables the wholesale marketplace for electricity. In general, the bulk or wholesale system refers to the network of interconnected generation and transmission lines, while the distribution system refers to the lower-voltage generally radial lines that deliver electricity to the final customer. The load—created by the electrical equipment on the customer’s side of the meter—…load completes the system…”

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