Power Generation Management Under Time-Varying Power and Demand Conditions

Utilities linked by transmission lines must dispatch a changing mix of generators to meet demand as both loads and renewable supply vary over time. We formulate a multi-period dispatch model that accounts for the cost of adjusting generation between periods and derive an efficient solution method. Under conditions often encountered in practice, the solution is globally optimal; numerical experiments quantify the benefits of adjusting thermal generation at finer time scales.

Proceedings of the IEEE Power & Energy Society General Meeting, pp. 1–7