CAISO Flashcards
Why was ancillary service prices high in 2011?
Ancillary services accounted for about 2 percent of total energy costs, up from about 1 percent of total wholesale costs in 2010. This increase was largely attributable to very high hydro conditions in the first half of the year, which decreased the availability of ancillary services from hydro resources as they provided energy instead of reserves.
How did gas-fired capacity change in 2011 in CAISO?
About 300 MW of new gas-fired capacity came online in 2011, while over 350 MW of gas generation was retired.
What is the change in gas-fired capacity in 2012 and beyond?
In 2012, another 450 MW of gas capacity is expected to be retired, while about 650
MW of new gas generation is projected to come online. Beyond 2012, significant reductions in total gas-fired capacity are possible due to the state’s restrictions on use of once-through cooling technology.
How much renewable resource were added in 2011 in CAISO?
. About 650 MW of nameplate capacity from renewable sources came online in 2011, including about 540 MW of wind projects.Because of the relatively low peak summer capacity value of wind resources, this 650 MW of new renewable capacity represents about 195 MW of potential summer peak capacity.
What is the increase in renewable resources in 2012 in CAISO?
In 2012, about 3,000 MW of new renewable nameplate capacity is expected to come online, including over 2,000 MW of solar capacity.
What was the wholesale cost of serving load in CAISO 2011?
Total estimated wholesale costs of serving load in 2011 were $8.2 billion or just over $36/MWh. This represents a decrease of about 9 percent from a cost of $40/MWh in 2010. This is also the lowest nominal wholesale cost since 1999.
Why was the wholesale cost so low in 2011 CAISO?
Much of the decrease in costs was driven by lower gas prices. Spot market gas prices decreased by about 4 percent.
In addition to lower gas prices, other factors contributed to the decrease in wholesale costs in 2011.
Other demand and supply conditions contributing to lower prices included:
increased hydro-electric generation;
increased imports, particularly from the northwest; and
lower summer peak loads.
high day-ahead scheduling of load relative to actual loads;
competitive bidding levels in the day-ahead and real-time energy markets; and
low congestion.
How big is the day ahead market?
Almost 100 percent of system load was scheduled in the day-ahead energy market, which continued to be highly efficient and competitive.
What is the relationship between ancillary service and hydro?
Ancillary service costs increased to about $139 million in 2011, representing a 61 percent increase over 2010.
Ancillary service costs increased from $0.37/MWh of load in 2010 to $0.63/MWh
in 2011
This increase was driven primarily by a drop in ancillary services from hydro-electric generation during the spring and early summer periods. During this period, high runoff required that many hydro resources provide energy instead of ancillary services. This required increased reliance on higher-priced ancillary services from thermal units and more capacity not owned or contracted by load-serving entities.
What is resource adequacy?
Resource adequacy provisions of the ISO tariff require load-serving entities to procure adequate generation capacity to meet 115 percent of their monthly forecast peak demand.
What are the three capacity procurement mechanism available to CAISO?
reliability must-run contracts
the capacity procurement mechanism (long term)
resource adequacy program (SHORT TERM)
How well did the resource adequacy program work to provide capacity in 2011?
the availability of
resource adequacy capacity was relatively high during the highest load hours of each month. During the
peak summer load hours, about 91 percent of resource adequacy capacity was available to the dayahead energy market. Capacity under the resource adequacy program was sufficient to meet virtually all system-wide and local
area reliability requirements in 2011. As a result, the ISO placed very limited reliance on the two
alternative capacity procurement mechanisms provided under the tariff: reliability must-run contracts
and the capacity procurement mechanism
What is CPUC?
The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC or PUC) is a regulatory agency that regulates privately owned public utilities in the state of California, including electric power, telecommunications, natural gas and water companies. In addition, the CPUC regulates common carriers, including household goods movers, passenger transportation companies (like limousine services) and rail crossing safety
What is the history of CPUC?
On April 1, 1878, the California Office of the Commissioner of Transportation was created.On March 24, 1911 the California Legislature proposed a constitutional amendment giving it constitutional status,[9] which was ratified by the electorate on October 10, 1911.[5] On June 16, 1945 a constitutional amendment was proposed by the legislature to rename the Railroad Commission as the California Public Utilities Commission,[10] which was ratified by the electorate on November 5, 1946.
As a result of the amendment, the Constitution of California declares that the Public Utilities Code is the highest law in the state, that the legislature has unlimited authority to regulate public utilities under the Public Utilities Code, and that its provisions override any conflicting provision of the State Constitution which deals with the subject of regulation of public utilities.[11]
What does CPUC do?
The CPUC regulates investor-owned electric and gas utilities within the state of California, including Pacific Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison, and San Diego Gas & Electric. Among its stated goals for energy regulation are to establish service standards and safety rules, authorize utility rate changes, oversee markets to inhibit anti-competitive activity, prosecute unlawful utility marketing and billing activities, govern business relationships between utilities and their affiliates, resolve complaints by customers against utilities, implement energy efficiency and conservation programs and programs for the low-income and disabled, oversee the merger and restructure of utility corporations, and enforce the California Environmental Quality Act for utility construction
