Electricity Resource Adequacy

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Electricity Resource Adequacy
Grace AndersonCalifornia Energy Commission
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Electricity Resource Adequacy

• How much insurance against risks of outages or
  high prices do we want to pay for?
• Do we have accurate, transparent information to
  evaluate the adequacy of available resources?

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Current Status

• Functions
• WECC power supply assessment using public domain
  tools (confidential data) NERC relies on this
  for national outlook
• WECC 2005 goal to develop/publish adequacy
  criteria
• Responsibilities
• NERC requires seasonal and annual assessments
  WECC adequacy criteria (guidelines) goal is
  voluntary Governors requested integrated
  electric/gas adequacy study 03
• Authority
• WECC by-laws establish responsibility for
  reliability
• Effectiveness
• Accountability is limited within the current WECC
  structure
• Enforceability does not exist for data,
  assessment or adequacy
• Level of Commitment
• High commitment to adequacy in concept but
  resources allocated to assessment and adequacy
  limited

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What is Needed ?

• Functions
• Increase transparency and documentation of
  results with less aggregation of assessments
• Extend assessment to energy (GWh) and natural gas
• Improve public domain methodology
• Apply RA approach/elements and adopt
  guidelines/targets
• Responsibilities
• Increased clarity/consensus on role and
  definition of adequate
• Authority
• Not needed unless RA guidelines/targets approach
  is ineffective
• Effectiveness
• Increase sophistication, accountability and
  outreach
• Pursue voluntary approach debate guidelines vs.
  requirements
• Level of Commitment--Higher
• Priority Oversight
• Visibility Funding