California ISO sets up renewables integration unit

Oct 31, 2012 - The California Independent System Operator Corp (California ISO) said yesterday it had set up a new division focused on market quality and renewable integration.

The unit will bring together the non-profit public benefit corporation's market performance review operations and strengthen its focus on price trend analysis. The division will also oversee planning studies for system needs in the process of integrating large amounts of renewables into California ISO's grid. According to the organisation's estimates, the grid will need between 3,000 MW and 4,000 MW of fast and flexible stand-by power to make up for more variable electricity supply and demand. The new unit will perform generation fleet studies into whether enough "flexible capacity" is installed to satisfy future electricity needs.

The supply and demand for electricity are both expected to become more fluctuating in real time with the increase of supply from intermittent sources such as wind and solar and of distributed generation like rooftop solar, California ISO said.

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