On Quantification of Flexibility in Power Systems

Large scale integration of fluctuating and nondispatchablegeneration and variable transmission patterns inducehigh uncertainty in power system operation. In turn,transmission system operators (TSOs) need explicit informationabout available flexibility to maintain a desired reliability level ata reasonable cost. In this paper, locational flexibility is defined anda unified framework to compare it against forecast uncertaintyis introduced. Both metrics are expressed in terms of rampingrate, power and energy and consider the network constraints.This framework is integrated into the operational practice ofthe TSO using a robust reserve procurement strategy whichguarantees optimal system response in the worst-case realizationof the uncertainty. An illustrative three-node system is usedto investigate the procurement method. Finally, the locationalflexibility for a larger test system is presented.