Content area
In particular we solicit proposals for presentations on topics and questions such as the following: (1) Stochastic modeling for unit commitment and operating reserves: * Given the difficulty in formulating and solving full-scale stochastic unit-commitment problems, what interim steps might be taken to more intelligently incorporate information about uncertainty into unit-commitment and dispatch? * How can uncertainty be described in a manageable set of scenarios or constraints that improve unit-commitment and dispatch while allowing good solutions to be achieved in the required timeframe? * If a stochastic unit-commitment model is used, how should prices be calculated, given that the stochastic unit-commitment formulation no longer produces as part of its solution a single set of deterministic shadow prices for power at each location? * How would a stochastic day-ahead unit commitment mechanism alter current market software for other processes (for example, reliability unit-commitment processes)? * What steps toward better incorporation of uncertainty into unit-commitment might be taken over the next 5 to 10 years? * What methods can be used to calculate requirements for contingency reserves and regulating reserves? * How can reserves calculations more completely capture the uncertainty and variability of the system, including forecast error? * How can outage probability be captured in contingency reserve calculations, and how good is the available data? * What methods can be used to determine reserve zones? (2) Optimal transmission switching: * Simple optimal direct current (DC) transmission switching appears to represent a potentially solvable technical problem using existing computational resources if transmission operators optimize only a small number of transmission switch positions. How have such dynamic transmission ratings been implemented? * What are the data or computational challenges associated with implementing adaptive or dynamic transmission ratings? * How can inter-temporal considerations regarding transmission line loadings and limits be incorporated into economic dispatch algorithms? (5) What improvements have occurred in linear programs, nonlinear programs and mixed integer programing (MIPs) for faster and/or better solutions? (6) What new and more efficient approaches to loop flow and joint dispatch have been developed?