The document discusses the increasing amounts of renewable energy, particularly wind and solar, on electricity grids and the need for flexibility to integrate these variable resources. It outlines different generation sources and their relative flexibility. Areas of focus for integrating renewables include improved forecasting, visibility of distributed resources, and incorporating renewables into economic dispatch. Emerging sources of flexibility mentioned are energy storage, demand response, and smart grids.

1. The Drive for Flexibility: Maximizing
the Value of Each Energy Source
Darren Finkbeiner
Manager, Market Development
June 8, 2012

2. Renewable Generation:
What the Future Holds
May 2012
12000
Total Wind and Solar Outlook
10000
8000
Future Dx Solar
Future Tx Solar
MW
6000
Future Dx Wind
Future Tx Wind
Existing Dx Solar
4000
Existing Dx Wind
Existing Tx Wind
2000
0
Jan-13
Jan-14
Jan-15
Jan-16
Jan-17
Jan-18
Oct-12
Oct-13
Oct-14
Oct-15
Oct-16
Oct-17
Oct-18
Apr-12
Apr-13
Apr-14
Apr-15
Apr-16
Apr-17
Apr-18
Jul-12
Jul-13
Jul-14
Jul-15
Jul-16
Jul-17
Jul-18
Note: Values include assumptions based on current information
2

3. Managing Supply
Dispatchable Baseload Variable
Wind
Peaking Hydro
Nuclear and
Baseload Hydro
Natural Gas
• Hydro: highly flexible • Limited flexibility to • Output varies depending
when there’s water manoeuvre on conditions
• Gas: highly flex, if min • Can’t “follow” demand • But highly flexible
loading point is met within those max outputs
More control Less control

4. Renewables Integration Initiative:
Areas of Focus
Forecasting Visibility Dispatch
Ability to predict New processes Integration of
output from such as direct renewables into
variable telemetry and the economic
resources is reporting are dispatch is
essential for needed to ensure required to
maintaining visibility of large- resolve issues
system reliability scale embedded like surplus
and market wind and solar baseload
efficiency generators generation
4

5. A Constant Evolution:
Future Sources of flexibility
• Storage – various technologies are emerging to
address the challenges of variable sources
• Demand Response - markets are increasingly
incorporating DR into their markets, including
ancillary services
• Smart Grids – leading to a more sophisticated
retail load base, capable of dynamically
responding to changing load conditions