In today's article we are going to explore Curtailment (electricity), a highly relevant topic that has captured the attention of many people in recent times. With a detailed and exhaustive approach, we will dive into the most important and controversial aspects related to Curtailment (electricity), with the aim of offering a complete and objective view on the topic. Through research and in-depth analysis, we will examine the implications and repercussions that Curtailment (electricity) has in different areas of society, as well as possible solutions or approaches to address this issue effectively. Don't miss this opportunity to deepen your knowledge about Curtailment (electricity) and gain a broader and more informed perspective on this highly relevant issue.
In electric grid power generators, curtailment is the deliberate reduction in output below what could have been produced in order to balance energy supply and demand or due to transmission constraints. The definition is not strict, and several types of curtailment exist. "Economic dispatch" (low market price) is the most common.
Curtailment is a loss of potentially useful energy, and may impact power purchase agreements. However, utilizing all available energy may require costly methods such as building new power lines or storage, becoming more expensive than letting surplus power go unused.
After ERCOT built a new transmission line from the Competitive Renewable Energy Zone in West Texas to the central cities in the Texas Interconnection in 2013, curtailment was reduced from 8-16% to near zero.
Curtailment of wind power in western China was around 20% in 2018.
In 2018, curtailment in the California grid was 460 GWh, or 0.2% of generation. Curtailment has since increased to 150-300 GWh/month in spring of 2020 and 2021, mainly solar power at noon as part of the duck curve.
In Hawaii, curtailment reached 20% on the island of Maui in Hawaii in the second and third quarters of 2020.
Curtailment is a reduction in the output of a generator from what it could otherwise produce given available resources, typically on an involuntary basis
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CAISO considers three types of curtailment: Economic dispatch, a self-scheduled cut, and exceptional dispatch. These can all happen at the local level, to reduce congestion, or at the system-wide level, to reduce oversupply.
PG&E will effectively shut down projects during public safety power shutoff (PSPS) events, and then not pay the developer for the lost production
In most cases, it simply does not make economic sense to build all the infrastructure (e.g. transmission lines or energy storage) that would be required to utilize every last drop of renewable electricity
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the cumulative annual load profile by hour of LDV fleets using its fast charging network — with rideshare vehicles currently making up the lion's share on a gigawatt-hour basis — aligns with the cumulative solar curtailment by hour on the CAISO system
load migration within the existing data center capacity during the curtailment hours in CAISO has the potential to reduce 113–239 KtCO 2e per year of GHG emissions and absorb up to 62% of the total curtailment with negative abatement costs in 2019