Considerations of Reactive Power/Voltage Control in CAISO Market Operations

The design and integration of traditional voltage control and stability tools with the Energy Market Management System at the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) is discussed and presented in this paper. The tools are transformed from pure analytical and planning applications into an active participant of the daily and real-time energy market operations to provide valuable assessments of system security and stability based on generation commitments and dispatches under both normal and contingency conditions. The design features presented in this paper are part of the phased approach to integrate voltage control and reactive power optimization into the inner decision making process of the CAISO market system.