An interdisciplinary approach to long-term modelling for power system expansion

This article describes an interdisciplinary approach to computer modelling of large-scale power systems over a long-term horizon. The goal is to simulate the interplay between the economic, technical and environmental factors in the system. Our approach is illustrated with a model based on data from the Western Electric Coordination Council (WECC). We present simulations to show the change in the WECC system over 20 years. We explain the challenge of simulating short-term behaviour such as hourly wholesale electricity prices within the longer-term model. The usefulness of the model is illustrated by showing simulated impacts on the WECC system due to a market for carbon allowances. This research demonstrates the importance of simulation models that are designed for interactive use by policymakers, engineers and researchers.

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