California's blackout signals a need for enhanced reliability planning

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California's blackout signals a need for enhanced reliability planning
By Manfei Wu
Manfei Wu
Senior Consultant, Energy Power Markets
Sep 17, 2020
ICF experts explore the implications of recent blackouts on the state’s reliability and resource adequacy planning.

This paper investigates the factors behind the blackouts and explores why the state failed to prepare in advance.

You’ll learn: 

  • How significant shortages in thermal, wind, and import resources collectively led to the rolling blackouts in California.
  • How California can improve its reliability planning by taking a more prudent approach to import resources, aligning planning standards with changing market dynamics, and utilizing advanced modeling techniques to study system fluctuations and prepare for stressful conditions.
  • How battery storage can help and what needs to be caveated in a system with high renewable penetration.

Download the paper to discover why California must enhance reliability planning in order to implement its ambitious energy goals for the future.

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Meet the author
  1. Manfei Wu, Senior Consultant, Energy Power Markets