Quantifying the operational benefits of conventional and advanced pumped storage hydro on reliability and efficiency

Pumped storage hydro (PSH) plants have significant potential in providing reliability and efficiency benefits in future electric power systems. New PSH technologies, like adjustable-speed PSH, have also been introduced and can present further benefits. An understanding of these benefits on systems with high penetrations of variable generation (VG) is a primary focus. This paper will demonstrate and quantify some of the reliability and efficiency benefits afforded by pumped storage hydro plants utilizing the Flexible Energy Scheduling Tool for Integrating Variable generation (FESTIV), an integrated power system operations tool which evaluates both reliability and production costs. A description about the FESTIV tool and how it simulates PSH operations at multiple timescales will be given. Impacts of PSH on area control error, production costs, and system operation are quantified on a high VG scenario in the Balancing Area of Northern California. We also perform a study on how advanced PSH can provide a fast form of regulation to improve reliability and potentially reduce costs.