HYDROVISION International

HYDROVISION hot topic: Leveraging hydropower’s flexibility in changing markets

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HYDROVISION hot topic: Leveraging hydropower’s flexibility in changing markets

Editor’s Note: As a consequence of the ongoing local and global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Clarion Events North America (formerly PennWell) is rescheduling HYDROVISION International 2020 to November 17-19, 2020, at the Minneapolis Convention Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.

One big challenge facing many utilities is the effects a changing power portfolio and market can have on the company’s hydroelectric power facilities. Typically, hydropower has inherent flexibility in how it is operated and dispatched, making it an ideal resource for integrating intermittent resources into the grid. However, this flexibility can lead to changes in operational regimes that can have negative effects for the asset.

The ins and outs of this controversial topic will be covered during several different sessions at HYDROVISION International this July. In particular, a session entitled Leveraging Hydropower’s Flexibility in Changing Markets will explore how hydropower’s flexibility can be leveraged to add value and stability to the grid as energy markets change.

This session — in the Market Trends and Asset Strategies track — will discuss how operational flexibility can provide ancillary services and the impact that this has on equipment. This session also will highlight the need to plan for uncertainty in future operation and to incorporate compensation for these services in the financial model.

In addition to this session and others in the five-session Market Trends and Asset Strategies track, HYDROVISION International features a knowledge hub on Dealing with Changing Market Conditions that will offer several shorter presentations on this topic.

This upcoming event — scheduled for July 14-16 in Minneapolis, Minn., in the U.S. — features a variety of other hot topic discussions, so check out the website and see what you can learn.