EPNES: Modeling the Interaction between the Technical, Social, Economic and Environmental Components of Large Scale Electric Power Systems

电力系统的放松管制一直被失误和相互指责所困扰。要清楚和系统地界定这些问题，以便作出有意义的政策决定，是不可能的。大多数讨论都忽略了影响电能生产、传输和消费的经济、技术、社会和环境因素之间的相互作用。这项工作将研究这些相互作用，并开发适合政策制定者和研究人员使用的计算机模型。主要工作将集中在模拟模型的开发上，这些模型超越了传统的学科界限。例如，我们将对消费者行为进行建模，消费者行为会影响效率，进而影响电力需求，进而影响发电价格和输电网的运营。这样的模型将使我们能够模拟短期行为，如电价和近期的拥堵。这些模型还将被用来观察长期行为，如对新一代和输电的投资。这些模型将用来自西方电网的数据作为基准测试系统进行测试。该项目最后将利用基准系统的交互模拟编制几个教学模块。这些单元将被设计成融入社会学、经济学、环境科学和工程学的高级/研究生课程的教学大纲，这些课程是研究小组的本土部门。模块化方法将使来自多个学科的学生参与讨论和互动模拟。

The deregulation of the electric power system has been plagued by missteps and finger pointing. It has been impossible to clearly and systematically delineate the issues so that meaningful policy decisions can be made. Missing from most discussions is the interplay between the economic, technical, social and environmental factors that influence the production, transmission and consumption of electric energy. This work will study these interactions and develop computer models suitable for use by both policy makers and researchers. The main effort will be focused on the development of simulation models, which extend beyond traditional disciplinary boundaries. For example, we will model consumer behavior, which affects efficiency and hence electricity demand, which in turn affects the prices on generation and the operation of the transmission grid. Such models will enable us to simulate short-term behavior such as electricity prices and congestion in the near term. The models will also be used to look at long-term behavior such as investment in new generation and transmission. These models will be tested with data from the Western power grid as the Benchmark Test System. The project will conclude with the preparation of several instructional modules using interactive simulation of the benchmark system. The modules will be designed for integration into syllabi for senior/graduate level courses in sociology, economics, environmental science and engineering, the home departments for the research team. The modular approach will engage students from multiple disciplines in discussions and interactive simulations.